LED lighting has many great benefits — including energy efficiency, long life, and environmental friendliness. But if an LED runs too hot, it may begin to malfunction and experience poor performance. So, it is important for LEDs to stay a consistent temperature, that can help to keep a flow of consistent and constant electrical current at all times.
To help keep LEDs running in top form, an LED driver comes in.
What is an LED Driver?
An LED driver is an electronic circuit that generates a constant output current from the supply voltage. An LED driver is a device that does exactly what it sounds like — it drives the power to one or more LEDs. LEDs actually work on DC power at a rather low voltage — usually between 2V to 4V. Because of that, they require something that will convert AC into DC for them, and also will help keep them protected from any power surges that might occur, causing the LEDs to become overheated and become problematic.
The LED driver acts not only as an electrical current management system, but also as a protective buffer.
There are two distinct types of LED driver products — constant voltage and constant current. Both versions are for different things in different situations. It’s important to study the product specifications of your LED lamp to make sure you are using the correct type. They are not usable interchangeably.