Super LED

[Alia]

Hi folk

I am new in robot world and I need some information about super LED. Are they really super ? In the datasheet they have 8000 -10000. I need the light for the night vision for my robot (I am using a camera ). The normal LED doesnot have a wide range and I am afraid super LED will have the problem. Some one suggest to use couple of super LED but I want to see if any one has an experience with thoes LEDs before buying it. Thoes are the one I am planning to buy.

http://www.sparkfun.com/products/531

[waltr]

Can you re-word your request.
Please state clearly what you want the LED to do.
Be very bright?
What do you mean by range? Dim to bright? Illuminate a distant object?
How dim to bright or at what distance?

In the datasheet they have 8000 -10000

What are the units of these numbers?
How do they compare to the LEDs you have?

light for the night vision

Do you mean IR illumination that only the camera can see?
Or what color LED?

[Alia]

hi walter

The point of using light is if my robot is walking in dark area I need to have some light let the operator of this robot see the surouneded area (we control the robot from the computer and there is a camera attached to the robot). so at least the user must see 1 m as I am thinking.

thoes 8000-10000 has mcd as there unit and as I know thoes for intensity. usual LED has 40-100 mcd. we are planning to use a white LED .

Thanks

[Hawaii00000]

Sounds like it should work. I'd just go ahead and order 5 or so. Part the fun in electronics it learning through experience. Somethings work and some don't, but either way you end up wiser. Have fun!

[waltr]

Those 'super' LEDs should illuminate objects at 1 meter distance.
If one LED is not enough add more.

[Soeren]

Hi,

Are they really super ?

That's a very subjective decision of course, but I don't find them super.

In the datasheet they have 8000 -10000.

The mCd measure says nothing without the angle of half intensity, which is given as 10° maximum. IOW they'll give a lighted spot of 17.6cm in diameter (or less) at a 1m distance.
I have some with the same angle, but at 80,000 mCd and while they're good for a pencil light, I sure wouldn't count on using them for camera lights.

I need the light for the night vision for my robot (I am using a camera ). The normal LED doesnot have a wide range and I am afraid super LED will have the problem. Some one suggest to use couple of super LED but I want to see if any one has an experience with thoes LEDs before buying it. Thoes are the one I am planning to buy.

http://www.sparkfun.com/products/531

Most digital cameras go belly up in low light conditions, so add all the light you can - using 3W LED's (2..4 pieces) should get you a usable light.

[hoosier122]

Be sure to use a concave reflector like in a flashlight or car's headlight.

This will focus light in the same direction your camera is pointed.

It may actually be better to buy cheap lcd flashlights. Then you could focus the light as narrow or wide as you need.

[HDL_CinC_Dragon]

Be sure to use a concave reflector like in a flashlight or car's headlight.

Theyre LEDs. Those reflectors only work with bulbs as LEDs have such negligible rear illumination(I might even dare to say zero rear illumination)

Personally in that situation I would just use an LED light bar. They're easy to make and perfectly effective for such purposes. Depending on the angle your LEDs illuminate, you can just get several of them(5 -7 would most likely do the trick) and just space them out across the entire width of your robot.