I think it is also really important to consider when using a parallel configuration is that you're very likely going to draw a lot more power as you'll need a resistor for each LED, as opposed to just 1 resistor for a series configuration. More resistors means you're going to have more power loss, this isn't a trivial amount for low-powered devices. Assuming you want your LEDs with a forward voltage of 1.6v to draw 20mA off a 5v source, you'll need a 170 ohm resistor, that resistor will use 68 mW of power, compared to the LED which will only use 32 mW of power. The resistor is using just over TWICE THE POWER the LED is using...
The parallel configuration only worked because the LEDs you were using happened to be very closely matched (i.e. forward voltages on all four of them very similar). If they weren't so closely matched (which could easily happen), one of them would start conducting before the others, causing it to draw most (possibly) all of the current so that the others lit more dimly (or possibly not at all). Its not a great idea in practice for that reason unless you have a current-limiting resistor in series with each LED, chosen so that the voltage drop across the resistors is significantly more than the variations in LED forward voltage.
I'm about to put 4 100watt LED cob lights all in parallel wish me luck. I have 10 of the LEDs so if the burn out it's no big deal. 4 of them seem to be perfectly matched as in all the LEDs light up together at low current draw, 5 of them have one or two LEDs on the cob that light up unevenly and one of them light up all over the place. Would it be possible to put the 4 LEDs that light evenly in parallel with no problems? I was planning on running them at 85 watts each too so they don't get as hot.
I agree with Kevin. I found your video very helpful and could easily build your example circuits. I wanted to review series and parallel circuits so I could speak clearly about them with elementary students.
Awesome. I'm a total noob trying to wire up a project with LEDs for my sister, and this was just the video I needed. Parallel it is. (3V LEDs, with only 3V available.)
Very nice. A tutorial on LED drivers - DIY or cheap boards- would be helpful so as not to have to use the bench power supply. Powering 1-10 watt LEDS for projects is a common requirement. Thanks.
You said depending on the voltage of the battery source determines if you wire them in series or parallel, but if you use resistors why would the voltage of the battery source dictate the wiring of the LED's in series or parallel?
I got the "likes" up to 1K! Thanks for the good tutorial! 🤓 In parallel, each light has to have the same operating current, right? I think for an LED string blade, I will get straw hat LEDs from Lighthouse LEDs. Thanks
For parallel connected LEDs, if one of the 4 LEDs are pulled and the total current remains the same, then the remaining 3 LEDs ARE affected. Each LED carries more current than when 4 are connected. Simple Kirkoffs law. For this reason, the remaining 3 LEDs become brighter than when 4 LEDs are connected.
Lets says you are stringing these 4 Red LED's that only require 1.7 volt each in parallel, but the battery source is 3V, does that mean you need a resisitor on each LED or just the first one because they are wired in parallel?
The number of LED's depend on the the battery source when wiring in series but when wiring in parallel what is the max amount of LED's you can use in the chain?
Like it But should of had current-limiting resistors in there so that the voltage drop across the resistors is significantly more than the variations in LED forward voltage because not LED's you get is always the same voltage. And that will draw more or less current dimming the other LEDs or turning them off.
Does it make more DC voltage to turn on a string of series LED compared to a string of parallel LEDs? which take more DC voltages series or parallel configuration
how can you tell if the lights are wired series or parallel - theses lights came with the house ( installed about 3 years ago, unknown installer) Arnold
i have made a string of 96 leds in parallel so my question is Can i use a 12v source using 1 resistor to power the string ? And if so what resistor would i need ? (all leds are super bright white)
I have a led lamp with 12led on it connected in series I decided it into 2groubs ,connected the two ground in parallel is the consumption of the lamp change?
Overall helpful, but being geared towards beginners why wouldn't you explain which is negative and positive on the LEDs? You're also assuming people have a likely expensive power source such as the one used.
I just cut and connected 10 m of RGB led strip in 10 pieces, for some shelves, I connected them in parallel, after 10 minutes, the controller got hot too and it started to make a coil sound, I think, that would be the reason ... I think it is designed for a serial connection, because connecting the simple tape as it was before has never made such problems ... I would ask if anyone he knows better, to tell me if that's the problem, or if he's ever met.
Hi there. I have a question that I should realy know the answer to. I wish to make a PCB for an IR Torch, it will have 100 X IR LED's aranged in rows of 10. It will run off a 5V power bank The kind you get to charge a phone. The spec's of each IR LED are, Forward Voltage 1.3v, Forwards Current 50ma. The problem I am having in my brain is, what is the best way given the above details of aranging the LED's on the PCB? PARALELL or SERIES? I'm Leaning towards PARALLEL. Many thanks pal.
