Issuu

ABigStepTowards Light+Building2026

I’mverypleasedtopresentthenewissueofLEDprofessionalReview (LpR),Nov/Dec2025.Asyoumayhavenoticed,ourmagazinehas evolvedfromapurelytechnology-focusedpublicationintoanapplicationanddesign-orientedreview.Thistransformationisalsoreﬂectedinthe currentissue,whereweonceagaincoverawiderangeoftopics—from stadiumlighting,smartcities,andhealth-relatedlightingapplicationsto nanotechnology,measurementtechniques,andGaNcontroller developments.

Lookingaheadtonextyear,Iwouldliketodrawyourattentiontothe upcomingLight+Building2026:Theleadinginternationallightingevent. Ournextissue,Jan/Feb2026,willbepublishedinmid-February—about fourweeksbeforethefair—andwillbededicatedentirelytothiskey industryevent.

I’dliketotakethisopportunitytocordiallyinviteallinterestedcompanies, researchers,andorganizationstosendusarticles,news,product innovations,andeventinformationthatyoufeelwouldbeofinteresttoour readers,overthenextfewweeks,sothatwecantailorthisspecialedition perfectlytoLight+Building2026.Therearestillopportunitiesto contributetechnicalarticlesorotherfeatures.Welookforwardtoyour ideasandparticipation!

Withthisinmind,Ihopeyourpreparationsforthenextmajorlightingevent in2026aresuccessful!

Wishingyouaninspiringread!

YoursSincerely,

SiegfriedLuger

Founder&CEOofLugerResearche.U. PublisherofLEDprofessional,TrendsinLighting,LpSDigital,andtheGlobalLightingDirectory

theScienceofLightandHealthinto EverydayLifethroughEvidence-based Communication byLightforPublicHealthInitiative

CONTROLLER

38 NewHigh-frequencyLEDControllerfor UltracompactGaN-basedSolutions byAlexeyEvstifeev,PrincipalEngineeratInﬁneon

SPORTSLIGHTING

42 SportsLightingIlluminanceAssessment –PartI,TheLuxmeterandItsAssociated Uncertainties

byOctavioL.Pérez,Ph.D,WELLAP

TESTING

DaraGreaney

DaraGreaneyistheFounder, PresidentandCEOof LEDLightExpert.com,a commerciallightingsolutions companyspecializinginLED ﬁxturesforlarge-scaleand industrialapplicationssuchas stadiums,parkinglotsand warehouses.Underhisleadership (since2015),thecompanyhas achievedrapidgrowthandearned recognitionontheInc.5000list multipletimes.Greaneybrings extensiveexpertiseinLEDlighting technology,lightingdesignand ﬁxturedevelopment—heisoften interviewedinindustrypublications ontopicsoflighting,e-commerce growthandentrepreneurship.

LEDLightExpert.com

LightingtheFutureofStadiums:Smart

Technology,EnergyEfficiency,andFan Experience

Everytriptothestadiumholdsapromise ofunforgettablememories:theroarof thecrowd,thethrillofthegame,the anticipationofthatperfectmoment.After dark,thosememoriesdependonan immenselightingsystem.Today,many largestadiumsareimprovingtheirsystems. They’remakingtheshiftfromtraditional metalhalideandhigh-pressuresodium lampstoadvancedLEDlighting.They’re brighteningtheﬁeldalongwiththeentire fanexperience.

Fromantiquatedlampstotoday’sLED lightingsolutions

We’reallfamiliarwiththemetalhalide andhigh-pressuresodiumlampsinstadiums.Theselightsservedtheirpurpose fordecades,buttheyplaguestadium managerswithfrequentmaintenance,long warm-uptimes,diminishedcolorquality, andsoaringenergycosts.Whenstadium managersswitchtoLEDs,theycanexpect awelcomereductioninupkeep.Traditional lampsrequireroutinereplacementand calibration.Forperspective,ametalhalide bulbproducesnearly100lumensperwatt whenit’sbrandnew,butitsoutputcan dropbyhalfinjustafewyears.Incontrast, LEDbulbslasttensofthousandsofhours withminimalmaintenance.Theirreliability meansfewerdisruptionsduringseasons, lesslaborinvestment,andloweroperating costsoverall.LEDsalsodeliverbrighter andmoreconsistentlight.It’sawin-win thatenhancesvisibilitybothontheﬁeld andinthestands.Thesuperiorcolor renderingofLEDsbringsthevividdetails ofthegametolifeforfansinthestadium seats.Infact,thedifferenceissoapparent thatfootageforTVbroadcastsrarelyeven needspost-gameeditingtosharpenthe color.Inadditiontoallofthis,LEDsare farmoreenergyefﬁcient.Thetruth?When astadiumtransitionsfromametalhalide systemtoLEDlighting,themanagercan expecttoseebetween75%to85%energy savings.Why?Simplyput,LEDs,orlightemittingdiodes,convertaround80%ofthe energytheyconsumeintolight.Ametal halidebulblosesmostofthatenergyas heat.

Theprocessofconvertingastadiumto LEDlightingsolutions Upgradingastadium’slightingsystemis nosmallfeat.Itdemandsmeticulous

planningandthoughtfuldecision-makingto ensurethenewsetupmeetsallthevenue’s uniqueneeds.Thoseneedsbalancethe players’safetyandperformance,thefans’ experience,thestadium’sbudget,and broadcastquality.Thefirststepoften involvesdefiningthestadium’slighting goals.Areeventstelevisedregularly? Willthelightingneedtoaccommodate multiplesportsorperformances?What aretheexpectationsforbrightness,color quality,andcontrol?Oncegoalsare outlined,stadiummanagersconsiderthe technicalaspectsofdifferentLEDsolutions.Choosingtherightsizes,lenses,and mountsiscritical.Eachofthesefactors influenceslightdistribution,intensity,and glarecontrol.Therightsetupensures thatlightreachesthefielduniformlywithout annoyingspilloverorshadows.Television broadcastrequirementsintroduceanother layerofcomplexity.LEDsystemsmust minimizeflickeranddeliverconsistentlight frequenciesforhigh-definitioncameras. Withcarefulcalibration,theactionlooks sharpandtruetolife.

Photometricstudiesandexpertconsultations

TransitioningtoLEDlightingisahighly technicalproject.ProfessionalLEDlighting expertstypicallyplayavitalroleinthis transformation.Anexpert’sphotometric analysismapshowlightwillspreadacross thestadium.Ittestsintensity,coverage, andpotentialdarkspots.Everystadium isdifferent.That’swhythesestudies aretailoredtothearchitectureandintendedusesofeachvenue.Thegood news?ManyLEDlightingexpertsoffer thesephotometricstudiesatnoadditional charge.Simplerstadiumlayoutscan receivefulllightingplanswithintwodays, whilemorecomplexvenuesmaytakeafew additionaldays.Withexperthelp,dozens ofstadiummanagersaretransitioningaway fromoutdatedmetalhalideandsodium lamps.Theyquicklycometoappreciate thechange.It’sabrighterfuturewherefans enjoycrystal-clearvisibility,playersperform underidealconditions,andstadiumsreap thebeneﬁtsofoperationalsavings. ■ D.G.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daragreaney

DLFNYAnnouncedthe Winnersofthe2025Beacon Awards

awards.dlfny.org

TheDesignersLightingForumofNewYork (DLFNY)announcedthewinnersofthe2025 BeaconAwardsataceremonyheldon October29,2025,atSonyHallinNewYork City.TheBeaconAwardshonoroutstanding achievementsinlightingdesignin2025.The awardsprogramisopentoanydesign practitionerintheNewYorkMetroarea.

Nowinitssecondyear,awardswere presentedinthefollowingcategories: CommercialInterior,CulturalInstitution, Exterior,Retail,Residential,Hospitality,New YorkProject,Experiential,Architectural ProductDesign,DecorativeProductDesign, andaSpecialCitationforSocialand EcologicalSustainabilitywasalsoawarded thisyear.

L’ObservatoireInternational,BuroHappold, FisherMarantzStone,SourceLightingDesign, FocusLighting,LightingWorkshop,Marvel, FilixLighting,FocalPoint,andLightReach NetworkandLightforLebanon(aninitiativeof Phoscope)arethisyear’swinningﬁrms.

“Foroursecondyear,welistenedtodesigners andaddedmoreprojectandproduct categories,”saysCharlesPavariniIII,chairof theBeaconAwardsCommittee.“Now designershaveagreateropportunitytobe recognizedfortheirbestwork.”

2025BeaconAwardWinners

CommercialInteriorLightingDesign: TransamericaPyramidCenter,L’Observatoire International

Followinganextensiverenovation,thetower’s interiorlightingestablishesaclean,deﬁned, contemporarylook.AdynamicLEDsystem enablesthepyramidtotransformdaytonight, fromplazatopinnacle.JuryComment:The lightingisunderstatedandnotoverdone,and thepedestrianexperienceiswarmand inviting.

LightingDesignforaCulturalInstitution: Al-Mujadilah–CenterandMosquefor Women,BuroHappold

Credit:©IwanBaan

InIslam,lightisametaphorforspiritual guidanceandrighteousness.Closeto6,000 conicalskylightperforationsdiffusedaylight intothemainprayerhalloftheﬁrst purpose-builtcontemporarywomen’smosque intheMuslimworld.Asdaylightfades,white luminairesintegratedbringthesame ambianceintonight.Jurycomment:Theuse ofdaylightisprofoundandoverlapswith artiﬁciallightperfectly.

ExteriorLightingDesign:PrincetonUniversity Geo-ExchangePlantsandGarage,Fisher MarantzStone

Credit:ToddMason/HalkinMasonPhotography

AspartoftheUniversity’sNet-Zeroprogram, thegarage’sundulating,mesh-façadeislitby concealeduplights,creatingareversalof daytimelightsandshadows.Theglowing stair-toweranduplitcanopyenhancethe garage’svisualappealwhileminimizinglight pollution,whileinteriorintegratedlinesoflight serveascuesforpubliccirculation.Jury comment:Theyachievedsustainability throughintelligentlightingdesignclosely integratedintoarchitectureandmaterialityof theproject.

RetailLightingDesign:PrintempsNewYork, L’ObservatoireInternational

Thelightingdesignofthestoreaccentuates thestore’sfusionofcontemporaryParisian aestheticsandrestoredArtDecofeatures,

Credit:PeterDresselforPrintempsNewYork

mostnotablyinthelandmarkedRedRoom.It notonlyrespectsthebuilding’sarchitectural legacybutalsointroducesamodernnarrative, creatingacohesiveandimmersiveshopping experiencethatbridgespastandpresent. Jurycomment:Themixologyoflighting solutionsinthevariousspacesisamazing.

ResidentialLightingDesign:AWhimsical LandscapeGlowsfromWithin,SourceLight Design

Credit:JesseColetta

Alushecosystemtransformsintoanintimate nighttimeexperiencewherewildnessmeets curatedlight.Small-scalefixturessoftly illuminatepathwaysandtrees,while campfire-inspiredfixturesglowtohighlightkey waypoints.Fixturessoftlyilluminatevertical elements,lettingnativeplantsenvelopthe viewer.Jurycomment:Thisisapoetic project,andweappreciatedtherestraintand respectforthenaturalenvironment.

HospitalityLightingDesign:CaféCarmellini, FocusLighting

Credit:RyanFischer

Theglamourofthegildedage,thelighting designseekstoachievethefeelingof grandeuroftheclassicNewYorkdining experience.Workingcloselywithfabricators, elaboratedecorativeﬁxturesarethemain playersinthespace,andaresupportedby

myriadlayersofcarefullycomposed architecturallighting.Jurycomment:Excellent reimaginationofclassicartdeco;thereisgreat depthandvarietycreatinglightingdrama.

LightingDesignforaNewYorkProject:Black Rock,LightingWorkshop

Credit:ColinMiller

BlackRock,theonlyskyscraperdesignedby EeroSaarinen,underwentaredesignto modernizethebuilding,yetmaintainsthe architect’saesthetic.Thelandmarked building,alsoknownas51West52,withits famedmonolithicfaçade,nowhasrenovated lobbies,concourse,andamenitysuites.Jury comment:Lightandarchitectureareequals. Theyareinsyncandreinforceeachother.

LightingDesignforanExperientialProject: LosCirculos,Marvel

Credit:CameronBlaylock

Thissite-speciﬁcinstallationisinspiredby communalcelebrationinthepublicsquare,a culturaltraditiondeeplyembeddedinthe neighborhood’sLatinAmericandiaspora.Soft illuminationfromundulatingcirclestransforms twopublicspaces,creatinganinvitingspace forinteractionwhileincreasingnighttime visibility.Jurycomment:Thisisafun,joyful installationthatdeﬁnesthespacethrough light.

SpecialCitationforSocialandEcological Sustainability:MaasserElShouf,LightReach NetworkandLightforLebanon(aninitiativeof Phoscope)

Thishistoric,ruralvillagehaslonglivedindire lightpoverty.Itnowhasasolar-powered outdoorlightingdesignschemethatfacilitates kids’playandculturalfestivitiesafterdark.It willalsoboostthelocaleconomyby expandingtourismbeyonddaytime.Jury comment:Wefeltthisworthyproject warrantedacitationforitsoutstandingwork.

Credit:CourtesyLightforLebanon

ArchitecturalProductDesign:TriaSystem, FilixLighting

Credit:VedranMaric

Thissystemallowslightingﬁxtures,sensors, andbrandingelementstobeplacedand adjustedonpathwaystourbanboulevards, givinglightdesignersafuture-proofalternative totraditionalpoles.Availableinthreesizes, theproductiseasytoinstall,and marine-gradecoatedanodizedaluminum ensureslong-termdurability.Jurycomment: Thisonepoleismulti-useful,ensures sustainability,andistimelesslymodern.

DecorativeProductDesign:Polina,Focal Point

Credit:CourtesyFocalPoint

Availableintwosizesasapendantorwall sconce,thisproductcombines high-performanceacousticcontrolwith architectural-gradeillumination.Italsooffers unlitacousticcompanionsfordesignflexibility inworkplaces,hospitality,andeducation.Jury comment:Niceintegrationofacousticsand lightingthatallowsforflexibledesign configuration.

2025ICONAwards

2025ICONAwardswerepresentedtoJules Fisher,PaulMarantz(posthumously),and CharlesStone,theco-foundersofFisher MarantzStone,whobuiltandledthe companysinceitsfoundingin1971.Overthe years,FMShasmadesigniﬁcantcontributions tothebuiltenvironmentandthepracticeof lightingdesignbothhereinNewYorkand worldwide.TheICONAwardisreservedfora specialindividual,ﬁrm,orcompanyworthyof venerationfortheircommitmenttoadvancing theimpactoflightingwithintheNewYork designcommunity.

CharlesStone,JulesFisher,PaulMarantz(leftto right)

“Thesethreeindustrygiantswereselectedby theBeaconAwardsCommitteeandapproved bytheDLFNYBoardbecausetheyembody whatitmeanstobeabeaconandaniconto theiremployees,clients,collaborators,and futuregenerationsoflightingdesigners,”says Pavarini.

“Uniqueamongtheprofessionalrecognitions andawardsreceivedbyFMSandour Founderssince1971,theDLFNY’sSecond AnnualICONAwardisespeciallymeaningful. Thisawardhonorsalegacyshapedbymany handsandconnectsourpastwiththe present,andourfuture,”saysJulesFisher, founder,CharlesGStoneII,founder,andFMS PresidentPaulaMartinez-Nobles,inajoint statement.FisherandNoblesacceptedthe awardonbehalfofallofthefounders.

AllproceedsfromtheBeaconAwards, presentedbyDLFNY,areusedtofundthe LanaLenarLightingEmpowerment Scholarshiptofosterthenextgenerationof lightingdesigners.

TheBeaconAwardsCommitteethanksthe membersofouresteemedjury–Kana Ahn/CetraRuddy(interiordesigner),Chris Cooper/SOM(architect),ErinDreyfous/Studio DXDlightingdesigner),EllenFisher, PhD/NYSID(interiordesigner),MaryAnn Hoag/MaryAnnHoagLightingDesign(lighting designer),JacksonNing/KuglerNing(lighting designer),EileenPierce/PierceLightingStudio (lightingdesigner)-fordonatingtheirtimeand expertise.

TheBeaconAwardsCommitteethanksour 2025sponsorsfortheirsupport–DiamondSDALighting&Controls;Platinum-Peerless, Lumenwerx,MarkArchitecturalLighting,ELA

+Synergy;Gold-Anolis,SLS,Current, BarbicanLighting,Axis,Diversiﬁed,USAI Lighting,Ecosense;Silver-Coronet,DarkNo More;Bronze-TheDulanskiGroup,Scout, Lutron,Hafele.Media–designinglighting.In kind–FLOS.

Formoreinformationaboutthewinning projectsandcategoriesvisit https://awards.dlfny.org/

Credit:DougHoltPhotography.

AbouttheDLFNYLenarLighting EmpowermentScholarship:

TheDLFNYLenarLightingEmpowerment Scholarshipprovidesﬁnancialsupportto studentsenrolledfull-timeinuniversity-level lightingprograms.Studentsenrolledatthe followingschoolsarecurrentlyeligible: ParsonsSchoolofDesignandtheNewYork SchoolofInteriorDesign.Individualawardees, numbersofawardees,andscholarship amountswillbedeterminedbytheschools’ lightingprogramdirectors.Interestedstudents maycontactthem.

AbouttheDLFNY:

TheDesignersLightingForumofNewYork (DLFNY)isanorganizationdedicatedto exploringthepoweroflightindesignandthe latestinlightinginnovationandeducation.The DLFNYsupportsformallightingeducation throughscholarshipsandcontributionsto localuniversitiesanddesignschools,aswell asnationalprograms.Foundedin1934and continuouslyledbyavolunteerBoardof Managers,wearesupportedbytheDLFNY generalmembership,thegenerosityofits corporatesponsors,andﬁnancialproceeds fromLEDucation.TheDLFNYenthusiastically providesdesigners,architects,manufacturers andtheirrepresentatives,contractors, educators,andstudentswithopportunitiesto networkandexperiencethewonderoflighting inNewYorkCityandbeyond. ■

CooperLightingSolutions CompletesAcquisitionof Nemalux,ExpandingIts IndustrialLightingPortfolio

www.cooperlighting.com

Signifyannouncedthecompletionofits acquisitionofNemalux,amarket-leading manufacturerofindustriallightingsolutions, focusedonhazardouslocationﬁxtures. NemaluxjoinstheCooperLightingSolutions business,whilemaintainingitsestablished manufacturingbaseandheadquartersin Canada.

FoundedinCalgaryin2003,Nemaluxhasbuilt amarket-leadingportfolioofhigh-speciﬁcation LEDlightingsolutionscertiﬁedforuseinsome ofthemostdemandingindustrialapplications, includingoilandgas,chemicalprocessing, manufacturing,andotherharshenvironments. Throughexpertdesign,customization,and applicationservices,Nemaluxhelps customerssolvecomplexindustriallighting challengeswhileimprovingsafetyand operationalperformance.Thisacquisition enhancesCooperLightingSolutions’ industriallightingportfolio,enablingittobetter servecustomerswithcomprehensive solutionsintheseimportantindustries.

