Choose the Right China Addressable LED Strip Lights

by Now Seore Nowseore

LED strip lights, ribbons, and tapes are among the most popular LED products. They replaced incandescent ribbons as well as some fluorescent tubes, and they definitely gave endless options for advertising and decoration of bars, hotels, and other public places. The rapid development of LED technology has led to their availability in very bright versions, allowing users to use them for tasks, or occasionally as a main source of light. We collected the main characteristics of China addressable led strip consumers need to consider if they want to make the right choice based on their popularity at home and in commercial use.

The following features may help us decide what to apply based on our purposes:

LED size or type

The number of LEDs within a metre of a strip

LEDs' colours or colour temperatures

The strip's flexibility

LED strip direction

Heavy-duty carrying capacity

Rating based on IP address

The voltage

Controllers and dimmers

All of the factors mentioned above play a role in determining the brightness or performance of LEDs, but the type and size of LEDs included are probably the most important. Our previous ArticleBase.com article discussed the difference between the performance of different LED technologies (low power, SMD power, and high power) as well as the size of the diodes. Generally, the newer the LED technology and the larger the size, the brighter it will be.

In addition to the number of LEDs in the strip within a metre, another factor affecting performance is its size. A higher number within a metre means a brighter strip, but extremely high numbers within a metre often require special technologies, such as double width strips, which have LEDs arranged in two or three rows next to each other rather than just one after another. Check the arrangement of LEDs in strips containing a high number of LEDs since LEDs placed too close to each other can produce too much heat and shorten the strip's lifespan.

Due to the RGB technique, LEDs can now create any colour, allowing them to have an endless colour range. White can be found in two or three shades: bright or cold white, which is bluish and really bright, warm white, which is more yellowish like the sun, and natural white, which is a combination of the two. In Kelvin, white is measured by its temperature. The higher temperatures (from about 5000 K) represent cold or bluish whites, whereas the lower temperatures (2700 - 3000 K) represent warmer whites.

RGB LED strips can also emit a wide variety of colours, in addition to single colour LEDs. To operate RGB strips, a controller is required, which determines whether they should be one constant colour or change at a certain pace. Special pixel RGB strips are able to change colour in a row, creating a run-down effect. The variety of colour changes of the RGB strip is also highly dependent on the controller's knowledge.

In terms of application, LED strips can be determined by their degree of flexibility. Rigid strips are ideal for replacing fluorescent tubes, but flexible strips can also be used for a variety of uses. On flat surfaces it is sometimes easier to work with rigid strips, though applied on ceilings or walls - I'm sure many of you have encountered this problem before - what appears flat to the eye is not quite straight when examined with a spirit level. As a result, flexibility is more often a blessing than a burden.

Strips are usually flexible in one dimension only, which is exactly why LED placement can be significant. Most types of strips have LEDs to light up, so if you want to enlighten a wheel, you will need side-mounted or side-view strips to be able to shape them in the right way.

Strip lights generally have a very low carrying capacity. Heavy-duty strip lights are not normally sold for household use, but rather for commercial use on ships and in factories. Profiles are commonly used in home use where carrying capacity matters - for example, along the edge of a stairway.

In electrical enclosures, IP ratings are composed of two numbers indicating the degree of protection from solid objects (including body parts like fingers and hands), dust, accidental contact, and water.

Strip lights need to be waterproof if they are going to be installed in wet or humid places, outdoors, or even under water. The IP rating of items that are completely waterproof is 68.

Strip lights that run on mains are often used, but most LED strips require a transformer since they are run at low voltages (usually 12 or 24 V). Before applying LED strip lights, always check the voltage. Ensure your strips are compatible with LEDs if they require a transformer, because electric transformers usually ruin LEDs.

It is possible to create a wide variety of moods or atmospheres using addressable led strip, depending on the accessories you use with them, such as dimmers or controllers. Although the largest variety of RGB effects are created with panels, where there are no limits to the effects we can use other than our imagination, there is a lot you can do with strips too, applying complex controllers, such as the DMX, allowing you to set the rhythm of colour change to music. Although most strips require a dimmer made specifically for LEDs, dimming is always possible.