In Parallel configuration, will the current not drop across every LED? And the last leds (i.e: 3,4,5) will not get dimmer because current will drop across starting leds?? Kindly answer plz?
Current will remain the same however the power output will increase. In other words, if you are using a battery, the battery will discharge quicker than if you wire the LED's in series.
Assuming current limiting, is brightness proportional to voltage? Is there any correlation between voltage and output after the minimum forward voltage? Ist possible to burn out an LED on too high voltage?
Hey Paul I'm curious about resistors if you're gonna use probably 100 plus 2 leg RGB led's do you have to have resistors on each led? Or can you use overall resistors for the pos ND neg sides?
you really need to drink more and move mic away from your mouth because it sounds like someone is playing with plastic bag in bacground when you talk...
I think it is also really important to consider when using a parallel configuration is that you're very likely going to draw a lot more power as you'll need a resistor for each LED, as opposed to just 1 resistor for a series configuration. More resistors means you're going to have more power loss, this isn't a trivial amount for low-powered devices. Assuming you want your LEDs with a forward voltage of 1.6v to draw 20mA off a 5v source, you'll need a 170 ohm resistor, that resistor will use 68 mW of power, compared to the LED which will only use 32 mW of power. The resistor is using just over TWICE THE POWER the LED is using...
The parallel configuration only worked because the LEDs you were using happened to be very closely matched (i.e. forward voltages on all four of them very similar). If they weren't so closely matched (which could easily happen), one of them would start conducting before the others, causing it to draw most (possibly) all of the current so that the others lit more dimly (or possibly not at all). Its not a great idea in practice for that reason unless you have a current-limiting resistor in series with each LED, chosen so that the voltage drop across the resistors is significantly more than the variations in LED forward voltage.
I'm about to put 4 100watt LED cob lights all in parallel wish me luck. I have 10 of the LEDs so if the burn out it's no big deal. 4 of them seem to be perfectly matched as in all the LEDs light up together at low current draw, 5 of them have one or two LEDs on the cob that light up unevenly and one of them light up all over the place. Would it be possible to put the 4 LEDs that light evenly in parallel with no problems? I was planning on running them at 85 watts each too so they don't get as hot.
I agree with Kevin. I found your video very helpful and could easily build your example circuits. I wanted to review series and parallel circuits so I could speak clearly about them with elementary students.
Awesome. I'm a total noob trying to wire up a project with LEDs for my sister, and this was just the video I needed. Parallel it is. (3V LEDs, with only 3V available.)
At last I have managed to grasp what "forward voltage" actually means! Great little video.
I think this was a good tutorial on serial and parallel LEDs. Thanks, Paul fumble fingers and all!
U make it so simple! why do other guys get so complicated?
Brilliant and straight fwd...now can you do one showing resistors in both series and parallel. Thanks
Straight forward. Easy to understand. Good job. Thanks.
Very nice. A tutorial on LED drivers - DIY or cheap boards- would be helpful so as not to have to use the bench power supply. Powering 1-10 watt LEDS for projects is a common requirement. Thanks.
Thanks so much! I think this was a great follow-up video to your last one yesterday.
Thank you ! I'm just starting to learn about LED .
Thank you for this! Now I’m wondering what is wavelength and what considerations do we need in its regard?
Wavelength is the "colour" of the LED.
Nice Siglent Scope bro. I just bought one for myself.
Best video for wiring LEDs. Thanks.
You said depending on the voltage of the battery source determines if you wire them in series or parallel, but if you use resistors why would the voltage of the battery source dictate the wiring of the LED's in series or parallel?
I got the "likes" up to 1K! Thanks for the good tutorial! 🤓 In parallel, each light has to have the same operating current, right? I think for an LED string blade, I will get straw hat LEDs from Lighthouse LEDs. Thanks
Can you do a video on a combination of both with potentiometer ( variable resistor) to adjust the brightness! Thanks in advance.
Circuit diagrams would also assist (a lot).
For parallel connected LEDs, if one of the 4 LEDs are pulled and the total current remains the same, then the remaining 3 LEDs ARE affected. Each LED carries more current than when 4 are connected. Simple Kirkoffs law. For this reason, the remaining 3 LEDs become brighter than when 4 LEDs are connected.
Lets says you are stringing these 4 Red LED's that only require 1.7 volt each in parallel, but the battery source is 3V, does that mean you need a resisitor on each LED or just the first one because they are wired in parallel?
Great vedio Sir.....i give u salute from Bahrain. .Many thanks ✌
The number of LED's depend on the the battery source when wiring in series but when wiring in parallel what is the max amount of LED's you can use in the chain?
