Rodrigo Tavarez

2017-0392 (Erasmus)
ASSIGMENT #10
Objectives:
 Know that a light-Emitting Diode (LED) is a form of low - voltage, low-current Light –
Emitting.
 Understand the similarities and the differences between the LED’s and an ordinary silicon
or germanium diode.
 Have some idea of the construction of a LED.

Equipment:
Feedback kits: EEC470, EEC471, EEC477, TK2941B, DVM, Digital milliammeter.

Theorical introduction:
Reverse voltage
Reverse voltage is a type of energy signal created when the polarity of an electrical current is reversed. Such
voltage occurs often when the reversal of the polarity is applied across a diode, forcing the diode to react by
functioning in reverse. This reverse of function can also create a breakdown voltage within the diode, as it often
causes the breakdown of the circuit that the voltage is being applied to.
Reverse voltage occurs when the connecting source of the energy signal to the circuit is applied in an inverted
manner. This means the positive lead source has been connected to the ground or negative circuit lead, and visa
versa. This transferal of voltage is often not intended, as most electrical circuitry is not capable of handling the
voltages.

When the minimum voltage is applied to either a circuit or a diode, it may simply cause the circuit or the diode
to operate in reverse. This could cause a reaction such as a box fan motor spinning the wrong way. The item
will continue to function in such instances.

When the amount of voltage applied to a circuit is too great an amount of signal for the circuit to receive,
however, it’s referred to as a breakdown voltage. If the input signal that has been reversed surpasses the
allowable voltage for the circuit to maintain, the circuit can be damaged beyond the point of remaining usable.
The point at which the circuit becomes damaged is what the term breakdown voltage refers to. This breakdown
voltage has a couple of other names, peak reverse voltage or reverse breakdown voltage.

Reverse voltage can cause a breakdown voltage that affects the function of other circuit components as well.
Outside of the reverse voltage damaging diodes and circuit functions, it can also become a peak reverse
voltage. In such cases, the circuit cannot contain the amount of incoming power from the signal that has been
reversed and it may create a breakdown voltage among insulators.
 Rodrigo Tavarez
2017-0392 (Erasmus)

LED

Is a semiconductor light source that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the

semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of
the light (corresponding to the energy of the photons) is determined by the energy required for
electrons to cross the band gap of the semiconductor.[5] White light is obtained by using multiple
semiconductors or a layer of light-emitting phosphor on the semiconductor device. [6]
Appearing as practical electronic components in 1962, the earliest LEDs emitted low-
intensity infrared (IR) light.[7] Infrared LEDs are used in remote-control circuits, such as those used
with a wide variety of consumer electronics. The first visible-light LEDs were of low intensity and
limited to red. Modern LEDs are available across the visible, ultraviolet (UV), and infrared
wavelengths, with high light output.
Unlike a laser, the light emitted from an LED is neither spectrally coherent nor even
highly monochromatic. However, its spectrum is sufficiently narrow that it appears to the human
eye as a pure (saturated) color.[9][10] Also unlike most lasers, its radiation is not spatially coherent, so it
cannot approach the very high brightness’s characteristic of lasers.

Practical 10.1
Identify the “large HI EFF red” LED in the EEC 477 component tray and connect the
circuit, shown in fig 10.1

Fig. 10.1
 Rodrigo Tavarez
2017-0392 (Erasmus)

Table 10.1
ID VD VD VD VD
Large HI EFF red red Yellow green
mA V V V V
1 1.63 1.76 1.82 1.54
2 1.66 1.8 1.91 1.88
6 1.71 1.86 2.13 1.58
10 1.75 1.91 2.28 2.05
20 1.82 1.95 2.53 2.2
23 1.84 2 2.6 2.25

The voltage drop for

HI EFF vs Vred LED tends to be low for
2.05 a red one, becoming
2 higher for yellow and
1.95 green. This higher
1.9 corresponds to a larger
1.85 voltage for a photon of
V red

1.8 shorter wavelength and

1.75 higher energy
1.7
1.65
1.6
1.6 1.65 1.7 1.75 1.8 1.85 1.9
HI EFF
 Rodrigo Tavarez
2017-0392 (Erasmus)

Draw the graph- plot VD= f(ID) as figure 10.2

VDvs ID
3

2.5

2
Voltage (V)

LED red
1.5 LED yellow
LED Green
1

0.5

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Currente (mA)

Practical 10.2

Connect the red, yellow and green LEDs in series with an ammeter, as shown in Fig 10.3
using a 820Ω resistor for R. Use the variable supply to alter the current over the range 0 to 25mA,
watching the LEDs.
 Rodrigo Tavarez
2017-0392 (Erasmus)

Vs−(V 1+V 2+V 3)

R=
I
V1=1.9v V2=2.26v V3=2.05v R=858.39Ω

Does series connection of several LEDs seem to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory arrangement? No

Practical 10.3
Connect such LEDs in parallel (with the ammeter in series, using a 470Ω resistor for R.)

Find the suitable current I to obtain a satisfactory light emission of the LEDs. 27.2 mA
What limits the number of LED’s which can be connected in series? The voltage that the
resistance before the LED’s supply. (changing the resistance we change the number of LED’s.

Practical 10.5
 Rodrigo Tavarez
2017-0392 (Erasmus)
For an AC supply for LEDs make the connection shown in the next figure

Can you think of an alternative way to protecting the LED against reverse voltage? With a P
channel MOSFET.
Note:
The Diode on the above circuit is for security of the LED against the reverse voltage.

CONCLUSION

The brightness of the LEDs will depend on the voltage and current that are flowing throw it,
exists different ways to feed the circuit, in parallel and series. As we saw in the experiments the
series connection is the less efficient way to connect this LEDs because all of them are sharing
the current, so one current to all the LEDs will make a variation of voltage and the brightness will
be affected; instead in parallel each LED will have it necessary voltage and current to get its best
brightness.

Reference
https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-reverse-voltage.htm#

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode