2nd IEEE ENERGYCON Conference & Exhibition, 2012 / Advances in Energy Conversion Symp

LED Power Supply and EMC Compliance

A. Ndokaj , A. Di Napoli
University ROMA TRE Dept of Mech. & Indust. Engineering
Rome, Italy
E-mail: dinapoli@uniroma3.it

supply is low (about 20mA). High-power LEDs

are more difficult to control because they require
higher values of current supply, 350 mA, 700 mA,
1 A or even higher values. Of course, it could be
used a linear regulator if the power dissipation
was not a problem, or a resistance if the current
adjustment resolution was not critical. To
overcome these problems, in most applications is
used a switching regulator, which is essential if
the supply voltage is less than the voltage required
by the series of LEDs or if the supply voltage has
a great range of variation. The use of this type of
control involves great advantages in terms of
power dissipation. On the other hand using
switching regulators involves an increasing of the
electromagnetic interference (EMI), in addition to
higher costs.

Abstract This paper provides theoretical an

experimental discussions on constant current drivers for high
power LEDs, relative EMI emissions (both conducted and
radiated emissions). It is shown the design of a low cost
constant current buck converter used to drive a series of high
power LEDs. Paying attention to the switching frequency of
the converter it is possible to attenuate the conducted and
radiated emissions enough to meet the emission limits
prescribes by CEI EN 55015 (CEI 110-2) and CEI EN 610004-3 (CEI 210-39) regulations, also having a high Power
Factor and an improved energy quality.
Index Terms Constant Current Power Supply, EMC,
Power LED

I. INTRODUCTION
The LED is on the
market from
many years. The first LEDs were available in
only red color. They were used as indicators in
electronic circuits, in the seven-segment display
and in the Optisolators. Later were developed
LEDs that emits yellow and green
light,
were made
devices that
incorporate two
LEDs, one red and one green, generally in the
same container, allowing the view of four states
(off,
green, red, green + red = yellow) with the
same device.
LEDs are increasingly used in lighting in
replacement of some traditional light sources.
Their indoor use, in replacement of the
incandescent, halogen or compact fluorescent
lamps (commonly referred energy saving lamps),
it is now possible with remarkable achievements
thanks to the innovative techniques developed in
the field.
The control of a single LED or a long series of
LED does not have many problems if the current

978-1-4673-1454-1/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE

II. THE CONVERTER

Here it is presented the design of a Buck
controller. In Fig.1 is presented the principle
electronic schematic of the circuit used for
controlling LEDs. In a Buck converter circuit, a
power MOSFET Q1 is usually used to switch the
supply voltage across an inductor and LED load
connected in series. The inductor L1 is used to
store energy when the MOSFET is turned on; this
energy is then used to provide current for the LED
when the MOSFET is turned off. A diode across
the LED and inductor circuit provides a return
path for the current during the MOSFET off time.
A controller provides the
ON-OFF signal for the high power MOSFET.

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F 1: Circuit schematic of constant current drive

Fig.

Project specifications:
- input voltage = 230V AC nominnal;
- Power LED series (1 Watt eachh);
- Average current to be absorbed by the
series of LED = 350 mA;
- Switching frequency = 80kHz ;
- Square wave frequency for thee PWM control
of brightness.
The number of Power LEDs that can be piloted
m 30 (indoor
with this converter ranges from
lighting) to 60 (outdoor lighting). An EMI filter
was used to improve the Poweer Factor and
attenuate furthermore the conducteed and radiated
emissions.
In Fig. 2 is presented the diiagram of the
designed converter. As a controlleer it has been
used the Supertex HV9910B [5] whhich is an open
loop, current mode, control LED drriver IC. It can
be programmed to operate in eithher a constant
frequency or constant of-time mode.
m
It is
particulary suitable for our case because it permits
both PWM dimming and linear dimiing. The PWM
signal is provided by the ICM75555 IC [7] which
is a general purpose timer capablee of producing
acurate time delays or frequencies. By
B varying the
duty cycle () of this signal we cann vary the level
of brightnes of the LEDs.

Fig. 2: Circuit schematic of the designed converter

255

In Fig.3 and Fig.4 are presented the

measurements done with the oscilloscope for two
different Duty Cycles () of the PWM signal.
With the = 75% we can see that the average
current absorbed by the LED serie is about 280mA
instead of 350mA, which is the nominal absorbing
current of the power LED. With the = 95% we
can see that the average current absorbed by the
LED serie is about 340mA, almost the nominal
current, resulting in almost the maximum level of
brightnes.

various ways, including conducting tests according

to harmonized standards, where the object to be
tested is installed in a laboratory or is installed at
the factory of the manufacturer.
The CISPR 11 (CEI EN 55011) defines the
emission limits and methods of measurement in the
frequency range 150 kHz - 1 GHz, for all devices
in industrial
radio frequency, scientific and
medical (ISM), this rule (along with CEI EN
61800-3 and ISO 7176-21) was taken as a
reference for measurements of conducted and
radiated emissions. For the Radiated Immunity was
taken as reference the CEI EN 61000-4-3 (CEI
210-39).
The test site for the emission EMC testing, both
conducted and radiated, is a semi-anechoic
chamber (Fig.4). It is a shielded room covered with
ferrite absorber tiles and it is equipped with the
main EMC testing instrumentation, as an EMI
receiver, a broadband antenna, an RF generator
with the relative power amplifier, LISNs (Line
Impedance
Stabilization
Network),
CDNs
(Coupling
Decoupling
Network),
electric,
magnetic and current probes, test generator related
to the electrostatic discharge and fast
electromagnetic pulses test .

