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Flashaar products
- Freedom in designing with light, a clear design language and minimalist design with high functionality
- The plug-and-play mounting principle guarantees quick and easy installation without complex and time-consuming wiring
- Our light inserts can be easily mounted or replaced at any time with a simple "click".
- Light lines up to 100m long can be achieved with just one electrical power supply
- Universal and flexible modular system for a wide variety of applications
- Integrated continuous flat cable for powering the light inserts
- All light inserts are tested and delivered ready for connection
- Lighting inserts available in various protection classes
- Luminous flux of 300 – 4000 lm/m
- Color temperatures from 2200 K to 6500 K
- "Made in Germany"
- Reproducible color locations for replacement or supplementary deliveries
light laboratory
Data file in the standardized photometric format of the IES (Illuminating Engineering Society). It contains data from light measurements and is used to represent lighting situations.
These are so-called Eulumdat(.ldt) files. They are used for lighting design in DIALux and contain data such as luminous intensity, light distribution, and dimensions of the luminaire.
Luminaires with a light source length of up to 1.5 m and a maximum total weight of 25 kg can be measured with our in-house far-field goniometer.
Light distribution curves (LDCs) are generated from the luminaires in our lighting laboratory using a far-field goniometer. An LDC is intended to provide a visual, two-dimensional impression of the three-dimensional distribution of light from an LED luminaire. This is represented by a polar diagram, where polar coordinates represent the luminous intensity and the radial scale represents the beam angle.
Furthermore, the luminous flux of the lamp is measured in lumens (lm). Luminous flux is a physiological measurement and indicates the radiant power emitted by a light source in all directions and perceived by the eye. Lumen is a purely quantitative measure of radiant power. To assess the quality, the spectrum must be measured. This is then evaluated according to CRI, CQS, and other photometric methods and procedures.
Lighting technology
The Color Quality Scale (CQS) is a quantitative method for determining the color rendering of a light source. A spectrally measured light source is assigned a numerical value between 0 and 100 using this method. The index of a light source describes its color rendering characteristics relative to a comparable reference light source. The method uses 15 specially selected saturated test colors from the Munsell color system, unlike the CRI method, which uses only 8 CIE test colors.
The correlated color temperature (CCT) is the relative color temperature of a white light source and is given in Kelvin. By definition, it is the temperature of the Planckian radiator that corresponds to a specific color of light emitted by the light source.
Examples of typical color temperatures are:
- Candle = approx. 1500 K
- Incandescent light bulb with 40 W = approx. 2200 K
- Incandescent light bulb with 60 W = approx. 2680 K
- Incandescent light bulb with 100 W = approx. 2800 K
- Halogen lamp = approx. 3000 K
- Fluorescent lamp = approx. 4000 K
- Morning/afternoon sun = approx. 5500 K
- Midday sun, cloud cover = approx. 5500 to 5800 K
UGR stands for unified glare rating. It is used to assess the (psychological) glare caused by lighting in workplaces. UGR is based on a glare formula that takes into account all luminaires in a system that contribute to the perceived glare.
Typical UGR limits that must not be exceeded:
- ≤16 technical drawing
- ≤19 Reading, writing, schools, meetings, working on the PC
- ≤22 Industry and crafts
- ≤25 Rough work in industry
- ≤28 platforms, hall
The UGR value can only be calculated, not directly measured. For lighting systems with luminaires that have an indirect light component of more than 65%, and where narrow-beam spotlights or asymmetrically emitting luminaires are used, a UGR value cannot be specified by definition. A UGR value can only be specified for symmetrically emitting luminaires.
TM30-15 is the successor to CRI, which only considers eight reference colors. TM30-15, a new standard for measuring the color rendering of light sources and luminaires, was developed by the IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) in 2015. It is based on expanding the palette of test colors from eight to 99 reference colors (CES), thus defining a new Fidelity Index (Rf). Additionally, a circular color space consisting of 16 color points was defined as a reference area, which is defined as the Gamut Index (Rg).
TM30-15 Rf is the Fidelity Index, the new standard for evaluating the color fidelity of a light source since 2015. It uses 99 reference colors distributed across the entire color space and is limited to a value range of 0-100. After a light source is measured with a light spectrometer, the determined color coordinates of the light source are compared with those of the reference colors, and the Fidelity Index Rf is calculated from this.
TM30 Rg is the Gamut Index of a TM30-15 measurement. In addition to evaluating the similarity of test light sources to the reference using the Fidelity Index Rf, an analysis of color saturation and hue shift is now performed.
A circular reference area with 16 color points is defined. Deviations from this indicate the saturation of a light source. Values above 100 are possible, unlike with the Fidelity Index Rf.
