Applications of neon lighting in interior and exterior

Cold neon or electroluminescent cord is a good alternative to low-power LED strips.
You can use it to create very interesting designs and drawings. However, if the process of cutting, connecting and connecting tapes no longer raises questions, then carrying out the same type of work on an El cord still puzzles many.

Let's look at how to properly cut, solder and connect cold neon so that the backlight works for a long time and reliably.

What are neon lamps

Neon lamps are lighting devices used everywhere - in industrial, administrative and residential buildings, interior design of premises for various purposes, on holiday signs, etc.

Structurally, this product is a glass tube filled with neon gas under low pressure. This is where the name comes from.

There are other types of neon lamps that use different inert gases. But they all have the same name.

What about pulsations?

In both schemes, the LED will light only during the positive half-cycle of the mains voltage. That is, it will flicker at a frequency of 50 Hz or 50 times per second, and the pulsation range will be equal to 100% (10 ms on, 10 ms off, and so on). It will be noticeable to the eye.

In addition, when flickering LEDs illuminate any moving objects, for example, fan blades, bicycle wheels, etc., a stroboscopic effect will inevitably occur. In some cases, this effect may be unacceptable or even dangerous. For example, when working at a machine, it may seem that the cutter is motionless, but in fact it is rotating at breakneck speed and is just waiting for you to stick your fingers into it.

To make the ripple less noticeable, you can double the LED switching frequency using a full-wave rectifier (diode bridge):

Please note that compared to circuit #2 with the same resistor value, we got twice the average current. And, accordingly, four times the power dissipation of resistors

There are no special requirements for the diode bridge, the main thing is that the diodes that make it up can withstand half the operating current of the LED. The reverse voltage on each of the diodes will be completely negligible.

Another option is to organize back-to-back switching of two LEDs. Then one of them will burn during the positive half-wave, and the second during the negative half-wave.

The trick is that with this connection, the maximum reverse voltage on each of the LEDs will be equal to the forward voltage of the other LED (several volts maximum), so each of the LEDs will be reliably protected from breakdown.

LEDs should be placed as close to each other as possible. Ideally, try to find a dual LED, where both crystals are placed in the same housing and each has its own terminals (although I have never seen such ones).

Generally speaking, for LEDs that perform an indicator function, the amount of ripple is not very important. For them, the most important thing is the most noticeable difference between the on and off states (on/off indication, playback/recording, charge/discharge, normal/emergency, etc.)

But when creating lamps, you should always try to reduce pulsations to a minimum. And not so much because of the dangers of the stroboscopic effect, but because of their harmful effects on the body.

What pulsations are considered acceptable?

It all depends on the frequency: the lower it is, the more noticeable the pulsations. At frequencies above 300 Hz, ripples become completely invisible and are not normalized at all, that is, even 100% are considered normal.

Despite the fact that light pulsations at frequencies of 60-80 Hz and higher are not visually perceived, nevertheless, they can cause increased eye fatigue, general fatigue, anxiety, decreased visual performance and even headaches.

Principle of operation

According to the principle of operation, lighting devices are similar to gas-discharge ones, but there are still some differences. The neon atoms in the glass tube are covered with an electronic shell, due to which they do not come into contact with the others. In order for at least one electron to come off, powerful energy with a voltage of 15,000 V is required.

Each end of the glass tube is equipped with electrodes. Neon lamps have an important feature - they can operate from both alternating and direct current sources. But in the latter case, the glow will appear only at the location of the electrodes.

Let us briefly describe the operating principle of such a lamp:

1. Electric current, acting on neon atoms, causes them to lose their own electrons. The latter turn into positively charged particles.
2. They then accumulate near the negative electrode located at one end of the tube.
3. The remaining free electrons tend to the positive electrode.
4. As a result of these actions, a glow is formed. Moreover, its brightness is no worse than LED lighting.

Materials and tools

To work with this backlight, you can’t do without a soldering iron. No amount of connectors, connecting or innovative piercing clips will help here.

Therefore, at least basic knowledge and skills in soldering will be very useful. Choose a low-power soldering iron up to 40W.