“We’reexcitedtowelcometheNemaluxteam anditsindustry-leadinghazardouslocation portfoliotoCooperLightingSolutions,”said KraigKasler,PresidentofCooperLighting Solutions.“Thisacquisitiondirectlysupports ourstrategytoexpandourindustriallighting portfolio.BycombiningNemalux’sspecialized solutionswithCooperLightingSolutions’ commercializationandchannelexpertise, we’reunlockingnewopportunitiestodeliver high-performance,energy-efﬁcientLED lightingsolutionstoourcustomersacrossthe U.S.,Canada,andMexico.”

AboutCooperLightingSolutions CooperLightingSolutionsdelivers forward-thinkinglightingsolutionsandan industry-leadingportfolioofindoorand outdoorlighting,lightingcontrolsandsmart lightingsystemsthatimprovepeople’s well-being,whilemakingbuildings,homes, andcitiessmarterandmoresustainable. Thesesolutionsarespeciﬁcallydesignedto simplifyandpersonalizelighting,solve complexbusinesschallenges,andleverage

datainsightstomeettheuniqueneedsofour customers.CooperLightingSolutionsisa businessunitofSignify,theworldleaderin lighting,andseekstounlocktheextraordinary potentialoflightforbrighterlivesandabetter world. ■

ZhagaExpandsSmart LightingStandardwithNew EditionofBook18

www.zhagastandard.org

TheZhagaConsortiumhasreleasedEdition4 ofBook18,themostwidelyadopted speciﬁcationintheZhagaportfolioanda cornerstoneofitscertiﬁcationprogram.This neweditionextendstheZhaga-D4iecosystem tosupportheritageanddecorativeluminaires, addressingthegrowingneedforsmart, connectedandcircularlightingsolutions acrossoutdoorandindustrialenvironments.

ZhagaBook18”SmartInterfaceBetween OutdoorLuminairesand Sensing/CommunicationModules”deﬁnesa standardizedmechanicalinterface, intra-luminairecommunicationprotocol,and powerbudgetforcontroldevicessuchas sensorsandcommunicationnodes.It providesthefoundationforinteroperable, serviceable,andupgradeableoutdoorlighting systems,formingthebackboneofmodern smartandsustainablecityinfrastructure.

Edition4introducesimportantupdates designedspeciﬁcallyforapplicationswhere traditionalluminairedesignsmustmeet today’sdigitalrequirements.Itnow:

• Allowspole-mountedbracketassemblies, makingsmartconnectivitypossiblefor heritageanddecorativeluminaireswith diverseshapesandforms.

• Addressesinstallationchallengesby supportinglongerconnectioncables betweentheluminaireandbracket assembly,whileensuringrobustandreliable communicationacrosstheseextended distances.

• InthecontextofthejointZhaga-D4i certificationprogramdevelopedtogether withDALIAlliance,definessurgeprotection functionalitiesforthisspecificconfiguration, ensuringreliabilityindemanding environments.*

”Book18Edition4answersaclearmarket need,”saidHeinrichThye,SecretaryGeneral ofZhagaConsortium”Citieswanttopreserve theirhistoricalanddecorativelightingdesigns whileembracingsmarttechnologies.This updateenablesthatbycombiningaesthetic preservationwithinteroperabilityand circularity”.‘

Ascitiesincreasinglyinvestinsustainableand connectedlighting,theexpansionofBook18 representsasigniﬁcantsteptowardfully interoperablesmartoutdoorlighting,from modernstreetlightstohistoricluminaires.

Book18Edition4isnowavailabletoallZhaga RegularandAssociateMembersthroughthe Zhagamemberportal.

AboutZhagaConsortium

TheZhagaConsortiumisaglobal lighting-industryorganizationthat standardizesinterfacesofcomponentsofLED luminaires,countingmorethan600members. Throughitsspeciﬁcationsandcertiﬁcation program,Zhagaenablesinteroperability, serviceability,andsustainabilityacrossthe lightingvaluechain,helpingtheindustry accelerateinnovationandcircularity.

*TheD4itrademarkisownedandexclusively usedbytheDALIAlliance. ■

DALIAllianceandIALD

CollaborateinSupportof LightingDesignCommunity andIndustryAlignment www.dali-alliance.org

TheDALIAllianceandtheInternational AssociationofLightingDesigners(IALD)have announcedacollaborationaimedat strengtheningtheconnectionbetweenlighting designprofessionalsandcutting-edgedigital lightingcontrolstandards.

ChristopherKnowlton,CEOoftheIALD(left)and PaulDrosihn,GeneralManageroftheDALIAlliance(right).

Thispartnershipaimstoempowerspeciﬁers, designers,andarchitectsbysharing knowledge,launchingeducationalinitiatives, andfosteringmoresubstantialalignment acrossthelightingecosystem.Itfocuseson

Connect

jointeffortsineducation,outreach,andthe promotionofopenstandardstoenhance lightingoutcomesinarchitectural, commercial,andpublicspaceprojects.

“Lightingdesignersplayacriticalrolein shapingthebuiltenvironment,”saidPaul Drosihn,GeneralManageroftheDALI Alliance.“PartneringwiththeIALDallowsus tobuildadirectbridgetothedesign community,ensuringthatDALI-based technologiescontinuetosupportcreativity, ﬂexibility,andperformancewhereitmatters most.”

Thecollaborationreﬂectsbothorganizations’ commitmenttosupportingamoreconnected, informed,anddesign-forwardindustry.

“Thispartnershipisaboutensuringdesigners haveaccesstothetools,training,and standardstheyneedtodeliverexceptional results,”saidChristoperKnowlton,CEOofthe IALD.“ByworkingwiththeDALIAlliance, we’rehelpingtoclosethegapbetween evolvingcontroltechnologiesandreal-world designpractice.”

TheDALIAllianceandtheIALDviewthis collaborationasacrucialstepinempowering lightingprofessionalstomakeinformed decisionsaboutcontrolsystemsandin

supportingthelong-termsuccessof sustainable,human-centriclightingdesign.

MoreabouttheDALIAllianceanditswork standardizingandadvancingintelligentlighting canbefoundatdali-alliance.org.Information ontheIALDanditsadvocacyforthelighting designprofessionandtheglobalcommunity canbefoundatiald.org

AbouttheDALIAlliance

TheDALIAlliance(alsoknownastheDigital IlluminationInterfaceAlliance,orDiiA)isthe globalindustryorganizationforDALI-based digitallightingcontrol,drivingmarketadoption andstandardizationoftheDigitalAddressable LightingInterface(DALI®)protocol.The alliancedevelopstechnicalspecifications, promotesinteroperability,andmanagesthe DALI-2,DALI+andD4icertificationprograms, ensuringthatlightingcontrolsystemsare scalable,flexible,andfuture-ready.TheDALI Allianceworkswithmanufacturers,system integrators,andend-userstosupport innovationanddrivetheadoptionof intelligent,connectedlightingsolutions. ■

AI-Designed,Digitally

Manufactured—ANewEra forCustomOptics

www.luximprint.com

Opdo,theﬁrstAIopticsplatformand recognizedexpertinvolumetric3Dprintingfor optics,haspartneredwithLuximprint,the pioneerof3Dprintedoptics,tocreatea seamlessbridgefromintelligentopticaldesign todigitalmanufacturing.Together,the companiesaretransforminghowoptical systemsareconceived,developed,and broughttomarket—unlockinganewlevelof speedandagilityfortheopticsindustry.

FromAI-DrivenDesigntoDigitalFabrication

Opdo’sAIOpticsPlatformallowsengineersto defineopticalintentthroughnaturallanguage. ItsAIagentsgenerate,simulate,andoptimize fullymanufacturabledesignswithinminutes. Now,withtheintegrationofLuximprint’s Printoptical®technology,thosedesignscan movedirectlyintoproduction—establishinga completedigitalworkflowfromconceptto finishedcomponent.

“Opdoletsengineersdescribewhattheywant toachievewithlight—andAIhandlesthe rest,”saysStephanKuehr,FounderandCEO ofOpdo.“ByaddingLuximprint’sproven manufacturingtechnology,weconnectAI designwithdigitalfabricationinawaythat fundamentallychangeshowopticalproducts aredeveloped.”

UnitingTwoPioneersinOpticalInnovation

Luximprint’sadvancedPrintoptical® manufacturingprocessproduces optical-gradesurfacesdirectlyfromdigital ﬁles,eliminatingtoolingandaccelerating turnaround.CombinedwithOpdo’sAI-driven designandsimulationcapabilities—andits deepexpertiseinvolumetricopticsfabrication —thepartnershipdeliversunprecedented creativefreedomandmanufacturingefﬁciency acrossscalesandapplications.

“We’reexcitedtobringourPrintoptical processtotheOpdoplatform,”saysMarcode Visser,CEOofLuximprint.“Thiscollaboration connectstwocomplementaryinnovations— AIdesignanddigitalmanufacturing—

enablingcustomopticstomovefromvisionto physicalrealityfasterthaneverbefore.”

ADigitalFabricationCollectivefortheFuture ofLight

Atthemanufacturingend,Luximprintjoinsa growingecosystemontheOpdoplatformthat includesleadingvolumetricand microfabricationtechnologiessuchas XolographyandNanoscribe.Together,they formapowerfuldigitalfabricationcollective coveringeverythingfromfreeformand illuminationopticstoadvanced microstructures—offeringopticalengineersa complete,data-drivendesign-to-production environment.

AboutOpdo

OpdoistheﬁrstAIopticsco-pilotthat transformsnatural-languageinputinto high-performance,fabrication-readyoptical systems.Builtbyveteransofmanufacturing automationandvolumetricoptics,Opdo integratesdesign,simulation,anddigital productionacrossleadingfabrication methods,acceleratinginnovationthroughout thelight-basedhardwareindustry.

AboutLuximprint

Luximprintprovidesadditivemanufacturing servicesfordecorativeandfunctionaloptical plastics.ItspatentedPrintoptical®process enablesrapid,flexible,andcost-efficient developmentofcustomopticswithouttooling —deliveringprintedoptics,reflectiveand texturedsurfaces,andOptographixfor illuminationanddesignprofessionals. ■

onsemiUnveilsVerticalGaN Semiconductors: ABreakthroughforAIand Electrification

www.onsemi.com

AsglobalenergydemandsurgesfromAIdata centers,electricvehicles,andotherenergy intensiveapplications,onsemihasintroduced verticalgalliumnitride(vGaN)power semiconductors,settinganewbenchmarkfor powerdensity,efﬁciencyandruggednessfor theseapplications.Thesegroundbreaking next-generationGaN-on-GaNpower semiconductorsconductcurrentvertically throughthecompoundsemiconductor, enablinghigheroperatingvoltagesandfaster switchingfrequencies,leadingtoenergy savingstodeliversmallerandlightersystems acrossAIdatacenters,electricvehicles(EVs), renewableenergy,andaerospace,defense andsecurity.

NewsHighlights

• ProprietaryGaN-on-GaNtechnology

conductscurrentverticallyathigher voltages,enablingfasterswitchingand morecompactdesigns.

• Breakthroughsolutioncanreduceenergy lossandheat,reducinglossesbyalmost50

• Developedbyonsemi’sSyracuse,New York,R&Dteam;130+patentsspanning fundamentalprocess,devicearchitecture, manufacturingandsystemsinnovations.

• onsemiissamplingboth700Vand1,200V devicestoearlyaccesscustomers.

What’sNew:onsemi’svGaNtechnologyisa breakthroughpowersemiconductor technologythatsetsanewbenchmarkfor efﬁciency,powerdensityandruggednessfor theageofAIandelectriﬁcation.Developed andmanufacturedatonsemi’sfabin Syracuse,NY,onsemiholdsover130global patentscoveringarangeoffundamental process,devicedesign,manufacturingand systemsinnovationsforverticalGaN technology.

“VerticalGaNisagame-changerforthe industryandcementsonsemi’sleadershipin energyefficiencyandinnovation.As electrificationandAIreshapeindustries, efficiencyhasbecomethenewbenchmark thatdefinesthemeasureofprogress.The additionofverticalGaNtoourpowerportfolio givesourcustomerstheultimatetoolkitto deliverunmatchedperformance.Withthis breakthrough,onsemiisdefiningthefuture whereenergyefficiencyandpowerdensityare thecurrencyofcompetitiveness.”Dinesh Ramanathan,SeniorVicePresidentof CorporateStrategy,onsemi.

WhyitMatters:Theworldisenteringanew erawhereenergyisthedeﬁningconstrainton technologicalprogress.Fromelectricvehicles andrenewableenergytoAIdatacentersthat nowconsumemorepowerthansomecities, thedemandforelectricityisrisingfasterthan ourabilitytogenerateanddeliveritefﬁciently. Everywattsavednowcounts.

onsemi’svGaNtechnologyisdesignedto handlehighvoltagesinamonolithicdie–1,200voltsandbeyond–switchinghigh currentsathighfrequencywithsuperior efﬁciency.Highendpowersystemsbuiltwith thistechnologycanreducelossesbyalmost 50%andbyoperatingathigherfrequencies canalsoreducethesize,includingpassives likecapacitorsandinductorsbyasimilar amount.Additionally,comparedto commerciallyavailablelateralGaN,vGaN

devicesareapproximatelythreetimessmaller. Thismakesonsemi’svGaNidealforcritical high-powerapplicationswherepowerdensity, thermalperformanceandreliabilityare paramount,including:

• AIDataCenters:Reducedcomponent counts,increasedpowerdensityfor800V DC-DCconvertersforAIcomputesystems togreatlyimprovecostperrack

• ElectricVehicles:Smaller,lighterandmore efﬁcientinverters,forincreasedEVrange

• ChargingInfrastructure:Faster,smaller, moreruggedchargers

• RenewableEnergy:Highervoltage handling,reducedenergylossesforsolar andwindinverters

• EnergyStorageSystems(ESS):Fast, efﬁcient,high-densitybidirectionalpower forbatteryconvertersandmicrogrids

• IndustrialAutomation:Smaller,cooler, higherefﬁciencymotordrivesandrobotics

• Aerospace,DefenseandSecurity:Higher performance,enhancedruggednessand morecompactdesigns

HowItWorks:Mostcommerciallyavailable GaNdevicesarebuiltonasubstratethatis notGaN–primarilysiliconorsapphire.For veryhighvoltagedevices,onsemi’svGaN usesaGaN-on-GaNtechnologythatallows currenttoflowverticallythroughthechip ratherthanacrossitssurface.Thisdesign delivershigherpowerdensity,greaterthermal stabilityandrobustperformanceunder extremeconditions.Withthesebenefits, vGaNleapfrogsbothGaN-on-siliconand GaN-on-sapphiredevicestodeliverhigher voltagecapability,higherswitchingfrequency, superiorreliabilityandenhancedruggedness. Thisenablesthedevelopmentofsmaller, lighterandmoreefficientpowersystemswith reducedcoolingrequirementsandlower overallsystemcost.Keybenefitsinclude:

HigherPowerDensity:VerticalGaNcan handlehighervoltagesandlargercurrentsin smallerfootprintsGreaterEfﬁciency:Cuts energylossesduringpowerconversion, reducingheatandloweringcoolingcosts CompactSystems:Higherswitching frequencyreducesthesizeofpassive componentssuchascapacitorsand inductorsAboutonsemi

onsemi(Nasdaq:ON)isdrivingdisruptive innovationstohelpbuildabetterfuture.With afocusonautomotiveandindustrial end-markets,thecompanyisaccelerating changeinmegatrendssuchasvehicle electriﬁcationandsafety,sustainableenergy grids,industrialautomation,and5Gandcloud infrastructure.onsemioffersahighly differentiatedandinnovativeproductportfolio, deliveringintelligentpowerandsensing technologiesthatsolvetheworld’smost complexchallengesandleadsthewayto creatingasafer,cleanerandsmarterworld. onsemiisincludedintheNasdaq-100Index® andS&P500®index. ■

UnbrokenGrowthTrendfor TALQCertificationsIncreases InteroperabilityinSmartCities

www.talq-consortium.org

TheTALQConsortium,whichdevelopedthe SmartCityProtocol,aglobalinterface standardforsmartcityapplications,continues togrowitsmembershipbaseandannounces everyfewweeksnewofficiallyTALQ-certified products.TheTALQ-certifiedproducts includeCentralManagementSoftware(CMS) andOutdoorDeviceNetworks(ODN; Gateways)forvarioussmartcityapplications, currentlyfrom47differentvendorsglobally.

Bycertifyingtheirproductsaccordingtothe SmartCityProtocol,manufacturersenable interoperabilitywithawiderangeofsystems fromothervendors.Forcitiesand municipalities,thegrowingnumberofcertified solutionsoffersnotonlygreaterflexibilityand freedomofchoice,butalsotheabilitytoavoid vendorlock-inwheninvestinginsmartcity applications—suchasSmartStreetLighting, WasteManagement,ParkingSolutions, EnvironmentalSensing,orTrafficControl.

Foundedin2012,theTALQConsortiumhas developedagloballyrecognizedstandardfor managingsoftwareinterfacesusedtocontrol andmonitordiversesmartcityapplications. Since2017,theConsortiumhasimplemented astrictcertificationproceduretovalidatethe correctimplementationoftheTALQProtocol. Aspublictendersincreasinglyrequire compliancewithopenstandards,thedemand forTALQcertificationshasrisensignificantlyin thepastyears.TheConsortiumcontinuesto growandconsistscurrentlyof82member companies.Formanufacturers,certification providesreassurancethattheirsystemsare bothfuture-readyandinteroperablewith solutionsfromothervendors.

The74TALQ-certifiedproductsinclude31 CentralManagementSoftware(CMS)and43 Gateways(OutdoorDeviceNetworks,ODN). Allcertifiedproductsnowfeatureadetailedlist ofsuccessfullycompleted‘FunctionalTests’. Thesefunctionaltestsareessentialforgiving cities,utilities,andplannersclearinsightsinto whateachproductcando.Eachtest correspondstoadefinedsetoftechnical requirements—explainedinplain,accessible

language,freefromTALQ-speciﬁc terminology.

“WhileTALQcontinuestoevolvetosupport newusecases,andmoreandmorecitiesare askingforfullmulti-suppliersupport,arare combinationisrequiredforanysolutiononthe market:theabilitytoimplementnewfeatures rapidly,whilepreservingfullbackward compatibilitywithearlierversions,and maintainingqualityandcompliancewith100% oftheusecases.”,saysEmmanuelTouron, CEOofCitylinx.“Thatcombinationisnot accidental.Itreﬂectsyearsofmodulardesign, stronginterfaceabstraction,andrigorous testingculture.Italsomeansthatcities, utilities,andintegratorscanconﬁdentlyrelyon Citylinxtoremaininteroperableindynamic, multi-vendorenvironments,nomatterhowthe standardevolves.”

OrasHannoBaumgartner,oneofthe foundersofesaveagputsit”Weareproud thatbothourCMSandGatewayhaveofficially beenTALQ-certified.Atesaveag,webelieve inthefutureofenergyefficiencyandin empoweringcitiesthroughopen, vendor-independenttechnologies—values thatarefullyreflectedintheTALQstandard. Withthiscertification,wenowofferan interoperableinterfaceforourenergy managementsolutions,enablingcitiesaround theworldthatrelyonTALQ-certifiedsystems tobuildrobustandefficientenergy infrastructures.”

