Recently, LED giant Cree, Inc. has launched the Product Characterization Tool (PCT), an interactive LED design tool that simplifies the task of translating nominal LED performance to real-world conditions. The online tool, accessible via cree’s website, Cree notes PCT allows users to easily characterize any XLamp® LED over a wide range of operating conditions, including drive current, flux bin, price and junction temperature. It also calculates metrics such as lumen output, lumens per watt, lumens per dollar and more.

Cree’s PCT introduces advanced functionality not commercially offered by any other LED supplier. PCT can perform simple LED system design based on a target total lumen output, calculating parameters such as number of LEDs required and total system efficacy. The calculated system parameters take into account electrical, optical and thermal losses associated with LED system performance. In addition, PCT allows users to compare up to three different XLamp LED configurations at once, empowering customers to best choose between the industry-leading XLamp XR, MC and XP package families.

“The Product Characterization Tool acts like an interactive data sheet, giving users a more intuitive way to design LED systems using XLamp LEDs,” said Paul Thieken, Cree, marketing director for LED components. “Determining even basic LED system parameters like efficacy with only data sheet graphs and characteristics used to be a time-consuming process. Cree is moving the LED lighting industry forward by simplifying the process to just a few clicks of the mouse.”