Advanced illuminationDF196

One characteristic of LEDs is that they naturally exhibit power degradation with time. Often this power degradation is slow, but there are also instances where large, rapid drops in power, or even complete LED failure, occur. LED lifetimes are defined as the time it takes a specified percentage of a type of LED to fall below some power level. The parameters for the lifetime measurement can be written using the notation BXX/LYY, where XX is the percentage of that type of LED that will provide less than YY percent of the specified output power after the lifetime has elapsed. Thorlabs defines the lifetime of our LEDs as B50/L50, meaning that 50% of the LEDs with a given Item # will fall below 50% of the initial optical power at the end of the specified lifetime. For example, if a batch of 100 LEDs is rated for 150 mW of output power, 50 of these LEDs can be expected to produce an output power of ≤75 mW after the specified LED lifetime has elapsed.

For microscope applications requiring compatibility with SM1 (1.035"-40) threading, our mounted LEDs (sold separately) can be collimated using a Ø1" lens and lens tubes. This collimation method also allows for a smaller beam size than the collimators on this page. Please see the Collimation tab on our Mounted LEDs presentation for a detailed item list and instructions.

Advanced IlluminationSL256

Like our mounted LEDs, the package of these collimated LEDs is in direct contact with the heat sink to provide excellent thermal management. This minimizes the degradation of optical output power caused by increased LED temperatures. Please see the Stability tab for information on the stable output intensity of these collimated LEDs. Additionally, our M365LP1, M385LP1, and M405LP1 LEDs feature a higher power output and are mounted to a larger Ø57.0 mm heat sink to increase heat dissipation and thermal stability.

The collimation of the beam can be adjusted by changing the position of the aspheric lens with respect to the LED. Interchanging LEDs is easy; simply unscrew one LED from the housing and replace it with a different mounted LED (sold separately). We also offer collimation packages, which can be purchased separately from these LEDs.

Advanced illuminationRing Light

The diagram to the right shows the male connector of the collimated LED assembly. It is a standard M8 x 1 sensor circular connector. Pins 1 and 2 are the connection to the LED. Pin 3 and 4 are used for the internal EEPROM in these LEDs. If using an LED driver that was not purchased from Thorlabs, be careful that the appropriate connections are made to Pin 1 and Pin 2 and that you do not attempt to drive the LED through the EEPROM pins.

To fully support the max optical power of the LED you intend to drive, ensure that the max voltage and max current of the driver are equal to or greater than those of the LED.

Advanced illuminationLL330

Advanced illuminationbacklight

The CON8ML-4 connector can be used to mate mounted LEDs featured on this page to user-supplied power supplies. We also offer a male 4-Pin M8 connector cable (item # CAB-LEDD1).

The section of the housing that holds the collimation optics is the same size for all LEDs that share the same item # suffix, regardless of the size of the heat sink.

Note: Please ensure your microscope is configured to directly accept an external light source. Some microscope assemblies have a permanently installed illuminator or may be otherwise incompatible with the LED light sources below.

Advanced illuminationLL174

Rochester, VT - Advanced illumination, the originator of LED lighting for machine vision inspection, is proud to announce the release of its UltraSeal Washdown Backlights. The innovative BL245 UltraSeal Washdown Backlights are engineered with a sealed, flush surface, making the washdown lights virtually crevice-free. The UltraSeal Washdown Backlights are IP69K certified, ensuring they are protected against close-range high pressure spray down while providing a dust-tight enclosure. The backlights are extremely corrosion-resistant and made with FDA-compliant materials, meeting the challenges of applications that need reliable, clean, sanitary inspection systems and making them ideal for food and drug applications. “We had quite a few customers approach us about an issue they had with other IP69K light offerings,” says John Thrailkill, Co-Founder and CEO of Advanced illumination. “Other washdown lights available on the market have cracks and crevices, which are created by the use of exposed screws and gasketing materials in the lights’ designs. This makes it more time consuming and difficult for the customers to clean the washdown lights, particularly for those in food and drug applications.” The BL245 UltraSeal Washdown Backlights are built with a proprietary nickel finish and a flush-mounted, sealed diffuser. The proprietary nickel finish provides superior corrosion protection for the backlights while the aluminum housing makes them 11x more thermally conductive than stainless steel. The lights are available in multiple wavelengths and a variety of standard sizes, including: 4” x 4”, 4” x 8”, 6” x 6”, 8” x 8”, 8” x 12”, and 12” x 12”. The BL245 are half the thickness of other washdown backlights on the market, measuring 0.945”. Due to their IP69K rating, the UltraSeal Washdown Backlights eliminate the need to have an additional enclosure, reducing costs when spec’ing machine vision applications. The washdown lights are ideal in applications that use corrosive washdown solutions and high-pressure steam cleaning operations. “Our main goal is to help our customers solve the issues they’re having; that’s what drives our innovation,” continues Thrailkill. “The UltraSeal family of products is our direct solution to the challenges they experience in these extreme environments.” The UltraSeal Washdown Backlights are the first lights in the UltraSeal product line to be released. Ai will continue to develop and release lights in the UltraSeal line intended to solve machine vision application challenges which rely on ultra-sealed, ultra-cleanable solutions. Ai’s emphasis on quality processes and R&D ensures customers receive consistent, reliable machine vision lighting solutions; the Ai UltraSeal Washdown Backlights deliver on this promise. A global leader in the LED Machine Vision Industry since 1993, Advanced illumination combines innovation in product development and quality in processes to deliver tailored lighting solutions to its customers. Ai has over 75 stock products that ship between 1-3 days and hundreds of thousands of Build-to-Order lights that are ready to ship between 1-3 weeks. Their customers face unique challenges regarding their ever-evolving inspection systems; Ai is here to innovate with them. For more information, please visit our website: www.advancedillumination.com. Media Contact: Eric Henzie ehenzie@advancedillumination.com

