LED 101: Understanding the Fundamentals of LED Lighting

Linear LED light fixtures and LED tubes also feature a cover that protects the LEDs and diffuses the light. This cover is usually made of polycarbonate (a resin) and sometimes of glass. 

The cover has a certain light transmission rate that impacts the light's luminous flux and glare. If a cover has a high transmission rate, it will minimize the depreciation rate of the lamp’s luminous flux by reducing the light diffusion. However, the light of individual LED’s can be visible, increasing the glare effect.

Below, we present an evaluation of four covers to showcase light transmission and glare.

WHAT DOES IP PROTECTION MEAN?

The IP protection index is an essential feature of most electrical equipments and indicates the degree of protection of the device against external factors such as solid objects or liquids. This protection is expressed by the word "IP", followed by 2 numbers that indicate

• The first digit describes the degree of protection against solid objects, dust, solid particles and bodies
• The second digit describes the degree of protection against liquids

The IP rating is relevant when the environmental conditions are normal. For hazardous environments, special protection is required.

Although there are numerous combinations of IP ratings for LED strips, the most common are IP67, IP65, IP44, IP20. 

In general, all LED strips have IP20 protection,  IP44 can be found for LED strips within an aluminum profile with closed end caps and IP65 or more is normally used for waterproof LED strips.