240V LED sign module teardown (with schematic)

These strings of LED modules are commonly used for illumination in signage with 12V and 24V power supplies. But these are the first I've seen that run directly from the mains supply. Obviously I had to buy a string and take one apart....

Things worthy of note. The mains voltage strings allow long lengths to be run directly. That removes the need for DC power supplies, but adds the risk that one dead module might take out a lot of LEDs and be tricky to pinpoint unless it's gone sooty inside.

The AC LED modules cause camera flicker, although it's not too bad visually. The DC ones have no flicker. They seem to be popular for use in other lighting applications too like vehicle lighting.

You can dim the AC ones with a capacitor in series. I tried a 100nF 400V film cap in series with a string of 9 and it reduced the total power to less than a watt.

These modules are also available in various colours and shades of white.

If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.

#ElectronicsCreators ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH1E2lwxUwM