How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • LearningToRepair
    Member
    • Jul 2020
    • 35
    • *

    #1

    How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

    Hi!

    I am looking to dimm 230V AC -> 12 DC LED driver with potentiometer. How do I know if I can dimm LED driver with potentiometer? I found from internet that 0-10V dimmable drivers can also be controlled with potentiometer. Is it so with every driver that says it is 0-10V dimmable? Or how do I know which are and which are not?
  • eccerr0r
    Solder Sloth
    • Nov 2012
    • 8689
    • USA

    #2
    Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

    answer is: the driver's specs will tell you.

    You typically cannot dim with a potentiometer due to the losses involved in it when passing current unless it has a special connector for a dimmer potentiometer.

    Comment

    • LearningToRepair
      Member
      • Jul 2020
      • 35
      • *

      #3
      Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

      How does it look like in specs? Do I need to read entire manual or does it say it plainly in specs? I cant find this anywhere when I look at products. I am currently trying to figure out if shops in my area just dont list this in specs or if I just dont know what to look for.

      Comment

      • diif
        Badcaps Legend
        • Feb 2014
        • 6978
        • England

        #4
        Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

        What drivers are you looking at or what LEDs are you trying to drive ?
        You can use any 12v power supply along with a PWM controller to limit current. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32843955706.html

        Comment

        • sam_sam_sam
          Badcaps Legend
          • Jul 2011
          • 6030
          • USA

          #5
          Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

          Originally posted by diif
          What drivers are you looking at or what LEDs are you trying to drive ?
          You can use any 12v power supply along with a PWM controller to limit current. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32843955706.html
          Thank you for posting this item I have been looking for something that would go up to 60 volts

          Comment

          • LearningToRepair
            Member
            • Jul 2020
            • 35
            • *

            #6
            Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

            One more question, if I want to use led powersupply/driver with actual dimmer instead of potentiometer as asked earler? Does every model support it or should I assume that if specs dont mention dimming then it does not work with dimmer?

            What drivers are you looking at or what LEDs are you trying to drive ?
            LED strips.

            You can use any 12v power supply along with a PWM controller to limit current. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32843955706.html
            How does it exactly work? It says it's for motors.

            Comment

            • diif
              Badcaps Legend
              • Feb 2014
              • 6978
              • England

              #7
              Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

              Originally posted by LearningToRepair
              One more question, if I want to use led powersupply/driver with actual dimmer instead of potentiometer as asked earler? Does every model support it or should I assume that if specs dont mention dimming then it does not work with dimmer?


              LED strips.


              How does it exactly work? It says it's for motors.
              It just a current controller, which is what you want to control the brightness of LEDs, ideally you want to use a clamp meter to measure the current so their power rating isn't exceeded.

              When you say LED strips do you mean the 5m rolls of white or coloured LEDs ? They are powered with a generic wall power supply and have a controller that plugs into that that does the dimming/colour change, controlled via a remote or phone app.

              Comment

              • LearningToRepair
                Member
                • Jul 2020
                • 35
                • *

                #8
                Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

                Yes, 5m rolls.

                But how does this aliexpress controller work that was linked above? Does it go between power supply and LED strip? Or do I have to open power supply and somehow modify it so that IC would get it's feedback from that instead of voltage divider resistor or what? It's kinda confusing me. I mean most of general purpose power supplies dont have sockets for external current controllers.

                Comment

                • diif
                  Badcaps Legend
                  • Feb 2014
                  • 6978
                  • England

                  #9
                  Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

                  It would be much easier for you to get a kit from Ali with the power supply, controller and remote. Just put in LED strip controller into their search.

                  My previous link is a cheap way to drive larger panels.

                  Comment

                  • LearningToRepair
                    Member
                    • Jul 2020
                    • 35
                    • *

                    #10
                    Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

                    Originally posted by diif
                    It would be much easier for you to get a kit from Ali with the power supply, controller and remote. Just put in LED strip controller into their search.

                    My previous link is a cheap way to drive larger panels.
                    Since you mentioned a new way that I have not heard before I wanted to know how it works from technical side. Whether or not I use is not important. Just wanna know how it works. Does it replace IC? Does it inject some code modifications to IC? Does it require led driver to have special connector to talk to it or how does it work?

                    Comment

                    • diif
                      Badcaps Legend
                      • Feb 2014
                      • 6978
                      • England

                      #11
                      Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

                      The inputs connect to the + and - of a power supply and the outputs go to the LED.

