If you are one of the many businesses that have purchased LED lights, you need LED drivers. It is a fact that LED lights save energy and decrease cooling costs, which is one reason why they have become so popular in recent years. The growing popularity of LED lighting has also increased the demand for LED drivers.

LED drivers can be white or RGB (red-green-blue). You can configure white LED lights in a parallel, series or both, therefore, white LED drivers must be able to deliver sufficient voltage for various white LED configurations. Conversely, RGB LED lights expand the range of visible light thus creating a clearer visual image. Because of the differences in light transmission, you will need more RGB LED drivers to light a display when compared to white LED drivers. While RGB LED lights offer improved picture resolution, they are more complex and expensive to configure.

Consider the following factors when deciding which LED driver is best for you:

1. Determine the type of LED drivers needed.

2. Evaluate LED driver features.

3. Find LED driver suppliers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine which LED drivers are best for you

RGB LED drivers offer better display resolution and energy savings in comparison to white LED lights. White LED drivers save space because they do not require as many parts as RGB LED drivers. While the light produced by white LED lights is not as bright and clear as RGB lights, white LED lights can emit uniform light/display brightness.

I recommend: You can read about the features of RGB LED drivers and purchase LED Drivers online from National Semiconductor. Fairchild Semiconductor offers a broad range of white and RGB LED drivers.

Research LED driver providers

There are hundreds of LED driver manufacturers from which to choose, including highly recognizable technology companies, such as Toshiba. Compare technical support services and design consultations when determining which LED vendor is best for you.

I recommend: Intersil is a global LED driver distributor specializing in producing a high power LED driver capable of accepting wide input voltages. EldoLED is also an LED driver manufacturer offering products online.

Find LED driver distributors

You can find a variety of LED driver suppliers online offering products from various manufacturers. Rather than purchase LED drivers and other LED components for your display, you may prefer a preassembled unit.

I recommend: Endicott Research Group has been providing LED driver solutions to businesses since 1979. This LED driver distributor also offers Smart Force LED solutions, which is a new generation of LED drivers. Nu Horizons provides a full range of LED driver solutions to help businesses assemble display prototypes.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Comparing the input power of LED drivers is a more reliable way of evaluating energy usage.