What does the voltage reduction of LED light strips mean?
The voltage drop of LED light strips, as the name suggests, refers to the phenomenon of reduced brightness due to the decrease in voltage in LED light strips. This phenomenon mainly occurs in low-voltage LED light strips, such as 12V light strips. When the light strip exceeds a certain length, such as more than 5 meters, there will be obvious voltage drop problems. "Voltage drop" here refers to a decrease in voltage, and a decrease in voltage causes an increase in current because voltage and current are related in a circuit. However, since the PCB board of the LED strip is strip-shaped, the current and voltage will gradually decrease in the second half of the strip. This is mainly because when the current is too large, the current resistance of the PCB board will increase, causing the voltage drop to increase.
This phenomenon is not obvious in high-voltage LED strips, because the voltage of high-voltage strips is higher and the current is relatively low, so the voltage drop problem is smaller. But in low-voltage LED light strips, this phenomenon is more prominent. When an LED strip is too long, the electrode voltage decreases, causing another wire to need to be placed next to the strip to direct power directly to the center of the strip. In addition, in order to reduce the impact of voltage drop, you can also consider placing the power supply in the center of the entire length of the light strip to supply power to both ends.
For consumers, the most direct manifestation of the voltage drop phenomenon is that the brightness of the LED strip is brighter near the power supply end and gradually becomes darker away from the power supply end. This is because both voltage and current decrease as distance increases, resulting in lower brightness. This phenomenon of uneven brightness will affect the visual effect on many occasions, so it needs to be paid enough attention to.
In order to solve the voltage drop problem, in addition to the above methods, you can also consider using a driver with a constant current function to provide power. The constant current driver can keep the current constant throughout the entire voltage range, so that even if the voltage fluctuates, the current will not change, thus ensuring the brightness consistency of the LED strip.
In addition, in order to more accurately understand the voltage drop of LED light strips, special measuring equipment can be purchased for testing. These devices can calculate the actual brightness value by measuring the voltage and current values at different locations to more comprehensively evaluate the quality and performance of the LED strip.
In short, the voltage drop of LED light strips is a relatively complex issue involving many factors. In order to solve this problem, multiple factors need to be considered comprehensively and corresponding measures must be taken. Only by fully understanding and mastering this knowledge can we better apply LED light strips, give full play to their advantages, and bring more convenience and comfort to people's lives and work. At the same time, it is also very important for consumers to choose high-quality LED light strips and pay attention to the correct use methods.
