LEDs in Series and Parallel

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LEDs in Series and Parallel
Wiring LED's in series and in parallel
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FAQ:
Me: Paul, 49 from USA
Education: United States Navy, University of California at San Diego B.S. E.E., University of Pittsburgh M.S. E.E.
Experience: United States Navy STS, Bayer Intnl Process Engineer
Current: Teaching college freshmen electrical engineering at a small community college in the Pittsburgh Area.
Health: BAD (Congestive Heart Failure)
Hobbies: Electronics, flying, amateur radio, music (classic rock)

[@scott2e]

I think it is also really important to consider when using a parallel configuration is that you're very likely going to draw a lot more power as you'll need a resistor for each LED, as opposed to just 1 resistor for a series configuration. More resistors means you're going to have more power loss, this isn't a trivial amount for low-powered devices. Assuming you want your LEDs with a forward voltage of 1.6v to draw 20mA off a 5v source, you'll need a 170 ohm resistor, that resistor will use 68 mW of power, compared to the LED which will only use 32 mW of power. The resistor is using just over TWICE THE POWER the LED is using...

[@bethanderson5050]

I agree with Kevin. I found your video very helpful and could easily build your example circuits. I wanted to review series and parallel circuits so I could speak clearly about them with elementary students.

[@mbrsart]

Awesome. I'm a total noob trying to wire up a project with LEDs for my sister, and this was just the video I needed. Parallel it is. (3V LEDs, with only 3V available.)

[@marksatterfield3100]

Straight forward. Easy to understand. Good job. Thanks.

[@georgechambers3197]

I think this was a good tutorial on serial and parallel LEDs. Thanks, Paul fumble fingers and all!

[@michaelpadovani9566]

Thanks so much! I think this was a great follow-up video to your last one yesterday.

[@itsmeintorrespain2714]

At last I have managed to grasp what "forward voltage" actually means! Great little video.

[@emcgon]

The parallel configuration only worked because the LEDs you were using happened to be very closely matched (i.e. forward voltages on all four of them very similar). If they weren't so closely matched (which could easily happen), one of them would start conducting before the others, causing it to draw most (possibly) all of the current so that the others lit more dimly (or possibly not at all). Its not a great idea in practice for that reason unless you have a current-limiting resistor in series with each LED, chosen so that the voltage drop across the resistors is significantly more than the variations in LED forward voltage.

[@mashedpotatoes5323]

I'm about to put 4 100watt LED cob lights all in parallel wish me luck. I have 10 of the LEDs so if the burn out it's no big deal. 4 of them seem to be perfectly matched as in all the LEDs light up together at low current draw, 5 of them have one or two LEDs on the cob that light up unevenly and one of them light up all over the place. Would it be possible to put the 4 LEDs that light evenly in parallel with no problems? I was planning on running them at 85 watts each too so they don't get as hot.

[@jimthigpen333]

Thank you ! I'm just starting to learn about LED .

[@atkored]

This was super helpful, Thank you!

[@ConservativeVet84]

Best video for wiring LEDs. Thanks.

[@Hasasinful]

i just love watching these videos :D thanks

[@msdesignru]

Thank you for this video.

[@grumpy23240]

Really useful, thank you.

[@naderhumood1199]

Great vedio Sir.....i give u salute from Bahrain. .Many thanks ✌

[@chrisgallagher85]

Awesome vid. Thank you.

[@alangriff1]

Brilliant and straight fwd...now can you do one showing resistors in both series and parallel. Thanks

[@chrispaul9454]

Great video. Thanks!

[@corypride5096]

U make it so simple! why do other guys get so complicated?

[@archiehitler5264]

Very good description

[@quaternion-pi]

Very nice. A tutorial on LED drivers - DIY or cheap boards- would be helpful so as not to have to use the bench power supply. Powering 1-10 watt LEDS for projects is a common requirement. Thanks.

[@christzoeconceptt-shirts9549]

Yo, u just gave ma ass joy men. Ye gave me wat I try getting for Months God bless u man

[@ULTRA_HYPER_MEGA]

Perfect thank you!

[@kmtsvetanov]

Thank you!

[@thebeybladearmory]

If you want to wire different color LED's together, do you just use different resistors for each LED in both series and parallel config?

[@ElliHoy]

Helpful thanks

[@edspaetzel8836]

Nice Siglent Scope bro. I just bought one for myself.

[@waynegram8907]

Does it make more DC voltage to turn on a string of series LED compared to a string of parallel LEDs? which take more DC voltages series or parallel configuration

[@muhammedgamal1135]

I have a led lamp with 12led on it connected in series I decided it into 2groubs ,connected the two ground in parallel is the consumption of the lamp change?

[@johanlindqvist8790]

Can two 12V led strips be connected in series so they can be driven by a 24V driver? E.g. if you want to use a 24V ikea TRÅDFRI on a 12V strip?

[@thebeybladearmory]

Where does the switch get wired in the series/parallel config?

[@Sarahbuildsstepsequencers]

Thank you for this! Now I’m wondering what is wavelength and what considerations do we need in its regard?

[@michaelrobert4094]

Wavelength is the "colour" of the LED.

[@sergioramses2615]

i have made a string of 96 leds in parallel so my question is Can i use a 12v source using 1 resistor to power the string ? And if so what resistor would i need ? (all leds are super bright white)

[@dwalden74]

Why do the LEDs flicker when lowering the voltage, as opposed to smoothly dimming down?

[@Ash-bx6kq]

Thank you

[@learnelectronics]

Welcome

[@thebeybladearmory]

You said depending on the voltage of the battery source determines if you wire them in series or parallel, but if you use resistors why would the voltage of the battery source dictate the wiring of the LED's in series or parallel?