“Moderncitiesrequiresolutionsthatarenot onlyintelligent,butaboveallsecureand scalable.TheintegrationoftheTALQProtocol withISO27001representsourstrategic responsetothegrowingdemandsfor interoperabilityandcybersecurity.IntheSmart Citycontext—wherelightinginfrastructure evolvesintoadatacarrierandaservice platform—openstandardsareessential. Theyenableseamlessintegrationwithother urbansystems,reducetheriskofvendor lock-in,andensurecompliancewith regulationssuchastheNIS-2directive.Today, decision-makersmustviewlightingnotmerely asasourceofillumination,butasastrategic componentofurbandigitaltransformation.” explainsMariuszEjsmont,TechnicalDirector ofLUGLightFactory.

Theonlyplacetofindallofficiallycertified solutionsremainstheConsortium’swebsite wherevisitorscanalsodownloadadetailed ‘CapabilityList’foreachsystemwhich includesFunctionalTestspassedplusfurther technicaldetailsofeachsolution.

AbouttheTALQConsortium:Foundedin 2012,theTALQConsortiumhasestablisheda globallyacceptedstandardformanagement softwareinterfacestocontrolandmonitor heterogeneoussmartcityapplications.The TALQSmartCityProtocolisaspeciﬁcationfor informationexchange,suitablefor implementationinvariousproductsand

systems.Thiswayinteroperabilitybetween CentralManagementSoftware(CMS)and OutdoorDeviceNetworks(ODN)from differentvendorsisenabled.

ThankstotheTALQprotocolstandardcities andmunicipalitiescanrelyonabroadchoice ofinteroperablesystemsandavoid vendor-lock-inwheninvestinginsmartcity applications,suchasSmartStreetLighting, WasteManagement,EnvironmentalSensing, Parking,orTrafﬁcControl.TALQisanopen industryconsortiumcurrentlyconsistingof morethan80membercompanies. ■

NewLUXEON®Altilon

SMD-A:TheThinnest, Single-ChipAddressable PackageforHigh Performance,Automotive ForwardLighting

lumileds.com

Lumileds’newLUXEONAltilonSMD-Ais designedtosupporttoday’smostdemanding automotiveheadlightingapplicationsincluding frontfog,lowandhighbeam,andadaptive drivingbeam(ADB).Itisthethinnest single-chipaddressableLED.Itspackage designleveragescompatibilitywithAl-IMSto ensurecostefﬁcientreﬂowsoldering robustness,aCu-basedleadframeforhigher thermalcapabilitiesandisfullycompatible withmetalcorePCBs.Theuniquepackage increasescontrastandluminanceandwitha MoistureSensitivityLevelof1,theLUXEON AltilonSMD-Arequiresnospecialhandling, packaging,orstoragetoprotectitfrommois

LUXEONAltilonSMD-Aisavailablein1x2,1x3, 1x4,and1x5formats.

“LUXEONAltilonSMD-Afacilitatesthe highest,optimizedperformance.Itsunique padlayoutenablessingle-dieaddressability fornativebi-functionheadlightinginasingle footprintwhilemaintainingsourceluminance. Thesecapabilitiessigniﬁcantlysimplifythe lamparchitectureforcost-effective, time-to-marketsolutions,”saidNicolai Duongtran,ProductMarketingManagerfor AutomotiveHeadlightingatLumileds.

Optimizingheadlightingthroughpackage design

ThesmalledgesoftheLUXEONAltilon SMD-Aimprovecontrastnowmeasuring 1:247andproduceasharp,naturalcutoff. Reducingthegapbetweenlightemitting areasto70µmandachievingtheoptimal die-to-phosphorsizeboostluminancefor additionalcost-performanceimprovements.

Withaz-heightofonly433µm,itisthe thinnestsinglechipaddressablepackage whichallowsforopticalstructurestobe designedwithgreateraccuracyandefﬁcacy. Withthisadvancement,theheadlampsystem canbeoptimizedastheopticscanbe designedclosertotheLEDtherebyimproving opticalefﬁciency.

Featuredin2026model-yearvehicles

Newcarbuyerswillenjoythebeneﬁtsof LUXEONAltilonSMD-Aasit’salready designedinto2026model-yearvehicles. LumiledsisalsousingthenewLEDinits LUXEONLxNL1BGen3homologated module.LUXEONLxNmodulesarestandard, “bulb-like”optionsdeliveringcost-effective, reliable,lightingoptions.Theirstandard interfacemeanssupportsaminimaldesign effortandafasterrollout.

OptionsandAvailability

TheLUXEONAltilonSMD-Aisavailableinfour conﬁgurations,a1×2,a1×3,a1×4,anda 1×5formassproductionmanufacturing.A newdatasheetisavailableonline.Samples areavailablebycontactingLumileds’ AutomotiveTeam.

AboutLumileds

LumiledsisagloballeaderinLEDand microLEDtechnology,innovation,and solutionsfortheautomotive,display, illumination,mobile,andothermarketswhere lightsourcesareessential.Ourapproximately 3,500employeesoperateinover15countries andpartnerwithourcustomerstodeliver neverbeforepossiblesolutionsforlighting, safety,andwell-being. ■

NichiaandamsOSRAMSign BroadPatentCross-license Agreement

www.nichia.co.jp

NichiaandamsOSRAMhaveexpandedtheir long-standingcollaborationintheﬁeldof intellectualproperty(IP).HiroyoshiOgawa, PresidentofNichiaCorporation,andAldo Kamper,CEOofams-OSRAMAG,signeda comprehensivecross-licenseagreement coveringthousandsofpatent-protected innovationsinLEDandlasertechnologies.

Theagreementgrantsbothcompaniesmutual accesstoeachother’spatentsfornitrideLED

HiroyoshiOgawa,PresidentandCEOofNichia Corporation(left)andAldoKamper,CEOofamsOSRAMAG(right).

andlasercomponentsand,fortheﬁrsttime, alsocoverssophisticatedLEDpackagesand LEDmodules,suchasmatrixheadlamps.The moveaimstostrengthentheindustry-leading IPprotectionbothcompaniesoffertotheir customers.

NichiaandamsOSRAMhaveinvestedheavily inR&Doverdecades.Withthenewpatent crosslicenseagreement,theyoffercustomers enhancedIPsafetywhenusingproducts basedontheirpatentedtechnologies.Both companieshavealonghistoryofcross licenseagreements,whichstartedin2002 andcontinuedthroughtoday,withanupdate in2010.ThenewagreementcoversR&D resultsfromthelast15years.

“Inanindustrydrivenbyinnovation, intellectualpropertyisthefoundationoftrust andlong-termvalue.Unfortunately,we continuetoseeLEDandlaserproducts enteringthemarketthatdonotmeetessential IPstandards.TogetherwithNichia,we encouragecustomerstoscrutinizeclaimsof IPcomplianceandtochoosepartnersholding auniqueIPpositionlikeamsOSRAMand Nichia”,emphasizesAldoKamper,CEOof amsOSRAM.

“AsthetwogloballeadersintheLEDand laserindustry,NichiaandamsOSRAMhave renewedthemostcomprehensiveandrobust cross-licensingagreementinthesector. CustomerswhoselectproductsfromNichia oramsOSRAMbeneﬁtfromextensivepatent protection,ensuringconﬁdenceintheir businessactivities.Standingtogether,wewill continuetosafeguardthemarket’sintegrityby encouragingrespectforintellectualproperty throughoutourindustry”,saysHiroyoshi Ogawa,PresidentofNichia.

AboutNichia Having“EverResearchingforaBrighter World”asamotto,Nichiatakesgreatpridein beingthetechnologyleaderandworld’s largestLEDandlaserdiodemanufacturer. Foundedin1956asaspecialtychemical producer,Nichiaquicklybecametheleaderin luminescentmaterials(phosphors).Nichia laterdevelopedandcommercializedtheﬁrst high-brightnessblueLEDin1993andtheﬁrst whiteLEDin1996.Additionalnitride-based LEDsinvariouscolorsweredeveloped,

includingultravioletandvisibleLaserDiodes. Nichiabelievesthatitsproductswillremainat theforefrontofenergy-efﬁcientsolutions throughouttheworldforyearstocome.

AboutamsOSRAM

TheamsOSRAMGroup(SIX:AMS)isaglobal leaderininnovativelightandsensorsolutions. Withmorethan110yearsofindustry experience,wecombineengineering excellenceandglobalmanufacturingwitha passionforcutting-edgeinnovation.Our commitmenttopushingtheboundariesof illumination,visualization,andsensingenables transformativeadvancementsinthe automotive,industrial,medical,andconsumer industries.“Sensethepoweroflight”–our successisbasedonthedeepunderstanding ofthepotentialoflightandourdistinct portfolioofbothemitterandsensor technologies.Approximately19,700 employeesworldwidefocusonpioneering innovationsalongsidethesocietalmegatrends ofdigitalization,smartlivingandsustainability. Thisisreﬂectedinover13,000patents grantedandapplied.Headquarteredin Premstaetten/Graz(Austria)with co-headquartersinMunich(Germany),the groupachievedEUR3.4billionrevenuesin 2024andislistedasams-OSRAMAGonthe SIXSwissExchange(ISIN: AT0000A3EPA4). ■

QualcommtoAcquireArduino

www.qualcomm.com

QualcommTechnologies,Inc.announcedits agreementtoacquireArduino,apremier open-sourcehardwareandsoftware company.Thetransactionaccelerates QualcommTechnologies’strategyto empowerdevelopersbyfacilitatingaccessto itsunmatchedportfolioofedgetechnologies andproducts.Thisacquisitionbuildsonthe Company’srecentintegrationsofEdge ImpulseandFoundries.io,reinforcingits commitmenttodeliveringafull-stackedge platformthatspanshardware,software,and cloudservices.Theclosingofthistransaction issubjecttoregulatoryapprovalandother customaryclosingconditions.

acrossindustries.Arduinowillpreserveits openapproachandcommunityspiritwhile unlockingafull stackplatformformodern development—withArduinoUNOQasthe ﬁrststep.

Arduinowillretainitsindependentbrand, tools,andmission,whilecontinuingto supportawiderangeofmicrocontrollersand microprocessorsfrommultiplesemiconductor providersasitentersthisnextchapterwithin theQualcommfamily.Followingthis acquisition,the33M+activeusersinthe Arduinocommunitywillgainaccessto QualcommTechnologies’powerfultechnology stackandglobalreach.Entrepreneurs, businesses,techprofessionals,students, educators,andhobbyistswillbeempowered torapidlyprototypeandtestnewsolutions, withaclearpathtocommercialization supportedbyQualcommTechnologies’ advancedtechnologiesandextensivepartner ecosystem.

ThenewArduinoUNOQisanext-generation singleboardcomputerfeaturinga“dualbrain” architecture—aLinuxDebian-capable microprocessorandareal-time microcontroller—tobridgehigh-performance computingwithreal-timecontrol.Poweredby theQualcommDragonwing™QRB2210 processorrunningafullLinuxenvironment, UNOQisdesignedtohelpenableAI-powered visionandsoundsolutionsthatreacttotheir environment,rangingfromsophisticated smarthomesolutionstoindustrialautomation systems.UNOQisdesignedtobecomethe go totoolforeverydeveloper—accessible, versatile,andreadyforlifelonglearningand innovation.

Inadditiontomaintainingcompatibilitywith theArduinoIDEandiconicUNOecosystem, UNOQisthefirstArduinoboardtoworkwith ArduinoAppLab,anew,integrated developmentenvironmentbuilttounifythe Arduinodevelopmentjourneyacross Real-timeOS,Linux,PythonandAIflowsto makedevelopmentfasterandeasier.AppLab offersdevelopersanopen-sourceplatform whichisdesignedtorapidlyideate,prototype andscaleAI-poweredsolutionstoproduction. SeamlessintegrationofAppLabwiththe EdgeImpulseplatformalsohelpsstreamline andacceleratetheprocessofbuilding, fine-tuning,andoptimizingAImodelsusing real-worlddataforawiderangeofcapabilities suchasobject/humandetection,anomaly detection,imageclassification,ambientsound recognition,andkeywordspotting.

andcreators.Bycombiningtheiropen-source ethoswithQualcommTechnologies’portfolio ofleading-edgeproductsandtechnologies, we’rehelpingenablemillionsofdevelopersto createintelligentsolutionsfasterandmore efﬁciently—includingapathtowardsglobal commercializationbyleveragingthescaleof ourecosystem.”

“JoiningforceswithQualcommTechnologies allowsustosuperchargeourcommitmentto accessibilityandinnovation,”saidFabio Violante,CEO,Arduino.“ThelaunchofUNO Qisjustthebeginning—we’reexcitedto empowerourglobalcommunitywithpowerful toolsthatmakeAIdevelopmentintuitive, scalable,andopentoeveryone.”

“Ourpassionforsimplicity,affordability,and communitygaverisetoamovementthat changedtechnology,”saidMassimoBanzi, Co-founder,Arduino.“ByjoiningQualcomm Technologies,we’llbringcutting-edgeAItools toourcommunitywhilestayingtruetowhat hasalwaysmatteredmosttous.”

AboutQualcomm

Qualcommrelentlesslyinnovatestodeliver intelligentcomputingeverywhere,helpingthe worldtacklesomeofitsmostimportant challenges.Buildingonour40yearsof technologyleadershipincreatingera-deﬁning breakthroughs,wedeliverabroadportfolioof solutionsbuiltwithourleading-edgeAI, high-performance,low-powercomputing,and unrivaledconnectivity.OurSnapdragon® platformspowerextraordinaryconsumer experiences,andourQualcomm Dragonwing™productsempowerbusinesses andindustriestoscaletonewheights. Togetherwithourecosystempartners,we enablenext-generationdigitaltransformation toenrichlives,improvebusinesses,and advancesocieties.AtQualcomm,weare engineeringhumanprogress.

QualcommIncorporatedincludesour licensingbusiness,QTL,andthevastmajority ofourpatentportfolio.Qualcomm Technologies,Inc.,asubsidiaryofQualcomm Incorporated,operates,alongwithits subsidiaries,substantiallyallofour engineeringandresearchanddevelopment functionsandsubstantiallyallofourproducts andservicesbusinesses,includingourQCT semiconductorbusiness.Snapdragonand Qualcommbrandedproductsareproductsof QualcommTechnologies,Inc.and/orits subsidiaries.Qualcommpatentsarelicensed byQualcommIncorporated. ■

BycombiningQualcommTechnologies’ leading edgeprocessing,graphics,computer vision,andAIwithArduino’ssimplicity, affordability,andcommunity,theCompanyis poisedtosuperchargedeveloperproductivity

“WithouracquisitionsofFoundries.io,Edge Impulse,andnowArduino,weare acceleratingourvisiontodemocratizeaccess toourleading edgeAIandcomputing productsfortheglobaldevelopercommunity,” saidNakulDuggal,GroupGeneralManager, Automotive,IndustrialandEmbeddedIoT, QualcommTechnologies,Inc.“Arduinohas builtavibrantglobalcommunityofdevelopers

KAUSTResearchersDevelop NewNanoplasticfor SustainableStreetLighting

www.kaust.edu.sa

Anewstudywithcollaborationbetween KAUSTandKingAbdulazizCityforScience andTechnology(KACST)showshow nanomaterialscansigniﬁcantlyreducethe carbonemissionsofLED(lightemittingdiode) streetlights.TheResearcherteamestimate thatbyadoptingthistechnology,theUnited Statesalonecanreducecarbondioxide emissionsbymorethanonemillionmetric tons.

Thenanomaterial,callednanoPE,enhances theemissionofthermalradiationfromthe surfaceoftheLEDtoreducetheLED temperature.LEDsgenerateheat,which raisestheirtemperatureandrisksdamaging theLEDelectronicsandshorteningtheLED’s lifespan.Infact,approximately75%ofthe inputenergyinLEDsiseventuallylostasheat.

Studyleader,KAUSTProfessorQiaoqiang Gan,said,”LEDsarepreferredlightsources becauseoftheirsuperiorefﬁciencyand lifespan.Butsmallenhancementscan improvethemevenmore,andthatcanmake abigdifferenceonsustainabilitybecauseeven smallimprovementshaveabigeffectwhen usedeverywhere,”saidGan.Headdedthat lightingisapproximately20%oftheworld’s annualelectricityconsumptionand contributestonearly6%ofglobalgreenhouse gasemissions.

Dr.HussamQasem,GeneralManagerofthe FutureEnergyTechnologiesInstituteat KACSTandcontributortothestudy,said, ”OurdesignsigniﬁcantlyimprovesLEDcooling whilemaintaininghighilluminationefﬁciency, makingitapromisingsolutionforsustainable lightinginSaudiArabia.”

TypicalLEDstreetlightsdirecttheirlight towardtheobjecttobeilluminated,whichis whytheypointtowardstheground.Theyalso aredesignedsuchthatthermalradiationstays trappedinsidetheLED.Ontheotherhand, streetlightscoatedwithnanoPEareliterally turnedupsidedownsothattheyaredirected towardstheskyandawayfromtheobjectto beilluminated.

ThereasonforthisinversionisthatNanoPEis designedsothatinfraredlight,thelightmost responsibleforthermalradiation,passes throughitwhilevisiblelightisreﬂected.The studyshowedthatmorethan80%ofthe infraredlightemittedbyLEDstreetlights coatedwithnanoPEpassesthroughnanoPE andcontinuestowardsthesky.Incontrast, morethan95%ofthevisiblelightemitted reﬂectsoffnanoPEandbacktotheground, illuminatingtheareabeneath.

NanoPEisbasedonpolyethylene,themost widelyproducedplasticintheworld.Tocreate ananoplasticthatreﬂectslowwavelengthlight (visiblelight)butpasseshighwavelengthlight (infrared),thescientistscarefullymadepores assmallas30nm–about1000timessmaller thanthethicknessofahumanhair–intothe plasticaswellasstretchingandtransforming itintoathinnersheet.

ThestudycanbereadinLight:Science& Applications.KAUSTProfessorsOsmanBakr andBoonOoi,postdoctoralresearcher SaichaoDang,master’sstudentsHasanH. AlmahfoudhandKACSTAssistantProfessor AbdulrahmanM.Alajlanalsocontributedto thiswork. ■

CIEAnnouncesTwoNew PublicationsonHumanSkin ColorMeasurementandLight Pollution

cie.co.at/publications

TheInternationalCommissiononIllumination (CIE)ispleasedtoannouncethereleaseof twosigniﬁcantnewpublicationsthatadvance theunderstandingandstandardizationoflight andcolorinhumanandenvironmental contexts.

CIE256:2025–MeasurementofHuman SkinColor

Thislandmarkreportprovidesanauthoritative frameworkforthestandardizedand reproduciblemeasurementofhumanskin color.DevelopedbyCIETechnicalCommittee 1-92,thepublicationestablishesa harmonizedmethodologicalfoundationfor evaluating,comparing,andreproducingskin

coloracrossscientiﬁc,medical,andindustrial ﬁelds.

Particularlynotableisthereport’s comprehensivetreatmentofmeasurement uncertaintyandprotocolconsistency, addressingkeyvariablessuchas instrumentation,illuminationgeometry,body location,andindividualdiversity.Together, theseelementsensurethatmeasurementsare reliable,comparable,andscientiﬁcallyrobust —offeringacriticalreferenceforapplications rangingfromdermatologyandimagingto cosmeticsandcolortechnology.

