White LEDs are the lighting solutions of the future, simply because these devices can be lit brightly at relatively negligible power consumption. As an example, 1 watt LEDs are getting very popular nowadays due to their mini size and intense point brightness outputs, and as usual these require just a watt at 4 volts for generating dazzling illuminations.
Overview
In this article I will show you how to build a very simply 220 V or 110 V operated 1 watt LED driver circuit,that would cost you not more 1/2 a dollar, excluding the LED of course.
I have already discussed capacitive type of power supply in a couple posts, like in LED tube light circuit and in a transformerless power supply circuit, the present circuit also utilizes the same concept for driving the proposed 1 watt LED.
Simulation and Working
In the circuit diagram we see a very simple capacitive power supply circuit for driving a 1 watt LED, which may be understood with the following points.
The 1uF/400V capacitor at the input forms the heart of the circuit and functions as the main current limiter component of the circuit. The current limiting function makes sure that the voltage applied to the LED never exceeds the required safe level.
However high voltage capacitors have one serious issue, these do not restrict or are not able to inhibit the initial switch ON mains power in rush, which can be fatal for any electronic circuit LEDs are no exceptions.
Adding a 56 Ohm resistor at the input helps to introduce some damage control measures, but still it alone cannot do the complete safeguarding of the involved electronics.
An MOV would certainly do, also what about a thermistor? Yep, a thermistor would also be a welcome proposition.
But these are relatively at the costlier side and we are discussing a cheap version for the proposed design, so we would want to exclude anything that would cross a dollar mark as far as the total cost goes.
So I thought of an innovative way of replacing an MOV with an ordinary, cheap alternative.
What is the function of an MOV
It's to sink the initial burst of high voltage/current to ground such that it is ground before reaching the LED in this case.
Wouldn't a high voltage capacitor do the same function if connected across the LED itself. Yes it would surely operate the same way as an MOV.
The figure shows the insertion of another high voltage capacitor directly across the LED, which sucks the instantaneous influx of voltage surge during power switch ON, it does this while charging up and thus sinks almost the entire initial voltage in rush making all the doubts associated with a capacitive type of power supply distinctly clear.
The end result as shown in the figure is a clean, safe, simple and a low cost 1 watt LED driver circuit, which can be built right at home by any eletronic hobbyist and used for personal pleasures and utility.
CAUTION: THE CIRCUIT SHOWN BELOW IS NOT ISOLATED FROM THE AC MAINS, THEREFORE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO TOUCH IN POWERED POSITION.
Circuit Diagram
In the above shown simple 1 watt led driver circuit, the two 4.7uF/250 capacitors along with the 10 ohm resistors form a kind of "speed breaker" in the circuit, this approach helps to arrest the initial switch ON surge inrush which in turn helps to safeguard the LED from getting damaged.
This feature can be replaced with an NTC which are popular for their surge suppressing features.
This enhanced way of tackling the initial surge inrush problem could be by connecting an NTC thermistor in series with the circuit or the load.
Please check out the following link for knowing how to incorporate an NTC thermister in the proposed 1 watt LED driver circuit
The above circuit can be modified in the following manner, however the light may be a little compromised.
A good way of tackling the initial surge inrush problem is by connecting an NTC thermistor in series with the circuit or the load.
Please check out the following link for knowing how to incorporate an NTC thermister in the proposed 1 watt LED driver circuit
https://homemade-circuits.com/2013/02/using-ntc-resistor-as-surge-suppressor.html
Prototype Images
The above circuit can be modified in the following manner, however the light may be a little compromised.
Using a 6V Battery
As can be seen in the diagram, the concept hardly utilizes any circuit or rather does not incorporate any hi-end active component for the required implementation of driving a 1 watt LED.
The only active devices that's been employed in the proposed simplest 1 watt LED driver circuit are a few diodes and a mechanical switch.
The initial 6 volts from a charged battery is dropped to the required 3.5 volts limit by keeping all the diodes in series or in the path of the LED supply voltage.
Since each diode drops 0.6 volts across it, all four together allow only 3.5 volts to reach the LED, lighting it safely, yet brightly.
