LED Chips In Detail
LED Strip is manufactured with a variety of chip sizes. I am going to explain these LED Chips In Detail, which will refer to the main differences between the ones we most commonly use here at SDL Lighting, the 3528 and 5050 versions.
In simple terms, the name given to each LED Chip is its actual physical size. So, where both strips are concerned, it would be 3.5mm x 2.8mm for 3528 chips and 5mm x 5mm for 5050 chips.
3528 LED Chip
Here is the 3528 LED chips in detail. The 3528 is smaller that the 5050 version, as explained above, its physical dimension is 3.5mm x 2.8mm. The 3528 chip is more commonly used on 12V strip running 60 LEDs per meter at a load of 4.8W, known as 4.8W/meter (3528/60/WW). Using this specification will give you an effective light with a lumen output of up to 420 per meter which is more than a 40W halogen Bulb. We have a variety of colours available in 3528, they are Warm White, Natural White, Pure White, Red, Green, Blue and Amber also. Regarding the White colours, these can be ordered to specific Kelvins on request. This lighting has been used in a variety of applications as feature lighting, most notably Plinth Lighting, Cove Lighting, Bars, Cinemas, Restaurants and Offices as furniture lighting. There is no limit to where this lighting can be housed.
We also stock another version of LED Strip with 3528 chips (3528/120/WW) which has 120 LEDS per meter at a load of 9.6W, known as 9.6W/m. We have it available in Warm White, Natural White, Pure White and Blue. The output on this strip is doubled in terms of power and Lumens as its using double the amount of LED’s. The applications for this strip are mainly feature lighting and the increase in popularity with this strip is huge as when used in conjunction with our 004 Deeper Profile it creates a dot free effect which is very pleasing on the eye.
Both Versions are available in standard IP20 and IP67 rated strip, cutting intervals vary, 50mm for 3528/60 and 25mm for 3528/120.
There are many versions of 3528 chips out there, from research and experience we can tell you that the top branded Epistar will give you the brightest, most reliable and colour consistent light. Alternative cheaper options will give off less light and an unreliability of colour throughout the reel of strip light.
5050 LED Chip
Here is the 5050 LED chips in detail. The 5050 LED Chip is a larger squarer chip with a physical dimension of 5mm x 5mm. It is known as a tri coloured chip, which has 3 smaller chips within, so a white colour has 3 white chips inside, This type opens the opportunity to have Colour changing operating in the chip, with Red, Green and Blue all making up the smaller chips.
With this strip, once you are set up to a compatible controller you will be able to mix the colours and select any you wish to choose with the added feature of shades, strobes and fading sequences. We have two versions of this strip, 5050/30/RGB which is 30 LEDs per meter at a load rating of 7.2W/m, this is our standard version. We also have 60 LEDs per meter at a load rating of 14.4W/m, this is our higher brightness version. Both strips are perfect for enhancing feature areas within a bar, restaurant, club, hotel and of course your home. As with 3528, we use Branded Epistar chips for our 5050 LED strip, due to its reliability and light consistency as mentioned earlier.
All 5050 ranges are available in IP20 and IP67 rated strip, cutting intervals vary, 100mm for 5050/30 and 50mm for 5050/60.
So, there you have it, really the size of the chip doesn’t matter as long as it is suitable for the application chosen, the main thing to consider is the brand of chip, here at SDL we would always recommend Epistar for the reasons mentioned above, it will ensure your products will last.
I hope by explaining these two LED Chips In Detail, it has helped, but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to give us a call.
Fast Turnaround Times.
A typical wait of between 48 and 72 hours from placing an order to delivery!