                      Comment

                      • LearningToRepair
                        Member
                        • Jul 2020
                        • 35
                        • *

                        #12
                        Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

                        Ah ok tnx. Then it's basically a step down converter? Or what's the exact difference? Why is it sold under speed control name instead of step down? And if for example I had motor and I used step down instead of this speed controller, would there be any difference? Just trying to understand how it works and how it is different from other similar stuff.

                        Comment

                        • diif
                          Badcaps Legend
                          • Feb 2014
                          • 6978
                          • England

                          #13
                          Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

                          No, it doesn't step down the voltage it controls the current.
                          The step down modules have crappy little multi turn potentiometers, they can be used but are fiddly and not easily adjusted. The current controllers have a decent sized single turn pot.

                          Comment

                          • LearningToRepair
                            Member
                            • Jul 2020
                            • 35
                            • *

                            #14
                            Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

                            But output is still smooth DC? So basically step-down with single turn current control potentiometers?

                            Also how does this thing work? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32873844140.html Is there any technical difference compared to speed control? searching for it the internet seems to reveal that it has no capacitors so I guess it's quite bad? Basically an other version of step-down but this time just without capacitors?

                            Comment

                            • diif
                              Badcaps Legend
                              • Feb 2014
                              • 6978
                              • England

                              #15
                              Re: How to know if LED driver is potentiometer dimmable?

                              No, not basically step down. It does not alter the voltage. Step up and step down refer to the voltage being either stepped up or down.

                              Comment

                              Related Topics

                              Collapse

                              • osrex
                                LED DRIVER KEEPS DYING
                                by osrex
                                Hello, this is my first post and im just a beginner, so be easy on me guy. thanks



                                i have a LED chandeilier that switches colors from white to cool white to warm when toggling the switch, it has 24 LED arms, each arm is 30 CM length.



                                i have no datasheet at all for the LED lights, all i have is its length.



                                long story short, testing the chandelier on the ground, and it works fine for 1 - 2 - 6 hours, no problem.



                                as soon as i fix the chandelier to the ceiling and bury the driver inside the hub,...
                                05-05-2025, 03:36 PM
                              • sam_sam_sam
                                Mean Well Dimmable HLG-320H-15B 285Watt 19,000mA LED Driver Power Supply On sale ends today
                                by sam_sam_sam
                                This is something that I recently just bought the other day when the sale started for a LED lighting project that I plan on doing
                                I just bought another one today to make make two lighting panel fixtures

                                I thought I would share it just in case someone else happened to be interested in buying one and you are limited only one per order

                                https://theelectronicgoldmine.com/products/g27501
                                05-27-2024, 06:59 AM
                              • howardc64
                                Vizio E55-F1 dark backlight zones. LED failure or Dimming Zone Driver?
                                by howardc64
                                Problem

                                Fixing a dimming zone TV with LEDs not lighting up. Dimming zone circuit introduces added variable to diagnose LED and/or Dimming Zone Driver board? Some 1/2 rows of LEDs appears to be out in active dimming zone off AND some brightness flickering with active dimming zone high while playing changing video



                                Model & Board Pics



                                Conflicting Spec

                                Vizio indicate this TV has 10 dimming zones. However, LED strips and Zoned light driver connector suggest 12

                                https://www.shopjimmy.com/vizio-gj-2k1...
                                10-10-2024, 01:16 PM
                              • charif
                                Audio Driver for Thomson P14C4BK128
                                by charif
                                Need Audio Driver for Thomson P14C4BK128 (Windows 10/11)

                                Hi everyone,

                                I'm looking for help finding the correct audio driver for my Thomson P14C4BK128 laptop.
                                The sound is not working properly, and I believe the audio driver is missing or not installed correctly.

                                Here are the details:
                                • Model: Thomson P14C4BK128
                                • Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit

                                If anyone has a working link to the driver or knows where I can download it, I'd really appreciate it.

                                Thanks in advance for your help!
                                04-30-2025, 05:41 PM
                              • bohaboha
                                how to install gl usb2.0 uvc camera device driver on windows 10
                                by bohaboha
                                Hello all am trying to reinstall my AMCAP Microscope on windows 10 but it is not working anymore. But the cam and the drivers are present in the Device Manager but there it saysWindows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39) the drivers is : gl usb2.0 uvc camera device driver and i also get this mesage: Windows found driver software for your device but encou​ntered an error.
                                but it is quite strange because it did work on this same OS for one week ago and even for sometimes ago on that same but now nix.
                                any help?
                                01-26-2025, 08:33 PM
                              • Loading...
                              • No more items.
                              Working...