I have an idea while watching, maybe you can do an explanation on how chrstmas lights work and how a bulb can be dead and they still stay lit.
Ok thanks
If you want to wire different color LED's together, do you just use different resistors for each LED in both series and parallel config?
Like it But should of had current-limiting resistors in there so that the voltage drop across the resistors is significantly more than the variations in LED forward voltage because not LED's you get is always the same voltage. And that will draw more or less current dimming the other LEDs or turning them off.
Very good description
Awesome vid. Thank you.
Does it make more DC voltage to turn on a string of series LED compared to a string of parallel LEDs? which take more DC voltages series or parallel configuration
Thank you!
Great video. Thanks!
But how do you know when the LED is fully bright?...you may think it is fully on when in fact there is more in the tank?
This was super helpful, Thank you!
Why do the LEDs flicker when lowering the voltage, as opposed to smoothly dimming down?
What about a circuit that combines both series and parallel together
how can you tell if the lights are wired series or parallel - theses lights came with the house ( installed about 3 years ago, unknown installer) Arnold
i have made a string of 96 leds in parallel so my question is Can i use a 12v source using 1 resistor to power the string ? And if so what resistor would i need ? (all leds are super bright white)
If i just had 2 green leds on 3vdc battery would a resistor be needed and what size resistor please?
i just love watching these videos :D thanks
Perfect thank you!
I have a led lamp with 12led on it connected in series I decided it into 2groubs ,connected the two ground in parallel is the consumption of the lamp change?
Thank you for this video.
Yo, u just gave ma ass joy men.
Ye gave me wat I try getting for Months
God bless u man
Overall helpful, but being geared towards beginners why wouldn't you explain which is negative and positive on the LEDs? You're also assuming people have a likely expensive power source such as the one used.
Really useful, thank you.
Can two 12V led strips be connected in series so they can be driven by a 24V driver? E.g. if you want to use a 24V ikea TRÅDFRI on a 12V strip?
5:30 Parallel circuit
Helpful thanks
Where does the switch get wired in the series/parallel config?
I just cut and connected 10 m of RGB led strip in 10 pieces, for some shelves, I connected them in parallel, after 10 minutes, the controller got hot too and it started to make a coil sound, I think, that would be the reason ... I think it is designed for a serial connection, because connecting the simple tape as it was before has never made such problems ... I would ask if anyone he knows better, to tell me if that's the problem, or if he's ever met.
Hi there.
I have a question that I should realy know the answer to.
I wish to make a PCB for an IR Torch, it will have 100 X IR LED's aranged in rows of 10.
It will run off a 5V power bank The kind you get to charge a phone.
The spec's of each IR LED are, Forward Voltage 1.3v, Forwards Current 50ma.
The problem I am having in my brain is, what is the best way given the above details of aranging the LED's on the PCB? PARALELL or SERIES?
I'm Leaning towards PARALLEL.
Many thanks pal.
If you do serial, you need 3v for each led. Your 5v source won't cut it.
In Parallel configuration, will the current not drop across every LED? And the last leds (i.e: 3,4,5) will not get dimmer because current will drop across starting leds?? Kindly answer plz?
I'm curious how 4 leds run on constant current the same as 1 led also. Total electronics newbie...so it's likely something obvious I'm missing.
Current will remain the same however the power output will increase. In other words, if you are using a battery, the battery will discharge quicker than if you wire the LED's in series.
what about 4 different colors in series
what if i want to connect 36 leds how can i do it smaller voltage
Assuming current limiting, is brightness proportional to voltage? Is there any correlation between voltage and output after the minimum forward voltage? Ist possible to burn out an LED on too high voltage?
As long as you are current limiting them they will max out. For instance a 640nm red LED limited @ 30mA will max out at 1.9VDC
learnelectronics ok, then as you increase current, voltage also increases?
Yes.
Hey Paul I'm curious about resistors if you're gonna use probably 100 plus 2 leg RGB led's do you have to have resistors on each led? Or can you use overall resistors for the pos ND neg sides?
Depends on weather you are doing parallel or serial.
I have a matrix of 27 x 5 leds , will parralel manage them all?
You could. But it would have to be a mix of row and column.
i have a +36v 6A power supply how many white LEDs can i use on it and they dont burn out? thanks
In series about 3v each with current limiting resistors. In parallel use current limiting resistors for 33v drop @ about 20mA
Thank you
Welcome
So 9 v= 4 leds?
Thanks mango :D
Wait I am confused.
not first Great post
255 likes... Now I can't like because then it would go to 0
We are 64bit here, you'll be ok
That was clever
actually we don't understand anything from you
you really need to drink more and move mic away from your mouth because it sounds like someone is playing with plastic bag in bacground when you talk...