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PLCC LED is the common name for a surface-mount LED built in a Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier package: a molded plastic body with a reflector cup around the LED chip and metal leads bent under or beside the body for reflow soldering. PLCC-2 means the package has two leads (one anode, one cathode). PLCC-4 has four leads and is used for two-chip or higher-power parts. The most common PLCC-2 body size is 3528, which stands for 3.5 x 2.8 mm. PLCC LEDs come in top view (light leaves perpendicular to the PCB) and side view (light leaves parallel to the PCB) versions.
Table of Contents
What does PLCC stand for?
PLCC stands for Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier. The name was first used for integrated circuit packages with J-shaped leads on all four sides. The LED industry borrowed the term for SMD LEDs that share the same idea: a plastic housing, a lead frame, and leads that are soldered to pads on the surface of the board instead of passing through holes.
Inside a PLCC LED, the chip sits in a small cup formed by the lead frame and the white plastic body. The cup works as a reflector, so more of the light leaves the top of the package. That reflector is the main physical difference between a PLCC LED and a plain chip LED such as a 0603 or 1206, which has no cup and no leads. If you are new to SMD terminology, our article What is SMD? SMD full form and size chart explains the naming system that PLCC LEDs also follow.
PLCC-2 vs PLCC-4 vs PLCC-6
The number after PLCC is the number of leads on the package. It tells you how many electrical connections the part has, and indirectly how many chips or how much heat the package is designed for.
| Package | Leads | Typical use | Common body size |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLCC-2 | 2 (anode, cathode) | Single-color indicator, backlight, signage | 3528 (3.5 x 2.8 mm) |
| PLCC-4 | 4 | Two chips in one body (bi-color), or single chip with extra leads for heat dissipation | 3528 and larger |
| PLCC-6 | 6 | Three chips (RGB) with independent control | 5050 (5.0 x 5.0 mm) |
PLCC-2 is the workhorse. One chip, two leads, and the smallest cost. Most white, red, green, blue, yellow and amber PLCC LEDs in the 3528 body are PLCC-2.
PLCC-4 adds two more leads. Manufacturers use the extra leads in two ways: to put two chips in one package so the part can show two colors, or to give a single higher-current chip a wider metal path to the board so it runs cooler. When you compare datasheets, check whether the four leads are electrically separate or whether two of them are thermal pads. The safest approach: if the datasheet does not make this clear, ask before you lay out the PCB, because it changes how the board is routed.
PLCC-6 is the RGB format. Three chips, six leads, usually in the 5050 body. For a deeper look at RGB packages, driver ICs and RGBW options, see What is RGB SMD LED? SMD package comparison.
PLCC LED size: why 3528 is the classic PLCC package
SMD LED size codes are the body length and width in tenths of a millimeter. 3528 therefore means 3.5 mm long and 2.8 mm wide. This footprint became the standard PLCC-2 size because it is large enough for a reflector cup and a lead frame, yet small enough to place thousands of pieces per hour on a pick-and-place line. 5050 (5.0 x 5.0 mm) is the standard PLCC-6 size for RGB. Smaller PLCC bodies exist for indicator and side view use, which is where the sizes below come from.
Our top view PLCC family is the OPS-L3528 Top View PLCC LED, listed on the product page at 2.8 x 3.2 x 1.9 mm, with seven emitting colors: yellow, white, yellow green, orange, amber, pure green and blue. All variants are rated at 20 mA drive current. Typical forward voltage is 2.0 to 2.4 V for yellow green and orange, 2.1 to 2.4 V for yellow and amber, 3.2 to 3.4 V for white, 3.2 to 3.7 V for pure green and 3.3 to 3.7 V for blue. Typical luminous intensity ranges from 112.5 mcd (yellow green) to 2250 mcd (white). In other words, the whole family uses one drive current but falls into two voltage groups: 2.0 to 2.4 V (yellow green, orange, yellow, amber) and 3.2 to 3.7 V (white, pure green, blue). Our advice: calculate the supply and series resistors for the two groups separately.
Top view vs side view PLCC LED
A top view PLCC LED emits light straight up, perpendicular to the board. It is the right choice when the viewer or the light guide is above the PCB: status indicators, keyboard and panel backlighting from below, signage and light strips.
A side view PLCC LED is the same package idea turned 90 degrees. The reflector cup and the emitting window face sideways, so light leaves parallel to the board. Side view LEDs are used when the LED must sit on the edge of a PCB and shine into a thin light guide plate, such as the edge-lit backlight of a small LCD, a keypad light guide, or an indicator light pipe on a front panel. They are also the standard answer when the housing is too thin to allow a top view LED plus a light guide above the board.
