How to choose a constant current driver for your application?

With these step by step instructions, you will find a suitable driver for your luminaire.

Step one: What forward current does your LED need?

You should find the forward current your LED needs. For example if your LED needs a current of 500mA, you should try to find a driver with 500mA output current.

Step two: What Watt driver do you need

The power consumption of the LED can also be found from the datasheet or at least it can be calculated with the data in the datasheet. The power consumption can be calculated by multiplying typical driving current value by typical forward voltage value that both can be found in the LED data sheet. Sometimes you can even find the power consumption directly from the datasheet.

Remember that if using multiple LED components, you have to find a driver that can feed all the LED components in your luminaire.

Step three: What output voltage range you need from the driver

Again take a look at the datasheet and check the voltage of the LED. If you have multiple LEDs, you should add the voltages together. Then you should find a driver with a voltage range that your LEDs fit into.

Step four: Do you need dimming? And what type of dimming?

A need for dimming is mainly dependent of the specification of your luminaire. If you don’t need dimming, a normal on/off driver is enough for you. If you need dimming, there are many different types of dimming, such as 0-10V dimming , resistance dimming , 10V PWM dimming , Switch dimming and so on

Step five: What are the physical dimensions the driver has to fit into?

You should also consider if there are some limitations for the physical dimensions of the driver. These will obviously have an impact on your driver selection.

Step six: What kind of environment the luminaire is used in?

Where is your luminaire designed to be used in? If it is designed to indoor use, then you probably won’t need to think about IP-classification so much. Of course if the luminaire is used in a room with a lot of dust or moisture, this has to be taken into account.

IP30 class drivers it means that this driver can be used in indoor lighting applications but hardly stands harsh conditions in outdoor lighting unless the luminaire itself is waterproof thus protecting the driver.But when designing a luminaire to outdoor use, then you should check that that the driver has good enough IP-class.

Usually IP65 drivers are heavier in weight, driver electronics is molded with plastic (e.g. potted) and the electrical throughputs of the wires both on primary voltage and the secondary voltage side are sealed with required protection against moisture.

Step seven: Approvals, is the driver suited for European or American standards?

Does the driver have any approvals? And are the approvals for Europe (TUV) or America (UL). This can generally be found from the datasheet of the driver.