As the illumination of the LED drops, each diode is bypassed subsequently using the switch, to restore the brightness of the LED.
The use of the diodes for dropping the voltage level across the LEDs makes sure that the procedure does not dissipate any heat and therefore becomes very efficient in comparison to a resistor, which would have otherwise dissipated a lot of heat in the process.
Charan says
Hi Swagatam, i tried the basic transformerless circuit from u r previous posts and ive used single 1 watt led but resistor started heating up. I am using 474k/400v cap and single led (1 Watt) . since there r many ckts in ur site which uses 1uF cap suggest me a ckt suitable for me….
Swagatam says
Hi Charan, you can remove all the resistors and just use a single 100uF/50V capacitor, but make sure to add a 6V 1 watt zener diode after the bridge rectifier, and yes you can use a 1uF/400V instead of 474 for greater brightness.
for full brightness you can incorporate the following concept, but again make sure to replace the zener diode with a 6V zener
https://homemade-circuits.com/2016/07/scr-shunt-for-protecting-capacitive-led.html
Rajagilse says
Sir, could I put NTC in place of so many diodes in the under mentioned circuit, then will it become surge proof ? could I put about 15 no. of 1 watt LED for that ? Is there any alteration needed ?
2.bp.blogspot.com/-nKF8T8lKIxY/UMg7YDLNQ3I/AAAAAAAAB8U/S1OWTK0cMD4/s1600/Surge%20free%20transformerless%201%20watt%20LED%20driver%20circuit.png
Swagatam says
Raja, yes that's possible but NTC will need to be placed in series with the supply, not at the points where diodes are connected.
it will prevent surge but it will not stabilize the voltage, and it is recommended only for initial switch ON current control not for round the clock control
15 no LED can be used, but should be in series
Rajagilse says
Sir, what alterations should I do if put 5 watt single led in place of 1 watt?
Swagatam says
Raja, 5 watt cannot be used in the above circuit, you can try the following circuit instead
https://homemade-circuits.com/2016/07/scr-shunt-for-protecting-capacitive-led.html
Aabhishek Sharma says
Should I might also consider checking diodes before restarting the circuit after repair.
Swagatam says
Yes, make sure all the parts along with the 1N4007 diodes are original, and of good quality.
use a 12V / 1 watt zener across the output +/- lines, this will prevent the capacitor from getting damaged.
remember this circuit is for 1 watt LED, NOT for 20mA LED, if you want to use 20mA LED then replace the 105/400V capacitor with a 0.22uF/400V capacitor.
please don't do anything without understanding
Aabhishek Sharma says
Hi sir, I made circuit and actually was working perfectly but after 2 minutes the third capacitor 100uf 63v got burst, I was using only one red colour led (normal) everything else is same.
Aabhishek Sharma says
hello swagatam sir,
in the first circuit ,instead of 4.7uf,250v can i use 10 uf,250v.
If i make first circuit as it is ,then also NTC is necessary?
regards
aabhishek sharma
Swagatam says
Hello Abhishek,
you can use 10uF/250V, however if a single NTC is used then these big capacitors can be eliminated
Unknown says
Hi Swagatam,
I have been following your blog for quite some time.Its a very good blog and I have made many circuits by following your circuits. I wanted to make led street lights but the frames i have are the old types you know those 40 watts one. So can you tell me how to make them like the circuit and what type of led's can be used to have bright white light.
Swagatam says
Hi, thanks, the power will depend on your choice and the source of power.
the frame or the fixture can be only used as the base, the wiring won't be of much use, however you could refer to the following circuit and possibly modify your 40 watt strips accordingly
https://homemade-circuits.com/2014/06/led-tube-light-circuit-which-will-fit.html
Flavio Soprano says
Luego de casi un lustro llega a Sur América problemas para resolver tecnolócamente que ud mi estimado amigo ha resuelto y compartido… gracias… hacía hace un tiempo este circuito para leds de 60mW y me preguntaba si funcionaría con chups de 1w. Saludos y gracias.
After almost five years come to South America to solve problems you my dear friend and shared resolved … thanks … some time ago this circuit 60mW LEDs and wondered if it would work with chups 1w. Greetings and thanks.
