Time will always be “of the essence” for professional engineers and amateur enthusiasts alike. This can certainly be said about the process of designing circuits involving Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). So, what kind of profound difference could a simple online calculator make?
Before we go any further on that subject, it might be worth reminding ourselves of the fundamentally important role of resistors in LED circuits.
A Quick Introduction to Ballast Resistors for LED Projects
Passing an electric current through an LED causes it to emit light. When it comes to powering an LED, the simplest circuit that can be used is a voltage source with a resistor and an LED in series.
The term “ballast resistor” is often used in this circumstance. The resistor’s purpose in such a design is to limit the current through the LED, and to avoid excess current that could result in the LED burning out.
In the event of the voltage source being equal to the LED’s voltage drop, a resistor won’t be needed.
Presuming a particular basic LED circuit does require a resistor, though, it will be necessary to subtract the forward voltage drop of the LED from the source voltage, and to apply Ohm’s law.
Can’t You Just Calculate the Resistor Value Manually?
Of course, you can perform LED resistor calculations manually, and a great many engineers and DIYers have long done so.
However, there are some very good reasons to seek out a quick and easy way to calculate LED resistor values, such as one of the various “LED resistor value calculators” that can be found online:
It Turns Minutes of Manual Work into Seconds
In order to manually calculate the appropriate LED resistor value using Ohm’s law, it is necessary to identify the supply voltage, the LED forward voltage, and the desired current.
With an LED resistor value calculator, an instant result can be given to the DIYer or engineer, who will then be able to proceed with the rest of the project.
It Minimises the Scope for Error
Something else that can certainly burn up time for anyone designing circuits involving LEDs, is miscalculating. After all, coming up with the wrong LED resistor value could lead to an LED being fried or overly dimmed.
It can be very handy, then, for a DIYer or engineer to have access to a straightforward online LED resistor calculator.
Using such a tool, they can simply plug in values like voltage and current, and get a quick and accurate result. That will hopefully mean less time having to be spent later, on such tasks as troubleshooting or replacing burnt components.
It Allows the Learning Curve to Be Shortened
For all manner of amateurs putting together LED circuits, it can be intimidating trying to get to grips with resistor sizing.
When they have an LED resistor calculator close at hand, they can “shortcut” the process of grappling with the theory, so that they can spend more time building.
It Facilitates Quicker Experimentation
Whether you’re a novice hobbyist or a seasoned engineering professional, you’ll probably want to carry out various tweaks and refinements with your LED circuit designs – for example, swapping LEDs or playing around with the brightness.
By using an LED resistor calculator instead of depending on manual calculations, you can instantly recalculate resistor values for every change you make. This can help you settle on an optimal design so much sooner.
There you have it – an LED resistor value calculator can help streamline your LED circuit design projects and free up your time, in more ways than you might initially imagine.
