Long-lasting, affordable light sources dominate modern lighting systems for residential and commercial buildings. The LEDs’ output lumens make them ideal for outdoor, automotive, and residential lighting systems. The LEDs are mounted on printed circuit boards with a built-in power supply. LED PCBs tend to produce excessive heat and are therefore designed differently than other circuit boards. The LED PCB uses heatsinks and aluminium PCB material to remove thermal energy. This article will cover LED PCB types and challenges.

LED light sources offer the following advantages

1. Compact Size LEDs can be used for applications such as computers, smartphones or floodlights.

• Lower Energy Consumption: Most residential lighting uses LEDs to save electricity. LED lights can reduce electricity consumption by as much as 80%.

• LEDs last 25 times longer than conventional light sources.

• Mercury-free: Traditional bulbs contain mercury, which is harmful to the environment. Special disposal methods are required. LEDs are mercury-free and, therefore, can be easily disposed of. The bulbs are also less polluting to the environment.

• LEDs have a higher efficiency than incandescent bulbs. LEDs are designed to use energy to light, not heat.

The main source of energy loss in traditional bulbs is heated. The heat dissipation of LEDs accounts for about 20% of total energy consumption. Even 20% heat can pose a threat to LED circuits. There are some challenges in the design of LED circuit boards.

LED PCB Design Challenges

1. Temperature Heat generated in LED PCBs increases the temperature of the board. High temperatures can damage LEDs’ colour and lifespan without proper thermal management.

• LEDs are durable. LED circuits can have a shorter lifespan if they get too hot.

• LED colour: Specific colours can be delivered by LEDs. As temperatures increase, LED lights display colour variations.

The thermal limit of the PCB is important in LED design. Temperature control in LED applications is crucial to achieving bright and long-life LEDs. Considerations for LED PCB Design Prioritize certain aspects of the LED PCB.

1. Cost vs. Quality When designing an LED PCB, quality and cost are important considerations. The placement of LED components is crucial when evaluating the quality of an LED circuit. The performance and capacitive effects are also taken into consideration.

2. Numbers: The board can be manufactured as single-sided, double-sided, or multilayered. The number of LED PCB layers can vary according to the application.

LED PCBs come in many different designs

1. Single-sided LED PCBs – For simple circuits, the single-layer board is best.

• Double-sided PCBs The two-layer PCBs provide better heat dissipation, stability and durability. Double-sided PCBs can be mounted either through-hole or on the surface.

• Multilayered LED Lighting Systems – Multilayer PCBs are the best boards for solid hardware LED lighting systems. As circuit complexity and the number of connections increase, Multilayer LED PCBs are becoming more common.

LED PCBs must be designed with the following factors: compactness and low weight. Also, they should be affordable, have a high level of efficiency, minimal power consumption, and integrate well with interface assemblies. Cadence software can design LED circuits for single-layer, multilayer and double-layer PCBs. Cadence circuit design software helps you to create LED circuits.

Leading electronics manufacturers use Cadence products to optimize space, energy and power requirements for various applications. Learn more about our innovative product.