The LED driver is a crucial component in LED lighting, responsible for converting electrical energy into the required current and voltage for the LED. In LED lighting, there are four common ways of connecting LED drivers: series, parallel, mixed, and array.

1. Series connection

In series connection, multiple LED lights are connected end-to-end, and the current flowing through each LED is consistent. Since LEDs are current-operated devices, this connection ensures uniform brightness for each LED. This connection is simple and easy to set up, but it has a fatal flaw: if one LED fails, the whole string of LED lights will go out, which reduces the reliability of the lighting. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that each LED is of high quality in order to improve the reliability of the series connection.

2. Parallel connection

In parallel connection, multiple LED lights are connected side-by-side, and each LED shares the same voltage. However, the current may not be equal, even for LEDs of the same model and batch, due to manufacturing processes, etc. As a result, LEDs with higher current may have a shorter lifespan than others, and may burn out over time. Parallel connection is simple, but it is not very reliable, especially when there are many LEDs.

3. Mixed connection

Mixed connection combines series and parallel connection, by first connecting several LEDs in series, and then connecting them in parallel to the LED driver power supply. This connection ensures that the voltage across each branch is approximately the same, and the current flowing through each branch is also approximately the same. This connection is mainly used when there are many LEDs, as it ensures that a failure in one branch will not affect the others, thus improving reliability. Many high-power LED lights use this connection for practical purposes.

4. Array connection

Array connection connects multiple LED lights in groups of three, and each group is connected to the Ua, Ub, and Uc outputs of the driver. When all three LEDs in a group are working, they emit light simultaneously. If one or two LEDs fail, at least one LED will still be working, thus greatly improving the reliability of each group of LEDs, and the overall lighting. This connection requires multiple input power sources to improve the reliability of LED operation and reduce the overall failure rate of the circuit.

Conclusion

There are four ways of connecting LED drivers: series, parallel, mixed, and array, each with its own characteristics and range of applications. When choosing a connection method, it is necessary to consider the actual situation and requirements to achieve the best effect and reliability.