------Question for IN-P32AT5UW Please Put your question below------
In the Electrical characteristic, The forward current is mentioned as 5mA. When we tested the LED at that current the intensity is very less and we need to operate it in 20 mA. I want to confirm whether we can run this at 20 mA at reliability point of view.
It will likely have 1/2 to 1/10th the lifetime of the life span versus operating at 5mA.
You need to choose a different LED, one that produces the luminous intensity you need at the manufacturers recommended/design current.
Hello,
Welcome to the DigiKey TechForum. Take a look at these 20ma LED options to see if one will work for you. Paul H. is correct, running a 5ma LED at 20ma will greatly reduce the lifetime of the part.
Hi Paul,
Kindly correct me if I am wrong.
Can I decide the operating current with respect to Ambient temperature? I am attaching the image below for reference.
Hi, I’ll chime in here as well. I assume we’re all looking at the datasheet linked here.
If you take another look at the curve for Ambient Temperature vs Forward Current, you can see that the rating for ~20mA is for 0~25 degrees C, which is consistent with the absolute maximum ratings described in the table on page 2. The line sits just barely above 20mA on this curve, and the table marks the absolute max as 25mA at 25 degrees C.
The issue is not necessarily that the LED will be unable to run off of 20mA or that it will be at risk of unexpected failure, but it is a truism that running an LED at a higher current shortens its lifespan. 5mA will give the expected electrical characteristics as described on page 3 of the datasheet, and while it can still operate at 20mA it will be a much shorter lifespan than if it was running at 5mA.
That said, the manufacturer does have a table on page 14 describing reliability tests, under which they state that at 25 degrees C, running at 20mA, the LED has a duration of 1,000 hours. The question is whether this is an acceptable lifespan for your application, as Paul has pointed out using 5mA would be at least double the expected lifetime. Personally I’d recommend searching for options that either have a higher brightness at 5mA, or use 20mA as the nominal current (or test current) rather than the maximum current rating.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the reply. My other question is this datasheet is common for other colour LED’s also. So the same this applicable to LED’s which operates nominally on 20mA.
Also, Please take a look on this datasheet https://www.inolux-corp.com/datasheet/SMDLED/Mono%20Color%20Side%20View/IN-P416ASUW_V1.1.pdf#SMD-LED.
The operating current is 20mA and it has the same table on page number 12.
Please advice on this on urgent basis.
Hello c.suresh,
I would recommend to look at the options listed by Steve_Fellman, for the 20mA LEDs. Then pick the Luminous Intensity and voltage you are looking for. These would be your best options for longevity.
The Reliability listing appears to be referencing standards for the conditions. I believe these are the conditions of the tests, not the expected lifespan.
The chart is so that you know how much you need to lower the current to safely operate above 25°C for the other colors in the product line that run at a nominal current of 20mA.
For the White version the nominal is 5mA, so technically the graph does not apply to the white version. Practically if you convert the mA figures to % change you can reasonably estimate the values for the white version.
To summarize:
All other colors are 20mA nominal, 30mA might not work and no guarantee.
White is 5mA nominal, 25mA might not work and no guarantee.
Seems a bit strange but it’s what is published by the manufacturer.
Definitely pick another make/model for a better brightness of white/
