LEDsuperefficient


        
            
                Markdown 2.32 KB
                                    
                        | None                    
                
                                        |
    0    0                            

            
                
                                    raw
                    download
                    clone
                    embed
                    print
                
                                    report
                
                
                            
        
        
            Super efficient LED projects
LED lights can be made super efficient by using a) a low-power LED bulb, b) a microcontroller to blink the LED but not so slow the human eye can see it, or c) a combination of both. 

Tritiled. Runs for 5 years on CR2032. https://hackaday.io/project/11864-tritiled
Decade flashlight. https://hackaday.io/project/19113-decade-flashlight
Quarter Century lamp. Uses PIC chip to control blinking of special cyan LED. https://hackaday.io/project/17546-quarter-century-lamp
Firefly. http://www.seanet.com/~karllunt/fireflyLED.html

Suggested circuits

Very good for beginners, and lots of examples. Includes example of TI MSP430F110 low power microprocessor with sleep state. A CR2032 will power an LED for 30 years using the MSP. https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/17998/ultra-low-power-simple-flashing-circuit
Run ATMeta328P for months on CR2032. http://home-automation-community.com/arduino-low-power-how-to-run-atmega328p-for-a-year-on-coin-cell-battery/
Don Klipstein's low-current LED. http://donklipstein.com/ledlocu.html. Pulsing LEDs to save current: http://donklipstein.com/ledlocup.html. List of low-current green LEDs with brand and part numbers.
From Discover Circuits. http://www.discovercircuits.com/PDF-FILES/3vledfs1.pdf. (Some images missing.)
Dangerous Prototypes, boosters boost from 0.5vdc using LT1932 chip. http://dangerousprototypes.com/blog/2013/02/02/app-note-boost-converter-that-works-with-voltages-down-to-0-5v/
TPS61201 booster chip boosts 0.3v to 3.3v. https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/TPS61201DRCT/296-21684-1-ND/1536224.
1.5v LED flasher uses 40ua. http://www.imagineeringezine.com/PDF-FILES/1vled3.pdf

Low-power LEDs

Junun red LEDs run off 2ma. http://www.junun.org/MarkIII/Info.jsp?item=62. Green 3mm LEDs at 2ma: http://www.junun.org/MarkIII/Info.jsp?item=63.
Knightbright USA. 1-2mcd, very dim @2ma. http://www.kingbrightusa.com/category.asp?catalog_name=LED&category_name=KCLow+Current+LED&Page=1
Vishay. http://www.vishay.com/leds/low-current/

Buy low-power LEDs
Research

2014-10-21. Low power LED pulses. https://newatlas.com/ultra-low-power-light/34349/. Oddly enough this seems to run on 5,000 volts and 50 microamps.