Swagatam says
thanks very much, Im glad to know this!
Madamidola temitope says
wonderful work you are doing here.
more power to your elbow sir.
Swagatam says
you are most welcome Madamidola
kamlesh_sexy says
Hi friend,
I liked 2nd diagram, but I don't have 10uf 250v capacitor at the moment, currently I have:
10uf in 16v, 25v, 50v, 63v.
so what capacitor voltage I can use instead of 10uf 250v??? please suggest me.
Swagatam says
Hi friend, you can try 100uF/25V instead, just connect a 12V zener in parallel with the vertical 1N4007 diode
Naresh S says
And which circuit is safety first one or the second one?
Swagatam says
second one but light will be less.
Naresh S says
Hey sir
What if i use 1uf 650 v ppc instead of 400v?
Swagatam says
naresh, yes it will do…
Aneil Khadgi says
Hello Sir . can i used 12v 1amp adapter to 10 watt led
Baron Joe says
Sir!
Can this be modify to detect overvoltage, a spike or a transient
in the mains? Light up the led, and way not log it with an ARDUINO 😉
Tank's, Joe.
Swagatam says
Baron, the over voltage can be simply stabilized by putting a zener diode across the LED terminals, and the spike or transient can be controlled by inserting an NTC thermistor alone or in conjunction with an MOV 😉
kamlesh_sexy says
Hi friend,
How are you? hope u doing gr8, I am again in little confucsed with led current value, i mean i went to market few days ago to buy 50nos 1w led, but in one shop i got only 20nos and another shop i got 30, so i got total 50nos. Ok after taht i came to home and connect led's to desire voltage (output voltage of battery is 3.2v) the 20nos of led (from 1st shop) brightness is ok, but another 30nos led (from 2nd shop) brightness is different, my question is how to know led current value, i mean 350ma or 300ma? is there any calulation method or any way to check the led current????
Thank you….
Swagatam says
Hi friend, I don't think there's any testing equipment or method which will identify the wattage of an unknown LED??
but in your case it's just because of difference in quality or color spec….both could be 1 watt/350mA but due to different brand, the illumination could be slightly different.
fidel catsro says
dear Swagatham, in reference to the simple single diode schematic diagram : can I replace the 1megaohm resistor in parallel to the 105uf 400v ac capacitor with a neon bulb instead? the 1 megaohm resistor is a simple discharge mechanism to prevent the cap from keeping its current in it and causing a shock when touched accidentally etc whilst being removed from the ac outlet right?
Swagatam says
dear fidel,
you can use a neon bulb in series with the 1M resistor…..but you cannot replace it
that's right, it's for discharging the dangerous mains potential when the circuit is unplugged
Lord of Blackspot says
Dear sir,
I want to attach it a single 5 mm led to project its beam on the wall clock.
So how can be modified this circuit for a single 5mm led? (enough brightness which shouldn't harm led's durability)
Thank you so much sir.
Swagatam says
use a 0.33uF/400V capacitor in place of the shown 105/400V cap, you can try a 0.22uF/400 first if it does not give sufficient light then go for the 0.33uF/400V option
Lord of Blackspot says
Dear sir,
this is Shrinivas from Amravati.
How can be modified this circuit to draw 20mA (for single 5mm LED)? Coz I've tried single 5mm for this circuit bt it lits very brightly which is resulting high temp & no durability. So please suggest exact value (for R?)
Thank you so much sir.
Swagatam says
Dear Srinivas, replace the input 105/400V capacitor with a 0.33uF/400V capacitor
Janith Chathuranga says
sir, i want to make this circuit with 10 * 1W leds in 230v
how can do it?
Swagatam says
Janith, simply connect them in series with the shown circuit….that' all, if possible connect a coil in series with the LEDs as indicated in the following article:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2015/05/make-1-watt-led-lamp-using-20ma-leds.html
NJ says
Hello Swagatam,
i have followed ur ckt . i want to connect the 18 LED having voltage 3.2V Current 150mA . i have used the 105J 400V capacitor . on AC side the current consumption is 70mA while on DC side at led it is 55mA only . I want to insincere the DC current at led side up to 130mA and decrease the AC current up to 30mA.
Kindly suggest mi how to do that
Swagatam says
Hello NJ, that's not possible with a capacitor power supply because the input/output stages are not isolated.
Bambang says
Hi Swagatam, i like your blog. i have question related changing "2pcs of 4,7uf/250v and 2 pcs of 10 ohm/1watt with 1 pcs of NTC. what value of NTC of it? is it 20 ohm?
Swagatam says
Hi Bambang, it can be a 5 ohm NTC as shown in the following article:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2013/02/using-ntc-resistor-as-surge-suppressor.html
Kimaya Samarth says
hello,
Can you suggest a circuit to reduce the flickering of LED which is powered by energy generated from a small turbine rotated by water.approx voltage across LED is 1.6v
Swagatam says
just connect a 100uF/25V capacitor directly across the LED leads.
Naresh S says
sir shall i use 105k/250v instead of 1uf /400v?
Swagatam says
It can be used but it won't be reliable….
mahendiran T.V says
dear sir,
Can i replace 1uf/400V by 220nF/400V or 1uf/250V
Swagatam says
1uF/250V can be tried
aravind says
hai sir,
i am aravind
while i am surfing through internet i found that 1uf cap will provide 40ma.
then how it glows 1 watt led which requires 300ma.
does 40ma amp is enough?
please explain.
Swagatam says
Hi Aravind, 1uF will produce 70mA not 40mA, but anyway the LEDs will not get 300mA from it and will light up with 70mA brightness only.
Hemant Rajput says
PLEASE help me i need 12-17 voltage circuit and minimum 0.5 ampere current and i only want to use maximum of 2 reistance and two capacitor and one bridge rectifire like in the circuit i mentioned in link.I just want to know the value of resistance and capacitance for my purpose
cdn.instructables.com/FZG/3MTW/G3KY0MRL/FZG3MTWG3KY0MRL.LARGE.jpg
Swagatam says
Sorry that's not possible, you will have to include a transistor stage also for reliability and safety because at 0.5amps the initial surge will be too high which could damage the load instantly.
Naresh S says
Hi Sir,
What is the output voltage and current of the circuit?
Thanks,
Naresh.S
Swagatam says
Hi Naresh, It would settle down to the 100uF capacitor voltage rating without load. and when a load is connected such as an LED it would further come down to 3.3V
Abid Ginwala says
Hi, Can you guide me with making of LED Street light using 30 Nos. 1W SMD LEDs connected in 3 rows in parallel with 10 LED's in Series. I will use available ready-made good LED Driver (pls give spec of Driver required). Thanx
Swagatam says
Hi You'll need a 33V, 350mA SMPS driver circuit, preferably a current controlled type, if it's not current controlled you could employ the first design from the following link, in conjunction with it.
https://homemade-circuits.com/2013/06/universal-high-watt-led-current-limiter.html
Saeed Abu says
Bro how can i drive multicolor 3/4 LED by 220v through resistance only? it will be used as night lamp.
Swagatam says
use a 2k/20 watt resistor
Ransara Wijitharathna says
Hello I like your post very much keep it up!!!
Can I connect about 50 ,5mm leds to this circuit without big 1W leds??
Swagatam says
hi thanks!
yes you can connect them…put them all in series.
use 474/400V instead of 105/400V
hanumanth says
Hello Sir,
I have seen your posting of 1watt led drive from mains supply its good i have tried but,
my led has blown out and i have checked the out put is showing 320v Dc..
I have used the the below parts..
1) 1N4007
2) Resistor 1mego ohm 1/4watts
3) Resistor 56ohms 1watt..
4) capacitor 105/400v polyster type.
5) Capacitor 104/250v polyster type.
6) LED 1watt white.
I have connected as per the draw shown above kinldy le me know where im doing the mistake..
mains voltage i have given 240volts to the above circuit..
