LED's Explained (with calculator)
  
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Intro

LEDs are becoming more and more common in car audio and the aftermarket automotive field in general. They can be found in euro taillights, underbody kits and even in custom installs. LED's are a great source for lighting your new plexi amp rack or putting some under-dash lighting in your car.

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs are like tiny light bulbs. But unlike the bulbs you have in your kitchen, LEDs do not have a filament that burns out, and they do not get nearly as hot - these add up the an LED lasting a considerable amount longer than a traditional light bulb. Being a diode, it is important to understand exactly what a diode is. Without getting too technical, a diode is a semiconductor that restricts current flow to only one direction. This means that the diode will only let power flow in one direction and not the other, in our case this means it will only complete the circuit and light up if wired correctly.

Choosing and Wiring LEDs

When looking at LEDs, you will run across a number of different colors, most commonly amber, yellow, red and green, and a little less common are blue and white. These colors usually have a working voltage from 1.6 to 4.0 volts, depending on the color. You can refer to your individual LED for the exact voltage.

LEDs come from many different manufacturers and many different suppliers. Not all LEDs are created equally. Some are better quality than others.

Wiring LEDs is a unique process. LEDs are Diodes, they have polarity, meaning they only let power go through them one way. You must wire them correctly for them to work. The Anode must be connected to the positive side, while the Cathode must be connected to the negative side of the circuit (Anode and Cathode pictured below).

 

The next thing to think about is that you need to limit the amount of current that passes through the LED. Too much current will overload and ruin it. You need to use a resistor in the circuit in series with the LED to accomplish this. A calculator for the resistor you need is on the following page.

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