Chip on board?
- Thread starterlen
- Start date
wolfman005
Active Member
If they work the way I think they do, than the name is not exactly correct. Aren't they just highish powered unfocused LEDs?
silicsound
Member
techieman33
Well-Known Member
I think they were probably talking about an SMD (surface mounted diode) it's a generic term for any led that mounts directly onto a circuit board. They usually don't have any kind of lens so you need to add a reflector and or lens to help shape the beam to your desired focus. Googling SMD will give you more info than you could ever want to know.
JD
Well-Known Member
COB is different than SMD. Even with a SMD, the actual heart of the device is mounted in a package. With "Chip On Board", the little fleck of a device is actually welded to a trace on the circuit board and the gold hairwire is welded to the junction and then welded to another trace. The whole thing is then hit with some clear epoxy or other compound to keep it safe.
RickR
Well-Known Member
JD is correct.
Another important point is that the whole thing is really many LEDs in a per-assembled package. I hear a lot about better thermal management. The practical side is that it's cheaper for the fixture manufacturer to design and make the fixture. The down side is that they are large and optically difficult. All this is why you are seeing them in lower end products for broad area use.
Another important point is that the whole thing is really many LEDs in a per-assembled package. I hear a lot about better thermal management. The practical side is that it's cheaper for the fixture manufacturer to design and make the fixture. The down side is that they are large and optically difficult. All this is why you are seeing them in lower end products for broad area use.