Kindly help me sir…
Hanumanth
Swagatam says
replace 104/250 with 10uF/250V, or alternatively you can add an NTC as suggested in the following article.
https://homemade-circuits.com/2013/02/using-ntc-resistor-as-surge-suppressor.html
Jayanath Ranasinghe says
Can i use J3305 transistor sir?
Jayanath Ranasinghe says
is there any circuit to glow 10w single chip led from 230v main?
Swagatam says
an smps is the only solution, no other easier method.
Virendra singh says
how to lighten up 20 LED of one watt each connected in parallel , n how many voltage require i have a 35voltage DC battery and how to control upcoming voltage from battery to glow much brighter
Swagatam says
with 35V you get an opportunity to connect 10 LEDs in series with a single limiting resistor, so with 20 LEDs you can make two such strings and connect them in parallel.
The resistor value will be 6 Ohm 1 watt for each string.
The above set up will produce the most optimal response from the LEDs
Swapnil Sinalkar says
which type of capacitor used at input & output stage for above circuit please tell. as early as possible
Swagatam says
input is metallized polyester, and output can be a metallized polyester or an electrolytic
Anonymous says
Dear Swagatam Majumdar
I am interested to know that how much wattage will be recorded or shown by the electric meter if we are using your 1watt LED circuit with four LEDs in series?
Yes, I appreciated your efforts made to satisfied every person, I read already.
Regards.
Muhammad Ali Shaikh, Karachi, Sindh
Swagatam says
Dear Muhammad,
You will have to measure the volts across the leads of the LED, and measure current in series with the LED, then multiply the results to get the wattage.
Wajed Pasha says
Hi sir I'm planing to connect 40 1 watt led's in series so i want to add an fan speed controller for dimming. I'm interested in electronic but i don have much knowledge in electronic plese help me can u send me the pic of ready circuit for reference wajedpasha58@gmail I'm waiting for Ur reply
Swagatam says
Hi Wajed,
please refer to the last diagram in this article, you can try this for your project:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/11/using-fan-dimmer-for-controlling-led.html
parthiban says
dear mr.Swagatam,
i need transformerless LED driver for 3Watt LED
masoud says
Hi output voltage of about 3 volts. Is it possible to add., And because the filter capacitor should be 250 volts.
Anonymous says
HI this is Arjit Sharma
i have got 10 x 1 watt led
6×1 white
2×1 red
2×1 green
but when i connect it in parallel connection to 10 w 350 mA driver on red one light and that to with only small amount of brightness why so and what do i need to do for lighting them with full capacity
9928036395
Swagatam says
Hi, What is your driver voltage?
You will need to put appropriately calculated resistors with each ED, only then all will light up with uniform brightness.
Anonymous says
hello sir
can i use this circuit to power up 8, 10mm LED
with its full capacity
thank you
Swagatam says
If it's 20mm type then yes you can use it with full capacity
Swagatam says
……sorry i meant 20mA
Swagat Suryawanshi says
Can you please provide me any link, or provide me some hint to understand how did you arrive at the input side capacitor of 1uF/400V? I mean how does this value of capacitor restrict or limit the current that is being used by power-led? Also how are we restricting the voltage supplied to the led to 3.4V. I know that even if we provide 5V to the led the forward drop will always be 3.4V; but still if we provide a higher voltage maybe something like 200Vdc then I believe the led will burn out. Then how do we limit the voltage supplied to the led?
Swagatam says
The current is important here which we want to limit by putting a resistance in series with the mains, the capacitor acts like a resistance here which is calculated by calculating its reactance, you can Google a little to find the formula for reactance, this will be in Ohms, next you can employ Ohms law to calculate the current that can be limited through this reactance or resistance.
Swagatam says
The voltage gets automatically restricted to load voltage only in case the current is considerably lower than the maximum spec of the load (LED here), since a 1uF/400V can allow a max of 70mA which is far less than the 1watt LEDs 350mA, the voltage settles down to the LED FWD V level
Anonymous says
hello…Sir i want to knw what changes are required to use 5 1watt led in above given circuit…plz
Swagatam says
The above power supply will not be able to illuminate 1 watt LEDs even after suitable changes.
Swagatam says
…i mean it won't drive with full illumination, anyway you can try connecting the LEDs in series with the above circuit and see the results.
Tanay Makwana says
hi!
when I made the above ckt the resistor 56 ohms just gets blows and if it doesn't, the LED lights up but with very low brightness
Swagatam says
please make this circuit:
2.bp.blogspot.com/-nKF8T8lKIxY/UMg7YDLNQ3I/AAAAAAAAB8U/S1OWTK0cMD4/s1600/Surge%20free%20transformerless%201%20watt%20LED%20driver%20circuit.png
Use 6 diodes and not 12, if you are connecting 1 LEd only
Vivek Kumar says
Sir
when i have made this circuit i got only 2.82 volt on each 1 Watt led.. so pls help me how to increase volt to 3.3V…
I have used following items…
1. 105K/400volt capacitor
2. 150 or 570K resistance for cap
3. 4 diode 4007
4. 56 ohm resistance 2 watt
5. 100V/100mf condenser
6. 1watt 3LED in series
Swagatam says
Hi Vivek,
Increasing current won't be a good idea and is not recommended for such power supplies, instead you can use ordinary 5mm LEDs and connect 50 of them in series, it will produce much higher illumination than a three 1 watt LEDs.
Andre S. says
Dear Sir, i am no expert like you..
i want to try build a led driver.
the DC output should be
14 Ampere (60 * 700mA) , 168 volt (2,8 * 60) , 60 Watt (60 pc * 1 W)
since i want use 1 W led, DC2.3-2.8V 700mA each (read it on the spec of the bulb)..
i want to use 60 piece bulb of 1w power led.
is the DC out that i calculate is right or wrong ?
Swagatam says
Dear Andre,
You can use the circuit which is given in the above article, by connecting all the LEds in series to the output. Be sure to connect a thermistor in series with the input of the above transformerless power supply and increase the input capacitor value to 5uF/400V non-polar
Your current calculation needs correction…..when LEDs are connected in series the current gets shared, meaning in your case the current would be just 700mA…..
By the way 1 watt LEDs are rated at 350mA not 700mA, I am doubtful about your specs.
Shaun P says
Hello Swagatam!
Thank you for all of your time answering everyone's questions. I would like to use your circuit design in a middle school project to create LED light fixtures housed in home cut and planed cherry wood housings. I am wondering which of your two posted designs you would recommend for this project, and how many 1 watt LED's you think would be appropriate for a 3 foot long bar type fixture to give an impression of consistent lighting when used as uplighting mounted above eye level on a wall (I am imaging a simple V design for the housing).
Thank You!
Swagatam says
Hello Shaun,
34nos 1 watt LEDs would be enough within a 3ft span. Remember that you will need a heatsink back PCB for mounting the LEds and an additional thick aluminum heatsink attached behind the PCB for optimum cooling.
Along with this you will have to incorporate a current limiter circuit with each LED module, and the the whole thing will need to be powered through a 2amp 12V smps.
For wiring details and calculations you may refer to the following post:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2013/02/make-this-1000-watt-led-flood-light.html
Anonymous says
Hi Swagath,
I need help. I want to make CFL Bulb of rating 1w, 3w, 5w, 7w, 11w, 13w, 15w, 20w, 25w, 33w. but i didn't get the circuit diagram of this rating. So please if you know the website or if you have this then please send me on sumit.rakibe@gmail.com
Thank You…!!!
Swagatam says
CFL bubs are very complicated to build because they involve inductors which are too critical…so i am sorry, no ideas.
Anonymous says
ok got ya… 😉
thank you, and thank you for sharring your knowledge, you really good man.
Anonymous says
Hi swagtam,
your circuit is the best, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I want to use a 10W LED (12V), what change should I give to the circuit?
I wanted to use one 10w LED in some places, 2 LEDs in others, and sometimes 3 LEDS (all in serie)
thank you
Swagatam says
Thank you!
However the above circuit is not specified to support 10 watt LEds so you can't light them up with this circuit.
Anonymous says
Thank you for your replay,
so in this case, I can put up to 20 (1W) LED in series with this circuit, as I read your comment above (in the beguining), but not in parralel?
right?
Swagatam says
yes that will work to some extent, but still it won't be able to provide the required 300mA for full illumination to the 1 watt LEDs.
Walagamage Nalin Dammika says
please let me know the maximum voltage and current to use 1 watt led without a heat sink ( I mean without hot ) because i want to make a more efficiency led light using about 50 led's thank you for all the details.
Swagatam says
you cannot produce maximum brightness from a 1 watt LED without making it hot…a heatsink is a must for getting max illumination from such LEDs
Walagamage Nalin Dammika says
Sorry mr.Swagatam,, i have asked the question wrongly. I want to know the right voltage and current to operate 1 watt led without getting hot.(never mind low brightness)Is it ok to use 0.68 mfd and 50 led's with above circuit? thank you.
Swagatam says
You may try the following circuit, the capacitor can be a 1uF/400V:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/04/how-to-make-led-bulb-circuit.html
Anonymous says
HI there!!
now as far as I now there are SMD led Strips available in market which needs direct 12V supply so can we use them with a small voltage reg circuit with 7812??
Thanks in advance
with regards
Amit
Swagatam says
yes it can be done, in fact it can be driven directly from a 12v AC/DC adapter, regulator IC is not required.
abhishek gelani says
Aa circuit ma Ark shathe ketli led chalu thay….plase fast relay….thank you
Trent P says
Hello there,
Is it possible to have this circuit work for an LED with these specs?
Reverse voltage: 4V
Continuous forward current: 25mA
Peak forward current: 100mA
Power dissipation: 120mW
LED junction temperature: 100°C
Operating temperature range: -25°C to 85°C
Storage temperature range: -40°C to 100°C
Lead temperature: 260°C
Forward voltage: 3.5V
Reverse current: 60µA
Luminous intensity: 1500mcd
Peak emission wavelength: 468nm
Dominate wavelength: 470nm
Spectral line half width: 35nm
Viewing angle: 35°
RoHS compliant
Swagatam says
Trent Palmer,
yes it would work.
Akash says
Hello Sir,
I want to use 1W LED through my 12V SMPS.
Do 1W LED require heat sink bigger than what comes in the market for them (circular ~2cm in diameter) ,to run them at ~300mA ,keeping in mind there long life without much deterioration in light intensity.
Thanks in advance,
Swagatam says
Hello Akash,
yes 1 watt LEDs require extra heatsink for longer life.
Anonymous says
do you have 230v ac running/chasing light circuit?
your INFO_JOY MAN says
picturepush.com/public/13042997
i have made a safer alternative uses 50Rs usb charger as main support
Just plug usb charger to the ccs circuit that is borrowed the 10ohm resi can be adjusted for 3 leds
This guy can take three 0.5watt leds making nice spread of light
is safe and no critical highvoltage caps needed (assuming cheapo charger is there available)
Swagatam says
thanks! I have already discussed this here:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2011/12/using-cell-phone-charger-for-making-led.html
industry says
Hi swagath, If I use 82nF/400V Polyster capacitor insted of 1uF/400V and 220KE resistor insted of 1ME and 220uF/50V insted of 1uF/220V,is there any problem and also iam using MOV and NTC in my circuit. I want to connect 10mm LED 10 numbers in series. Now my circuit is working perfectly. I want to know weather any problem will come in future. or is there any mistake in my circuit. Help
Thanks in Advance
Swagatam says
Hi Industry,
you have three protections included in your circuit:
firstly the 1uF is reduced to 0.82uF, and also you have included two best safety options in the form of a thermister and an MOV, so I don't think you would have any issues with the circuit in the future…
industry says
Thanks Swagatham . Thank you for your quick reply. One more thing if I want make 3W,6W and 9W LED Lights ,what should be the correct matching value of Input capacitor and Output capacitor. Also please tell me how to calculate these values.My input volt is 230V and I want to use Each 1W LED'S.Please Help.
Thanks in Advance
Swagatam says
I won't recommend using the above design for driving higher rated LEDs because it's not very safe for it.