After soldering, the joint will have to be insulated. Small-diameter heat-shrink tubing is best suited for this. Cold neon goes from 0.8mm to 5mm in diameter.

The most common size is 2.3mm. Based on this, select the handset.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are several advantages and disadvantages to using neon lamps. We highlight the following advantages:

• lack of contrasting shadows;
• numerous shades;
• using controllers you can change the light intensity and color;
• The service life of high-quality products reaches 20 years;
• the lamps are safe because when the light is on, the glass tube heats up slightly, up to 50 0C;
• variety of tube shapes - from straight to curved;
• production of original designs for interior decoration;
• ease of installation—can be installed in hard-to-reach areas;
• bright but soft glow that does not irritate the eyes;
• noiselessness.

Along with the advantages, there are also several disadvantages:

• Compared to conventional lamps, neon lamps are characterized by lower power (significantly inferior to LED lamps) - usually the tube produces about 10 W per 1 sq. m;
• the mixture with which the glass tube is filled may contain hazardous substances - therefore, despite the ease of installation, in some cases a professional approach is required;
• failed neon tubes require special disposal;
• the tubes are made of fragile glass - if at least one is destroyed, neighboring ones may be damaged;
• incorrect installation makes the devices unsafe, and a violation of the seal leads to the formation of an arc discharge;
• Due to its low power, it cannot be used indoors as the main lighting device, only as a decoration.

An arc discharge occurs in a gas and is characterized by a high current density and voltage drop.

Important safety instructions and operating requirements

1. Before carrying out installation or maintenance work on flexible neon, turn off the power supply!
2. Before applying 220 V voltage, make sure that all connections are tight and electrically insulated!
3. All manipulations, connections, installation work must be carried out by qualified specialists.
4. It is not allowed to immerse light structures in water, or install them in places where liquid may accumulate.
5. Temperature: no higher than +40 degrees Celsius. — Installation on hot surfaces with temperatures above +40 C is not allowed. — Operation at temperatures above +40 C is not allowed. — Use near heat sources such as heating systems, power supplies, heated lamps and lamps is not allowed. — Installation is not allowed at temperatures below −10 C.
6. Twisting, breaking, breaking the sealed sheath of the wire, and other types of mechanical impacts are prohibited. The minimum bending radius is 100 mm.
   Read also:  The main reasons why an LED lamp hums
7. The wire wound on a reel can be connected to a 220 V network for no more than 1 minute.
8. Installation of the light structure must be carried out on a fixed, rigid surface.
9. It is prohibited to hang foreign objects (for example, signs) on structural elements.

Mandatory requirements for the operating conditions of flexible neon

1. Stretching or bending the luminous tape at the wrong angle will lead to the tape breaking and the product breaking.
2. The wire must be stored and transported only when wound on a reel. It is not recommended to unwind it before installation work, in order to avoid mechanical stress.
3. It is necessary to unwind the product on a dry, clean, flat surface, avoiding friction on the surface, before performing the installation work itself.

4. If the wire becomes wet or dirty, before further use it must be cleaned, dried, and the condition of the electroluminescent wire along its entire length checked.
5. When assembling, use only the original power cables and connectors supplied in the kit, or compatible accessories described in the instructions.
6. The maximum length of the segment connected to the network is 50 m.
7. Sealing must be done with a neutral sealant compatible with PVC materials.
8. To prevent current leakage and short circuit, keep the surface and connection points clean.
9. It is not allowed to cover the backlight during operation, use it in enclosed spaces, or place pieces of electroluminescent wire close to each other. Free air circulation around the lighting structure must be ensured.

If you have any questions about the specifics of connecting and installing flexible neon or about the components used, write to us via chat, or call Profneon by phone.

Kinds

In addition to standard neon lamps, you can find neon strips on the market called flexible neon - PVC tubes with LED strips embedded inside them. Various criteria are used to classify them. They can be colored or plain, transparent or matte.

First, let's look at electroluminescent lamps - one of the varieties of flexible neon. The main structural elements are polyvinyl chloride insulation and wire. An electric current moving through a cable creates a magnetic field. This excites the phosphor layer on the outer surface of the wire, causing it to glow.