Because a side view LED has to be thin in the direction that faces the light guide, side view PLCC packages are long and narrow. The first number in the size is the thickness that faces the light guide, the second is the length along the PCB edge, and the third is the height above the board. Our side view PLCC LEDs cover four sizes:
| Part number | Package size (mm) | Emitting colors | Drive current | Typical luminous intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPS-L0310 | 0.3 x 1.0 x 0.55 | Blue, red, pure green, white | 20 mA | 112.5 mcd (blue, red), 560 mcd (pure green), 200 mcd (white) |
| OPS-L0318 | 0.35 x 1.8 x 1.0 | Blue, red, pure green, white | 20 mA (white: 5 mA) | 71.5 mcd (blue), 112.5 mcd (red), 180 mcd (pure green), 230 mcd (white) |
| OPS-L0828 (back light) | 0.8 x 2.8 x 1.2 | White, red, blue, pure green | 20 mA | 2500 mcd (white), 1000 mcd (red), 180 mcd (blue), 1125 mcd (pure green) |
| OPS-L0638 | 0.6 x 3.8 x 1.0 | White, red, blue, pure green | 20 mA | 2685 mcd (white), 900 mcd (red), 450 mcd (blue), 1800 mcd (pure green) |
The two smallest parts, OPS-L0310 and OPS-L0318, are for thin light guides in compact devices where board space is measured in tenths of a millimeter. OPS-L0828 and OPS-L0638 are the brighter back light grade parts for LCD and keypad backlighting where a light guide needs more than 1000 mcd per LED. In practice, work backwards from the light guide. Measure the light guide thickness and the height available in the housing first; that usually leaves one or two of the four parts, and only then compare brightness.
PLCC LED vs chip LED: which one should you use?
Both are SMD LEDs and both are reflow soldered, so the decision is about optics, brightness and thermal path rather than assembly.
| Feature | PLCC LED | Chip LED (0402, 0603, 1206) |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Molded plastic with reflector cup and lead frame | Small ceramic or resin body, no cup, terminals on the ends |
| Light output per LED | Higher; reflector directs light out of the top | Lower; sized for indicators and dense arrays |
| Viewing angle | Wide; check the datasheet for the exact figure | Wide, often similar, but with less directed output |
| Heat path | Lead frame carries heat to the board; PLCC-4 improves this | Limited by the small terminals |
| Footprint | 3528 and larger for top view; long narrow bodies for side view | From 0201 up to 1206 |
| Typical use | Backlights, signage, lighting, side view edge lighting | Status indicators, seven-segment and dot matrix displays |
A practical rule: if one LED has to light an area or feed a light guide, choose PLCC. If the LED only has to be seen as a dot, or you are placing many of them close together, choose a chip LED. Soldering guidance for both package types is collected in our application notes for SMD LEDs, PLCC and SMD LED displays.
How to choose a PLCC LED
- Direction of light. Viewer above the board: top view. LED on the board edge feeding a light guide: side view.
- Brightness. Compare typical luminous intensity in mcd at the same drive current. White and pure green usually lead; blue is lowest in most families.
- Forward voltage. Red, orange, yellow and amber sit around 2.0 to 2.6 V. White, blue and pure green sit around 2.9 to 3.9 V. Mixing colors on one series resistor is a common design mistake; when you change color, recalculate the resistor (see how to design the series resistor for a 7-segment display).
- Drive current. Most PLCC LEDs are specified at 20 mA. Some small white side view parts, such as OPS-L0318W-5, are specified at 5 mA and will be overdriven at 20 mA.
- Package height. Side view parts range from 0.55 mm to 1.2 mm above the board in our range; confirm the height fits under the housing or light guide.
- Lead count. PLCC-2 for one color, PLCC-4 for bi-color or improved thermal design, PLCC-6 for RGB.
The luminous intensity, forward voltage and drive current mentioned above are all in the datasheet on each product page; if you are not sure how to read each column, start with How to Read an LED Specification Table.
PLCC LED FAQ
A PLCC LED is a surface-mount LED in a Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier package: a plastic body with a reflector cup and metal leads soldered to the surface of the PCB. It is one of the most common SMD LED package families for backlighting, signage and lighting.
PLCC-2 has two leads and one chip. PLCC-4 has four leads and is used either for two chips in one package (bi-color) or for a single chip with extra leads that improve heat dissipation.
3528 means 3.5 mm by 2.8 mm. It is the classic PLCC-2 body size.
A side view LED emits light parallel to the PCB. It is placed on the board edge to shine into a light guide plate for edge-lit LCD backlights, keypad backlights and front panel light pipes.
Every PLCC LED is an SMD LED, but not every SMD LED is a PLCC. SMD describes how the part is mounted. PLCC describes one specific package construction with a reflector cup and leads. Chip LEDs such as 0603 are SMD but not PLCC.
Yes. OPTO PLUS LED (Taiwan) makes the OPS-L3528 top view PLCC LED in seven colors and four side view PLCC LED sizes from 0.3 x 1.0 x 0.55 mm to 0.8 x 2.8 x 1.2 mm, plus the OPS-L2020F 2020 RGB PLCC LED with built-in driver. Datasheets are on each product page.