led drivers Revolutionize
vehicle lighting
By Jim Harrison for Mouser Electronics
For vehicle lighting, flexibility
and long-term reliability
must be considered.
However, engineers need
to be careful with their
designs. Automotive
exterior or interior lighting
designers need to walk
somewhat carefully through
the wonderland of LEDs.
Engineers working on automotive lighting systems are
in a wonderland of opportunities these days. A design
engineer investigates the lowest cost, highest reliability,
and highest performance, then balances out the three.
That's the job. For automotive light-emitting diode (LED)
lighting designs, engineers must be aware of some re-
ally important facets.
The use of LEDs for automobile and truck lamps has
been a big leap forward—if you can call 20 years a
leap—because it's provided three important elements:
• Efficiency; saving energy
• Design freedom (yes, they are very pretty)
• Longevity and ruggedness (to be debated)
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