A more common type of such lamps is LED neon. LEDs are mounted in a polyvinyl chloride tube. Even when placed far away, a uniform glow is obtained. The operating temperature of LED lamps is from -45 to +50 °C, which allows them to be used both inside and outside buildings.

LED neon has its own subtypes:

• classical;
• double-sided;
• RGB;
• professional.

They all differ in the quality of the LEDs used, the brightness of the lighting, the diameter of the wire, and installation features. This expands the possibilities for choosing LED neon lamps according to their purpose.

Flexible neon creates a permanent glow. Variable waves and flicker occur due to the addition of controllers to the electrical circuit. This chain structure is often used to organize advertising signs, holiday decor, etc. To connect multiple cords, special connectors are required.

Neon tape, compared to a lamp, has several advantages:

• the likelihood of mechanical damage due to negligence is minimized;
• glass lamps often break before they have time to burn out due to improper use or the end of their service life (the issue of safety is especially relevant when decorating a child’s room);
• good waterproofing;
• the presence of RGB technology (technology that allows you to achieve multi-colored glow);
• flexibility - the installation process is simplified, it becomes possible to install the tape in hard-to-reach parts of the room;
• mobility - the tape is as easy to dismantle (with subsequent installation) as it is to install;
• lower cost.

There are glow discharge gas-light lamps that are used in electrical and radio engineering devices. Their varieties are shown in the table below.

Installation of signs and posters made of flexible neon on a wall or facade

The functionality of the assembled system must be checked before installation, taking into account all necessary precautions. If a fault is detected at this stage, you will save costs and time for dismantling.

Sequence of installation work.

1. Carefully remove the assembled flexible neon from the packaging and unwind the reel. Carry out an inspection and make sure there is no mechanical damage on the surface and at the joints.
2. Connect the power adapter plug to a 220 V network.
3. Turn on the power.
4. Make sure that the glow is unbroken, uniform and uniform along the entire length of the wire.
5. Carry out installation work.

There are two types of installation of flexible neon: straight and curved. Installation features for them are shown in the diagrams.

Straight installation

Straight-line installation is carried out using original guide profiles. The profiles are attached to the wall or other surface using screws in increments of 25 cm.

Curvilinear installation

Curvilinear installation can be done in two ways. 1. Using special staples.

2. Installation in a pre-made groove using sealant (neutral silicone).

The choice of method depends on the type of structure that needs to be obtained.

Application

The scope of application of such lamps and flexible tapes is varied. We wrote about them at the beginning of the article. Let's take a closer look.

Neon lighting is often used to decorate living rooms, which allows you to create an organic interior. This is a great option for those who decide to transform the room and add something unique. By installing LED strips on the gazebo, you can create an extraordinary atmosphere during an evening relaxation with your family or close friends.

But these are not all the possibilities for using tape in everyday life. With its help you can focus on the ceiling, a beautiful wardrobe, or a wall mirror. For example, so that when you open a niche or cabinet door, neon lighting turns on. Even a fish aquarium will look more elegant if you attach such a tape to it (and this is possible, given its waterproofing).

In the kitchen, neon strip can be used to illuminate the dishwashing and food preparation areas.

Connecting LED strip via terminal block

The first method involves using the cheapest and most common bolt terminal blocks.

You can buy them for mere pennies, literally in any store. Many people already have such clamps in their household initially.

They were and are often used in places where chandeliers, sconces and other lamps are connected.

To reduce their size, cut off the plastic insulation. This can be done by cutting one of the sides of the terminal block with an ordinary stationery knife.

First, unscrew the bolts, hold the terminal with pliers, and make a neat cut with a knife. Using the same pliers and a screwdriver, pull the metal part out.

After removing the protective plastic, screw the bolts into place.

If the contacts of the LED strip are small, then they can be enlarged by removing the required amount of the protective layer from the front side.

You can even trim the tape a little around the edges if it doesn’t fit inside.

This cut is freely made almost all the way to the LED. At the cut points there are markings for the plus and minus connections from the power source.

Now you need to insert the prepared LED strip into the hole in the terminal block so that the tightened bolt presses the protected part of the contact of the strip against its wall.

Of course, this entire connection needs to be insulated. Do not leave bare parts of the clamps.

