Testing LED's

[spike1947]

Hi
I am trying to replace some dead LED's on a couple of strips from a LED TV, tested a row of 4 using 12.2 v dc and it shows 2 working, now I am trying test a single LED using 3.23 v dc ( 2xAAA Bats ) , but even the good ones are not lighting with that voltage, what am I doing wrong here !.
attached pics showing 2 LED's lit with a supply to the strip of 12.2 v dc.

 

[Harald Kapp]

You need a series resistor to limit the current through the LEDs. Without resistor the current can become too high for the LEDs and they will burn. You may have damaged the good LEDs if you haven't used a resistor.

 

[spike1947]

You need a series resistor to limit the current through the LEDs. Without resistor the current can become too high for the LEDs and they will burn. You may have damaged the good LEDs if you haven't used a resistor.

Hi
I wouldn't know what size resistor to use !
cheers
Spike

 

[Harald Kapp]

I wouldn't know what size resistor to use !

Depends on the voltage source, the LED and the current.
Use 3 × 1.5 V batteries = 4.5 V. Assume ~ 3 V for the white LED and 10 mA then R = (4.5 V - 3 V) / 0.01 A = 150 Ω.
The exact value is not critical. anything between 100 Ω and 220 Ω will work, even 300 Ω should work.
2 × 1.5 V batteries may not be enough to power the LEDs. White LEDs can have > 3 V pass voltage (the good point here is that you will not have destroyed these LEDs with the 3 V from the batteries ).

You also need to observe the polarity. LEDs light up only with anode to '+' and cathode to '-'. But of course you are aware of this, aren't you?