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The two main types of LEDs:
In everyday life, the applications of LEDs are diverse, but they can be simply categorized into two types:
- LEDs as light sources, providing sufficient ambient lighting.
- LEDs as information displays, showing various types of information.
LEDs used as light sources are commonly found in various types of lighting fixtures. Depending on the product application, such as indoor or outdoor lighting, high-power or low-power lighting, different design considerations are emphasized. However, for LED design, common parameters include drive voltage, emission power, emission color, and color temperature. Additionally, heat dissipation design is essential to prevent LED damage due to increased temperatures.
The main difference between LEDs used as information displays and those used as light sources lies in product power and application. The emitted power used in information displays is generally much lower compared to light source applications. Moreover, the application of LED information displays is extensive, such as in various indoor household appliances, where LEDs are commonly used to display characters or dot matrix information. Exhibiting more than 10 years of experience in the manufacturing and production of LED information displays, our company, OPTO PLUS LED Corp., will introduce the four most common types of LED applications in information display in this article. We will also provide examples of products from our analysis of 100 LED display applications for product designers.
LED Character Displays
The most common application of LEDs is to display characters, primarily Arabic numerals and uppercase/lowercase English letters. In large household appliances that require the display of a few simple digits or partial English text, a seven-segment display can be used. For displaying complete alphanumeric characters, a alphanumeric-display is suitable. Here are a few examples of LED character display products. It’s important to note that most of these products are standard LED display items already available in the market, typically featuring up to four characters. You can refer to OPTO PLUS LED corp.’s seven-segment display products and alphanumeric-display products for more information. Previously, we have discussed the structure of seven-segment displays and alphanumeric-display products, as well as how they can display Arabic numerals and uppercase/lowercase English letters.
LED Dot Matrix Displays
Another common application of LEDs is to display dot matrix graphics. A dot matrix display with a sufficient number of dots can be used to display various common characters. Taking Traditional Chinese as an example, characters can be displayed using dot matrix sizes of 16×16, 24×24, or 36×36. As the number of dots increases, the details of the characters become clearer. Please refer to the image below for an illustration:
Common Arabic numerals and uppercase English letters can be displayed using a minimum 5×7 dot matrix. The image below showcases examples of displaying Arabic numerals 0-9 and uppercase English letters using a 5×7 dot matrix.
Another characteristic of dot matrix displays is their ability to display graphics. Taking OPTO PLUS LED Corp. ‘ logo as an example, when displayed using a 32×32 dot matrix, it would appear as shown below:
Based on the above examples, products that utilize LED dot matrix displays often display both characters and graphics simultaneously. Here is an example below,It’s important to note that most of these products are standard LED display items available in the market. They are composed of product sizes that already exist. You can refer to OPTO PLUS LED Corp’ dot matrix display products for more information. Additionally, you can also refer to our previous articles on displaying information using dot matrix displays for further insights.
LED Indicator Lights
A simpler way to display information using LEDs is by using indicator lights that represent different functions or modes of a product. These indicator lights utilize standard SMD (Surface Mount Device) or THT (Through-Hole Technology) packaged LED indicators. Here are some examples of product applications:
Full Custom LED Information Displays
If a product needs to simultaneously display numbers, indicator lights, and other combinations, a fully customized LED information display is used as the display. Here are several application examples of custom LED display products. OPTO PLUS LED Corp. offers custom LED information display services. Please refer to our Custom LED Information Display Service page for more information, and feel free to contact us for inquiries and consultations.
Conclusion
This article has discussed and provided examples of the four most common types of LED information displays:
- LED Character Displays
- LED Dot Matrix Displays
- LED Indicator Lights
- Fully Customized LED Information Displays
OPTO PLUS LED Corp. has over 10 years of experience in the manufacturing and production of LED information displays. In addition to summarizing the four common types of LED applications for information display, we have also written a comprehensive analysis of 100 LED display applications for product designers to reference. We are here to assist and provide further assistance if you have any other questions. Please feel free to contact us.