Fig. 3: Waveforms = 75%

Fig. 4: Waveforms = 95%

Aside from the PWM control of brightness

there is also a block of Rsense resistances (Fig.2)
connected to the Isense pin of the HV9910B IC.
By varying the resultant resistance of this block,
the maximum current absorbed by the LED series
varies.

Fig. 5: Semi-anechoic chamber with ferrite tiles

The characteristics of the Equipment Under

Test (EUT) are as follows:
- Maximum load: 60W;
- Supply voltage 230Vac;
- Current consumption: 1.5A;
- Operating Frequency: 80kHz (switching

III. EMI TEST SET-UP

frequency);

The verification of the EMC requirements for

equipment
or
industrial
complex
telecommunications systems can be achieved in

Instruments used for measurements:

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- EMI Receiver 9kHz-2.9GHz;

- LISN 100kHz-150MHz;
- Current probe 9kHz-110MHz;
- Bilog Antenna 30MHz-1GHz;
- semi-anechoic chamber.

IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Both conducted and radiated emissions
measurements have been carried out in normal
operational conditions of the device under test.
The chosen switching frequency provides a
good compromise between low led blinking and
low elctromagnetic emissions, taking into account
the variation of the Power Factor in the frequency
range 15kHz 100kHz.
In Fig.9 and Fig.10 are presented the conducted
emissions in the frequency range 150kHz
30MHz. The green line represents the conducted
emission limits imposed by the normatives.
Although the conducted emissions are below the
limit, using an EMI filter [6] (blue curve) the
conducted emissions are further imrpoved. This
makes possible the compliance of the presented
device to future regulations that may impose lower
emission limits comparing to the current
regulations in force.

In Fig.6 and Fig.7 are shown the measurement

set-ups for conducted emissions and radiated
emissions.

Fig. 6: Measurement Set-Up for conducted emissions

Fig. 7: Measurement Set-Up for radiated emissions

Fig. 9: Conducted emissions 150 500 kHz

brownNo EMI filter
blueEMI FILTER

In Fig. 8 it is shown the insertion of an EMI

filter during the measurements of the conducted
emissions.

Fig. 10: Conducted emissions 500kHz 30 MHz

brownNo EMI filter
blueEMI FILTER

Fig. 8: Measurement Set-Up for conducted emissions with an

EMI
filter inserted
Experimental
Results

257

In Fig.11 and Fig.12 are presented the radiated

emission of the device in the frequency range
30Mhz 1Ghz.

V. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper it is shown the design a low cost
constant current buck converter used to driver two
series of Power LEDs . A set of conducted and
radiated emissions tests was carried out.
It is shown
that the designed converter,
choosing the given switching frequency of 80kHz,
meets all the EMC specifications imposed by the
actual regulations. Using an EMI filter [6] the
conducted and radiated emissions are even lower,
improving in this way the EMI behavior of the
device presented.

REFERENCES

Fig. 11: Radiated emissions 30MHz 230MHz

Fig. 12: Radiated emissions 230Mhz 1GHz

[1]

Williams, Tim. 2001. EMC for Product

Designers. Meeting the European Directive.
Oxford: Newnes

[2]

Harrison, Linden T. 2005. Current Sources &

Voltage References. Burlington MA: Newnes.

[3]

CEI EN 55015 (CEI 110-2): Limiti e metodi di

misura delle caratteristiche di radiodisturbo
degli apparecchi di illuminazione elettrici e
degli apparecchi analoghi (ed. 4 - 1997) (CEI
110-2;V1) (CEI 110-2;V2)

[4]

CEI EN 61000-4-3 (CEI 210-39): Compatibilit

elettromagnetica (EMC). Parte 4: Tecniche di
prova e di misura. Sezione 3: Prova di immunit
sui campi elettromagnetici a radiofrequenza (ed.
1 - 1997) (CEI 210-39;V1)

[5]

HV9910B Universal High Brightness LED

Driver, Supertex Inc. online catalogue
(http://www.supertex.com/pdf/datasheets/HV99
10B.pdf)

[6]

FN 2010-1-6 General Purpose EMI Filter,

Schafner
online
catalogue
(http://www.schaffner.com/en/products/datashe
et/product/fn-2010-general-purpose-emcemifilter.html)

[7]

ICM755 General Purpose Timer Intersil

online
catalogue
(http://www.intersil.com/data/fn/fn2867.pdf)

As you can see the radiated emissions are

below the limits imposed by the normatives.

258