Choose heat shrink of such length that it completely covers the terminal block and other bare areas.

After this, use a regular lighter to heat the tube until it shrinks completely. If carbon deposits appear, it is advisable to remove it. A regular cloth soaked in water will do.

By the way, if there is no heat shrink, electrical tape will do just fine. Wrap it around the exposed parts of the joint. To prevent the insulation from peeling off over time, warm it up with a lighter.

This completes the connection. All that remains is to apply voltage from the power source and check the functionality of the backlight and the reliability of the contacts.

Examination

Before purchasing neon lamps or flexible strips, you need to figure out how to test them for functionality and eliminate defects. First you need to inspect it visually, then test it under voltage.

It is enough to connect the lamp to the radio broadcast network through a low-frequency transformer or use an alternating current network. As a last resort, batteries and a low-frequency power transformer will help solve this problem.

To check a fluorescent lamp, you need an electronic or electromagnetic ballast. The first is used more often.

It would not be superfluous to compare the performance and glow of the lamp being tested with a similar one (with identical parameters). It is important to follow the connection sequence to the circuit. If the lamp works normally, then look for a fault in the unit.

What to connect from

Remember that the neon cord cannot be connected directly through a socket and 220V voltage. Power supplies from LED strips are also not suitable.

Moreover, both simple and driver ones, which are used for LED lamps.

To power cold neon, a special inverter is required. It increases both the input voltage to several hundred volts and the frequency to several thousand hertz.

Moreover, the inverter itself can be designed to be powered either from a 12V unit or from 5V batteries. Everything depends on its execution.

You can also connect it via an adapter from an outlet, like those that come with chargers.

But one way or another, the circuit cannot do without an inverter.

Installation and connection

The installation process of neon lamps is as simple as possible. First, the lighting fixture holder is attached to the selected surface, and only then the light bulbs are installed.

To connect to the network, resistors are used to limit the amount of electric current. In most cases, they are built into the lamp base. It is important to exclude the possibility of transforming a glow discharge into an arc discharge, which is dangerous to humans.

During the installation process, several basic requirements must be met:

1. Mounting the converter on metal structures is strictly prohibited. If such a need cannot be avoided, then a special gasket with a thickness of 10 mm or more is used. The distance between the lamp and the metal surface must be at least 40 mm.
2. When laying the cable, you need to use distance-type holders, since it must also be distant from metal structures at a distance of at least 30 mm.
3. For outdoor installation, additional protection of the wire is important - corrugated PVC hoses are used.

Neon lamps should not be used as primary lighting devices. On the other hand, with their help you can create a unique atmosphere in the house, decorate the facade, summer veranda, gazebo, attract the attention of people passing by the store, and place accents on the most striking and important elements of the interior. With proper and safe installation, you can enjoy the results for several years.

How to connect flexible neon to a 220 V network

Connection to a 220V network must be made through an original adapter. The connection to the adapter is made using pin connectors, which are inserted with the sharp side into the cord conductors. Next, you need to apply a sufficient amount of sealant to the end with the inserted pin connectors, and put on the power cable connector. When docking, it is important to make sure that the pins are aligned with the connector sockets. After this, you need to wait until the sealant has completely hardened.

On the opposite side, a plug must be placed on the wire, with a preliminary application of neutral sealant for PVC materials to the joint and to the borders of the joint.

What can an indicator screwdriver show?

Determining any faults in the electrical network with a voltage indicator only makes sense when there is no light in the apartment, but there is definitely electricity in others around the entrance. The same applies to private houses - the first thing you need to do is find out if your neighbors have electricity.

If the problem is still in your apartment, then most often the indicator screwdriver shows two diametrically opposed results:

• There is no phase in any of the socket contacts. There can be many reasons for this, and most of them require professional intervention. On your own, you can only determine whether the plug has burned out (more often, instead of it, an “automatic device” is installed - a device that automatically turns off when the rated current in the circuit is exceeded). To do this, you need to find a plug near the meter and check with a tester whether there is voltage on the contacts before and after it. If the plug is burnt out, then it needs to be changed, and if there is a machine, then it could be knocked out - there is a lever on it, which in the working position is turned up (if the device is installed correctly).
• There is a phase on all socket contacts. With almost a 100% guarantee, this means that the neutral wire near the meter has burned out. If you do not have electrical installation skills, then you need to invite an electrician to solve the problem.

