VOLTAGE DROP & LED RIBBON

Voltage drop will always occur across the PCB of Linear LED Ribbon and electrical cable. In a lighting installation this may result in diminished light or lumen output. These visible effects of voltage drop are problematic where consistent light levels are required.

The maximum run per power feed is the longest length possible per power feed for a particular ribbon product in order to avoid the negative effects of the voltage drop. The following table will illustrate the maximum runs of some of our Linear LED Ribbon product.

In addition to the length of the LED Ribbon, the cable size and the cable length between the power supply and the ribbon also contributes to the overall voltage drop. We recommend that the distance between the power supply and the installation is less than 10 metres. Depending on the load (length or total wattage of the LED Ribbon product), the cable size may need to be specified to limit excessive voltage drop throughout the circuit.

You can use a calculator like this one to work out which cable is best to use for the installation.