Lumens per watt describe the luminous efficacy of an LED, i.e., the efficiency ratio of the luminous flux (lm) of an LED to the electrical power input (W) of the LED. The more efficient an LED, the higher the lm/W ratio.
CRI (Color Rendering Index) stands for color rendering index and is abbreviated Ra. It is a measure of how well an artificial light source matches the color rendering of its light source to standardized reference light sources. To determine color rendering, 15 color plates are examined under both light sources, and the color differences are evaluated. The highest achievable color rendering index is Ra = 100 (sunlight). The lower the Ra, the less accurately the eye can distinguish colors.
CRI R9 corresponds to a saturated red according to DIN 6169. R9 is not considered in the CRI calculation, as this only includes the first 8 of the 15 reference colors in the color range defined in DIN 6169. However, it is present to a degree in the colors that form the basis of the CRI calculation. The R9 value is also important for the rendering of skin tones, food, and colors. For this reason, we also specify the R9 value in our measurements for our luminaire inserts. Just as with the CRI value, higher values are better.
The beam angle describes the angle at which light is emitted forward from a lamp. The beam angle affects the diameter of the light cone produced by the LED light. On a polar diagram, it also indicates whether the LED light is a downlight, uplight, or a combination of both.
CIE stands for Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage (International Commission for Illumination). In 1931, it defined the XYZ color system, which is now used worldwide in additive color mixing. The CIE is a recognized standards committee.
The CIE chromaticity diagram allows colors to be determined directly with measuring instruments without the need for reference samples. Unlike a color atlas, where reference colors change over time, colors can now be precisely replicated or measured at any time based on the mathematical construct of the CIE color diagram. The standard color values XYZ provide information about the hue, saturation, and lightness of a color.
MacAdam ellipses form the basis for measuring color difference thresholds for the purpose of perceptual color difference assessment. A perceptible color difference is defined as the point at which two given colors differ just slightly in color, the so-called color difference threshold. These color difference thresholds are precisely what MacAdam ellipses make visible in the CIE chromaticity diagram.
MacAdam ellipses are therefore elliptical color points whose radii and directions depend on the color point of the standard chromaticity diagram and describe a threshold distance. Colors within MacAdam ellipses are thus perceived by the eye as a single color, and they therefore clearly demonstrate the perceptual inhomogeneity of the eye.
The standard deviation of these color coordinates has been published by the "Standard Deviation of Colour Matching," or SCDM for short. The differences are only visible in the luminaire's reflection, and a value of <3 is considered barely perceptible, i.e., extremely good. A Step 3 MacAdam specification, for example, indicates the tolerance of the color temperature across the entire binning process, which is just 120 K with a starting color temperature of 3000 K.
Source: Handbook of Lighting Technology, 5th edition, Jens Mueller
Lighting technology
Theoretically, the only limitations are in the transport of the luminaires. Luminaires up to 2.70 m in length can be manufactured without freight forwarding. Anything longer is delivered by freight carrier. Our standard lengths for luminaire inserts range from 108 mm to 2008 mm, depending on the LED series and application. Furthermore, all our extruded profiles are supplied in 6100 mm lengths; theoretically, luminaire inserts up to 6 m in length are possible.
The reason for this is the optical material property known as the refractive index. This dimensionless physical quantity indicates by what factor the wavelength and phase velocity of light are reduced in a vacuum. The refractive index of air is generally known as 1, while the refractive index of polyurethane is approximately 1.41. When the light from an LED passes from an optically less dense medium into an optically denser medium, each color of the white light is refracted differently due to the different refractive indices. The refraction of violet light rays is strongest, while that of red light rays is weakest. This dispersion effect is responsible for the separation of white light into its spectral color components, which we observe as color shift or Kelvin drift after LEDs are encapsulated.
DALI stands for Digital Addressable Lighting Interface. DALI is a protocol for digital communication between components of a lighting system. In installations, a DALI controller organizes and manages the flow of information and access to the data line for all components.
Since lighting management doesn't require the control of fast processes, slower data transmission, as with DALI, is perfectly adequate and also contributes to reducing the cost of DALI components. Despite these deliberate limitations, DALI offers considerable functionality that goes far beyond simply switching and dimming individual DALI components. For example, constant light control loops can be created using brightness sensors, and attractive lighting scenes can be compiled, saved, and recalled.
Of particular interest in this context is the status feedback from peripheral DALI components to the central DALI controller. This enables targeted fault diagnosis and the definition of sensible maintenance intervals for ballasts and lighting technology. A two-wire cable, as used in previous lighting installations, is primarily employed as the data transmission medium. This can be implemented as a separate cable or by utilizing spare conductors within an existing power line. To ensure interchangeability between DALI components from different manufacturers, the DALI protocol is standardized internationally according to IEC 929.