Connecting the indicator lamp

To connect the light element, a transformer is selected along the length of the lamp, taking into account the composition of the gas filler. Secondary voltage is calculated using special tables.

Further manipulations:

• Electronic voltage converters are mainly suitable for indoor environments, unless otherwise provided in the technical accompanying documentation.
• When installed outdoors, neon indicator lamps require mandatory grounding.
• Next, you should select a high-voltage wire of the required cross-section with a minimum margin of length. To protect the wiring from metal elements, PVC tubes are used.
• The lamp is placed in polycarbonate clamps according to the diagram indicated on the transformer. The connection points are insulated using electrical tape and polymer tubes.
• All conductive parts must be grounded.
• Since glass is used in the design of neon light elements, additional protection made of polycarbonate or plexiglass should be installed.
• When installing, follow safety rules: do not throw or shake the lamp. This can lead to depressurization, resulting in the element not working.
• If you add mercury vapor or phosphor, the glow will change color.

Color variety of gas light lamps

The color range of neon devices is really wide. The shades depend on the selected gas, on the composition of the substance applied to the glass and on the gas additive to the noble filling of the tube. They can change intensity due to current instability. When separated, the electrons of noble gas atoms release energy, which determines the wavelength of light, and therefore the color.

Contrary to popular belief, according to which neon lamps glow blue or lilac, devices with neon filling have a red or orange glow. By the way, mercury vapor is not needed to increase the brightness of red lamps - the light is already saturated

If you use pure inert gases in the tubes, they will produce the following colors:

• helium – pink;
• krypton – green;
• argon – lilac or blue.

Other colors are also available. To do this, mix various gases, change their proportions, and apply phosphors on the inside of the glass. For example, using krypton as phosphor-coated tubes, you can obtain a wide range of yellow shades.

The density and frequency of the electrical current can also affect the color change. If we take a neon lamp as an example, then when the current density decreases, the glow will become orange, and when it increases, it will move into the blue segment of the glow spectrum.

In addition to krypton and argon lamps, fluorescent lamps can glow blue and lilac; they are often confused. Ultraviolet lighting, which is often used in nightclubs and discos, has a similar glow.

In order for the effect of ultraviolet lamps to be present in gas-discharge devices, they are filled with xenon or krypton. Sometimes they use mixtures of them in various proportions and a mix with argon.

There is an article on our website where we talked in detail about ultraviolet lamps for home use. Read on for more details.

Procedure for checking electric lamps with a multimeter

The modern market offers two types of electrical testers: pointer and electronic. The former are somewhat cheaper, but their digital counterparts are superior to them in all other respects - convenience, reliability and measurement accuracy. The small dimensions of the electronic multimeter allow you to carry it in your pocket. Such a device is not afraid of shocks, nor will it be harmed by a fall from a small height, which could damage the analogue of the switch. Any licensed tester has electronic protection that will save it from damage if the test mode is incorrectly selected.

Calling

When switched into dialing mode, the device allows you to determine whether the electrical connection is broken. There is a special symbol on the dashboard that indicates this mode.

To check the functionality of the electric lamp:

• Set the multimeter switch to dialing mode.
• Place one of the probes on the central contact, and then touch the side one with the second one.

This test is suitable for electric lamps equipped with a threaded base. If the product is working properly, a signal will sound and a number from 3 to 200 Ohms will appear on the liquid crystal display of the tester.

Each time before starting measurements, you must make sure that the integrity of the multimeter's measuring circuit is not broken. To do this, apply one probe to the other for 1-2 seconds.

How to test a light bulb, watch this video:

This method is not suitable for LED products, as well as CFLs, which contain an electronic circuit inside. Using the tester, you can check the condition of only the spiral of a compact fluorescent lamp made of glass. For this purpose, the spiral should be separated from the base and the wire leads, which are connected to the electronic ballast board, should be ringed.

