How hard could it be to turn on an LED? Connect the LED in series with an appropriate resistor and hook it up to a dc source with the correct polarity and voilà, instant LED light. Of course, you can do that with a simple LED “pilot” light, but when it comes to lighting multiple LEDs or designing them into homes or vehicles, it’s more of a challenge. As it turns out, efficiency is a big issue. In most cases, the best way to light an LED is to use specially designed linear and/or switch-mode driver ICs.
LED Lighting Basics
As the technology has progressed, LEDs have gradually replaced incandescent bulbs and CFLs. Increased brightness and lower costs have expedited the changeover from the older lighting technologies. Today, LEDs have found a place in home lighting, automotive, signage, and backlighting for TV sets, video monitors, laptops and tablets, as well as smartphone screens. Simply put, LED lighting has become the dominant method of lighting.