Why use LED Pulse / Strobe Controllers?

LED Light Controllers are an essential element of any machine vision illumination system which needs to optimise illumination intensity and precision trigger sequencing between vision cameras and lights. The following are the main areas where you will benefit from the use of an LED light controller:

Pulse (or strobe) control

Where you require to synchronise the ON time of your light with the camera and target product (available to nano-second timing resolution)

Overdriving LEDs

Where you require increased intensity from your LED light for a short, defined, period of time (with up to 10x overdriving capability)

Continuous current power supply

Where you require a highly stable constant current supply for LED lighting

Control of multi-lighting schemes

For systems with multiple lighting configurations which require intensity control and high speed synchronisation (from single or multiple triggers)

Remote configuration changes

For systems where it is advantageous to have remote setting of lighting system parameters – eg: to facilitiate efficient set-up during system commissioning

LEDs are current driven devices

Whilst LED Lights are specified as either 12V or 24V lights, the actual LEDs are semiconductor devices whose light output is a direct result of the current through the device, not the voltage. All LED device manufacturers specify that current control is advised for efficient use.

Typically, LED datasheets will indicate that very small changes in LED voltage results in large changes in the LED current; and large changes in LED current results in large changes in light output intensity. Gardasoft LED pulse / strobe controllers for example therefore regulate the current, not the voltage, so that light output is stable, tightly controlled and highly repeatable.

Controlling the current allows for precise control of the LED light output, additional benefit is then also available to users are looking to overdrive their lights to increase light output.