CIEPS003:2025–CIEPositionStatement onObtrusiveLightandLightPollution (1stEdition)

BuildingonCIE’songoingworkinlightandthe environment,thisPositionStatementfocuses onachievingabalancebetweenthebeneﬁts ofnighttimelightingandtheneedtominimise itsadverseeffects.Thedocument summarisesthecurrentstateofknowledge, outlinesbestpracticesformitigatingobtrusive light,andidentiﬁeskeyareaswherefurther researchisneededtoguidesustainableand responsiblelightingdesign.

AbouttheCIE

TheInternationalCommissiononIllumination (CIE)istheglobalauthorityonlight, illumination,color,andvision.Throughits scientiﬁccommitteesandinternational collaborations,CIEdevelopsandpublishes standardsthatpromoteconsistency, innovation,andunderstandinginlightingand colorscienceworldwide. ■

InsideCertificationPathwaysfor ComplexAutomotiveLightingSystems, NiyaziÇekiç,CertifieratCSAGroup

NiyaziÇekiç

“Early,independentvalidationisthe keytohelpingreducerisks,cut costs,andreachthemarketfaster.”

Intoday’sautomotiveandelectronicindustries,productsafety, compliance,andperformanceverificationaremorecomplexthanever. Inthisexclusiveinterview,CSAGroupexpertNiyaziÇekiçexplainshow independentthird-partytestingsupportsglobalcertificationstrategies andhelpsmanufacturersstreamlinemarketaccess.Topicsincludethe roleofCSAGroupcertificationwithininternationalframeworkssuchas CEandECE,thecoresafetyandreliabilitycriteriaforelectronicsystems, andthecertificationpathwaysforadvancedautomotivelighting technologies.ReaderswillalsogaininsightintohowCSAGroup differentiatesitselfthroughintegratedworkflows,earlyvalidationoptions, andharmonizedprocessesacrossglobalmarkets.

www.csagroup.org

LEDprofessional: Thankyouvery muchforthisexchange.Couldyou pleasegiveusabriefoverviewof yourcareer?

NiyaziÇekiç: IamaCertifierwithmore than12yearsofexperienceintheTesting,Inspection,andCertification(TIC) industry.Overthepastfiveyears,Ihave specializedinlightingandautomotive lighting,withafocusonproductsafety, compliance,andperformanceverification.Myearlierworkincalibrationand EMI/EMCtestingprovidedmewitha strongfoundationinprecisionandregulatorystandards.

LEDprofessional: Fromatechnicalcomplianceperspective,what doesCSAGroupcertiﬁcationvalidatewithintheproductdevelopmentcycle,andhowdoesitintegrate withbroaderconformityassessment schemes(e.g.,CE,ECE)?

NiyaziÇekiç: CSAGroup,asanindependentthird-partylaboratory,validates thatproductscomplywiththerelevant safety,performance,andefﬁciencystandards.Ourroleistoprovideimpartial testingandcertiﬁcationthatassesses/ evaluatescompliance.

WhileCSAGroupcertiﬁcationdoesnot replaceCEmarking,ouraccreditedtest datacanoftenbeusedtosupportCE conformityassessmentandhelpreduce theneedforduplicatetesting.Since mostUNECEregulationsarewithinour accreditationscope,ourreportsareacceptedbyapprovalauthorities,helping manufacturersstreamlinetypeapproval processes.

Inshort,CSAGroupactsasatrusted third-partypartnerthatprovidesrecognizedtestevidencetosupportglobal compliancestrategies.

LEDprofessional: Whatarethecore performance,safety,andreliability criteriaassessedduringCSAGroup certiﬁcationforelectroniccomponentsandsystems?

NiyaziÇekiç: Forelectroniccomponentsandsystems,CSAGroupcertiﬁcationfocusesonconﬁrmingthatthey operatereliablyandperformsafelyas intendedintermsofrequirementsofrelevantstandards.

Thisusuallymeanscheckingthingslike electricalandthermalsafety,mechanicalrobustness,EMCperformance,and long-termreliabilityunderstressandenvironmentalconditions.Thecorecriteria istogivemanufacturerstrustedproof thattheirproductscanbeusedsafely andconsistentlyinreal-worldapplications.

LEDprofessional: Canyououtlinethe certiﬁcationpathwayforcomplexor conﬁgurablesystems,suchasautomotivelightingmodulesthatintegrate sensorsorsoftware-controlledbehavior?

NiyaziÇekiç: Forcomplexorconﬁgurablesystemslikeautomotivelighting moduleswithsensorsorsoftwarecontrol,thecertiﬁcationpathwayisusually step-by-stepandmodular.Asathirdpartylaboratory,weverifycomplianceat eachstage.

Theprocesstypicallyinvolves:

1. Systemdeﬁnition–conﬁrmingthe scope,functions,andregulatoryrequirements(ECE,IEC,orother).

2. Component-levelevaluation–performtestingoptics,electronics,sensors,andsoftwarefunctionsaccordingtotherelevantstandards.

3. Systemintegrationtesting–verifyingthatthecombinedhardwareand softwarebehavesafelyundernormal andfaultconditions.

4. Environmentalandreliabilitytests –thermalcycling,vibration,EMC, humidity,anddurabilitychecks.

5. Finalcertiﬁcation–issuingaccredited reportsthatcanbeuseddirectlyfor ECEtypeapprovalortosupportCB schemeapplications.

Thispathwayhelpsconﬁrmthateach layerofacomplexsystemisindependentlyvalidated

LEDprofessional: Whatdistinguishes theCSA,CSA/US,andC/CSA/US marksintermsoftestmethodology, regulatoryacceptance,andinteroperabilityacrossinternationalmarkets?

NiyaziÇekiç: Thedifferencebetween theCSA,CSA/US,andC/CSA/US marksisthatproductsarecertiﬁedto applicablestandardsineitherCanada ortheU.S.,orboth.Thetestmethodologyitselfisthesame—weapplythe relevantsafetyandperformancestandardsunderISO/IEC/ULaccredited proceduresinconjunctionwithnational/regionaldifferences.

• CSAmark → Indicatescompliance withapplicablestandardsinCanada.

• CSA/USmark → Indicatescompliancewithapplicablestandardsinthe U.S.

• C/CSA/USmark → Indicatescompliancewithapplicablestandardsin CanadaandtheU.S.

Fromamanufacturer’sperspective,this givesﬂexibility.Insteadofrepeating tests,onecertiﬁcationcanhelpsupportmarketaccessonbothsidesof theborder.AndbecauseCSAGroup isaccreditedinternationally,ourtestreportscanoftenbeleveragedtosupport broaderconformityschemes(e.g.,CB Scheme,orECEforautomotive),reducingduplication.

LEDprofessional: Towhatextent doesCSAGroupcertiﬁcationaccountforfunctionalsafetystandards, suchasISO26262,whendealingwith safety-criticalautomotivecomponents?

NiyaziÇekiç: CSAGroupcertiﬁcation cansupportcompliancewithfunctional safetystandardslikeISO26262,butit’s importanttonotethatourroleisindependenttestingandveriﬁcation,notdesignordevelopmentofsafetysystems.

Forsafety-criticalautomotivecomponents,thistypicallymeans:

• Verifyingthathardwareandsoftware behaveasintendedundernormaland faultconditions.

• Performingelectrical,thermal,mechanical,andenvironmentalteststhat feedintofunctionalsafetyassessments.

• Providingtestreportsissuedbyan accreditedlaboratoryforusebymanufacturersaspartoftheirISO26262 functionalsafetydocumentation.

Inshort,CSAGroupcertiﬁcationgives manufacturerstrusted,third-partydata tosupportfunctionalsafetyclaimsand integratewithISO26262compliance processes,buttheultimateresponsibility forfunctionalsafetylieswiththeproduct developer.

LEDprofessional: HowdoCSAGroup’s testingprotocolscomparewiththose ofULorTÜV,particularlyforphotometricandelectromagneticcompatibilityevaluation?

NiyaziÇekiç: AtCSAGroup,ourtestingprotocolsforphotometricandEMC evaluationsarefullyalignedwithinternationallyrecognizedstandards,helping ensureresultsthatarebothaccurate andwidelyaccepted.Forphotometricalmeasurements,weutilizestateartof technologygoniophotometersandspectroradiometerstomeasurelightdistribution,intensity,andcolorcharacteristics.

Thegoalissimple:togivemanufacturersreliable,reproducible,andglobally recognizedtestresultsthatcanbeused conﬁdentlyincompliancewithmarket accessprocesses.

LEDprofessional: Whatarethemain driversformanufacturerstoselect CSAGroupasacertiﬁcationpartner overotherTICproviders,especially forNorthAmericanorglobalharmonizationstrategies?

NiyaziÇekiç: Manufacturersoftenchoose CSAGroupbecauseourcertifications arewidelyrecognizedinNorthAmericaandcanalsosupportglobalharmonizationstrategies.Asanindependent third-partylaboratory,weprovideaccreditedtestingandcertificationthat helpsreduceduplicateeffortsacross regions.Ourstrengthliesincombining deeptechnicalexpertise,broadaccreditationscope(includingmanyECEregulations),andareputationforexcellent customerservice.Thetestingandcertificationprocesscanseemchallenging tosomemanufacturers,andweuseour expertisetohelpourcustomersnavigate theprocessinacollaborativeandefficientmanner.

WorkingwithCSAGrouphelpsmanufacturerssimplifycompliance,speedup marketaccess,andprovideconﬁdence thattheirproductsmeetinternational safetyandperformanceexpectations.

LEDprofessional: CanCSAGroup certificationprocessesbealigned withOEM-specificvalidationworkflowsorfront-loadtestingrequirementsduringearly-stagedevelopment?

NiyaziÇekiç: Yes.Asanindependent laboratory,wedon’tjointhedesignprocess,butweprovideearlyphotometric, EMC,andenvironmentalevaluationsthat integratesmoothlyintoanOEM’sdevelopmenttimeline.

Thisallowslightingmanufacturersto detectcomplianceissuesearly,avoid costlyredesigns,andmovemoreefficientlytowardfinalcertificationandinternationalmarketapprovals.

LEDprofessional: Whatisthescope ofCSAGroup’sautomotivelighting testing—doesitencompassphotometry,thermalmanagement,durability (e.g.,vibration,ingress),andEMC compliancewithinasingleworkﬂow?

NiyaziÇekiç: AtCSAGroup’sEuropean HeadquartersinPlattling,Germany,the testingscopeisdesignedtocoverthe fullrangeofevaluationswithinasingleworkﬂow.Thisincludesphotometry (lightdistribution,intensity,colorand retroreﬂectivity)inaccordancewithECE regulations,thermalmanagement(temperaturerise,heatdissipation),durability testing(vibration,shock,ingressprotection,humidity,thermalcycling)andEMC compliance.

Bycombiningthesecapabilitiesunder oneroof,manufacturerscanstreamline theirvalidationprocessandmovemore efﬁcientlytowardregulatoryapprovals likeECEorCBSchemecertiﬁcations.

LEDprofessional: Wouldyoudescribe thetypicalsequenceoflaboratory assessmentsperformedonanadvancedheadlampunit—frominitial lightdistributionmeasurementsto regulatoryconformitychecks(e.g., ECER112,FMVSS108)forus?

NiyaziÇekiç: Foranadvancedheadlampunit,thelaboratoryassessment usuallyfollowsastep-by-stepsequence. Itoftenbeginswithinitialphotometric checkstomeasurelightdistribution,intensity,andbeampattern.Next,thermal testingevaluatesheatbuildupandstabilityduringoperation.Fromthere,theunit undergoesdurabilityassessmentssuch asvibration,ingressprotection,humidity, andthermalcyclingtoconﬁrmlong-term reliability.

Afterthesebaselinetests,EMCevaluationsassesswhethertheelectronics andcontrolsystemsperformcorrectly withoutinterference.Finally,theresults arecompiledintoformalregulatoryconformitychecks,suchasECER112or FMVSS108,todemonstratecompliance withthespeciﬁcmarketrequirements.

LEDprofessional: Howaredynamic systemslikeAdaptiveDrivingBeam (ADB)testedforreal-timephotometriccompliance,beamshaping,and anti-glareperformanceundervariable conditions?

NiyaziÇekiç: ForAdaptiveDriving Beam(ADB)systems,testingfocuseson howthelightadaptsinrealtime.Using anAtypehigh-speedgoniophotometer, wecancapturethefullbeamdistribution inmotion,recordtransitionsbetween modes,andcheckthatthebeamreshapescorrectlywithoutgaps.Theopticalmeasurementsystemhandleslarge, heavyheadlampunits,measureswith ﬁneangularprecision,andallowsseamlessswitchingbetweendifferentlighting functionsunderCANcontrol.

Thismakesitpossibletovalidatebeam shaping,anti-glareperformance,and regulatorycomplianceundervariable operatingconditionsinasingleworkﬂow.

LEDprofessional: Whatobjectivetest methodsorequipmentareusedto measureandvalidateglarelevels, especiallyformatrix-basedorpixellevelheadlampsystems?

NiyaziÇekiç: Formatrixorpixel-level headlamps,glarevalidationrelieson objective,instrument-basedmeasurements.High-resolutionAtypegoniophotometermeasurementsystemcaptures thelightdistributionprecisely,whileluminanceimagingsystemsorphotometersmeasureintensityatspeciﬁcangles toensurethebeamdoesnotexceed anti-glarelimits.Testsareperformed underdynamicconditions,simulating real-worlddrivingscenarios,sothesystem’sautomaticshadingandadaptive behaviorcanbeveriﬁedreliably.

Thisapproachgivesmanufacturers quantitative,reproducibleproofthattheir advancedlightingsystemsprotectoncomingdriverswhilemaintainingroad illumination.Thisstructuredworkﬂow helpsmanufacturersverifyperformance early,validaterobustness,andsecure recognizedtestevidenceforglobalapprovals.

LEDprofessional: Inthecaseof“signaturelighting”andaccentelements— howarephotometricvisibility,color consistency,andsignalharmonizationevaluatedacrossdifferentvehicle platforms?

NiyaziÇekiç: Forsignaturelightingand accentelements,CSAGroupevaluates photometricvisibility,colorconsistency, andsignalharmonizationusinghighprecisionmeasurementsystems.Light intensityanddistributionaremeasured toensurevisibilityacrossallviewingangles,whilespectroradiometersverify consistentcoloracrossmultipleunits. Signaltimingandharmonizationare testedtoconﬁrmthatindicators,DRLs, andaccentelementsoperateinsync acrossdifferentvehicleplatforms,ensuringbothregulatorycomplianceanda consistentvisualidentity.

Thisprovidesmanufacturerswithobjective,reproducibledatathatsupports compliancetoapplicablesafetystandardsandbrandconsistencyacross multiplemodels.

LEDprofessional: Whichtechnical regulationsandstandardsarecurrentlymostcriticalforcompliancein theEuropeanvs.NorthAmericanautomotivelightingmarkets(e.g.,ECE R48,R149,SAEJ1383,FMVSS108)?

NiyaziÇekiç: Inautomotivelighting,the regulatoryfocusdiffersbetweenEurope andNorthAmerica,butbothregionsare equallystrict.

Europe:ThekeyframeworkistheECE RegulationsunderUNWP.29.ForlightingthisincludesECER48(installation oflighting),ECER149(performanceof headlamps),andrelatedstandardsfor signalingdevices(e.g.,R6,R7,R23). Thesesetdetailedrulesforphotometry, color,andinstallationacrossvehicleplatforms.

NorthAmerica:Compliancecenterson FMVSS108,whichgovernsalllighting, reﬂectivedevices,andsignalingrequirements.Inparallel,SAEstandards(e.g., SAEJ1383forheadlamps)providetechnicaldetailoftenreferencedinOEMvalidation.

ManufacturersinterestedinglobalmarketsusuallyneedtodemonstratecompliancewithbothECEandFMVSS frameworks,whichmeansharmonizing testingacrossregulatoryrequirements. Thisiswhereathird-partylabcanhelp byprovidingalignedtestworkﬂowsand minimizingduplicatedeffort.

LEDprofessional: HowdoesCSA Grouphelpensuretraceabilityand harmonizationwhencertifyingaproductthatmustmeetbothEUandUS/Canadianregulationssimultaneously?

NiyaziÇekiç: CSAGroupsupports manufacturersbycreatingasingle, traceabletestprogramthatcoversboth EUandUS/Canadianrequirements.All resultsaredocumentedunderaccreditedprocedures,sothesamedataset canbereferencedforECEregulations, FMVSS108,andCanadianstandards. Byharmonizingtheworkflow,wereduce duplicatedtestingandprovideaclear certificationpathwaythathelpsconfirmcomplianceacrossmultiplemarkets whilekeepingtraceabilityintactforaudits andregulatorysubmissions.

LEDprofessional: Howhaverecent regulatorydevelopments,suchasthe NHTSA’sapprovalofADBsystems, impacteddemandforlighting-speciﬁc certiﬁcationandtestingservices?

NiyaziÇekiç: Therecentapprovalof AdaptiveDrivingBeam(ADB)systems byNHTSAhasdeﬁnitelyraiseddemand forspecializedtesting.OEMsandsuppliersnowneedtoprovenotonlybaselinecompliancewithFMVSS108but alsodemonstratethedynamicperformanceofadvancedsystemsunderreal drivingconditions.Thishasincreased interestinphotometrictesting,real-time beamcontrolvalidation,andglareassessment,asmanufacturerslookfor trustedlabstohelpnavigatebothregulatoryacceptanceandmarketreadiness. CSAGroupisactivelyaligningitscapabilitieswiththesenewrequirements, ensuringourtestmethodsandexpertise evolveinstepwithregulatorydevelopments.

LEDprofessional: Whatspeciﬁctest capabilitiesdoesCSAGroup’snew Germanfacilityofferforautomotive lighting—especiallyregardingsimulationenvironments,goniophotometry, orin-situmeasurementsystems?

NiyaziÇekiç: OurnewCSAGrouptestingfacilityinPlattling,Germanyisdesignedtosupportthefullscopeofautomotivelightingevaluation.Itincludes advancedGoniophotometersystems forpreciselightdistribution,intensity mapping,colorcoordinatesevaluations andretroreﬂectivityassessments,as wellasenvironmentalsimulationcham-

berstoreplicatethermal,vibration,and ingressconditions.Wealsoofferin-situ measurementsetups,allowingreal-time validationoffunctionslikeAdaptiveDrivingBeamunderdynamicscenarios. Together,thesecapabilitiesgivemanufacturersanintegratedworkﬂow—from earlyprototypecheckstofullregulatory compliance.

LEDprofessional: Isthefacilityequipped tohandlefull-vehiclelevelintegrationtesting,orisitoptimizedfor module/component-levelcertiﬁcationworkﬂows?

NiyaziÇekiç: Thefacilityisprimarilyoptimizedforcomponent-levelcertification oflightingsystems,includingheadlamps, signallamps,andrelatedelectronics. ForEMCevaluations,however,weare alsoequippedtoconductfull-vehicle leveltests,toevaluatewhethercomponentsnotonlycomplyindividuallybut alsoperformreliablywhenintegrated intothecompletevehicleplatform.This dualcapabilityallowsmanufacturersto streamlinebothcertificationandintegrationneedswithinasingleworkflow.

LEDprofessional: Howdoesthelab’s proximitytoEuropeanOEMsand Tier1suppliersimpactleadtimes, datafeedbackloops,andcompliance agility?