Thorlabs' collimated LED assemblies can be easily connected to standard and epi-illumination ports on most readily available commercial microscopes, including Olympus, Leica, Nikon, and Zeiss. Each collimated LED consists of a mounted LED and a lamphouse-port-compatible housing that contains an AR-coated aspheric collimation optic (see the Specs tab for details). If the wavelength or output power you require is not sold on this page, our mounted LEDs and Solis® High-Power LEDs are available in additional wavelengths and output powers.

This tab includes all LEDs sold by Thorlabs. Click on More [+] to view all available wavelengths for each type of LED pictured below.

The section of the housing that holds the collimation optics is the same size for all LEDs that share the same item # suffix, regardless of the size of the heat sink.

Advanced illuminationI3

Advanced illuminationbar light

Manufacturer of machine vision lighting systems for medical, food, and beverage applications. Products include co-axial, line, diffuse, bright field, bar, and ring lights. Back and spotlights are also offered. Controllers, couplers, light dimmers, bandpass filters, and illuminators are also provided. Custom options are available. RoHS compliant. CE certified.

Driver OptionsThorlabs offers six drivers compatible with these LEDs: LEDD1B, UPLED, DC40, DC2200, DC4100, and DC4104 (the latter two require the DC4100-HUB). The UPLED, DC40, DC2200, DC4100, and DC4104 drivers are capable of reading the current limit from the EEPROM chip of the connected LED and automatically adjusting the maximum current setting to protect the LED. See the LED Drivers tab for specifications and comparison between the drivers.

Advanced illumination (Ai) is uniquely qualified to help solve your machine vision lighting challenges. Founded in 1993, Advanced illumination was the first lighting company to develop and sell an LED lighting product and continues to drive innovation as a global leader in the machine vision industry. Ai combines innovation in product development and process control to deliver tailored lighting solutions to its customers. Ai has Stock products that ship in 1-3 days and hundreds of thousands of Build-to-Order lights that are ready to ship in 1-3 weeks. Customers face unique challenges regarding their ever-evolving inspection systems; Ai is here to innovate with them.

The approximate total beam power through the collimation adapter is given in the tables below and on the Specs tab. The actual power at the sample plane will be lower due to losses specific to the optical set up of the microscope. If you wish to measure the power at the sample plane for your particular microscope setup, Thorlabs also offers a microscope slide power meter sensor.

The actual spectral output and total output power of any given LED will vary due to variations in the manufacturing process and operating parameters, such as temperature and current. The typical total beam power of each collimated LED is specified to help you select an LED that suits your needs. In order to provide a point of comparison for the relative powers of LEDs with different nominal wavelengths, the spectra in the plots below have been scaled to the typical total beam power of each collimated LED. This data is representative, not absolute. An Excel file containing the normalized and scaled spectra for each collimation package can be downloaded using the link below each plot.

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The thermal dissipation performance of these collimated LEDs has been optimized for stable power output. The heat sink is directly mounted to the LED mount so as to provide optimal thermal contact. By doing so, the degradation of optical output power that can be attributed to increased LED junction temperature is minimized (see the graph to the right).