A high voltage LED strip light operates directly off of line voltage (e.g. 120V in U.S., 220V in China, 230V in Europe). This is in contrast to the mainstream flexible LED strips which utilize low voltage 12V or 24V DC electrical power. Low-voltage LED strips are safe and fully customizable. They are a staple in a vast variety of applications that include cabinetry lighting, cove lighting, retail display lighting, landscape accent lighting, car interior and exterior lighting, etc. Low voltage LED strips, however, do come with a few downsides. A significant limit on the use of these low-voltage lights is that the circuit design cannot afford a long run length of the strip. The maximum run length of an LED strip is dependent on the electrical current that the circuit traces can handle. The ultrathin copper traces that are laminated into the polyimide substrate of the flexible printed circuit board has limited current carrying capacity. As the length of strip light increases, the voltage drop caused by the internal resistance of the copper traces increases. If long distances are involved, the resistance of the copper trace can cause a significant reduction in the voltage reaching the distant LEDs, which can result in inconsistent light output across the length of the strip and may cause the strip to overheat and start to burn.
at the Open Lighting Product Directory (OLPD)
