LED Driver Glossary
Twenty terms that decide whether a specification gets quoted correctly. Each entry gives the definition first, then the practical consequence — what the number actually means on site, and where buyers and suppliers usually talk past each other.
Most sourcing disputes trace back to a term being used with two meanings — a tolerance read as a one-sided value, a Cpk quoted without a sample size, a finish specified by colour instead of thickness. These definitions are written to remove that ambiguity: each one states what the term means and what it does not mean.
A
- Aging Test (Burn-in)
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Running every finished driver at full load and elevated temperature for a fixed period before packing, to eliminate units with infant-mortality faults.
Sampling lets marginal units reach customers; 100% aging does not. Towe ages every unit on 10 full-load racks — the practice behind a 0.03% field failure rate.
C
- Constant Current (CC)
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A driver output mode that holds the output current fixed — for example 350 mA or 1 A — while the output voltage floats to whatever the LED string needs.
CC is used for bare LED modules and COB boards without onboard current limiting. The Towe TD series offers constant voltage and constant current dual control in one housing, which serves mixed fleets.
- Constant Voltage (CV)
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A driver output mode that holds the DC output voltage fixed — typically 12 V or 24 V — regardless of how much current the LED load draws, within the driver’s rated power.
CV is the standard mode for LED strips, light boxes and cove lighting, where the strip contains its own resistive current limiting. The driver must be sized to the total load wattage plus 20% headroom.
D
- Derating
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Deliberately running a driver below its rated power or ambient temperature limits — for example loading a 100 W unit to 80 W inside a sealed enclosure.
Derating extends life because electrolytic capacitor ageing roughly doubles for every 10 °C reduction in core temperature. Towe recommends 20% derating for fully sealed installations with no metal contact.
- Dimming (DIP-Switch)
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Adjusting light output using a set of small switches on the driver itself, setting a fixed output level without any external controller.
DIP-switch dimming suits ambient and commercial spaces where the level is set once at installation. Wireless MESH covers projects that need daily scene changes.
F
- Field Failure Rate
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The proportion of shipped units that fail in actual customer service, as opposed to failures caught in production test.
It is the number that predicts warranty cost. Towe holds a field failure rate at or below 0.03% across shipped volume — the operational result of ICT, 100% full-load aging and void-free potting.
- Flicker
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Fast, repeated variation of light output caused by the driver’s output ripple or unstable regulation. Visible flicker causes eye strain; invisible high-frequency flicker can still affect sensitive users.
Flicker usually appears when a driver is overloaded, when multiple heads load one rail beyond its rating, or with poor circuit layout. Verify flicker-free operation at full load, not at bench conditions.
I
- ICT (In-Circuit Test)
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A computerized test that probes the assembled PCB to verify component values, placement, polarity and solder shorts before the unit is powered for the first time.
ICT catches defects visual inspection cannot see — wrong component values, reversed parts, hidden solder bridges. It must happen before potting, because a potted board cannot be reworked.
- IP Rating (IP65 / IP67)
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An ingress protection code from IEC 60529. The first digit covers solids (6 = dust-tight), the second covers liquids (5 = water jets, 7 = temporary immersion).
IP67 means the unit survives temporary immersion and driven rain; IP65 means rain and dust protection. Outdoor facade drivers should be IP67; canopy-mounted units can be IP65.
L
- LED Driver — LED power supply
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The power conversion unit between mains electricity and an LED load. It converts 110–265 V AC mains into the regulated DC voltage or current the LED strip or module requires.
A constant voltage driver holds the output voltage fixed (12 V or 24 V) and lets the load draw what it needs; a constant current driver holds the current fixed and lets the voltage float. Choosing the wrong type is the most common specification error in strip lighting.
M
- Magnetic Track Lighting
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A track lighting system where spot heads attach magnetically to a low-voltage rail, most commonly running at 48 V DC, allowing tool-free repositioning.
The whole system depends on its 48 V power supply. Sizing is spot sum plus 20% headroom, and the supply must be verified flicker-free with multiple heads loading one rail.
- MESH Networking
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A wireless network topology where every smart node relays signals to its neighbours, extending coverage without new control wiring.
Towe’s 2.0 MESH platform links smart drivers for scene and voice control (Mi Home, Tmall Genie, Alexa, Siri). If the network drops, lights hold their last state — control is lost, lighting is not.
- MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
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The smallest order volume a manufacturer accepts for a given product or customization depth.
MOQ depends on customization: catalog models ship from one carton, laser marking starts lower, and custom housings carry tooling-driven minimums. Always confirm MOQ in writing with the quotation.
O
- OEM / ODM
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OEM: the manufacturer applies the customer’s brand, marking and packaging to its proven platform. ODM: the manufacturer also adapts the engineering — output profiles, connectors, dimming behaviour — to the customer’s specification.
For LED drivers, OEM customization typically covers laser marking, gift boxes, housing colours and terminal options. The test and aging flow must be identical to catalog stock for the warranty to carry over.
P
- Potting (Encapsulation)
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Filling a driver housing with a compound — usually silicone — so moisture, dust and vibration cannot reach the electronics.
Full potting encapsulates both sides of the circuit and enables the longest warranties in wet locations. Semi-potting covers the high-voltage side only and costs less for sealed indoor use. Voids in potting are the main field-failure cause, which is why potting quality must be verified.
- Power Factor (PF)
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The ratio of real power to apparent power drawn from the mains. A low power factor means the driver draws more current from the grid than it delivers as useful power.
Commercial projects often specify PF ≥ 0.9 or 0.95 at full load. Higher PF reduces wiring losses and grid burden; it is achieved with active PFC circuitry inside the driver.
R
- Ripple
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The residual alternating variation riding on the driver’s DC output voltage, usually expressed in millivolts peak-to-peak.
Excess ripple is heard as coil whine and seen as flicker. Ripple specification matters more on camera-heavy environments such as studios and retail displays.
S
- Surge Protection
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The driver’s ability to absorb short high-voltage transients from the mains — lightning induction, grid switching, large motor starts.
Export markets with unstable grids need wide input windows (110–265 V AC) plus internal surge suppression. Outdoor drivers should additionally be protected by external SPDs on large facade installations.
T
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
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The proportion of harmonic current a driver injects back into the mains, expressed as a percentage of the fundamental current.
High THD pollutes the local grid and can trip breakers on large installations. Commercial specifications typically cap THD at 20% or below at full load.
V
- Voltage Drop
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The loss of voltage along a cable run caused by its resistance. On 12 V systems the same wattage draws twice the current of a 24 V system, so voltage drop is roughly four times higher.
This is why 24 V is preferred for LED strip runs above 5 m, and why long runs need power injection or heavier cable. The choice between 12 V and 24 V is an installation decision, not a product-preference decision.
Definitions follow ASME Y14.5, ISO 1101, ISO 4287 and AIAG terminology where those standards apply. Where industry usage differs from the standard, the practical usage is noted in the detail paragraph.
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