General Information
Light Emitting Diodes, typically referred to as LEDs, are a part of a relatively new technology that is revolutionizing the lighting and electronic display industries. With applications in devices to satisfy virtually any lighting need, the versatility of LEDs is nearly limitless.

 

How They Work
Essentially, LEDs are just light bulbs that are small enough fit easily into an electrical circuit. However, unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, they don't have a filament that will burn out, and they don't get especially hot. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material, and they last just as long as a standard transistor, usually around ten years. Most LED products can be used with standard home or business power supplies. For instance, LED light bulbs can be screwed in to a standard light socket, and LED light ropes and lamps can be plugged into a normal wall socket.

 

Advantages of using LEDs

• LEDs give off much less heat than incandescent light bulbs with similar light output.
• LEDs are significantly more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs, partially due to less heat being produced
• LEDs can emit light of an intended color without the use of color filters that traditional lighting methods require. This is more efficient and can lower initial costs.
• The solid package of an LED can be designed to focus its light. Incandescent and fluorescent sources often require an external reflector to collect light and direct it in a useable manner.
• When used in applications where dimming is required, LEDs do not change their color tint as the current passing through them is lowered, unlike incandescent lamps, which yellow.
• LEDs are built inside solid cases that protect them, unlike incandescent and discharge sources, making them extremely durable.
• LEDs have an extremely long life span: typically ten years, twice as long as the best fluorescent bulbs and twenty times longer than the best incandescent bulbs. (Incandescent bulbs can also be made to last an extremely long time by running at lower than normal voltage, but only at a huge cost in efficiency; LEDs have a long life when operated at their rated power.)
• Further, LEDs fail by dimming over time, rather than the abrupt burn-out of incandescent bulbs.

LEDs light up very quickly. A typical red indicator LED will achieve full brightness in microseconds, or possibly less if it's used for communication devices.