NiyaziÇekiç: Beinglocatedintheheart ofEurope,closetomajorOEMsandTier 1suppliers,allowsustoshortenlead timesandcreatemuchfasterdatafeedbackloops.Thisproximitymakesiteasiertoalignwithcustomerdevelopment cycles,supportjointtroubleshooting, andadaptquicklytoevolvingcomplianceneeds.Theresultisgreateragility inmeetingbothregulatoryandOEMspeciﬁcrequirements,withoutthedelays ofdistanttestingorlogistics.

LEDprofessional: Arethereplans tosupportvirtualvalidationmethods,model-basedcertiﬁcationapproaches,ordata-drivencompliance strategieswithinthenewlabenvironment?

NiyaziÇekiç: Atthemoment,thereis noformallyapprovedcertiﬁcationpathwayforvirtualormodel-basedvalidationinautomotivelighting.Thatsaid, CSAGroupiscloselyfollowingindustrydevelopmentsandactivelyexploring howdata-drivenmethodsandsimulation

toolscouldcomplementtraditionaltestinginthefuture.Ourgoalistobeready tointegratetheseapproachesoncethey gainwiderregulatoryacceptance,so thatcustomerscanbeneﬁtfromboth physicaltestingandemergingdigital workﬂows.

LEDprofessional: WhatcollaborationmodelsdoesCSAGroupoffer forautomotiveOEMsandTier1suppliers?Canclientsengageearlyin developmentorco-developvalidation strategies?

NiyaziÇekiç: CSAGroupoffersflexiblecollaborationmodelsforautomotive OEMsandTier1suppliers.Through ourTechnicalInformationService(TIS), clientscanengageearlyinthedevelopmentcycletoleveragepre-compliance testing,technicaladvice,anddesign reviews.Thisservicealsoallowsusto co-developvalidationstrategies,helping toconfirmthattestworkflowsarefully alignedwithOEMrequirementsandintegratedsmoothlyintotheirdevelopment timeline.

LEDprofessional: Whatcanclients typicallyexpectintermsofcoststructure,leadtime,andperformance consistencywhenworkingwithCSA Groupversusalternativetestlabs?

NiyaziÇekiç: ClientsworkingwithCSA Groupcantypicallyexpectatransparentcoststructure,withpricingalignedto thescopeandcomplexityofthetests required.Leadtimesareoptimized throughourcentralizedEuropeanfacility,fastdatafeedbackloops,and streamlinedworkﬂows.Performance consistencyismadepossiblebyaccreditedprocedures,calibratedequipment, andexperiencedtechnicalteams,giving manufacturersreliableandreproducible testresultsforregulatorysubmissions andinternalvalidation.

LEDprofessional: HowdoesCSA Groupsupportcompaniesnotonlyin meetingregulatoryrequirementsbut alsoinacceleratingtime-to-market andreducingcompliancefriction?

NiyaziÇekiç: CSAGrouphelpscompaniesgobeyondjustmeetingregulatory requirementsbyprovidingpracticalsupportthroughourTechnicalInformation Service(TIS).Clientscanengageearlyto accesspre-compliancetesting,technicalguidance,anddesignreviews,which

helpsidentifypotentialissuesbefore formalcertiﬁcation.Thisproactiveapproachacceleratestime-to-market,reducescompliancefriction,andhelpsensurethattestworkﬂowsalignsmoothly withbothregulatoryandOEMrequirements.

LEDprofessional: Fromastrategic standpoint,whatareCSAGroup’s USP’s(uniquesellingpoints)inthe automotivelightingsector?Whatsets yourapproachapartfromotherglobal certiﬁcationproviders?

NiyaziÇekiç: CSAGroup’sunique strengthsinautomotivelightingliein ourintegrated,end-to-endtestingcapabilitiesanddeeptechnicalexpertise.We combinemoduleandcomponent-level certiﬁcation,fullEMCvehicletesting,and advancedphotometricevaluationunder oneroof,whichhelpswithconsistency andtraceability.OurTechnicalInformationService(TIS)allowsOEMsandTier 1supplierstoengageearly,co-develop validationstrategies,andleverageprecomplianceinsights,whichaccelerates developmentcyclesandreducescompliancefriction.

LEDprofessional: Thankyousomuch forthisexclusiveandextensiveinterview.Itwasapleasuretalkingwith you.

NiyaziÇekiç: Thankyouverymuch. ■

Foradditionalinformation,pleasevisit https://www.csagroup.org

Instrumentalveriﬁcationofthe‘cut-off’line forpassing-drivingbeam/headlamps. ©CSAGroup.

TheCostofChangingaLightbulb

Dr.BeverlyPasian

1,2

,UniversityofAppliedSciencesUtrecht(HU)

TherehavebeenmorethanonehundredreportsreceivedbythemunicipalityofAmsterdamofbrokenstreetlightsalongHolterbergweg.Theproblem?Itwasclearthatwalkinghomeat nightintheNetherlandscarriedinherentrisks,particularlyforwomenand marginalizedgroups.

A2025crowdsourcedmapcreated byPointerandADrevealedthatmore than11,000womensubmittednearly 13,000locationswheretheyfeelunsafe.Alarmingly,halfofthesesites werelinkedtoactualincidents,either personallyexperiencedorknowntoindividualsintheircircles.Thecommon denominator?Poorlighting.

1 Dr.BeverlyPasian ResearchGroupProcessInnovation& InformationSystems HUUniversityofAppliedSciencesUtrecht Heidelberglaan15|POBox85029|3508 AAUtrecht| TheNetherlands

2 beverly.pasian@hu.nl

Despitebeingknownforitsprogressive urbanplanning,theNetherlandsfacesa signiﬁcantimbalanceinhowresourcesare allocatedforpublicsafety.Whilemunicipalitiesinvestheavilyinpubliclightingdriven bysustainabilitygoalslikereducingenergy consumptionandcarbonemissions,there isalackoffocusonsafetyforvulnerable populations.AlthoughcitieslikeAmsterdamandUtrechtareadoptingLEDretroﬁts andsmartlightingsystems,thedistribution oflightingisoftenuneven.

Formanywomenandmarginalizedgroups, navigatingcitiesafterdarkissignificantly influencedbysafetyconcernsratherthan energyefficiency.Poorlylitsidewalks,bike paths,andtransitstopscanturnaroutinejourneyintoahazardousendeavor. Lightingtendstobeconcentratedincommercialandtouristareas,whileresidential neighborhoodsandtransitcorridorsremain inadequatelyilluminated.Thisdiscrepancy pointstoacriticalissue:decisionsabout lightingoftenomitgender-disaggregated dataandexcludeinputfromthosemost affected.

Thisdatagaphasrealconsequences. Withoutmetricstiedtolivedexperience, municipalitiesstruggletojustifylightingupgradesbasedonsafetyratherthantrafﬁc ﬂoworenergysavings.Thisabsenceof insightalsoleadstoineffectivepolicyand investment.

PubliclightingintheNetherlandsisamajor municipalexpense,withcitiesspending hundredsofmillionsannuallyonstreetlights,energy,andmaintenance.Thisincludesbothconventionalinfrastructureand newertechnologieslikeLEDretroﬁtsand smartlightingsystems.

IntheNetherlands,transportationspending revealsaclearhierarchy:carsandbikes takeprecedence,whilepedestriansare oftenoverlooked.AccordingtoStatistics Netherlands(CBS),infrastructureandmobilityinvestmentstotaled2.0%ofGDPin 2024,orroughly€18billion.Yetthisfundingisunevenlydistributed.

Billionsareallocatedannuallytomaintain andexpandthe3,500-kilometerhighway

network.Incontrast,pedestrianinfrastructureandlightingreceiveconsiderablyless investment.WhilecitieslikeAmsterdam andRotterdamhaveupgradedtoenergyefﬁcientLEDstreetlights,theseeffortsare typicallydrivenbysustainabilitygoals,not safety.Smartlightingcancutenergyuse byupto50%,butdimmingwhennomotionisdetectedmayreducevisibilityfor lonepedestrians.

“Visibilitydecisionsshapewho getsseen.”

DR.BEVERLYPASIAN

Morebroadly,Europeancitiescollectively investbillionsofeurosannuallyinpublic lighting,withsmartandenergy-efﬁcient systemsincreasinglyprioritized.In2023, theEUtotalexpenditureofgeneralgovernmenton’housingandcommunityamenities’amountedto€199billionor1.2%of GDPofwhich’streetlighting’was0.1%. Morespeciﬁcally,publiclightingaccounts for20-40%ofmunicipalelectricityuseand upto35%ofcarbonemissionsfrompublic infrastructure.

HowCanBudgetsBe Distributed?

Lightingplacementisshapedbytechnical assessments,budgets,andpoliticalpriorities.Commercialzones,touristareas, andmajorroadstypicallyreceiveconsistentillumination,whileresidentialstreets, pedestrianpaths,andtransitcorridorsare oftenunderlit.Thisreﬂectsabroaderbias inurbandesign:visibilityisprioritizedfor commerceandmobility,whileeveryday routesusedbywomen,elderlyresidents, andmarginalizedgroupsaredeprioritized. Visibilitydecisionsshapewhogetsseen. Surveillancetechnologiesareincreasingly embeddedinlightinginfrastructure,as inAmsterdam’sHoekenrodeplein,where 144smartstreetlightsincludesensors, cameras,andpublicWi-Fi.Marketedas

safetytools,thesesystemsoftenserve policingandcommercialinterestsmore thancommunitywellbeing.Someargue thisreinforcesracializedsurveillancewhile neglectingtherootcausesofinsecurity.

Dutchtransportationbudgetsprioritize carinfrastructurewithcyclingandpedestrianlightingunderfunded.Gendered safetyinactivemobilityisagrowingpriority amongstmanygovernmentstakeholders, withtheprovinceofUtrechtparticularly motivatedtoresearchthiscriticalarea.

AnotherCriticalPublicCost

Gender-basedviolence(GBV)isaprofound humanrightsviolationandacostlyburden acrosstheEuropeanUnionandonDutch society.AccordingtotheEuropeanInstituteforGenderEquality(EIGE),thecostof GBVacrosstheEUis€366billionannually. TheNetherlandsincursapproximately€3.3 billionannuallyduetoGBV,includingintimatepartnerviolence,sexualassault,and harassment.

Costsspanhealthcare,legal,socialservices,traumarecoveryandlosteconomic productivity.Publicexpenditurescanalso includepolicing,legalproceedings,and incarceration.Shelters,counseling,and victimsupportrequiresustainedfunding, whileeconomiclossesarisewhensurvivors misswork,reducehours,orleaveemployment.

TheDutchgovernmenthasresponded throughfundingandadvocacy.TheSafe CitiesProgramisonesuchexamplewhich promotessaferpublicspaces.The2024 SexOffencesActcriminalizesstreetharassmentandstrengthenslegalprotections.Yetexpertswarnthatprevention remainsunderfunded.MeasureslikepubliclightingandsurveillancearerarelyassessedfortheirimpactonGBV,andfragmentedbudgetingacrosssectorslimits theeffectivenessofgender-sensitivesafety strategies.

UnderstandingGBV’seconomictollreframesitasapublicinvestmentissue.

Lightinginvestmentstendtoprioritizecommercialzones,highways,andtouristareas, whileresidentialstreets,pedestrianpaths, andtransitcorridorsremainunderlit.This reﬂectsabroaderpattern:visibilityforvehiclesandcommerceisprioritizedover safetyformarginalizedgroups.

The€3.3billionGBVcostrepresentsover 0.3%oftheNetherlands’GDP.Redirectingevenafractiontowardproactive

measures—suchasgender-sensitive lightingaudits,safetransitaccess,and community-ledinitiatives—couldyieldsubstantiallong-termsavings.

AcrosstheEuropeanUnion,theeconomic impactofgender-basedviolence(GBV)far outweighsinvestmentinpubliclighting.Accordingtoﬁgurespublishedin2021byEuropeanInstituteforGenderEquality,GBV costtheEU(in2021)approximately€366 billionannually,with€289billionlinkedto violenceagainstwomen.Thesecostsincludephysicalandemotionalharm(€205 billion),criminaljusticeservices(€77billion), losteconomicoutput(€51billion),andadditionalexpensesforciviljustice,housing aid,andchildprotection.

AverifiableannualexpenditureintheEU forpubliclightingcan’teasilybedetermined.Industryinsightcanbeprovidedby LightingEurope,theprimaryassociationof theEuropeanlightingindustry.Itidentifies a€21billionannualturnoverinthelightingindustry.Streetlighting,accordingto its2024-2029priorities,accountsfor3050%ofthetotalelectricityconsumptionof amunicipality.Thiscoversmaintenance, energyforover90millionstreetlights,LED retrofits,smartlightingsystems,andlightingintransportandpublicspaces.

Thesenumberstellacompellingstoryand revealacriticalpolicygap.Despite30–50%ofEUwomenreportingexperiences ofviolence,lightingstrategiesrarelyinclude gender-sensitiveauditsorprioritizeareas wherevulnerablepopulationsfeelunsafe. Illuminationtendstofocusoncommercial zones,highways,andtouristareas,while residentialpaths,transitcorridors,and pedestrianroutesremainunderlit.

EIGE’sanalysisacrossall27member statesshowsGBVimposescostsongovernments,employers,andindividuals.Yet preventivemeasuresandsurvivorsupport remainchronicallyunderfunded,despite theirpotentialtoreducelong-termsocietal costs.AlthoughtheEUhasdeclaredGBV eliminationastrategicpriority,implementationvarieswidely.

RedirectingevenafractionofGBV-related coststowardpreventiveinfrastructure— suchasinclusivelighting,safetransitaccess,andcommunity-leddesign—could yieldtransformativeresults.Reframing lightingasatoolforequity,notjustefﬁciency,wouldshiftcitiesfromsymbolic gesturestosubstantiveprotection.Let’s alsoconsidertransportationandmobility.Evenincycling-friendlycities,lighting alongbikeroutesisofteninconsistent. WhiletheNetherlandshasmadestrides

ininclusivedesign,thepoliticsofvisibility andsafetystillmatter.Adequatelighting isnotjustaboutvisibility;itreﬂectswhose safetyisprioritizedanddeemedworthyof investment.It’swelldocumentedthatinadequatetransportandsafeaccesscan limitwomen’sopportunitiesinemployment, education,andhealthcare.Inotherwords, theirquality-of-life.

“Whensomeoneisattacked onapoorlylitstreet,it’smore thanapersonaltragedy;it signalsasystemicﬂawinresourceallocationandurban planning.”

DR.BEVERLYPASIAN

Formanywomen,LGBTQ+individuals, andmarginalizedgroups,dimlylitstreets evokefearandavoidance.Peoplechange routes,skipeveningactivities,oravoid parksandtransitstops.A2024Dutch studyfoundthatlightingandpathconditionssigniﬁcantlyaffectwomen’ssenseof security,yetgender-disaggregateddata remainsscarceinDutchurbanplanning. Similarinsightshavebeendocumentedin RomeandGeneva.

WhatCanBeDone?

EUguidelinesincreasinglyadvocateintegratinglightingintobroadersmartcity infrastructureusinginteroperablesystems thatpromotesafety,sustainability,and communityengagement.However,implementationvariesacrossmemberstates duetodifferencesinbudgets,political commitment,andaccesstoEUfunding.

StartingwithDutchexamples…Citieslike Rotterdamareattheforefrontofasigniﬁcanttransformationinstreetlighting throughtheirambitiousLEDconversion projects.Bytheendoftheyear2025,Rotterdamplanstoreplaceall100,000ofits streetlightswithenergy-efﬁcientLEDtechnology.Thisinitiativeisexpectedtohavea substantialimpact,asLEDlightsconsume upto50%lessenergycomparedtotraditionalstreetlightingsystemsandhavea muchlongerlifespan.Asaresult,thecity willnotonlysaveonelectricitycostsbut alsoreduceexpensesrelatedtofrequent replacements.

Utrecht’sSustainableUrbanMobilityPlan (SUMP)intheNetherlandsservesasan

impressiveexampleofhowlightingcan beintegratedwithpedestrianandcycling infrastructuretoenhancesafeandactive mobility.Thecityemployssmartlighting alongbikepathsandpublictransportcorridors,whichnotonlyimprovesvisibilitybut alsoreducesenergyconsumption.

TheHollandHighTechRoadmapforLighting2024–2027delineatesthestrategies thattheDutchlightingecosystemisemployingtostrengthenitsleadershipthrough innovation.Centraltothisroadmapare severalkeyfocusareas,includingthedevelopmentofintelligentlightingsystems, theintegrationoflightingsolutionswithurbanmobilityandsafetymeasures,andthe promotionofeconomicgrowththrough high-techlightingexports.

OutsidetheEU,theCityofLondonpublisheda177-pagehandbookin2022. SafetyinPublicSpaceinstructstheincorporationofgender-budgetingintoproject steps.‘Lighting’isreferenced31times. Multipleprojectsillustratetheirapproach withreadinglistsonwhatcitiescando next.

UN-Habitatpublisheditsownversionin 2024…the‘GlobalPublicSpaceToolkit.’ Describedas‘apracticalreferenceforlocalgovernmentstoframeandimplement principles,policyrecommendationsand developmentinitiativesonpublicspace andforcentralgovernments.’

“Lightingshouldbereframed asastrategicinvestmentin safetyandprosperity,serving asakeysteptowardsocial justiceandviolenceprevention.”

DR.BEVERLYPASIAN

Inthesouthernhemisphere,theCityof Melbourne’sPublicLightingStrategy(2021) shouldreallyberenamed.Itgoesbeyond strategytoplanningandoperations.The detailsareextraordinaryandinstantlyinterpretable.AsIsaidinLpR’slastissue,this isadocumentthatcouldbeonthedeskof everycitylightingplanner.

TakingaDifferentLook

Publiclightingisoftenconsideredthrough aﬁnanciallensasaninvestmentininfrastructure.However,itstruevaluealsoliesin thelivesitimpactsand,attimes,thoseit failstoprotect.Whensomeoneisattacked onapoorlylitstreet,it’smorethanapersonaltragedy;itsignalsasystemicﬂawin resourceallocationandurbanplanning.

Let’sremembertheimpactoflightingon transportation.Inadequatestreetlighting notonlyaffectspedestriansafetybutalso influencesdrivers’visibility,contributingto accidents.Poorlylitintersectionsbecome spotsforcollisions,resultingininjury,propertydamage,anddisruptionoftrafficflow. Andwhenpublictransportationhubslack properlighting,itcandeterpeoplefromusingthem,leadingtoincreasedrelianceon carsandcontributingtotrafficcongestion.

“Lightisnotjustwhatletsus see—it’swhatmakesusfeel seen.”

DR.BEVERLYPASIAN

Citiesmustrecognizethateffectivelighting isaﬁnancialpriority,notmerelyanoperationalexpense.Thecostsofneglectingthis dutyarereﬂectedindecreasedproperty values,increasedcrime,andalossofcommunitytrust.

Lightingshouldbereframedasastrategic investmentinsafetyandprosperity,servingasakeysteptowardsocialjusticeand violenceprevention.Properlyilluminated streetsandtransportationfacilitiescanfosterasenseofsecuritythatencourages greatersocialinteractionandmobility,ultimatelyenhancingtheoverallqualityoflife inurbanareas. ■

BeverlyPasian (MA,DPM,EMBA,PhD) isaseniorresearcherandjoinedtheProcessInnovation&InformationSystems researchgroupin2025.Sheispartofthe SMARCOprojectteam,aprojectwhichthe HU,incollaborationwith22otherEuropeanorganizations,addressesthequestionofwhichskillsprofessionalsneedto transitiontogreenerandmoresmartdigital communities.