Casambi is an intelligent lighting control system that uses Bluetooth to control LEDs, halogen lamps, or even traditional light bulbs. The major advantage of Casambi is that entire lighting scenes can be programmed and automatically switched on and off using a timer.
A linear regulator is a voltage regulator; it stabilizes an electrical voltage as the operating voltage of a circuit in order to compensate for fluctuations in the input voltage.
Basically, an LED assembly consists of the following parts:
- Semiconductors, as a source of radiation and heat
- Optics, for determining the radiation characteristics
- Various connection technologies as electrically and thermally conductive components of the chip
- Submount/circuit board for heat dissipation
- Housing as a protective function
LED failures can be categorized into several main groups. First, there are total failures, which can be either complete or temporary interruptions caused by the chip itself or by disturbances in the electrical path. These interruptions can be caused by mechanical overload, chemical, or thermal processes. Another type of total failure is an electrical short circuit. Here, electrical overload and silver growth play a role.
Degradation failures involve changes in optical, electrical, or thermal properties, or a combination thereof, with the "light reduction" of the LED being the most obvious form of degradation. In reality, however, other changes in the various parameters precede the light reduction. Often, degradation precedes total failure. A specific type of degradation failure involves reversible processes caused by current or other stress. These failures can be induced and thus identified through targeted tests, such as temperature cycling tests.
Examples include:
- Electrical interruption
- Bond wire detachment
- Bond wire detachment due to mechanical influences
- Bond wire detachment due to chemical influences
- Electrical short circuit
- Short circuit caused by overload
- Short circuit caused by ESD damage
- Degradation
- ESD damage
- Chip aging
- Excessive barrier temperature
Source: https://www.elektroniknet.de/automotive/wirtschaft/appearsbild-und-ursachen-von-led-errorn.87432.html
Flicker is the so-called flickering of a light source. This flickering occurs because our mains voltage powers the electronic ballast (control gear) at a frequency of 50 Hz, causing the current to change its intensity 100 times per second. Thus, maximum brightness or luminance is always displayed at maximum amplitude, regardless of the polarity in the case of an incandescent bulb.
Another possibility is flicker caused by pulse width modulation, or PWM. PWM is the basic principle behind modern dimmers. In principle, dimming lights is achieved by extremely rapid switching on and off in the millisecond range, which is imperceptible to the human eye. These processes result in frequency-related delays that can manifest as flickering.
A dimmer is simply a regulator that controls the current or voltage. However, this control process involves delays in the millisecond range. We perceive this delay as flickering in the LEDs.
In converters, this is a quality characteristic of the capacitors used. If these are of low quality, the time during which the polarity of the alternating voltage changes cannot be adequately bridged, and a so-called flicker occurs during the polarity transition.
Casambi is an intelligent lighting control system that uses Bluetooth to control LEDs, halogen lamps, or even traditional incandescent bulbs. The major advantage of Casambi is that entire lighting scenes can be programmed and automatically switched on and off using a timer.
Source https://www.lightim.de/lightim-magazin/was-ist-eigentlich-casambi
The forward voltage (also called diffusion voltage) is the most important characteristic of a diode. The forward voltage indicates the voltage at which a semiconductor diode conducts in the forward direction. This means that a diode is not always conducting in the forward direction, but only above a certain forward voltage.
The voltage range in which a diode operates is irrelevant. The anode of the diode only needs to be more positive than the cathode by the threshold voltage when forward-biased. The threshold voltage can therefore be considered a potential.
Source: https://www.elektronik-kompendium.de/sites/bau/0201113.htm
PWM stands for Pulse Width Modulation. LEDs are dimmed by a pulse-width modulated current or voltage. Essentially, the LED is switched on and off very quickly, and the number of switching cycles is called the frequency. LEDs are typically switched or dimmed at a frequency of 200-300 Hz, meaning the LED is switched on and off 200-300 times per second. The "on" state always means 100% brightness.
The longer the time between the two on/off states, i.e., the time the LED is off, the less light it emits. The human eye, with its tendency to slow down, then perceives the LED as dimmed. This is possible because the LED reacts instantly to this switching on and off; that is, it doesn't glow faintly like the filament of an incandescent bulb.
LED boards
The process of dividing the products into different, finely graded classes after production is called "binning". Using appropriately finely graded parameters, the products are sorted into so-called bins, meaning that the LEDs are assigned to a group with the same illuminance and color coordinates.
Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binning
The rank of a circuit board indicates the exact position of the color temperature (color point) according to the CIE standard color chart within a line of LED boards. It is essential to note that only directly adjacent binnings can be used together, as the color difference is barely perceptible there.