[@thebeybladearmory]

Lets says you are stringing these 4 Red LED's that only require 1.7 volt each in parallel, but the battery source is 3V, does that mean you need a resisitor on each LED or just the first one because they are wired in parallel?

[@MrCamohoj]

If i just had 2 green leds on 3vdc battery would a resistor be needed and what size resistor please?

[@bernardquizonjr7988]

what if i want to connect 36 leds how can i do it smaller voltage

[@SteveMagr]

Circuit diagrams would also assist (a lot).

[@thebeybladearmory]

The number of LED's depend on the the battery source when wiring in series but when wiring in parallel what is the max amount of LED's you can use in the chain?

[@arnoldfeldman574]

how can you tell if the lights are wired series or parallel - theses lights came with the house ( installed about 3 years ago, unknown installer) Arnold

[@alanparadise3139]

Like it But should of had current-limiting resistors in there so that the voltage drop across the resistors is significantly more than the variations in LED forward voltage because not LED's you get is always the same voltage. And that will draw more or less current dimming the other LEDs or turning them off.

[@PrinceOfTheFlies]

Can you do a video on a combination of both with potentiometer ( variable resistor) to adjust the brightness! Thanks in advance.

[@SteveMagr]

5:30 Parallel circuit

[@pbpism]

Thanks mango :D

[@jonathancasey603]

Hey Paul I'm curious about resistors if you're gonna use probably 100 plus 2 leg RGB led's do you have to have resistors on each led? Or can you use overall resistors for the pos ND neg sides?

[@learnelectronics]

Depends on weather you are doing parallel or serial.

[@j.lietka9406]

I got the "likes" up to 1K! Thanks for the good tutorial! 🤓 In parallel, each light has to have the same operating current, right? I think for an LED string blade, I will get straw hat LEDs from Lighthouse LEDs. Thanks

[@darrenclark6552]

But how do you know when the LED is fully bright?...you may think it is fully on when in fact there is more in the tank?

[@techsinc]

For parallel connected LEDs, if one of the 4 LEDs are pulled and the total current remains the same, then the remaining 3 LEDs ARE affected. Each LED carries more current than when 4 are connected. Simple Kirkoffs law. For this reason, the remaining 3 LEDs become brighter than when 4 LEDs are connected.

[@jumcopper]

i have a +36v 6A power supply how many white LEDs can i use on it and they dont burn out? thanks

[@learnelectronics]

In series about 3v each with current limiting resistors. In parallel use current limiting resistors for 33v drop @ about 20mA

[@davidsteinhour5562]

Assuming current limiting, is brightness proportional to voltage? Is there any correlation between voltage and output after the minimum forward voltage? Ist possible to burn out an LED on too high voltage?

[@learnelectronics]

As long as you are current limiting them they will max out. For instance a 640nm red LED limited @ 30mA will max out at 1.9VDC

[@davidsteinhour5562]

learnelectronics ok, then as you increase current, voltage also increases?

[@learnelectronics]

Yes.

[@ke6bnl]

I have an idea while watching, maybe you can do an explanation on how chrstmas lights work and how a bulb can be dead and they still stay lit.

[@learnelectronics]

Ok thanks

[@terrytweedie5961]

What about a circuit that combines both series and parallel together

[@Vass881234]

I have a matrix of 27 x 5 leds , will parralel manage them all?

[@learnelectronics]

You could. But it would have to be a mix of row and column.

[@AhmedAli-rp5nl]

In Parallel configuration, will the current not drop across every LED? And the last leds (i.e: 3,4,5) will not get dimmer because current will drop across starting leds?? Kindly answer plz?

[@PowerScissor]

I'm curious how 4 leds run on constant current the same as 1 led also. Total electronics newbie...so it's likely something obvious I'm missing.

[@michaelrobert4094]

Current will remain the same however the power output will increase. In other words, if you are using a battery, the battery will discharge quicker than if you wire the LED's in series.

[@Nathan1975Liggy]

Hi there. I have a question that I should realy know the answer to. I wish to make a PCB for an IR Torch, it will have 100 X IR LED's aranged in rows of 10. It will run off a 5V power bank The kind you get to charge a phone. The spec's of each IR LED are, Forward Voltage 1.3v, Forwards Current 50ma. The problem I am having in my brain is, what is the best way given the above details of aranging the LED's on the PCB? PARALELL or SERIES? I'm Leaning towards PARALLEL. Many thanks pal.

[@learnelectronics]

If you do serial, you need 3v for each led. Your 5v source won't cut it.

[@mihaiciornei5648]

I just cut and connected 10 m of RGB led strip in 10 pieces, for some shelves, I connected them in parallel, after 10 minutes, the controller got hot too and it started to make a coil sound, I think, that would be the reason ... I think it is designed for a serial connection, because connecting the simple tape as it was before has never made such problems ... I would ask if anyone he knows better, to tell me if that's the problem, or if he's ever met.

[@donaldhenke2750]

what about 4 different colors in series

[@freakbiker]

Overall helpful, but being geared towards beginners why wouldn't you explain which is negative and positive on the LEDs? You're also assuming people have a likely expensive power source such as the one used.

[@renec0327]

So 9 v= 4 leds?

[@mztech1925]

not first Great post

[@theeachuisge]

Wait I am confused.

[@extremespaghett1107]

255 likes... Now I can't like because then it would go to 0

[@learnelectronics]

We are 64bit here, you'll be ok

[@davidhead6549]

That was clever

[@jafaralumkalayail2341]

actually we don't understand anything from you

[@ondrefekete8946]

you really need to drink more and move mic away from your mouth because it sounds like someone is playing with plastic bag in bacground when you talk...