PCB Blog - Advantages of LED PCB in electronic products

LED PCB is the abbreviation for the printed circuit board. Both LED aluminum substrates and FR-4 fiberglass circuit boards belong to the same category of PCB. To be different, we can only compare LED aluminum substrate and FR-4 fiberglass circuit board. LED aluminum substrate prints circuits on a surface of aluminum material with good thermal conductivity, and then solders electronic components onto it.

LED PCB

Structure and types of LED PCB

There are two types of circuit boards available for making LED fluorescent lamps: aluminum substrate and fiberglass board.

1. Aluminum substrate: Most fluorescent lamps in the current market are made of aluminum substrate. The aluminum substrate structure is divided from top to bottom into a circuit board layer, thermal insulation layer, and aluminum base layer.

2. Fiberglass board: It can be divided into the following types: fiberglass board, single-sided copper foil fiberglass board, double-sided copper foil peeled fiberglass board and perforated copper foil fiberglass board.

The main purpose of using aluminum substrates is to have good heat dissipation. Due to the high heat generation of high-power LEDs, most aluminum substrates are used for the production of LED lighting fixtures. FR-4 fiberglass circuit board is a traditional electronic product circuit board that is widely used due to its excellent insulation, corrosion resistance, compression resistance, and multi-layer printing characteristics. The product quality of LED aluminum substrate mainly considers the material model, hardness, surface and thickness of the aluminum material, and also chooses the appropriate model size based on the heat generation of the product. FR-4 fiberglass circuit board is a relatively mature product, and most LED displays use FR-4 fiberglass circuit board.

Working principle of LED PCB

The core part of a light-emitting diode is a chip composed of n-type semiconductors or p-type semiconductors. There is a transition layer between p-type semiconductors and n-type semiconductors, known as the p-n structure. In the PN junction of certain semiconductor materials, when the injected minority carriers recombine with the majority carriers, excess energy is released in the form of light, thereby directly converting electrical energy into light energy. PN junction with reverse voltage makes it difficult to inject a few carriers, so it does not emit light. This type of diode made using the principle of injection electroluminescence is called a light-emitting diode, commonly known as an LED. When it is in a forward working transition state (i.e. applying a forward voltage at both ends), when the current flows from the LED anode to the cathode, the semiconductor crystal emits different colors of light from ultraviolet to infrared, and the strength of the light is related to the current.

Basic steps for making LED PCB

Welding-self inspection-mutual inspection-cleaning friction

1. LED PCB welding

① Judgment of lamp direction: facing upwards, the side with a black rectangle is the negative end;

② The direction of the circuit board: facing upwards, with one end with inner and outer wiring ports as the upper left corner;

③ Judgment of the direction of the lights in the circuit board: Starting from the top left light (clockwise rotation), the sequence is negative positive → positive negative → negative positive → positive negative

④ Welding: Carefully weld to ensure that each solder joint is full, clean, and free from solder joints or missing welds.

2. LED PCB self-check

After completing the welding, first check the solder joints for any loose soldering, missing soldering, etc. Then use a multimeter to touch the positive and negative endpoints of the circuit board (external positive and internal negative), check whether the four LED lights are on at the same time, and modify the unqualified circuit board until all circuit boards can work normally.

3. LED PCB mutual inspection

After self-inspection, it must be handed over to the person in charge for inspection, and the next process can only proceed with the consent of the person in charge.

4. LED PCB cleaning

Brush the circuit board with 95% alcohol to remove any residue and keep it clean.

5. LED PCB friction

Remove the LED PCB one by one from the entire board, and use fine sandpaper (coarse sandpaper can be used if necessary, but approval from the responsible person must be sought) to remove burrs on the edges of the circuit board, so that the circuit board can be smoothly placed into the fixed seat (the degree of friction depends on the model of the fixed seat).

Advantages of using LED PCBs in electronic products

There are considerable benefits to using LED PCBs in electronic products. Because it is a circuit board specifically made for LEDs, this board has many functions that can make LEDs work perfectly.

1. Lightweight and small in size

LED PCBs are lightweight and small in size, which means you can use them in projects that require small, lightweight LED PCBs. They will not increase the weight of the entire electronic circuit.

2. Low power consumption

Compared with other light sources such as bulbs, LEDs have lower power consumption. They do not emit as much heat as traditional light bulbs. According to a study, LEDs save 75% of energy compared to traditional light bulbs, which means using LED PCBs will help you save electricity.

3. Durable and durable

Replacing traditional light bulbs with LED PCBs will save time in replacing them, as LEDs have a longer lifespan and will last for a long time.

4. High efficiency

LEDs do not emit a large amount of heat, which means that they are highly efficient compared to other sources of light energy. Combining lighting with LED PCBs in your project will save you wasted electricity and convert it into thermal energy. Using LED PCBs will improve your project efficiency.

5. Easy to integrate

LED PCBs are easy to integrate, which means you can integrate them into complex projects and electronic circuits without any hassle. They do not require a lot of circuits or professional knowledge to connect to a circuit system. All you need to do is connect the positive and negative terminals on the LED PCB to the power supply.

6. Dust and moisture free

Dust and moisture are the two major enemies of electronic circuits. High-quality LED PCBs are dustproof and moisture-proof, which means you don't have to worry about dust particles and moisture droplets damaging your LED PCB.

7. Mercury-free

Using LEDs instead of other types of lighting will save you from the guilt of introducing toxic substances such as mercury into the environment. LED PCBs are mercury-free, which is a significant benefit they provide.

8. No RF transmission

Another significant advantage of using LED PCBs is that they do not emit radio frequency waves during operation. If radio frequency waves are emitted from the device, they will interfere with other electronic devices and components present in the environment. Using LED PCBs will help you avoid worrying about RF interference.

9. Friendly environment

Overall, LED PCBs are considered environmentally friendly because they do not emit harmful substances and their lifespan is long, which means that you can occasionally dispose of them, resulting in less waste.

10. Wide availability

LED PCBs come in multiple colors and sizes to choose from. You can choose from various LED colors or customize the circuit board size according to your application.

11. Reduce operating costs

The use of LED PCBs instead of other light sources has been proven to reduce operational costs as they are more efficient and last longer.

With the development of technology and low-carbon life, LED PCBs are becoming increasingly popular and playing an important role in electronic products.