EBV now offers customers access to a light laboratory. Here, they can
perform all relevant photometric and radiometric light measurements in
accordance with CIE specifications – from using
spectroradiometers and goniophotometers to thermal imagers, the
complete spectrum of products from individual LEDs right up to the
complete luminaires are covered.
Many luminaire manufacturers would like to make the leap from
conventional filament and (C)FL lamps to LED lighting, but currently
have neither the necessary design expertise nor the expensive measuring
equipment. For many years now, EBV Elektronik has been helping these
customers with their designs as part of its EBVLightSpeed activities.
Starting in February 2012, EBV Elektronik will offer its customers a
new service at its site in Poing, near Munich: the light laboratory
known as EBVLightLab. This means that EBV Elektronik is one of the
first companies in the European semiconductor distribution industry to
allow its customers to perform radiometric and photometric measurements
across the entire light chain: from measurements on individual LEDs or
LED modules and comparative measurements of light sources (e.g. light
bulbs versus CFL or LED solutions) right up to the complete measurement
of entire luminaires. This will give even smaller companies access to
exclusive, high-precision measuring technology.
EBV Elektronik will also hold training and customer seminars in the new
EBVLightLab. In these training seminars, EBV will discuss the
differences, advantages and disadvantages of the various light sources
and give tips on optimum implementation of luminaires adapted to
the relevant application. The LightLab has also proven to be of
outstanding value in training the company’s own FAE team. In the
medium term, EBV also intends to develop dedicated reference designs
for LED lighting.
"The EBVLightLab is a further milestone in the field of individual
customer support. We are very proud to be one of the first
companies in the European semiconductor distribution industry to offer
customers access to an ultra-modern light laboratory featuring
state-of-the-art equipment,” emphasises Bruce Lynch, Vertical
Segment Director at EBVLightSpeed. “The EBVLightLab allows
customers to calculate and evaluate their lighting projects even more
quickly and efficiently, thereby considerably shortening their time to
market. A further key element in the EBVLightLab is the
EBVLightAcademy. In addition to on-site training in the EBVLightLab,
the EBVLightAcademy will also offer online training, thereby allowing
all our EMEA customers to take part in these seminars live in the form
of webinars,” says Lynch.
Reference-class measurement devicesWhen selecting the equipment for the EBVLightLab, EBV made investments
in the six-figure euro region and quite deliberately opted for an
entire range of highly professional devices, most of which are
manufactured in Germany. The list of the measuring devices includes two
integrating spheres for 2? (half-space) and 4? (full-space)
measurements, a spectroradiometer for reference measurements, a
goniophotometer, a luminance spotmeter and a luxmeter. This
product range is complemented by special measurement/evaluation and
control software, universal multimetres, a thermal camera and
supplementary tools.
Integrating spheres with a diameter of 250 mm and 1,000 mmAt first glance, the most noticeable elements in the EBVLightLab are
the two integrating spheres, where the luminous flux and radiant power
are measured. These measurements are necessary for determining the
luminous efficiency (measured in lumen per watt). In addition, the
colourimetry measurements of the quantitative spectral distribution are
performed and the colour temperature and colour rendering index
determined. The EBVLightLab contains two integrating spheres: a 2?
sphere with a diameter of 250 mm and a 4? sphere with a diameter of
1,000 mm.
For example, the small integrating sphere is where individual LEDs are
measured or selected. The 250 mm integrating sphere allows the
engineers to measure the semi-spherical space (steradian: 2?) above a
small circuit board, and hence an LED.
However, an appropriately sized 4? sphere is required for measuring
light in all directions . For this reason, EBV has also acquired
an integrating sphere with an internal diameter of 1,000 mm (steradian:
4?) for ‘circular measurements’, in addition to the 250 mm
sphere. This large 4? integrating sphere is also very well suited for
comparative measurements or for the CIE-compliant measurement of
high-power LEDs and of entire light sources with an edge length of up
to 90 cm.
SpectroradiometerA core element in the entire measuring technology in the EBVLightLab is
the spectroradiometer CAS 140CT-156 from Instrument Systems, the market
leader in the field of LED measuring technology. This precision device
has been designed for reference measurements in industry in 24-hour
continuous operation. It measures the spectral power distribution of a
light source of 1,100 nm (infra red) with millisecond accuracy via the
visible light right up into the UV area at 300 nm – with a data
point interval of 0.8 nm over a very high intensity measuring range of
nine decades, which corresponds to a dynamic range of 1:1,000,000,000.
The entire measuring value output takes place via the USB bus on a PC /
laptop / notebook, after which the SpecWin PRO software processes the
values in Windows (XP and higher). Not only does this software deliver
the measurement data in the form of individual items of data in a
table, it also displays the spectral distribution and position in the
colour diagram in graphic form. In this way, the software also
calculates the colour temperature, the colour rendering index and the
lighting current in Lumen units on the basis of the measuring values.
Using a plug-in, the SpecWinPRO software controls a Keithley source
metre. This means that the entire measurement process can be controlled
by software – from the electrical activation of the LED to the
details of the data output and data preparation. The light to be
measured reaches the analysis device via CIE-compliant optical probes
and a fibre-optic cable.
GoniophotometerWith the aid of a goniophotometer of type LEDGON 100 from Instrument
Systems, EBV is able to determine the angle-dependent directional
characteristics of individual LEDs and smaller LED modules – and
this with an angular resolution of 0.1° throughout the entire
half-space in the beam direction of the LED. In combination with the
spectroradiometer CAS 140CT already mentioned above, this will also
enable EBV to measure various spectral parameters such as colour
co-ordinates or colour temperature as a function of angle. Since a
number of different parameters of white LEDs – such as the colour
temperature – vary significantly with the beam angle,
goniophotometric measurements play a very important role.
The SpecWin Pro software is again used on the goniophotometer for the
processing and presentation of the measurements, which are then
available in the export formats IES and EULUMDAT for further
processing. These data formats represent the characteristic beam data
for an LED, and they can then be used as the starting data for the
simulation of a complete lamp.
Additional measuring instrumentsEBV has added the TI25 infrared camera from Fluke, the Mavo-Spot 2
luminance spotmeter and the Mavolux 5032B USB luxmeter from Gossen to
its range of measuring instruments. In addition, a number of universal
multimeters that can be used to measure effective power values are also
available in the EBVLightLab. Equipment for PC-based temperature
measuring and monitoring is also available.
Various pieces of equipment ranging from small tools through miniature
drills to stations for soldering LEDs onto a star board ensure that
users can carry out small modifications or repairs directly in the
EBVLightLab themselves.
More information at
www.ebv.com/lightlab
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