Mostrecently,shehasjoinedtheHU’snew MobilityKnowledgeCircle.Aunitresearchinginterventionsinthemobilitysystemthat contributetoasustainable,healthy,livable, safe,andaccessibleurbanenvironment.

Forover20years,Beverlyhasled,taught, andconductedresearchinthepublic sector,worldwide.Herworkfocuseson projectmanagement,researchmethods anddesign,andsmartcityprojects.She hasauthoreddozensofcourses,papers, books,andpresentations,aswellasmaster’sdegrees(ineducationandbusiness administration),adoctorateinprojectmanagement(2011),andadoctorateinbusinessadministration(2023).

Sheenjoyscollaboratingwithcityofﬁcials, projectmanagers,andresearcherstodeterminehowprojectscanachieveahigh qualityoflife.ShechairstheIEEE’sEuropeanTechnology&EngineeringManagementSummit(etems.digital),isamember ofIPMA’sSmarterUrbanRuralspecial interestgroup,andco-hoststhenewpodcastCitiesR4living.

Dr.Pasian’srecentcollaborationsinclude:

• ‘Citiesr4living’Podcast(co-host,IPMA)

• ACity’sHeartbeat:ProjectContributions toQuality-of-lifeinsmartcities(PhD Thesis,SKEMAUniversity,2024)

• Design,Methods&PracticesforResearchofProjectManagement(Taylor& Francis,London,2023)

• HandbookofResponsibleProjectManagement(DeGruyter-Brill,Berlin,2022)

beverly.pasian@hu.nl linkedin.com/in/beverlypasian hu.nl/onderzoek/onderzoekers/beverlypasian

WhytheFutureofLEDLightingLies withNanotechnology–Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar,CEOat Seaborough

Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar: “AtSeaborough,weareprovingthat nanotechnologycanunlocklighting solutionsthatarenotonlybrighterand moreefﬁcient,butalsotrulysustainable forpeopleandtheplanet.”

NanotechnologyisrewritingtherulesofLEDlighting.Inthisexclusive interview,Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar,CEOofSeaborough,explainshow nano-engineeredphosphorsovercomeefﬁciencyandcolorcompromises todeliverbrighter,sustainable,andhigh-qualitylightforthefuture.

www.seaborough.com

ThecreationofLEDsseveraldecades agotransformedhowweilluminateour world,offeringefficient,lasting,adaptablelightingthatiskindertotheplanet. Butearlybrilliancefadedintothesteady glowofincrementalgainsandconsistent challengesduetounderlyingmaterials.Traditionalredphosphorsenabled warmerwhiteLEDswithahigherColor RenderingIndex(CRI),buttheycarry trade-offs.Mostredphosphorsprovide broadbandemissionthatextendsinto theinvisibleinfra-redrange,attributing tolosses,whileothersdeliversharper emissionlinesthatenhancecolorrenderingbutfaceabsorptionchallenges andlong-termstabilityissues.Theresultisapersistentcompromisebetween deviceefficiencyandcolorquality,especiallyinmid-tohigh-powerranges aboveCRI85,wheredemandsonboth performanceandreliabilityaregreatest. Yearsofrefinementhaveonlygotusso far—untilnow.

Groundbreakingnano-engineeredsolutionsarepushingtheboundariesofLED lighting,redeﬁningwhat’spossiblefor bothperformanceandsustainability.To explorehownanoscienceischanging thegame,wesatdownwithluminescent expert,Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar, CEOatSeaborough.Readontodiscoverhowengineeringatthenanoscale istacklingtoughbusinesschallenges acrosstheLEDlightingindustry,from efﬁciencytostability,openingthedoor tosmarterapplicationsthatarebetterfor peopleandtheplanet.

LEDprofessional: Couldyoutellus whathasbeenholdinginnovationin theLEDlightingindustryback?

Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar: From coststotechnicalchallenges,several roadblockshavehinderedinnovation intheLEDlightingarena.Forinstance, technologicallimitationscombinedwith acceptanceofcurrentstandardshave madeitchallengingtoincreaseLEDefficiency—oneoftheindustry’sbiggest drivers.Spectralengineeringstilloffersuntappedopportunitiestoenhance LEDefficiency.Forexample,Eu3+ ions produceanincrediblynarrow-bandred emissionthat’stheoreticallyidealasa redemitterforLEDapplications,offeringhighcolorrenderingwithoutemitting lightoutsidetheredrange.However, Eu3+ inconventionalphosphorsdoesn’t absorbthebluelightoftheLED,inhibitingpracticalusage.Effortstosensitize theionsbyco-dopingblueabsorbing elementstypicallycreateunwanted ioninteractions,whichinturnleadto quenchingissues.Thismakesitdifficult tounlockthefullpotentialoftheLED, forcingtheindustrytocompromiseon efficiency.

MakingEu3+ ionssuitableforLEDshas beenanactivetopicofresearchfor decades.However,despitetheseefforts,nobreakthroughhasbeenachieved. Thischallengerequiresluminescentexpertstothinkoutsidetheboxandtake afundamentallydifferentapproach.And that’swherenanotechnologycomesin.

LEDprofessional: Howisnanotechnologytransformingthepotentialof solid-statelighting?

Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar: There ishugepotentialinengineeringatthe nanoscaletotransformtheLEDindustryforamoreefﬁcientandsustainable future.Thisiscurrentlybeingachieved throughinter-particleenergytransfer (IFRET)atthenanoscale,whichhas beendevelopedbyourteamatSeaborough.Inshort,itenablesEu3+-based phosphorsinthebluespectralrangefor solidstatelighting,somethingthathas longbeenagoaloftheindustry.

Insteadofstrugglingwithtraditional single-hostphosphorsystemswhereeverythinghastoworktogetherinonematerial,weengineeredtwoseparatenanomaterialsthatcloselyworktogether—a blue-absorbingsensitizerandanEu3+basedemitter.Criticaltothesuccessof thistechnology,knownasEuroLED® is theprecisespacingofthenanoparticles. Wepositionthemcloseenoughforefﬁcientenergytransfer,typicallywithinjust afewnanometers,butfarenoughapart toeliminatequenchingeffects,asshown in Figure 1

Figure1: SketchoftheinterparticleenergytransfermechanismofIFRETtechnology(asshownin vandeHaaretal,2020) [1]

Thesensitizercapturesbluephotons andtransfersthatenergytotheEu3+ emitters,whichthenproducetheircharacteristicnarrow-bandredemission. Thiswarmwhitenano-engineeredEu3+ –basedphosphorsolutiongivesusunique controloverlightabsorption,emission characteristics,andmaterialstability.

LEDprofessional: WhatarethepracticalapplicationbeneﬁtsofthisnanoengineeredEu3+-basedphosphor technology?

Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar: Thistechnologyisdesignedtoovercometheindustry’stoughestpainpoints—color qualityandsuperiorefficiency—andis helpingLEDmanufacturerscreatemore reliable,high-performingproductsthat standoutinacompetitivemarket.For instance,Eu3+-dopedphosphorsinthe bluespectralrangeimproveluminous efficacybyupto18%in3,000Kwhite LEDswhencomparedtoequivalentnitrides,and7%overKSF/PFSsystems. Thismeansthatpeoplegetmorelightfor muchlessenergy.Thisnano-engineered Eu3+-basedphosphortechnologycan beappliedtoanywhiteLEDsystemand acrossallcolorrenderinglevels,starting fromstandardwarmindoorLEDlightingwithaCRI>80,suchasforhomes, offices,andpublicspaces.Asthegenerallightingmarketishighlycompetitive, thisimprovementinefficiencyrepresents asignificantadvantageforLEDmanufacturers.Forendusers,thismeans brighter,moresustainable,morecomfortablelighting.

Whenitcomestoindoorwarmwhite LEDlightingwithaCRI>90forhomes, offices,publicspaces,aswellasretailandhospitality,nano-engineered Eu3+-basedphosphortechnologystrikes theidealbalancebetweenvisualcomfort,vibrantcolorrendering—especiallyofskintonesandwarmhues— andenergyefficiency.Achievingthis levelofcolorqualityrequiresboosting theredcontentinthespectrum,which typicallyreducesefficacybymorethan 10%comparedtoCRI80LEDs.However,in3,000KwhiteLEDs,thisnanoengineeredtechnologycandeliverupto 20%higherefficaciesthannitride-based solutions,andupto5%morethanKSF/PSFsystems,allwhilemaintaining positiveR9valuesforexcellentdeepred rendering.Thisisagame-changerfor theLEDlightingindustryashighcolor renderingtypicallycomeswithsignificant

efﬁciencypenalties,butnano-engineered Eu3+-basedphosphortechnologyeliminatesthistradeoff.

ForthemostdemandingCRI>95LEDs wherecolorfidelityiscritical,suchas forartgalleries,healthcarefacilities,and high-endretail,nano-engineeredEu3+basedphosphortechnologyensuresaccuraterenderingofeventhemostsaturatedtones,especiallydeepreds.When combinedwithdeeperredemitterslike CASNorKSF,itcanachieveR9values above50whilestillimprovingtheoverallefficiencybalance.Thisrepresentsa significantleapforwardfortheindustry asoptimalcolorfidelitycanbeachieved withoutcompromisingefficiencyorcost.

LEDprofessional: Beyondperformanceimprovements,whatbroader beneﬁtsdoesthistechnologydeliver?

Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar: Thesustainabilityimpactisundoubtedlyacompellingbenefitofnano-engineeredEu3+basedphosphortechnology,owingto itsgreaterefficiency.Thetechnology thereforeallowsLEDmakersandLED brandownerstofast-tracktheirScope 3carbondioxideemissionreduction targets.Fromamanufacturingperspective,thistechnologydoesn’trequirehydrofluoricacidduringprocessingand avoidsoxygen-relatedproductionconstraints,furtheraddingtoitsappealing sustainabilitystory.Theadoptionof nano-engineeredlightingbytheLED industrywillenablethecreationofproductsthatimproveperformance,enhance safety,andelevateexperiencewhileensuringahealthierplanetforgenerations tocome.

What’smore,theeconomicbenefitsof thistechnologyaresubstantial.Offering10%-20%betterefficiencyperformancewhilemaintainingorimproving colorqualityistransformativeforproduct differentiation.Itallowsmanufacturersto commandpremiumpricingwhiledeliveringgenuinevaluetocustomers.The benefitscascadedowntoendusersas well.Whetherit’sahomeownerreducing theirelectricitybill,aretailershowcasingmerchandiseunderoptimallighting conditions,oranofficemanagermeetingsustainabilitytargets,thebenefitsare real.

LEDprofessional: Howisnanotechnologyaddressingotherchallenges acrosstheLEDlightingindustry?

Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar: TheimpactofnanotechnologyextendsfarbeyondgeneralwarmLEDlighting.Inthe mini-LEDandmicro-LEDsector,theindustryfacesaspecificchallenge.As solid-statelight-emittingdevicescontinuetominiaturize,suchasforwearable displaysandautomotiveapplications, there’sanintensifiedsearchforstable andefficientdown-convertingmaterialswithnano-to-submicrondimensions. Nanophosphors,likeYAG:Ce,areideal candidatesfortheseapplications,but traditionalnanocrystallineYAGdevelopmenthasresultedinclusteredparticles, lowabsorptionstrengthsandquantum efficiencies,andstabilityissues.

ToovercomethechallengeofsynthesizingYAGatthenanoscale,wedevelopedastabilizationtechniquewhich usespost-synthetictreatments,such asbakingthenanocrystalsatveryhigh temperatures(over1000°C).Theresult? High-qualitynanocrystallineYAG:Ce phosphorswithtunableparticlesizes downtobelow20nanometersandnearunityquantumyieldswithoutclusteringissues.Thistechnology,knownas Crystalight®,enableshigh-resolution displaysandmicroLED-basedlighting, unlockingexcitingnewpossibilitiesfor advancedlightingandmini-LEDand micro-LEDapplications.

LEDprofessional: What’syourvision forthefutureofLEDlightinginthe next5years?

Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar: Thanks toluminescentnanotechnology,we’re enteringanexcitingeraforsolid-state lighting.Seaboroughisattheforefrontof thisrevolution.Tohelpbringtheworld’s ﬁrstLEDwithnano-engineeredEu3+basedphosphortomarketonacommercialscale,we’verecentlypartnered withLuminusDevices,anestablished innovatorinadvancedlightingtechnologies.ThispartnershipgivesLuminus Devicesaccesstoouruniquephosphor technology,EuroLEDTM,whichwillbe testedintheirLEDpackages,pavingthe wayforunprecedentedefﬁcienciesin lightingsolutions.Tobringthesenanoengineeredphosphorstomarket,we’ve joinedforceswithCurrentChemicals, aspecialtymaterialsmanufacturerwith morethan70years’experienceinhigh purityluminescentmaterials.Current ChemicalswillberesponsiblefortheindustrialupscalingofEuroLEDTM

EnhancedlightingconditionswithCRI90,creatingawarmandinvitingatmosphere.

We’realsoworkingtogetherwithanumberofglobalR&D,marketing,andsupplychainteamstohelpourcustomers launchtrulyrevolutionaryproductsthat improvepeople’slivesandarebetterfor theplanet.Forinstance,we’recurrently developingluminescentmaterialswith theaimofsigniﬁcantlyreducingenergy useandboostingcropyieldsingreenhouseagriculture,toultimatelyenable moreefﬁcientandsustainablefoodproduction.

LEDprofessional: Thankyouvery muchfortakingthetimeforthisexclusiveinterview.

Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar: Mypleasure. ■

References

[1] VanDeHaar,M.A.,Berends,A.C.,Krames,M.R., Chepyga,L.,Rabouw,F.T.,&Meijerink,A.(2020). Eu3+ sensitizationvianonradiativeinterparticleenergy transferusinginorganicnanoparticles.Thejournalof physicalchemistryletters,11(3),689-695.

[2] Berends,A.etal.YAG:Ce3+Phosphor:From Micron-SizedWorkhorseforGeneralLightingtoa BrightFutureontheNanoscale.ChemicalReviews 2020,120(24),13461-13479.

Dr.MarieAnnevandeHaar isascientistandtechnologyleaderspecializing inphotonics,nanomaterials,andadvancedopticalsystems.Sheearnedher PhDatUtrechtUniversity,focusingon nanophotonicsandopticalmanipulation techniques.Heracademicworkincludes pioneeringresearchonnanoparticles, opticaltweezers,andluminescentmaterials,contributingtothedevelopmentof high-performanceLEDphosphorsand nanostructuredopticalsystems.

Currently,Dr.vandeHaarservesas CEOandCTOofSeaborough,ananoscienceandnanotechnologycompany unlockingthepotentialofluminescent nanomaterials,focusingonR&D,commercialization,andlicensingbreakthroughluminescentandlightingsolutions.

Sheistheauthorofnumerouspeerreviewedpapersandhasbeenrecognizedforadvancingtheunderstanding ofnano-engineeredphosphorsforLED applications.Herworkbridgesfundamentalscienceandindustrialinnovation, withastrongfocusonsustainabilityand practicalimpactinthelightingandmaterialssectors.

Seaboroughdevelopsunique luminescentnanotechnologysoits customerscancreatetrulydifferentiated,sustainableLEDlighting productsthatimprovepeople’slives.

www.seaborough.com

Evidence-basedCommunication

ManuelSpitschanPhDandLauraKervezeePhD, Co-Chairs,LightforPublicHealthInitiative

Overthepastfewdecades,research hasfundamentallytransformedour understandingoflightinthebuiltenvironment.Lightisnotonlywhatallows ustoseeandexperiencetheworld aroundus–italsoplaysavitalbiologicalrole.Throughtheeyes,lightacts asaninterfacebetweentheexternal worldandourinternalclock,sending time-of-dayinformationtothebrain andbodytokeepourphysiologyin syncwiththeenvironment.

Butlightdoesmorethansetthebiologicalclock.Italsodirectlyaffects alertness,mood,hormoneproduction,andsleep.Eveninglight,forinstance,suppressestheproduction ofmelatonin–thehormonethatsignalsthebodyit’stimetorest–while brightlightduringthedayhelpspromotewakefulnessandperformance. Althoughmanyaspectsoftheseresponsesarestilltopicsofactiveinvestigation,thescientificfoundationis nowstrongenoughtogobeyondacademicdebateandinformpublichealth action.

The LightforPublicHealthInitiative buildsonthisevidencebasewithaclear mission:totranslatescientiﬁcknowledge aboutthebiologicalandbehavioraleffects oflightintoactionable,evidence-based guidance.Theinitiativeissupportedby leadingorganizations–theInternational CommissiononIllumination(CIE),theSocietyforLight,RhythmsandCircadian Health(SLRCH),theDaylightAcademy (DLA),theGoodLightGroup(GLG),and theCenterforEnvironmentalTherapeutics (CET)–whohaverecentlysigneda MemorandumofUnderstanding tocollaborateon communicatingthehealthimpactsoflight.

Theinitiative’sfirstoutput,releasedearlier in2025,isasetof26consensusstatementssummarizingthecurrentstateof knowledge.Thesestatementscoverfundamentalfacts(“Daylighthaswhatwe callabroadspectrum,withenergyacross manywavelengths”),physiologicalmechanisms(“Lightdirectlyinfluencesthebiologicalclockinthebrain,regulatingsleep–wakecyclesandotherdailyphysiological rhythms”),individualvariability(“Thereare substantialindividualdifferencesinthe physiologicalresponsetolight”),andopen questions(“Thereisaneedforstudieson thephysiologicaleffectsoflightincorporatingabroadrangeofstudypopulations”). Eachconsensusstatementissupported bycontextualinformationandreferences andhasbeenconvertedintosimplifiedlanguageforaccessibility.

Together,thesestatementsformthefoundationforfuturecommunicationandeducationefforts–bypublic-healthorganizations,professionalsocieties,andother multipliers.

Toensureglobalreach,volunteerteams havetranslatedtheconsensusstatements intomultiplelanguages,includingFrench, BrazilianPortuguese,Chinese,andFarsi, withmoretranslationsunderway.This collaborativeeffortwillhelpensurethatthe knowledgecanreachasmanypeopleas possible–bringingthescienceoflightand healthintoeverydaylife. ■

KeyLinks

• ConsensusStatements: https://lightfor publichealth.org/consensus-statements. html

• Peer-reviewedarticlewithconsensus statements:SpitschanM,KervezeeL, StefaniO,GordijnM,VeitchJA,LokR. Evidence-basedpublichealthmessagingonthenon-visualeffectsofocular lightexposure:amodiﬁedDelphiexpertconsensus.BMJPublicHealth. 2025;3:e003205. https://doi.org/10.113 6/bmjph-2025-003205

• LightforPublicHealthInitiative: https: //lightforpublichealth.org/ lightforpublichealth.org

ConsensusStatements

Theconsensusstatementsmarkonlythe ﬁrststepofthe LightforPublicHealthInitiative.Furtheractivitieswillcontinueto bridgethegapbetweendiscoveryandimplementation–empoweringindividualsand communitiestouselightasatoolforbetter health.

