LED strips are used over kitchen and work surfaces to provide functional lighting. They cope perfectly with the accent role in niches, headboards, behind rails of curtains, floristic corners, to highlight the floor, stairs. Due to the low heatability of the LEDs (only 4% of the power consumption for heating and 96% for lighting) they are mounted in the kitchen, shelves, shelves, drawers. Power 12 V allows you to equip them with car interiors. Remote control RGB tapes are widely used in festive illumination, landscape and architectural lighting, window dressing.
Types of Sensors
LED backlighting differs from other lamps in low power consumption (up to 24 V), therefore, the rows of diodes are connected to the network through the power supply. The choice of the latter should be carried out with a power reserve of 15–20%. The switch is located between them.
Tapes with single monochromatic crystals are bypassed with a regular button. Complete with color LED rows RBG controllers are used. The touch switch for the LED strip does not require mechanical force to close the circuit and has several advantages:
- contactless operation avoids contamination with grease in the kitchen, machine oil in the garage, paints and other things in the workshop;
- prevents moisture from entering the mechanism;
- in medical institutions, reduces the contact of a doctor with potentially contaminated surfaces;
- equipped with additional functionality;
- the appearance is concise, placed in an aluminum profile along with an array of diodes.
Touch switches for LED tapes are boards that fit in the LED profile (average dimensions 40 * 10 * 2 mm), external modules in a plastic case or controllers with a remote control. Depending on the length and power of the tape, models of the corresponding characteristics are selected:
- incoming and outgoing voltage;
- standby current and at load;
- power.
For monochrome LED strips, 2 types of switches are used that are different in principle of operation. In capacitive devices, the spring fits snugly on the plate and provokes vibration from contact, creates contact and turns on the light. If the diffuser is made of plexiglas more than 1 mm thick, the mechanism will not work. The infrared receiver reacts to the reflection of the signal from the object in the range of the optical sensor (up to 100 mm). If the distance between the sensor and the shield is more than 5 mm, you will need a hole in the diffuser lens or a profile with a shallower depth.
Touch dimmers control the brightness of the lighting from 10% to 100%. A short touch (approaching the hand) turns the lighting on and off, and a long touch changes the brightness. The principle of operation may be different: each interaction switches a pre-programmed lighting scenario. Remote control RBG tapes (LEDs of 3 crystals of different colors) supplemented by a touch ring. The device is simple and straightforward. As the finger moves along the spectral circle, the hue of the glow changes. In this case, the adaptation mechanism uses diodes of a certain color separately or in combinations. The simultaneous operation of all crystals gives a cool white light.
When choosing a switch, do not ignore the frequency of the PWM pulses. If the indicator does not reach 300 Hz, the eyesight and nervous system of the residents will suffer.
Additional functions:
- adaptive indicator responds to the level of illumination in the room, automates the operation of the lamp depending on the time of day, the penetration of sunlight and the presence of other sources;
- protection against short circuits and polarity reversal;
- motion sensor (range of 3-5 m, girth angle ~ 100%);
- timer;
- "Seeing off light" - a gradual fading, so as not to get out of the room in the dark.
Device and connection of the switch in the LED profile
Touch communicator consists of the following elements:
- shell (for embedded species, its role is played by a scattering screen);
- sensitive element — spring, infrared sensor and receiver, motion sensor;
- switching circuit - a signal to electric converter.
LED strips and breakers for them are designed for a voltage of 12-24 V, so they are connected to the network only through the power supply.
If the sensor is installed in a ready-made lamp, the plug and diffuser are previously removed. Special marking tape is cut into 1-2 sections to make way for the switch.
You will need special connectors or soldering irons of low power (25, 40 W) to connect the wires. Standard cable cross section 1.5 mm2. For illumination longer than 5 m, the calculation is carried out individually.
First, the stripped and crimped conductors connect the switch with a connector in front of the power supply, and then with the illuminator.
How to easily connect the selected touch switch to the LED strip, the markings will prompt:
- VCC, GND - plus and minus that come from power;
- LED +, LED- - go to the diodes.
Adhesions are insulated with hot-melt adhesive or heat-shrinkable tube. In the selected device, the work parts should occupy one side. If they are from different sides, the switch cannot be fixed in the profile. The location of the sensor is indicated by a blue LED. The tape together with the switch is fixed in an aluminum profile on a double-sided tape, a protective panel is placed and fixed with a plug.
Some manufacturers of lighting devices produce illuminators equipped immediately with a touch dimmer and a built-in power supply for connecting to a 220 V network.
Installation of RBG controllers and self-assembly of a touch communicator
RBG ribbons differ from single-color ones by the presence of 4 contacts. They are marked with R, B, G, V + - red, blue, green and general plus. Wires of the appropriate color connect the tape outputs to the terminals of the same name on the controller. The fifth contact W (white) is present on some tape models. This should be taken into account when selecting controls for fixtures.
Power enters the controller through V + and V- (COM). Without problems, 1-2 ribbons with a maximum length of 5 m are connected in parallel. If the required length of LED lighting is longer, an amplifier is used.
Controller Tools:
- buttons or touch panel directly on the device;
- remote control via infrared (full signal throughput required);
- Radio remote control;
- Wireless sensor or mobile device application via Wi-Fi.
With sufficient knowledge and skills in the field of electrical engineering, you can try to assemble a touch switch yourself. In the simplest scheme, the receiver is a copper or aluminum element soldered to a capacitor of 0.22 μF. Two KT315 transistors are connected in series to it, and then a 30 Ohm resistor and a system of parallel connected 100 μF (16 V) electric capacitors, a 400 Ohm relay and a D226 semiconductor. In parallel with the circuit, a third capacitor can stand.
The story of the "smart home" begins with the invention of dimmers. Now they are an integral part of it. Contactless communicators allow lighting fixtures to adapt to human habits and needs, reducing time and energy costs.LED touch lighting for the kitchen, hallway and stairs helps to improve the safety of living.
