24 AEI August 2012

T
hese years, light-emitting
diodes (LEDs) are widely used
for various applications, such
as lighting and backlights of
thin TVs, because of their improved
performance and the growing concern
for energy conservation. They are also
expected to be used as light sources for
various devices in the future, among
which include a high-brightness LED
as light source for camera shooting.
At present, extremely bright LEDs are
assembled in portable battery-operated
devices, including smartphones, digital
cameras, and digital camcorders as light
sources for shooting pictures. These
LEDs are used as torch light during
video recording and as ash during still
photo shooting. The potential for LEDs
to be used in wide variety of shooting
scenes in the future is very high as their
performance is improved.
LED Flash, Surrounding Issues
LEDs are characterized by their
brightness, which can be adjusted by
controlling the amount and duration of
the electric current to be passed through
an LED circuit. This characteristic
makes it possible to use LEDs for wide-
ranging applications, for example, ring
a ash in accordance with the scenes to
be shot during still photo shooting and
using the torch light illumination during
video recording.
Fig. 1 (left)
shows a standard
LED ash circuit
c o n f i g u r a t i o n
diagram. A battery
is used as the power
source of the LED
and the amount
of electric current
passing through the
LED depends on the
battery performance. For that reason,
brightness is also controlled depending
on the battery performance. To light
the LED brighter in accordance with its
improved performance and the shooting
condition, it is necessary to pass a
larger electric current to the LED. Fig.
1 (right) shows the circuit conguration
diagram where an electrical double layer
capacitor (EDLC) is used as an auxiliary
power source. This circuit enables the
EDLC to supply larger electric current,
which cannot be supplied from the
battery. Therefore, this circuit lights
the LED brighter regardless of battery
limitations.
Fig. 2 shows the data of 8-ampere
electric current being passed through
an LED using an EDLC as auxiliary
power source. This test achieved LED
lighting with an illumination exceeding
1,000lux.
Optimal EDLC for LED Flash
System
To supply large electric current
to an LED within a short period of
time, the charging device used as an
auxiliary power source must have large
capacitance and low internal resistance
characteristics. Another requirement
is that, in order to supply a stable
large electric current under various
environmental conditions, the internal
resistance must be steadily low over a
wide temperature range.
It is known that the EDLC has a large
capacitance. In addition, because of
its electricity storage mechanism that
theoretically does not involve a chemical
reaction, the EDLC has lower internal
resistance than a battery. Muratas EDLC
uses optimized electrode materials and
structure so that it can achieve large
capacitance and low resistance (several
tens m) over a wide temperature range
in spite of having a compact, low-prole
and lightweight package. This has made
it possible for the EDLC to discharge
a large electric current of the order
of amperes with low loss over a wide
temperature range. Therefore, the EDLC
can supply large current exceeding 2A to
an LED for a period of several tens to
several hundreds of milliseconds, while
it is difcult for a battery of general
portable devices to supply such a large
current (See Fig. 3.).
As LEDs move their way to ash and torch light systems of camera-employed
devices, high-capacitance and low-resistance EDLCs play a key role.
Optimal EDLC by Murata
Powers LED Flash Systems
LED LED
EDLC
(5.5V/350mF/60m1)
Unable to pass
large current
Step-up circuit
Current control
Battery
Able to pass large current
Step-up
circuit
Current
control
Battery
Fig. 1: Conguration of LED ash circuit (left: without EDLC, right: using EDLC)
1400
I
l
l
u
m
i
n
a
t
i
o
n

a
t

1
m

(
l
u
x
)
0.000 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008
Time (sec)
0.010 0.012 0.014 0.016 0.018
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Fig. 2: Illumination characteristic when an LED is operated with a
large current (8A) using EDLC
Copyright2012 Dempa Publications, Inc.
25 AEI August 2012
SPECIAL REPORT
LED & Lighting Technologies
Table 1 shows the lineup of EDLCs
offered by Murata Manufacturing. Photo
1 shows the LED ash demonstration
board using Muratas EDLC. This
system can supply large electric current
of up to 8A to an LED for 33msec. It
allows current to be controlled between
2A and 8A and 10 to 60msec.
Future Prospects
More and more LEDs are being
assembled in smartphones and digital
camcorders as lighting for shooting
pictures. These devices can make the
ash even brighter by using an EDLC as
an auxiliary power source for the LEDs.
On the other hand, digital still cameras
use a ash system consisting of a xenon
ash tube. As LEDs are more easily
controlled and have power saving and
space saving features, they are expected
to replace the xenon ash tube. Such LED
applications require a circuit system that
can pass larger electric current, an LED
with high luminous efciency, and an
EDLC with large capacitance and low
resistance.
Devices equipped with a camera
are expected to play even more
important roles in peoples lives as
their applications expand. Murata will
continue to improve the features of its
products and introduce to the market
EDLCs with large capacitance and low
resistance in a compact, low-prole
and lightweight package that is ideal
for operating LEDs. Through these
activities, the company will continue to
contribute to enhancing the convenience
of devices equipped with a camera.
About This Article:
The author, Kunio Nomura, is from the
Planning/Sales Promotion Section, High
Performance Power Device Department
at Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
2.9
C
a
p
a
c
i
t
o
r

V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
2.7
2.5
2.3
2.1
1.9
1.7
1.5
1.3
1.1
0.9
0.7
0.5
2.9
C
a
p
a
c
i
t
o
r

V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
2.7
2.5
2.3
2.1
1.9
1.7
1.5
1.3
1.1
0.9
0.7
0.5
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
Discharge Time (sec) Discharge Time (sec)
Discharge characteristics (room temperature: 25C) Discharge characteristics (room temperature: -20C)
1 1.2 1.4
1A
2A
4A
8A
1A
2A
4A
8A
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4
Fig. 3: Discharge characteristics (2.7V/700mF/30m product)
Instantaneous maximum
allowable voltage (V)
ESR (TYP)
(m)
Nominal
capacitance (mF)
Dimensions (LWT)
(mm)
Operating
temperature range
2.7V 30 700 20.518.51.5 mm -30C to 70C
5.5V 60 350 20.518.53.0 mm -30C to 70C
Table 1: EDLC product lineup (DME Series)
LED ash demonstration board using an EDLC
(Continued from page 18)
stereoscopic making and exibility,
are effectively used. They are already
applied in lights for automobiles,
and their applications are expected to
expand in the future.
The use of LEDs in signboards and
display devices installed outdoors
has been expanding. Power supplies
for these devices are required to have
environment resistance.
Power supplies for LEDs used
outdoors are required to have measures
against extreme temperatures,
humidity, lightning surge, dust and
dirt, and vibrations. Furthermore, long
life and high reliability are sought
targeting maintenance-free operations.
Measures to cope with different
specications, including output levels,
and to meet requirements for cost
reductions, are also indispensable
conditions.
From the viewpoint of ensuring
safety, conformance to various
standards is also a necessary condition.
In terms of safety standards, products
need to conform to the requirements
of the IP66 standard, an international
standard for dust repellent and splash
proof characteristics. Products for
the Japanese market must carry PSE
marks that show conformance to the
requirements of the PSE standard
(under the Japanese Electrical
Appliance and Material Safety Law),
and products for export to markets
outside Japan also need to carry marks
that show conformance to respective
safety standards of the European Union
and the United States. Furthermore,
products also have to conform to
standards for measures against
harmonic currents and noises.
Developments Spark on Electronic...
Copyright2012 Dempa Publications, Inc.