Review Of LED Strips With 220 Volt Connection Without A Transformer

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Applications of LED strips
• Varieties of products
• Features of LED products
• Device and principle of operation
• Connection diagram

LED strip, powered by 220V AC, has become a new achievement for manufacturers of diode products. There are practically no differences with low-voltage counterparts.

Currently, 220V high-voltage tapes have become popular in commercial activity, show business, where the use of light effects attracts the attention of visitors. The LED strip can be used to organize concert scenes, illuminate billboards, create large-scale inscriptions, figures, or musical fountains. The tape with a 220V power supply can also be used in non-commercial activities: for decorating the decoration of exteriors and interiors.

Applications of LED strips

220 Volt LED strips are designed for outdoor use, made in a silicone sheath and have maximum protection. They can be single or multi-colored. They do not require the use of power supplies, converters. They are connected via a diode bridge power cable that converts AC voltage to DC voltage.

There are different varieties (duralight LED strip or 220V glowing flexible strips). In fact, the duralight lamp is a transparent flexible polymer cord, inside of which were originally miniature lamps, and now modern LED LEDs are capable of operating without a power supply directly from 220V. The inner space of the cord is filled with polyvinyl chloride in order to seal the degree of protection. In appearance and method of application, the 220V tape and the duralight cord are very similar.

Varieties of products

The classification of 220V tapes does not differ from low-voltage products and is based on technical characteristics. Depending on the power, the following options are distinguished:

• LED strip for 220 volts, power 4.4 watts per meter;
• LED strip for 220 volts; power 7.2 watts per meter;
• LED strip for 220 volts power 14.4 watts per meter.

By the nature of the chips used, products are divided into many types. Basically, tapes are produced on SMD LEDs 3014, 2835, 3035, 5060, 5050, 3528 or from more modern SMD 5630 diodes. The light intensity and current consumption depend on the number and type of chips per running meter.

According to the level of protection, tapes are IP68, IP67. The high protection of LED products excludes the user's contact with live parts, which allows use in an open environment. That is, they are equipped with a silicone tube and are designed for outdoor use and in wet rooms. According to experts, such tapes are resistant to temperature extremes.

The tapes can be rigid or flexible, depending on the diode base.

Another difference between high voltage tapes is color and luminous power. By the type of installation, they can be self-adhesive or without an adhesive layer. Also worth noting are 220 Volt RGB LED strips, assembled on tricolor diodes (mainly SMD 5050). They have 4 contacts on a flexible printed base, and the connection is carried out using a special RGB controller. According to the color design, ribbons are white, blue, red, green and tricolor.

Recently, the stores began to sell duralight tapes, which are a transparent polymer cord, in which there are LEDs. Inside the cord is polyvinyl chloride, which increases the level of protection and strength of 220V ice tapes. According to the method of use and appearance, they are similar to duralight cords.

Features of LED products

Due to the high voltage, 220V tapes can have a series connection up to 100 m long. Therefore, they are sold in coils of 50, 100 meters. This allows you to cover a large lighting perimeter from a single connection to the 220 volt network.

The power (W / m), the level of moisture protection and color temperature are determined.

The cost of 220V LED strips is less than analogs, where the voltage is 12 and 24 volts. They are durable and economical light sources. The backlight connects to a simple socket, providing a light level that matches incandescent bulbs. With proper connection and installation, tapes will last up to 50 thousand hours of intensive use. The decrease in the cost of products is due to the lack of an expensive power supply.

The multiplicity of cutting LED strips is 1 meter, which does not always allow you to measure the required length. Given the unstable voltage in the network, where ripple or voltage surges can occur, LEDs quickly break down on cheap, low-quality tapes.

Another disadvantage of the products is the severity of the sealed silicone tube in which the tape is located, which is why it must be fixed at 4 points per linear meter. This removes slack or uneven belt adhesion. The tapes are not suitable for repair, as the sealed layer is broken when the chip is replaced. Some models do not have an adhesive layer. Chinese products are of poor quality. Due to harmful flicker and hazardous voltages, high voltage tapes are of limited use. For example: street lighting, advertising. If the LED strip is installed permanently on the street, then after about 5-6 years the silicone shell begins to collapse.

Considering all the advantages and disadvantages of tapes, it is advisable to use them in street lighting of facades of different buildings. To obtain light-dynamic effects for changing shades, you need to buy RGB 220 Volt tape.

Device and principle of operation

The constructive main feature of 220V tapes is that they do not have a power source in the form of a buck converter. In the power supply, the voltage stabilizer is replaced by a diode bridge, which is located in a sealed case. On one part of it, the network wire enters, and on the other, a cable with a connector is connected to the tape. At the output of the rectifier, the voltage is constant, equal to 200V.

The main advantage of 220V direct-on LED strips is that, unlike conventional strips with a 12-24V power supply, the former allow you to create a continuous strip length of 100 meters, protected from moisture.

To avoid overloads during the operation of the LEDs, they are connected in groups, using resistors to compensate for the excess voltage. Basically, the voltage drop for LEDs is 3.3-3.5V, which is why there are 60 chips in each group. The diodes require a polarized power supply, which is why a rectifier (diode bridge) is used. An impulse voltage is observed after the rectifier, which affects the quality of the light.

To control the luminous flux, a dimmer is installed in the structure. For RGB tapes, a special controller is installed, which has a greater functional load than a dimmer.

When buying powerful SMD 5630 tapes with a power consumption of more than 10 W for 1 m, then you need to pay attention to the presence of an aluminum mounting profile or a cooling radiator in the structure.

Connection diagram

The connection diagram for high-voltage tapes is simple, it is performed in the following sequence:

• the required length of the cord is cut, a multiple of the smallest allowable tape size;

  

• a pin connector is mounted in the cut end, attached with sealant or glue;
• observing the polarity, connect the connector to the output of the rectifier;
• close the reverse side of the cut with a plug;
• check the tightness of the structure and the reliability of the connections.

The rectifier with which the tape is connected contains a diode bridge and can have its own power. The rectifier power of 700 watts will be enough for 40 m of powerful tape and 100 m of standard one for lighting a large room. The price of the rectifier will be low and you can make it yourself from 4 diodes.

A significant advantage of high-voltage tapes is the absence of a transformer, instead of which a small device with input and output cables is installed. When connecting to a network, you need to purchase a diode bridge with connectors or thin copper wires. Due to the high voltage, the current will increase during loads, which makes it possible to use wires with a cross section of up to 1 mm2.

Video: