How to Design an LED PCB
Printed circuit boards are thin boards with patterns of micron-size wires and electrical components such as resistors and capacitors. Manufacturers design them for specific applications. You can find them in almost all electronic devices made today. It is often desirable to have a light on a PCB to notify the user it has power. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconducting devices that emit light when you apply a voltage to them, so they often appear in PCBs for this purpose.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Design the PCB with computer-aided design software. The exact design will depend upon the application in mind. For the the PCB to support an LED, two aspects of the design are important. First, the LED will need to sit within holes drilled in the circuit board. You must include these holes in the design. Second, the holes will have to sit close to positive and negative terminals to power the LED.
-
2
Save the design as a Gerber file. This is the industry standard for PCB manufacturers. The Gerber file should have a number of layers. Layer 0 should show the dimensions of the board outline. Layer 1 should have the pattern of copper wires. Layer 2 should have the design of the drilled holes.
-
-
3
Create a text file containing information about the board dimensions and layer contents. Email the Gerber file and text file to a PCB manufacturer. Purchase an LED device with the correct specifications. Take particular note of the required voltage and ensure this matches the power supply for the PCB.
-
4
Build the PCB. Mount the LED electrodes within the PCB and solder them to the positive and negative voltage terminals. Its important to connect the terminals the correct way around. Connect the power supply to the voltage rails. Turn on the power supply and set the correct voltage. The PCB should now be powered and the LED will light up.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