1. Lightcanbedescribedbyitsspectrum:howmuchenergythereisateach wavelengthacrossthevisiblespectrum (fromapproximately380to780nm).

2. Thepatternofone’slightexposure acrossthedayandtheyearcanbe quitecomplexanddependsonwhere oneisandwhatonedoes.

3. Lightexposurecanbedescribedbyits intensity:Thetotalamountofenergy acrossallwavelengthsfrom380to780 nm,weightedaccordingtothefunction ofinterest.

4. Daylighthaswhatwecallabroadspectrum,withalotofenergyacrossmany wavelengths.

5. Differentelectriclightsources(e.g.,LED orﬂuorescentlamps,etc.)havedifferent spectra.

6. Thepropertiesofdaylight(spectrum, intensityandspatialdistribution)vary throughoutthedayandtheyear,and withchangingweather.

7. Thehumaneyecontainstheretina, whichhasseveralphotosensitivecells thatdifferintheirresponsestodifferent wavelengths.

8. Theconesallowustoseecolor,motion

andspatialdetailinbrightlightingconditions.

9. Therodsallowustoseerudimentary spatialdetailunderdimlight.

10. Theintrinsicallyphotosensitiveretinal ganglioncells(ipRGCs)convertlight intosignalsthatinﬂuencemanyphysiologicalfunctions.

11. PredominantlythroughtheipRGCs, lightcausesthesuppressionofmelatoninintheeveningandatnight.

12. Lightisthemainsignalthatensuresthe circadiansystemissynchronizedtothe 24-hourcyclesintheenvironment.

13. Lightdirectlyinﬂuencesthebiological clockinthebrain,regulatingsleep-wake cyclesandotherdailyphysiological rhythms.

14. Lightinthemorningcanadvancethe circadianclock,andlightintheevening candelaythecircadianclock.

15. Lightcanalsoboostalertnessandcognitivefunctionundersomeconditions.

16. Whatdeterminesthesephysiologicalresponsestolightisprimarilydetermined byhowmuchlightreachestheretina andstimulatestheipRGCsatacertain time.

17. Higherlightlevelsintheeveningcan increasethetimetofallasleep.

18. Higherlightlevelsduringthedaytime canimprovemood.

19. Higherlightlevelsduringthedaytime canimprovesleepqualityinthefollowingnight.

ManuelSpitschanPhD _MaxPlanckInstituteforBiological Cybernetics,Germany _TechnicalUniversityofMunich, Germany _TUMCREATELtd.,Singapore

LauraKervezeePhD _LeidenUniversityMedicalCenter, TheNetherlands

NewHigh-frequencyLED ControllerforUltracompact GaN-basedSolutions

AlexeyEvstifeev,PrincipalEngineeratInﬁneonTechnologies

GaNismakingwavesinapplications likeLEDdrivers,chargeradapters, andsoon.Companiesareincreasingly tryingtoincorporateGaNswitches fortheseapplications—buttheyoften useGaNfortheirperceivedmarketing appeal—andendupnotleveragingits fulltechnicalpotentialfortotalcost andsizereduction.

ThisarticleexplainshowGaNalone doesnotmakeproductssmaller,but facilitatestheuseofothermajorcomponents,whichenablessmallerboard designs.ConsiderInfineon’srecently introducedICL8830LEDcontroller—a single-stagePFCflybackcontrollerfor constantvoltageoutput—targetedat high-frequencyoperationswithGaN switches.Thearticlealsoexplains howtoproperlyutilizeICL8830’sextremelyprecisetimingcontroltodesignacircuitforhigh-frequencyoperation,reducingtheoverallsizeandcost whileensuringhighefficiency.

WhyGaNAloneIsNot Enough

Designengineersoftensay:“Idon’tsee anytechnicalbeneﬁtsofusingGaN”.This argumentholdsifyouconsidertherelativelylowswitchingfrequencyof150kHz orlower—typically66–100kHz—used foralmostallLEDdrivers,AC-DCsupplies, andchargeradapters.Atthisrange,superjunctionMOSFETsperformalmostaswell asGaNswitches.

Therealproblem?Atfrequenciesabove 150kHz,theENIEC55015standardlimits curvedropsdownby17.5dB.Addtothis theneedfordual-stageEMIﬁltersolutions thatnegatesallsizeandcostreduction ofthepowerconverter.Thus,becauseof thefrequency,designersareforcedtouse slightlylargerpassivecomponents,basicallycancellingoutthebeneﬁtsofusing GaN.

High-voltageGaNswitchestrulyshine atswitchinglosseshigherthanroughly 300kHz,thankstotheirlow Coss.For switchingfrequencyintherangeof300kHz to1MHz,youcansignificantlyreducethe transformerandpassivecomponentsize. ButthentheEMIfiltersrequireabitofreconfiguration.Theactualquestionthen becomes:howdoyoucalculateandoptimizetheEMIfilterforfrequenciesgreater than300kHz?

DesigningEMIFiltersfor High-frequencyGaN Applications

1. MeasuretheEMCspectrumwithout filtering,definethecentralfrequency, andfindoutthesuppressionrequiredat thedefinedcentralfrequency,asshown in Figure 1

2. Basedonthemeasurement,choose theEMIﬁlterwiththecenterattenuation frequencyatthenoisepeakandproper attenuationatthepeakpointtokeep thenoisewithinthelimits.Forexample,ifthepeakpointis300kHzandthe minimumattenuationrequiredis70dB, the7448691612731 common-mode power-linechokefromWürthElektronik perfectlyﬁtsthetaskwithapeakattenuationof75dB,asshown in Figure 2

3. AfterapplyingtheEMIﬁlter,measure theﬁnalEMCagain,asshown in Figure 3

Whilethisapproachisuniversalfordifferent applicationsandtopologies,itmayrequire someﬁne-tuningatfrequencieshigher than10MHz.Let’slookatthekindsof adjustmentsneeded,takingtheexample ofaﬂybacktopology,acost-effectiveand easy-to-usetopology.

www.inﬁneon.com

1https://www.we-online.com/components/products/ datasheet/744869161273.pdf

EMCmeasurementwithouttheﬁlter.

WürthElektronik’spower-linechoke(744869161273)attenuationcharacteristics.

FinalEMCmeasurementresult.

ManagingSnubberLosses inHigh-frequency Topologies

Thebiggestcomponentoflossesissnubberlosses,whichisdirectlyproportionalto theswitchingfrequencyandoutputpower, asshownin Equation (1).Combinedwith thelargertransformers(comparedtoLLC, LCC,andHBFtopologies)typicallyassociatedwithloweroperatingfrequencies, thesnubberlossesoftenlimittheuseof ﬂybacktopologyupto60–100W.

Toovercometheselimitationsandreduce transformersizes,planartransformersare agame-changer.Comparedto“classic” transformers,planartransformersaremuch smallerandhavemanyadvantages.For mass-producedclassictransformers,itis possibletoachieveleakageinductance of1%atbest.Forhighfrequenciessuch as300kHzandabove,snubberlosses becomeveryhigh.Planartransformers withleakageinductancesintherangeof 0.1–0.3%(basedonpracticaldesign)isa game-changerhere.Suchalowleakage inductanceallowsachievingaveryhigh efﬁciencyupto93–94%,whichisnotpossiblewithaclassictransformer.Theadded beneﬁtisthereducedsize,andofcourse, cost.

Planartransformersscorehighonmany areas:Theyaregoodinautomation,easy tomanufacture,andcostless.Theconventionalassemblyprocessallowsmanufacturingtheplanarmagneticcomponentswithincomparablerepeatabilityand accuracy.Theproductionandassembly processesusedinplanarmagneticsare linkedtoinnovativetechnologicaltools, whichsimplifyautomation.Inparticular, PCBtechnologiesaresuitableforglobal manufacturing.

• PCBmodularity: Canalsobeassembledwithoutextraconnections.The differentcoreshapesandPCBconstructiongeneratedifferentformfactors.

• Predictableparasiticeffects: The planarwindinglayoutiseasytocontrol andachieveaninterleavedsolution, leadingtolowerleakageeffectsand windingscapacitance.Inwire-wound components,itismorecomplicatedand notalwayspossibletoachievethis.

Figure1:

Figure2:

Figure3:

SPIKE VSPIKE (1)

Withsuchattractivecosts,size,efficiency, andeaseofuse,high-frequencyPFCflybackorflybacktopologiestogetherwith aplanartransformerprovidesignificant advantagesoverothertopologies.Planar transformershaveaninterwindingcapacitance(Ctrans)uptotentimeshigherthan wire-woundtransformers,whichisimportantasCtransaffectstheoscillation frequencyandswitchinglosses.

ManagingSwitchingLosses

ICL8830operatesinaquasi-resonant modeandhasavalley-detectionlimit withthemaximumoscillationfrequencyof 2MHz,asshownin Figure 4.Theoscillationfrequencyisdeﬁnedby Equation (2)

Conclusion

Where,

Lp –Primarywindinginductance

Csum –Sumofthe Coss(V ) (Vds)

Ctrans –Parasitictransformercapacitance

Crect/n2 –Rectiﬁer-reﬂectedcapacitance n –Transformerturnsratio

Ctrans isthedominantcomponentin Csum.Withpropervalleydetectionand bykeepingtheoscillationfrequencybelow 2MHz,wecanreducetheprimaryinductance(Lp)by5to6times,increasethe switchingfrequency,andshrinkthetransformersizeaccordingly.

Switchinglossesarerelatedmoretoturnonlosses,whicharecalculatedusing Equation (4)

GaN’sfullpotentialisunlockedonlywhen pairedwiththerighthigh-frequencyarchitecture.Inﬁneon’sICL8830high-frequency controllerbringsthatarchitecturetolife.As showninthearticle,combinedwithaGaN switchandaplanartransformer,ICL8830 canshrinkthesizeofthequasi-resonant LEDdriverbyupto70%,increasethesystemefﬁciencybyupto92%,reducethe costandincreasepowerdensity.Thesolutioncanbereusedforapplicationslike auxiliarypowersupply,AC-DCconverters, andchargers. ■

References

[1] InﬁneonTechnologiesAG:Datasheet-ICL8830; Availableonline https://www.infineon.com/dgdl/Infine on-ICL8830-DataSheet-v01_01-EN.pdf?fileId=8ac78 c8c962508060196aade2b2a2a3b

[2] ICL8830high-frequencyGaNcontrollerforLED lighting;Availableonline https://www.infineon.com/d gdl/Infineon-ICL8830-DataSheet-v01_01-EN.pdf?file Id=8ac78c8c962508060196aade2b2a2a3b

InfineonTechnologiesAG isaleading Germansemiconductormanufacturer headquarteredinNeubibergnearMunich.Foundedin1999asaspin-offfrom Siemens,itemploysaround58,000peopleworldwideandgeneratesrevenuesof about€15billion.Inﬁneonfocusesonfour mainbusinessareas:Automotive,Green IndustrialPower,Power&SensorSystems, andConnectedSecureSystems.Itsproductsrangefrompowersemiconductors forrenewableenergyandindustrialapplicationstomicrocontrollers,sensors,and securitychipsforautomotiveandIoTsolutions.InﬁneonislistedontheDAXindex andoperatesmajorsitesinGermanyand Austria,withVillachservingasakeycompetencecenter.

UDS valley atalow-line115VACistypicallyaboutzero,whichmeans Pturn on lossesarealsoclosetozero.Athigh line230VAC, UDS valley variesfrom 0–200VforPFCﬂybacktopology.Since the UDS valley voltagesquaredtermisthe dominantlossescomponentintheequation, Csum onlyhasaminoreffect.Asthe result,ahighCtransdoesnotnegativelyaffectswitchinglosses,andyetithelpskeep theoscillatingfrequencybelow2MHzwith propervalleydetection.

F = 1

π√LpCsum (2)

Csum = Coss(V )+ Ctrans + Crect n2 (3)

Pturn on = 1 2 ×Csum ×U 2 DS valley ×fSW (4)

SportsLightingIlluminance Assessment–PartI,TheLuxmeter

andItsAssociatedUncertainties

OctavioL.Pérez,Ph.D,WELLAP(WELLBuildingStandard AccreditedProfessional)andHCL/Integrative&SportsLighting Consultant

Theaimofthisshortarticleistogenerateawarenessaboutknowingthe instrument/apparatusandprotocols limitationsoftheprocessofmeasuringilluminance,particularlyinsports venues.Itdoesnotpretendtobetechnicallyorscientificallyexhaustive,yet incontrast,itprovidespracticalknowledgeandguidancefortheauditor/surveyorandrelatedstakeholders.

Wewillcovertwomainareas,thelimitationsoftheluxmetersperse(part 1),andthelimitationsofthemeasuring protocols(part2).

Introduction:TheReading ofaLuxmeterisnota MeasurementofIlluminance

ThisisanopendiscussionthatIhavebeen havingforalongtime.Notonlyinlighting,butinotherindustriesaswell.Many peoplethinkthatpressingthebuttonofan instrumentisallthatisneededtomeasure aquantity,butundermycriteriaandfrom myexperience,thisisfarfrom“reality”.

Intheparticularcaseofilluminancethere aremanyfactorsthataffectthemeasurement,beyondpressingthebuttonofa luxmeterandreadingascreenoraSerial/USB/I2Cportinamoreaccurateapproach.

LuxmetersTypesand Classiﬁcation

Theﬁrstfactortoknowabouttheuncertaintiesofameasurementisthe“quality”of theequipmentthatweareusing.Luxmeters,contrarytoSpectroradiometers,are classiﬁedunderseveralinternationalstandards,mainlyJISC1609-1:2006(R2010) [1] (“JapaneseIndustrialStandards-IlluminancemetersPart1:Generalmeasuring

instruments”)andDIN5032-7:2024-12 [2] (“Photometry;classiﬁcationofilluminance metersandluminancemeters”).

IfwefocusonDIN5032-7(Table 1),we willseeﬁveclassiﬁcations:“L”,“A”,“B”, “C”…andnone…Themaindifferences betweenthemareintermsoftwoquality indexes:

• f′ 1:V(λ)mismatch(ﬁlter)

• f2:cosineresponsivity/correction

Thisisnotapureclassiﬁcationand,besideswellknowndevicessuchasthe Konica-MinoltaT-10A/MA(“B”&“C”),LMT Pocket-Lux(“A”and“B”),andtheGossen 5032xfamily(“B”and“C”),wecanhave somewhathybridsystemssuchastheMobiLuxfromCzibula&Grundmann [3],that isbasicallyaGossen5032BUSBbody withaclass“A”proprietarysensor,orthe Gigahertz-OptikX1-1 [4] thatisaﬂexible systemthatcangofromclass“C”toclass “A”dependingonthesensorsattached(up tofour).AsaquiteuniquefeatureIwould liketohighlightheretheHiokiFT3425, class“B”,thatistheonlyluxmetertomy knowledgethatoffersbuilt-inBluetooth readingpreventingmanualdatacaptureerrors,issuethatwewillcoverinmoredetail inpart2.

V (λ), f ′ 1,TheCalibration Source,andtheSpectral PowerDistribution(SPD)of theLightSourcetobe

Measured

Photometryisasciencethatdependson theperformanceofthehumanvisualsystem,beingthecandelatheonlybaseunit oftheInternationalSystemofunitsbased onhumanpsychophysiology.V(λ),the spectralluminousefﬁciencyofthehuman eye(CIE17-21-035)forphotopicvisionis thefoundationofphotometry,andtheref-

erencespectraforluxmeters.Therefore, divergencesfromV(λ)willresultinuncertaintiesinthemeasurementofilluminance, and,asseenintheDINtable,thisisthe mainsourceoferrorsinluxmeters.

In Figure 1 and Figure 2 wecanseethe f′ 1 curve(V(λ))mismatchoftwosensor headsfromthesamemanufacturer,the ﬁrstbeingaclass“B”sensorandthesecondaclass“C”.

Figure1: V(λ)mismatchofaclass“B”sensor head.

Figure2: V(λ)mismatchofaclass“C”sensor headfromthesamemanufacturer.

Themostadversespectralareaisinthe “blues”andwehavetokeepinmindthat thisareaiswheremostLEDspeak,particularlyneutralandcoolLEDs.Wecansee thisinmoredetailinthezoomofthepreviousgraphsforthespectralareaaround 480nm.

Figure3: Themostadversespectralareaisinthe “blues”.

Calibrationvs.Adjustment (ISO/CIE19476:2014)

Calibrationisoneofthemainmythsin theﬁeldofphotometrysurveying/auditing. Manypeoplethinkthatcalibratingaluxmetermakesthemsafeintermsofmeasuring, andtheydonotrealizethatmostofthe calibrationprocessesconsistofgettinga reportbya(supposedly)trustworthyentity(calibrationlab)thatwillusuallydeliver twokindsofnumbers,eitherthatthedeviceisoperationalundersomeuncertainty levels,orthemeasurementdivergencein luxagainstaknownlightsourceatcertain points(illuminancelevels).

Beforegoingfurther,makesurethatyou getthecalibrationreportfromatrustworthy entity;eitherfromacreditablemanufacturerorfromanaccreditedlaboratory.And whenIsayaccreditedlaboratory,Iamnot speakingaboutanISO17025accreditedlabthathascalibration‘capabilities’, butaboutanISO17025labthathascalibration within itsscopeofaccreditation, usuallyfollowingISO/CIE19476:2014 “Characterizationoftheperformanceof illuminancemetersandluminancemeters”, andthathastraceabilitytoreputableand recognizedstandardbodies.

Havingsaidthat,weneedtorealizethat wegetapaper,but,usually,nothinghappenswiththeluxmeter.Itisnotadjusted, exceptifthemanufacturerdoesthecalibrationandsubsequentlyadjuststhedeviceorsavesthecalibrationparametersin anon-volatilememory(suchasanEEPROM).

Iftheluxmeterisnotadjusted,then postprocessing isamust.Thismeansthat eachreadingfromthedisplayorfrom thedigital/analogoutputneedstobecorrected.

Andﬁnally,keepinmindthatcalibrationis notamiracle.Ihaveseensurveyors/techniciansbuyingcheapandpoorquality luxmetersandtakingthemtocalibration, payingevenmoreforthecalibrationitself thanfortheluxmeter.Acalibrationdoes

notensurequality,itonlyreportsdivergencefromaknownvalueundercertain speciﬁccircumstances.

Anadditionalfactortoconsideristhe light sourceusedforcalibration.CIEilluminant“A”isthestandardizedsource,but theCIEhasrecentlyreleasedanewtechnicalreferenceforilluminant“L41” [5] thatis moreaccurateformeasuringLEDlighting. Seethe Figure 4 belowcomparingtheCIE illuminant“A”vs.CIE“L41” [6]

ComparingtheCIEilluminant“A”vs. CIE“L41”.

Anadditionalissuethatwewillnotconsiderhereistheuncertaintyassociated withthecalibrationprocessthataddsmore uncertainty.