Conditions for using battery-powered LED lighting

However, this connection of the LED strip has its limitations. And it cannot be used everywhere and not always.

The main disadvantage is its short length and low power.

With a large length of LED strip, for example, lighting around the entire perimeter of a house or a large room, you will still have to use a regular power supply with a traditional mains voltage of 220V.

So where can battery-powered LED strips be used?

cabinets

These can be either cabinets in the bedroom (with clothes and shoes) or in the kitchen (with dishes and various kitchen utensils).

bookshelves or paintings

Such lighting will no longer spoil the appearance of the canvas with ugly wires, but will only emphasize its beauty.

small garage spaces

cellar in a garage or shed

Here the main advantage of battery-powered lighting is fully reflected - autonomy and independence from alternating mains voltage.

temporary lighting of premises in emergency situations and complete absence of power supply in a house or apartment

illumination of the work surface in the kitchen, illumination of the bathroom or balcony

Just do not forget in this case to use a waterproof and sealed LED strip with protection IP 55.65.

stage performance clothing

sports equipment, bicycles

car showrooms

You can add additional application options yourself, depending on your fantasies and needs.

Troubleshooting and Troubleshooting

Testing electrodes with a multimeter

The LDS is faulty in the following cases:

• does not turn on;
• flickers temporarily before turning on;
• flickers for a long time, but does not turn on;
• buzzes;
• flickers when burning.

Integrity of spiral electrodes

You can test the spiral electrode for the presence of resistance using a multimeter. The device is set to resistance measurement mode, and after that the probes are applied to the legs of the flask on both sides.

If the spiral is faulty, the multimeter will show zero resistance - the thread is broken. A whole spiral always shows a small resistance - up to 10 ohms. If at least one of the spirals is faulty, the lamp must be replaced. It cannot be restored.

Faults in the electronic ballast

To check the serviceability of the electronic ballast, it must be replaced with a working one. If the lamp lights up, it means that it was the cause of the breakdown. You can fix a broken ballast yourself. First you need to replace the fuse with a similar model with the same characteristics. If the threads glow weakly, it means there is a breakdown in the capacitor between them. It is also replaced by a similar one, but with an operating voltage of 2 kV. weak models will burn out quickly.

How to check the choke of a fluorescent lamp

Checking the throttle without a multimeter

Before checking the choke of a fluorescent lamp with a multimeter, you need to familiarize yourself with the main signs of its failure:

• hum of a lighting fixture;
• the lamp turns on and goes out after a while, getting dark around the edges;
• LDS overheats;
• “snakes” appear inside the tube;
• The lamp flickers a lot.

To check the choke for operability, you need to remove the starter from the lamp, and then close the contacts in its socket. Then the lamp is removed and the contacts in both sockets are also short-circuited. The multimeter is set to measure resistance, after which its probes are connected to the contacts in the lamp socket. If there is a break, the device will show endless resistance. If there is an interturn short circuit, the device will show a zero value.

How to check the starter

If the lamp begins to flicker immediately after switching on, but does not light up, the starter has failed. It will not be possible to test it separately from the LDS, since without voltage its contacts are open.

Checking the serviceability of the starter is possible using another method - by connecting it in series with an incandescent lamp to a standard electrical network.

The main reason for failure is that the bimetallic plate wears out greatly.

How to check the capacitance of a capacitor with a tester

If the LDS capacitor is faulty, its efficiency indicator decreases to 35-40%. For lighting devices with a power of no more than 40 W, a capacitor with a capacity of 4.5 μF is sufficient. If it is less than this norm, the efficiency will be reduced; if it is more, the lighting will blink.

How to connect a triple switch

Connecting a three-key switch is no different from installing a triple one. These are exactly the same devices, made using the same technology.

The only difference is the appearance. It plays a role only when selecting devices for the interior of the room. For connection, a triple electrical switch connection diagram is used; a phase wire is connected to it.

It is connected to a common terminal, and the three wires passing through the box are connected to the light source. To which, on the other hand, a neutral wire is connected to a common contact.

To ensure that the lighting in the apartment is turned off, a separate circuit breaker connection is used. This ensures that the voltage is switched off during lighting repairs.

