The benefits of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are undisputed: They are lightweight, power efficient, and extremely durable. But LED technology is still a long way from ubiquity and these little lights can present some big design challenges for would-be users.

“There is a large gap between the science of LED, the physics associated with it, and what we call the ‘art’ of lighting,” said Cary Eskow, director of LightSpeed, Avnet Electronics Marketing’s SSL (solid-state lighting) and LED unit. Designing LED into an end-product, he said, “is not a simple retrofit.”

Electronics distributors are in a unique position to fill that gap. The channel reaches a broad base of small to midsize customers that aren’t experienced in LED. These customers want to integrate LED into their products without a complete redesign, don’t garner the direct attention of LED suppliers, and have specific price/performance expectations. Market analysts believe companies targeting LED niche applications are poised for growth.

“LED suppliers are focused on mainstream applications such as backlighting for LCD displays,” said Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst, wireless communications, consumer electronics, and India research, iSuppli Corp. “As LED technology has improved, there are a lot of applications that will open up and these tend to be very niche. There’s a huge opportunity for so-called mass customization for these niche applications.”

The channel is currently seeing a lot of interest in general-purpose lighting, retail applications, and street lights, executives said. Momentum in these, and other markets will accelerate as LED technology continues to improve and prices drop. “The tipping point is often where the technology meets price, performance, and efficiency parameters desired by the various segments of the lighting industry,” said Madanda. “It’s only been within the past year that power LED performance hit the levels that makes it competitive with halogen, incandescent, and even some fluorescent solutions.”

Distribution’s move into LED design assistance has run counter to most high-technology trends. LED is not a new technology; it’s been a commodity in the channel for decades.  “Like the majority of components, LEDs were more of a demand-fulfillment than a demand-creation product,” said Madanda. But as LEDs have gotten brighter, color capabilities have expanded, prices have dropped, and demand for green technology has risen, LEDs are now suited to a wide range of applications. LEDs are not plug-and-play, however, as a high degree of engineering is required to fit them into existing applications.

“[In addition to the LEDs] you also have to offer solutions,” said Madanda.  “You have power management, thermal management, optics, and the integration challenges of putting those components together.”

Future Electronics is recognized by many industry watchers as the first distributor to spin its LED product lines out into a separate business unit. In addition to LEDs themselves, a full solution requires components that manage thermal loads, modulate power, focus, and manipulate light, and in many cases, fit an existing footprint. As a result, customers that want to integrate LED technology into their products turn to distributors for help.

“Our typical customers order a component because they already know what they are doing with it,” said Madanda. “In this case, we ask our customers ‘what do you want to do with LED?’ and do whatever is necessary to get them there.”

Avnet LightSpeed and Future Lighting have tapped a wide variety of talent to handle these design challenges. Eskow’s team pools experts in optical, thermal, mechanical, and electrical design experience. This group of “illumineers” acts as cross-functional team to design LED systems for a variety of applications.

“One of our guys did optics design and came from the automotive industry, one specialized in flashlights, and another worked in the hospitality industry,” said Eskow. “The team itself cross pollinates.”

Beyond simply solving LED design problems, distributors are helping customers use the technology to differentiate their products in the market. “We are focusing on the aspects of LED that can add value,” Eskow said. For example, white LEDs can be tinted to provide a wide range of warm (red) or cool (blue) tones, referred to as “color temperature." 

“If you are using LEDs in a jewelry display case, blue tones make the jewelry sparkle,” said Eskow (pictured). “If you are using LEDs in a restaurant, warm tones—ranging from red to amber—makes food and wine look more appetizing.”

Even though these applications use white lights—the most cost-effective LED solution to date—color temperature can be adjusted to enhance the look, appeal, marketability, and enjoyment of a product or application.

Although most LED solutions are custom, distributors are developing reference designs and other tools to assist customers. “We’ve developed a library of reference designs,” said Madanda, “and we are working with chip makers in co-developing solutions at the board level.”

Future Lighting is also moving toward LED system "building blocks"— fully integrated modules that together comprise a solid state lighting solution that meets application requirements.

“There’s a lot of commonality among LED products but no real standards,” said Madanda.

Distributors say the Energy Star standard for SSL lighting is the closest, as its criteria certifies that a product meets performance and reliability requirements that are considered acceptable for energy efficiency standards.

The design and market intelligence that distributors are gathering through the design process is being channeled back to suppliers. LED makers, which focus their direct resources on large-volume lighting applications, traditionally have little visibility into niche markets.

“We are a bi-directional channel,” said Eskow. “Solid-state lighting is a very fragmented market and it’s hard [for suppliers] to win 10,000 battles. We work with our customers to position them with the right technology and we work with component suppliers when we need a product that manages a certain challenge such as thermal load.

“In our perspective, the most critical component tends to be the one not one our line card—it’s the experience and system-level knowledge how to leverage LEDs in your application,” he concluded.

By: DocMemory
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