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LED Constant Current: Circuit Schematic

This document describes a simple LED constant current circuit using two transistors, two resistors, and an LED that can drive LEDs with power up to 5W using a voltage between 2V and 24V. The circuit works by using negative feedback to stabilize the current through the LED as the voltage increases, keeping it constant. The value of the resistor R is calculated by dividing the desired LED current in mA by 0.5. This ensures the circuit maintains a constant current for the LED over a wide range of input voltages.

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Sahat_69
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169 views

LED Constant Current: Circuit Schematic

This document describes a simple LED constant current circuit using two transistors, two resistors, and an LED that can drive LEDs with power up to 5W using a voltage between 2V and 24V. The circuit works by using negative feedback to stabilize the current through the LED as the voltage increases, keeping it constant. The value of the resistor R is calculated by dividing the desired LED current in mA by 0.5. This ensures the circuit maintains a constant current for the LED over a wide range of input voltages.

Uploaded by

Sahat_69
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LED Constant Current

This is a very simple led constant current design using only 2 transistors, 2 resistors and an
LED. This circuit allows you to use any voltage between 2V and 24V to drive almost any
type of LED with power consumption up to 5W. The T2 transistor can be BC547 if you use
only usual leds (the 20mA versions) but it is recommended to use BD135, BD137 or BD139
because they have a higher power dissipation.

Circuit Schematic

How does the constant current circuit works?


If the voltage incresease over 2V then a higher current will flow through the collector of T2
and so the base current of T1 will increase too bringing this transistor in the conduction state.
But now the collector potential of T1 becomes more and more negative, same thing happens
with the base of T2 and so T2 will slowly “closes” thus acting against the initial growth of
current. In this way is achieved a stabilizing effect that provides current that is constant
through the LED.
Value of R is equal to the LED’s current divided by 0.5

R (Ω) = I (mA)/0.5
The power dissipation of R is

P (W) = I2 (A) x R (Ω)


Example: for a 20mA LED the value of R will be around 39Ω
The current values depending on voltage for a normal red LED:

 5V … 15mA
 9V … 18mA
 12V … 20mA
 18V … 24mA
 24V … 27 mA

LED Driver with Digital Control

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