Often, for comfortable use of lighting devices in the dark, backlit switches are connected. They are used to avoid searching for devices in the dark.

They have built-in LEDs that glow when the devices are turned off. Some of them have two LEDs, one - red when the device is off, and green when on.

LED strip 220V - what is it and how to connect it

A regular LED strip has a standard length of 5 meters. As a rule, it is divided into 5-centimeter sections. The tape can be cut exclusively along these lines, which in some cases are even made in the form of perforations. Each such 5-centimeter block contains several emitting crystals connected in series - this reduces the voltage for each crystal to the required value.

Depending on what voltage the entire strip is designed for, each 5-centimeter section contains a certain number of LEDs, a multiple of three:

• if the tape is designed for 12 volts, then there are 3 crystals on one cutting section;
• if at 24 volts, then there are already 6 crystals;
• if at 110 volts, then there are already 30 emitters, and the cutting section has a length of not 5, but already 50 cm;
• and if the LED strip is designed for 220V, the connection of which will be discussed in detail below, then there will already be as many as 60 LED crystals on a half-meter cutting section.

In strips designed to connect directly to a 220-volt network, each SMD crystal consumes 3.5 Volts: these are SMD 5630 diodes; 3528; 5050; 2835; 3014. The cutting block contains 60 diodes connected in series, that is, the total voltage consumption in theory should be 210 V.

However, the network provides 220 V, and sometimes even 230 V, and a feature of 220-volt strips with particularly bright SMD 5630 emitters is that the diodes in them operate with a slight overvoltage - a maximum of 3.83 volts per crystal.

For LED strips with 60 crystals per 0.5 meter, the diodes are arranged in 2 rows. Moreover, if you count, it turns out that in a standard 5-centimeter area there are 6 crystals with extremely high luminosity. In addition, such a 220V LED strip without a power supply is used to decorate objects located outside the building envelope - in the open air.

Tapes with SMD 5630 diodes have the following unique power consumption characteristics:

• Power consumption is 10 W/rm. tape length.
• Light-emitting diode crystals have extremely high efficiency - more than 83% of the energy they consume turns into useful light, however, the remaining 17% inevitably turns into heat. As a result, the tape heats up considerably. To prevent melting of such a tape, thick foil is used as a base, coated with a heat-resistant polymer on both sides. The metal not only ensures the strength of the entire tape as a whole, but also effectively dissipates heat along its entire length.

How to connect a 220 Volt LED strip? It would seem that connecting a diode strip to 220 V can be done in a simple way, that is, directly. But diodes are designed in such a way that they allow current to pass in one direction and not in the other. Therefore, if you connect the LED strip to a 220 V network without a rectifier previously inserted into the circuit, then all the crystals on the strip will blink at a frequency of 50 times per second.

This, and even a 2 times higher frequency (that is, 100 Hz), according to SanPIN, is not acceptable, especially in residential premises. For the human eye, such light will be perceived as flickering ripples, which will quickly tire the eyes.

Before connecting the diode strip to 220 V AC, you should insert a rectifier into the circuit. This device contains several capacitors that accumulate a charge when the current flows in one conditional direction and release this charge into the circuit when the direction of the current changes. Thus, the rectifier converts alternating current into direct current without any reduction in voltage.

However, this is not all. The operation of the rectifier is "rough". Its main function is to ensure that electrons flow in the same direction. Therefore, the circuit for connecting an LED strip to 220 V, in addition to the rectifier, must also include a controller. This device is an analogue of a rectifier, only its task is to stabilize and smooth out any, even very weak, fluctuations in the potential difference. Modern rectifiers, as a rule, contain a controller unit inside them, which allows them to produce an even current and even smooth out fluctuations in the network.

If we are talking about a 220V RGB LED strip, which is color, then its installation must be done through the same RGB controller.

How to cut neon cord

First of all, it should be noted that one of the advantages of an electric cord over an LED strip is the ability to cut it anywhere, in any way.

Everything is very strict with the tape. And this often prevents precise adaptation to the lighting contour.

There will either be unused “tails”, or a couple of inches of ceiling, or another illuminated area will be dark.

And the larger the cutting step of LED segments, the more problematic it is not to spoil the final design.