CosineResponse(f2)–DependencywiththeAngle ofIncidenceofLight

Thistakesustothenextmyth.Literally fromISO/CIE19476:2014 [7] B.2.3:“Itis thecosineresponseofthephotometer thatdeterminesthe accuracyofthe measurementresultsforlightthatarrivesatanglesotherthanthenormal tothephotometerhead. Thisindexis particularlyimportantwhenmeasuring reallightinginstallations suchasofﬁce lightingandstreetlightingbutisnotimportantformetersusedonopticalbenchesin laboratories”,andasyoucanguess thisis alsothecaseforsportslighting

Therearedifferentwaysofvisualizingthe f2 uncertaintyaboutthecosineresponsivity.Inthe Figure 5 (fromKonica-Minolta) everythinglooksnearperfectbecausethe

Table1: RequirementsaccordingtotheDIN5032-7classiﬁcation.

differencesareimperceptibleduetothe graphstyle(relative),butifwegointonormalizedgraphs(Figure 6,fromGigahertzOptik [8])wewillclearlyseethattherecan besigniﬁcantdifferences,particularlyasthe angleincreases.Mypreferredviewisthe normalizedoneasitgivesamorerealistic picture.

Figure5: Visualizingtherelativef2 uncertainty aboutthecosinecorrection(Konica-Minolta).

Figure6: Visualizingthenormalizedf2 uncertainty aboutthecosinecorrection(Gigahertz-Optik).

Asanexample,FLUKEisawell-known brandformeasurementdevices,andif wegotothespeciﬁcationsofits“941” [9] lightmeter(Grade‘A’accordingto JISC1609:1993,butnotqualiﬁedunder DIN5032-7evenifsomewaycomparable to“C”class),wewillseethatthe precision withangles(cosineerror)is30º±2%, 60º±6%,80º±25%.Keepinmindthatin sportslighting,whenmeasuringEvatthe sidelines,wecanbecloseto80ºandthis means25%error(atleast).

Andtomakethispointmorechallenging,accordingtotheISO/CIE19476:2014 4.2.1:“Illuminancemetersshallbe calibratedwithlightincidentnormalto theeffectivereferenceplane where thelightsourceislocated atadistance greaterthanthelimitingphotometricdistance.”

Puttingallofthistogether,itmeansthat, exceptifpurposelydoneinanotherway, calibrationoftheluxmeteronlygives the deviation numbersrelatedtothe perpendiculartothereferenceplane ofthesensor,nottoanyotherangle (Figure 7).

Figure7: Luxmetercalibrationreferenceplane (left).Otheranglesofincidencearenotconsideredinthecalibration.

Figure4:

Thismeansthatwemustbeawareofthis particularissue whenmeasuringilluminanceinsportsfacilities,particularly underthelightingpolesandinthemiddleofthefield.Itisworsewithlowpoles astheangleofincidencewillbehigher.

Undermycriteria,thisisasolidreasonto, ataminimum,prescribeclass“B”luxmetersforsportslighting,ifnot“A”,andabsolutelyavoidnon-classluxmeters.My recommendationistoalsostayawayfrom class“C”devices.Intermsofeconomics, thecostinvolvedinasportvenueaudit/inspectionjustiﬁestheinvestmentinaclass “B”orclass“A”luxmeter.Therearenoexcusestogolowerbesidesashort-sighted mindset,andrememberthattherecurrent calibrationcostsaregoingtobethesame.

MeasuringRange,Internal Ranges&Autorange(f11)

Alltheluxmetershaveafewinternalmeasuringrangestocovermeasurementsfrom nearzerotoseveralhundredsofthousands oflux.Doyourememberthescalesinthe analogtimes?Thisisusuallynotidentiﬁedbytheoperatorsofdigitaldevicesas almostallofthemhavean“autorange” feature.

Inthe Figure 8 wecanseeavintageMetrawattMetrux3(nowGossen)withanalog selectorandscales. Figure 9 istheMavoMaster+MavoProbesystem,thenewest luxmeterfamilyfromGossenwhereeven thesignalfromtheprobetothedisplayis alreadydigital,withnomentionaboutthe rangeinuseanymore.

FromtheISO/CIE19476 “Thisparameter relatestothe errorsthatmaybeintroducedwhentherangeischangedon theinstrument.Thisisimportantinall caseswheredifferentrangesareused,or ifthecalibrationhasbeenperformedona rangethatisdifferentfromthatusedduring measurements.”

Particularattentionshallbetakennear rangelimitsastheluxmetercanswitch rangesin-betweenreadings.Takeforexamplealuxmeterthathasaninternalrange changein2,500lux.Ifwemeasureilluminancearoundthatparticularilluminance value,verycommoninhigh-endsports venues,wecanexpecterrorscomingfrom theinternalrangechange,errorsthatcould beunperceivablefortheoperator.Ifreadingfromthedigitalports,suchasUSB, asaruleofthumbweshoulddiscardsubsequentreadingscomingfromdifferent ranges,andtheinternalrangescale,if available,shouldbepartofthemeasurementrange.

EnvironmentalConditions–TemperatureandHumidity WorkingRanges(

f6T , f6H )

Luxmetersarealsosubjecttoenvironmentalconditionssuchastemperatureand humidity.Thereisa“TemperatureDependenceIndex(f6T )”anda“HumidityTest Index(f6H )”.Theﬁrstoneisabouttheresponsivitydifferencebetweencalibration conditions(25ºC)andﬁeld/surveytemperature,andthesecondaboutstabilityofthe photometeragainsthumidity.

Professionalphotometersspecifytheir validenvironmentalconditions,suchas temperatureandhumiditystorageand workingranges(someofthemalsoprovide amaximumaltitude).

Reasonablerangesare:

• OperatingTemperature:-10ºC-+40/50ºC

• RelativeHumidity:45%-75%(nocondensationallowed)

Sportslightingassessmentcanbedemandingintermsofenvironmentalconditions.Outdoorlightingauditingimplies

workingatnight,normallyacoupleof hoursaftersunset,anddependingon thetasksperformed,itcandiveintothe coolestandmorehumidconditionsofthe day.

Whendealingwithnaturalturf,humidity mayincreaseaswegointothenight,but italsohappenswithartiﬁcialturfasitdoes nottranspireandbecomesmuchwarmer duringthedaythannaturalones.

Themostlimitingfactoris condensation, andspecialcareshouldbetakenforthis conditionascondensationontopofthe diffuserwilldeﬁnitelycompromisethelight enteringthesensorhead.

Someluxmetershaveatemperaturesensorthatcanbeaccessedthroughsoftware,andnoneofthemtomyknowledge haveahumiditysensor.Again,bothparametersshouldbepartofthemeasurement.Notonlybecauseoftheluxmeter, butalsobecauseamodernLEDﬁxture performsdifferentlyinwinterandsummer conditions.

MeasurementUncertainty, Error,Accuracy,Precision andTrueness

Aﬁnalnoteaboutallthesetermsrelated toameasurement [6,7],thatisextremely importanttoconsiderwhencomparing measurementsfromdifferentsources.

Accuracy,PrecisionandTruenessare termsthatcanoftenbecomeconfusing inindustrial/ﬁeldmeasuringapplications.

ISO/CIE19476isveryclearaboutthismatter:theterm “‘measurement accuracy” shouldnotbeusedfor “‘measurement trueness” andtheterm “‘measurement precision” shouldnotbeusedfor‘measurementaccuracy’,which,however,is relatedtoboththeseconcepts.

Avalidreferenceforthisisthe ISO57251:2023(Accuracy(truenessandprecision) ofmeasurementmethodsandresults— Part1:Generalprinciplesanddeﬁnitions)1:

• “Trueness” referstotheclosenessof agreementbetweenthearithmeticmean ofalargenumberoftestresultsandthe trueoracceptedreferencevalue,

• “Precision” referstotheclosenessof agreementbetweentestresults.

1https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:5725:-1: ed-2:v1:en

Figure8: Luxmater:VintageMetrawattMetrux3 (nowGossen).

Figure9: Luxmeter:MavoMaster+MavoProbe system.

Simplifying, precision ishowfarweget repeatedreadingsfromaninstrument,and accuracy ishowclosethereadingisfrom the“truevalue”.Thiscanbeseengraphicallyintheﬁgurebelowthatillustratesthe differencebetweenaccuracyandprecision, with“truevalue”beingthecenterofthe target.

Figure10: PrecisionandAccuracy[12].

FieldandHumanFactorsAffectingtheMeasurement

InPart2ofthisarticlewewillconsider otherfactorsmorerelatedtohumanactionsthataffectthemeasurementofilluminanceinsportslighting.Inrelationshipwith dataqualitywewillconsider,amongother things:

• Properpositioning(GPSRTKsubcentimeter accuracy)ofthesurveypoint

• LevelinginthecaseofEh

• AlignmentinthecaseofEv

Itisnotlessimportanttoconsiderdata integrity,thatcanbeunderstoodasmaintainingthedataqualityalongsidethe lifecycle ofdatafromdataacquisitiontodata analysis,reportsgenerationanddecision making,togetherwithinformationsaving andretrievalfromdatarepositoriessuchas databasesandgeographicalinformation systems(GIS).

Conclusion

Ihopethataftergoingthroughthisbrief paperthereaderwillbeawareofmultiple factorsthataffectthemeasurementofilluminanceandthatgofarbeyondpressing thebuttonofaninstrument.

Keepinmindalsothataclass“B”luxmeter hasanacceptableerror/uncertaintyof aroundtenpercent(10%).Donotplay ﬁvedecimalswiththereadingofaﬁeld luxmeter,ithaslimitationsthathavetobe knownandunderstoodinordertohave criteriawiththeassessmentoflighting conditions.

Thankyouforyourattentionandlet’scontinuesoonwithPart2. ■

Dr.OctavioL.Perez isapassionateprofessional,researcherandscholarwhocontributestoexploring,developingandbringingtotherealworldthebenefitsoflight andlightingforhumanwellbeingandwellness,andultimatelyhealth.Heworksinternationallyasanindependentconsultant, focusedontranslationalresearchinhuman centriclighting(HCL),moreprecisely“integrativelighting”.Dr.Perezisaresearcher atMountSinaiHospitalinNYC,NY,USA. andservesinseveralinternationaltechnical committees.HeisalsoaWELLAP(WELL BuildingStandardAccreditedProfessional), startingnowinthechallengingfieldoflightingassessmentinsportsvenues.Andhe hasstartedhissecondDoctoratefocused inthisfieldoflighting(Sports),relatedto newchallengesforBroadcastingrequirementsandAudit/Surveymethodologies.

octavio.perez@lighting.consulting linkedin.com/in/LightHealth www.lighting.consulting

References

[1] JISC1609-1-2006(R2010)-Illuminancemeters Part1:Generalmeasuringinstruments- https: //www.jsajis.org/index.php?main_page=product_inf o&cPath=2&products_id=12549

[2] DIN5032-7:2024-12-Photometry-Part7:Classiﬁcationofilluminancemetersandluminancemetershttps://www.dinmedia.de/en/standard/din-5032-7/3 84401925

[3] MobiLux- http://www.photo-meter.de/index.php/en /hydrogen-2/measurement-devices-with-display/sen sors-for-lights-control-3

[4] Gigahertz-OptikX1- https://www.gigahertz-optik.c om/en-us/product/x1/

[5] “L41”-CIE251:2023-LEDReferenceSpectrumfor PhotometerCalibration- https://cie.co.at/publications /led-reference-spectrum-photometer-calibration

[6] Recentadvancesandperspectivesinphotometryin theeraofLEDlighting https://iopscience.iop.org/artic le/10.1088/1361-6501/ad0de6?utm_source=resear chgate

[7] ISO/CIE19476:2014“Characterizationoftheperformanceofilluminancemetersandluminancemeters”https://www.iso.org/standard/65048.html

[8] Gigahertz-OptikBTS256-EFcosineerrorf2- https:// www.gigahertz-optik.com/en-us/product/bts256-ef/ [9] Fluke941luxmeter- https://www.fluke.com/en-ph/ product/building-infrastructure/indoor-air-quality-testi ng/fluke-941

[10] GossenMavoMaster&MavoProbe- https://www. gossen-photo.de/en/mavomaster/

[11] CIETN009:2019-TheUseof“Accuracy”and RelatedTermsintheSpeciﬁcationsofTestingand MeasurementEquipment- https://files.cie.co.at/CIE_ TN_009_2019.pdf

[12] EstimatingtheUncertaintyofaSmallAreaEstimatorBasedonaMicrosimulationApproachhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0049124 120986199?

Dr.PerezinactionwithoneofhisAutomatedMeasuringSystemsforSportsLightinginarealﬁeld application.

LEDModulesTesting:The ImperativeforConsistencyand Accuracy

SPEA

TheLEDmodulemarketisundergoingaperiodofunprecedentedgrowth. Valuedatanestimated$7.3billionin 2025,themarketisprojectedtoexpandsignificantly,drivenbyaglobal pushforenergyconservationandthe rapidadoptionofnewtechnologies likemicro-LEDsandmulti-dieLEDs. Theseinnovations,whileofferingsuperiorperformance,arepropelling significantinvestmentsinmanufacturingprocessesand,critically,inthe testingmethodologiesrequiredtovalidatethem.Thisarticlewilldetailthe commondefectsthatariseinmodern LEDmodulesandhownext-generation testingarchitecturesareaddressing thelimitationsoftraditionalmethods toensureazero-defectendproduct.

CommonDefectsand InconsistenciesinLED Modules

AnLEDmoduleisacomplexelectromechanicaldevicewhereintricatecomponentsforlightemission,heatdissipation, andelectricalregulationmustoperatein perfectharmony.ThereliabilityofanLED luminaireasasystemdependsonitscorrectengineering.Thereforeanyunresolved defectsduringmanufacturingcanleadto signiﬁcantperformanceinconsistencies, creatingmajorconcernsfortheproducers. TheprimarydefectsaffectingLEDmodules include:

• Colorshift: LEDsmayexperiencea changeintheirspectraloutputovertime. ThisleadstovariationsinCorrelated ColorTemperature(CCT)andcolorrenderingcapabilitiesthroughouttheproduct’slifespan.Asaresult,twoidentical LEDsmighthavedifferentcolorcharacteristics,impactingtheperceptionof emittedlight.

• Irregularlightdistribution: WhileLED lightingisknownforitsuniformoutput, achievingconsistentlightdistribution acrossdifferentgeometrieswithlenses anddiffuserscanbechallenging.This canresultindeviationsfromspeciﬁed beampatterns,intensity,andcoloruniformity.

• Insufficientbrightnessandflickering: ThereliabilityofanLEDsystemis highlydependentonthequalityofits electricalconnections.Poorbonding, soldering,orpowersupplycanincrease thermalresistanceandtemperature,adverselyaffectingthelumenoutput,which istheprimarymeasureofbrightness. Inadequatevoltageorcurrentcanalso causeﬂickeringastheLEDsintermittentlyturnonandoff.

• Incorrectcommunication: Inmodernsystems,LEDsareoftenmanaged viadigitalcommunicationprotocols. Anymalfunctionintheseprotocolscan

leadtofaultyconditions,causingvarious problemswiththeLEDlightcombination.

ThepursuitofhigherqualityhasmaderigoroustestingofLEDmodulesakeymarket differentiator.Whilemostthesedefectsare detectable,therapidlyincreasingdensityof LEDsonmodernmodules-oftenhundreds orthousands-makestraditionaltesting approachesverychallenging.

LimitationsofTraditionalFiberOpticTesting

Toensureazero-defectproduct,electronicmanufacturersperformIn-Circuit Testing(ICT),acriticalend-of-production processthatpreventscomponent-level defectsfromcompromisingtheelectronic deviceperformance.WhileICTequipped withﬁber-opticspectrometershasbeen widelyusedintheproductionofboards withLEDs,thistraditionalapproachisencounteringsigniﬁcantlimitationswhenappliedtonext-generationLEDmodules.

Amajordrawbackofthisequipmentisthe non-discriminatorylightacquisitionmode offiberopticsensors.Theyindiscriminately capturealllightwithintheirdetectionrange, makingitimpossibletodifferentiatetheluminousoutputofasingle-dieLEDfroma multi-dieLED,whichcompromisesmeasurementaccuracy.Thisissueisintensified bylightinterference.Fiberopticprobes arephysicallytoolargetoisolateasingle LEDonadenselypopulatedboard.This leadstoopticalcrosstalk,whichobstructs accurateindividualtesting.Furthermore, mechanicalconstraintswithintheICTtest equipment,whichmustaccommodatevarioustoolsandcomponents,severelylimit thespaceavailableforfiberopticprobes, oftenmakingitunfeasibletoachieveaoneto-oneprobe-to-LEDratio.

Theselimitations,alongwiththeadded costandtimeofcreatinganewtestﬁxtureforeachnewboarddesign,highlight theinadequacyoftraditionalmethodolo-

gies.ThemodernLEDmodulesmarket demandsahighdegreeofconsistencyin lightoutput,color,andperformancebetweenindividualunits,necessitatingmore comprehensiveanalysisoftheemittedlight beam,advancedcolorparameters(e.g., CRI),andin-depthbinningtests.Arecent studybyMarketsandMarketsprojectsthat theautomatictestequipment(ATE)market isexpectedtoreach$7.8billionby2027, underscoringtheindustry’sneedformore advancedsolutions.

AdvancementsinLED ModuleMeasurement

Accordingtoinsightsfromrecenttechnicalsymposiaandindustryforums,thetest equipmentindustryisrespondingtothe demandsforenhancedaccuracy,throughput,andﬂexibilityinLEDtestingwiththe emergenceofanewgenerationofautomatictestequipment.Offeringavaluable alternativetotraditionaltestmethods.

Unlikeconventionalin-circuittestersthat requireanewfiber-opticsetupforeach LEDmodulePCBassembly,thesenextgenerationautomatictestersoperatewithoutfiberopticsortestfixtures,accommodatingavarietyofLEDmoduleconfigurationswithminimalsetup.

Thistechnologyutilizesahigh-resolution, spectralscannermountedonaflyinghead withintheautomatictester’sarchitecture. Thisadvancedautomaticsystemmoves dynamicallyacrosshundredsofLEDs withintheLEDmodule,measuringindividualopticalproperties.Unlikestationary fiber-opticprobes,theflyingscannercan preciselycapturetheluminousoutputand spectralcompositionofeachmicro-spot, effectivelyeliminatingopticalcrosstalkfrom adjacentLEDs.

Theautomotiveindustryhasemergedas aprimaryadopterofthistestingtechnology,largelybecauseLEDmoduleshave

becomeintegraltocriticalcomponentslike brakelights,turnsignals,andheadlights. WithPCBassembliesfeaturinghundreds ofLEDsacrossvariousdesigns,thedemandforprecise,reliabletestinginthis sectorisparticularlyhigh.

Asstatedbyaleadingexpertatarecent industryconference:”ThefutureofLED manufacturinghingesontestsystemsthat cannotonlykeeppacewithminiaturization butalsoguaranteealevelofqualityand uniformitythatwaspreviouslyunachievable.”Theutilizationoftheseadvanced testingsolutionsdirectlyaddressesthis vision.Byprovidingthetoolsnecessary toensuretheunprecedentedlevelofconsistencyandreliabilitythatmodernLED modulesdemand,thesenewmethodologiesareenablingtheindustrytoovercome itsmostpressingtestingchallengesina rapidlyevolvingmarket. ■

AboutSPEA

Backedbyover50yearsoftechnology andinnovation,SPEAisaleadingglobal manufacturerofautomatictestequipment. Withmorethan12,000testersinstalled worldwideinover65countriesandastaff of1,200people,SPEAiscommittedto continuousinnovationtoensure,dayby day,thequalityandreliabilityofelectronic products. SPEAAutomaticTestEquipment ViaTorino,16 10088Volpiano(TO)–Italy

www.spea.com

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