There are various LED strips in the market today. But these LED strips have two driving modes. One is constant voltage. The other is constant current. What is the constant voltage driving mode?
The constant voltage driving mode means that the LEDs are drove by the constant voltage. The LEDs' driving voltage is fixed like 12V or 24V, but their current varies with the loads, like the quantities of LEDs, and the quantities of regulating resistors. In order to ensure LEDs to illuminate normally in each repeated section, each section needs suitable regulating resistors. But these regulating resistors will be loads and consume electric power.
The constant voltage driving mode has drop voltage, which means the brightness of LEDs decreases with the decrease of voltage. Usually, after 6m people will start to see a noticeable dimming in brightness due to voltage drop. One of the ways to avoid voltage drop is the two-ways power supply. What’s more, the constant voltage driving mode must avoid short circuit, or LEDs will not light.
What is the constant current driving mode?
The constant current driving mode means that the LEDs are drove by the constant current. The LEDs' driving current is fixed like 0.70A or 0.35A, but their voltage varies with the loads, like the quantities of LEDs.
The constant current driving mode does not need regulating resistors. So it is more energy saving than the constant voltage driving style. The constant current driving mode has no drop voltage, which means that the brightness of LEDs from the very beginning to the end of the led bar is almost the same. But the constant current driving mode must avoid open circuit, or LEDs will not light.
