Cree Launches LED Product Characterization Tool

Cree Inc. (Durham, NC) is launching the Product Characterization Tool (PCT), an interactive LED-design tool that simplifies translating nominal LED performance to real-world conditions.

The online tool, accessible at www.cree.com/pct, allows users to characterize any XLamp® LED over a wide range of operating conditions, including drive current, flux bin, price and junction temperature. It also calculates such metrics as lumen output, lumens per watt and lumens per dollar.

The PCT introduces advanced functionality not commercially offered by any other LED supplier, according to the company. PCT can perform simple LED system design based on a target total lumen output to calculate such parameters as the number of LEDs required and total system efficacy. The calculated system parameters account for electrical, optical and thermal losses associated with LED-system performance. In addition, PCT allows users to simultaneously compare up to three different XLamp LED configurations so customers can choose between the XLamp XR, MC and XP package families.

“The Product Characterization Tool acts like an interactive datasheet, 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 datasheet 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.”