The photometric code specifies the photometric properties of LED modules. It consists of six digits, which are separated by a slash in the middle for some manufacturers. Example using our Victory-6 LED chipset: 927 339
Glossary FLASHAARProducts
The design of the LED necessitates the use of optics that focus the emitted light, thus enabling a defined beam angle.
Accent lighting emphasizes structures and outlines. It highlights the finer details of objects and can create reflections and highlights. For effective results, accent lighting must be applied separately for rooms and objects.
Illuminance (E) is a measure of the amount of light falling on a surface. It is also referred to as luminous flux density. The unit of illuminance is lux [lx].
Glare affects the visibility of details and well-being. Glare is typically divided into: unpleasant glare and vision-impairing glare.
The production of state-of-the-art high-performance LEDs is a complex process in which certain manufacturing tolerances are unavoidable. For this reason, it is necessary to sort the semiconductor elements after production according to their color values and efficiency. This process is also known as binning. This ensures that the LEDs in a production batch (a "bin") exhibit similar operating characteristics (such as color and efficiency). The tighter the manufacturing tolerances, the better the quality of individual bins, i.e., the uniformity of the individual LEDs. This is particularly important when, for example, a large number of identical LEDs are used in a headlight.
Luminous intensity (also known as light intensity) is a base unit of the International System of Units (SI) and is measured in candela (cd). Luminous intensity indicates the luminous flux density (intensity) of a light source in a specific direction, although the luminous intensity is not uniformly distributed across different directions. This directional dependence is shown in luminous intensity distribution curves (LIDCs), which depict the luminous intensity for various emission angles.
The CE marking is not a testing mark but an administrative mark, the application of which is required by new EU directives. The CE marking is a prerequisite for the sale of electrical goods within the European Union. It serves as confirmation for manufacturers and importers that their products comply with the requirements of specific EU directives.
To change the brightness of an electrical device such as a light bulb, dimmers are used to reduce electrical energy.
The standard protocol for transmitting control signals in lighting technology is the DMX512 protocol. It allows for the control of 512 channels per data line, with each channel capable of assuming an 8-bit value between 0 and 255 (0% – 100%).
The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is the color rendering index used to characterize light sources. It is an index of how natural colors appear. The higher the color rendering index, also known as the CRI or Ra value, the more naturally colors are rendered and the more pleasant they are perceived. The CRI value can range from 0 to 100 and is crucial for the color rendering of illuminated objects. In other words, only the colors of light that are present in the light source can be reflected on the illuminated object. For example, if red is missing, a red towel will appear gray.
Color temperature is a measure of the perceived color of a light source in relation to a black body; the unit is Kelvin (K).
The intensity of the radiation produced by a light-emitting diode (LED) increases proportionally with the current, with the current limit currently set at 20 mA. Exceeding this limit generates excess heat, which reduces the light intensity and the lifespan of the LED.
Kelvin shifting refers to a process in which different shades of white – usually cool and warm white – are mixed to produce white tones tailored to the location, time, and task. This allows for the simulation of various color temperatures. Sometimes, a touch of red is added for application-specific purposes. This form of color mixing is also called "Kelvin shifting" and is primarily used to replicate the color temperature of lighting fixtures according to the natural progression of daylight.
The lifespan of a light-emitting diode at an average temperature of 25°C is well over 100,000 hours (this corresponds to 11.5 years of continuous operation).
Luminance is a measure of the perceived brightness of a self-luminous or illuminated surface. The unit of luminance is cd/m². Glare begins to occur at luminance levels of approximately 0.75 cd/m².
The lumen-to-watt ratio is also known as luminous efficacy. Luminous efficacy indicates the luminous flux produced in relation to the electrical power input.
Luminous efficacy of various light sources:
Incandescent lamp 60 W = 12 lm/W
; Fluorescent lamp 58 W = 78 lm/W
; Sodium vapor lamp 105 lm/W
The luminous flux of a light source is not emitted uniformly in all directions. The luminous intensity distribution depends heavily on the type and design of the light source. Integrating the light source into a housing, luminaire, or optical system also alters its luminous intensity distribution. This distribution is represented in a polar diagram, where the light source is located in the center of the diagram and the luminous intensity decreases towards the edges. The diagram indicates the luminous intensity as a function of a beam angle, measured in lumens.
A MacAdam ellipse, named after David L.(ewis) MacAdam, is the area in the CIExy diagram around a reference color in which the comparison colors are perceived as equally spaced.
The RAL system comprises around 200 colors, which are divided into high-gloss and matte finishes and distinguished by a four-digit number.
The protection classes describe the type of protection against dangerous electric currents in electrical equipment.