You should go for SMPS circuits which will guarantee you complete safety with any type of desired LED
Vivek Jain says
sir How to Make 3 Watt LED Driver Circuit at 220V/110V Mains Voltage.
Swagatam says
Vivek, you may use your cell phone charger for this. Connect the LED with your cell pone charger output via a 3 ohm, 1 watt resistor
Dilandkl says
Mr Swagatam, what if I use a 51 ohm 1 watt resistor?
Thank you.
Swagatam says
Will do, the value is not very critical, be sure to use a thermistor as referred in the given article link, just above the diagram.
Dilandkl says
Mr.Swagatam can i use a 105k 250v cap for second capasitor?? And will 8 mm LED's work for this circuit?
Thank You
Dilan Leelawardena
Swagatam says
Dilandki, yes you may use 105/250 for the second cap, and a 8mm led will also work here
please read the precautions!
amila weerasinghe says
if we want to create it for 10w bulbs how can i do that?
thanx
Swagatam says
not possible with this circuit….
manu says
hi,
thanks for simple and excellent circuit.
Can I use this circuit to power up say 30 – 40, 1 watt LED in series.
Does this circuit Heat up a lot, I am planning a Porch light Using this
which will be auto Lit at dusk and would go off on Dawn using LDR.
thanks,
Swagatam says
Hi, thanks!
Yes you may connect many 1 watt leds in series, but make sure to connect a thermistor in series with the input terminal of the capacitor.
you may refer to this article:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2013/02/using-ntc-resistor-as-surge-suppressor.html
Rajthilak Kuppuswamy says
Hi Swagatam,
Do I have to use a heat sink for the LED in this existing circuit and if not, can I use a heatsink and increase the brightness to its maximum? If yes how can it be done. Also im looking to light up say around 12-15 1W LEDs in 12V DC system (Battery), will that be possible with any circuit that you have designed. Please suggest. thanks in advance.
Rajthilak K
Anonymous says
Hi thanks 4 da circuit
Akhil Prasad says
sir, if u can pls give the voltage and current values at different components of the circuit…
Swagatam says
Everything has been provided in the diagram, please check it.
Anonymous says
Hi Swagath,
I found my spike buster LED running with only one single resister in series tat to of 150k 1watt….How does this works…?
Mean all single single LED is connected with series resister of 150k each and tats it…It works fine..
Anonymous says
thank u soo….. much.i really appreciate ur grate work. i have prepared ur circuit.it is working well.but i have few questions.
*cant we increase the current about to required limit of 1W LED safely
*i want lighting three 1w leds.should i do any changes to kit.
*5w led needs about 750mA and 6V.what should be the changes of kit.
please reply me
Swagatam says
you can increase the value of the input capacitor to 3uF/400V, add a NTC thermistor (NTC 5D-11)in series with the input mains.
Anonymous says
Sir,
All parts I used wr same as you said
Expect the cap parallel to LED
I used a 1mf 450v electrolitic cap instead polystr
And led bust out wts the problem actually
Swagatam says
Replace the LED with a new one, and connect an NTC (20D-22) in series with the input capacitor his will keep the circuit safe from inrush currents.
Austin says
Hello. This may be way off topic, but I have a question regarding these 1W LEDs. If I were to buy a ceiling fixture (say 9W 9x1W LEDs) but the light fixture come with 9 white LEDs. Say I wanted to change some of the LEDs to blue, or red, or orange. How hard is it to pry off the white LEDs and attach a different color?
Swagatam says
You can directly replace the existing white LEDs with LEDs of your choice, but the series resistor would also require some tweaking and replacement as per to the total forward voltage drop of the new series.
M.A says
hi
Thank you so much for interesting diagram.
I'm looking for a diagram to install 3 or more 1Watt LED on it.
Please help me.
Swagatam says
Thanks, you can put the LEDs in series.
Swagatam says
site check
Vaibhao Ingle says
hi sir i done this circuit. n use connect 1ps 1w power led its like a moonlight. its working in my room. only one ques. can i use heatsink for leds long life? bt my led is little heat.
Swagatam says
Hi Vaibhav,
please check out this article:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/11/making-powerful-1-watt-led-driver-using.html
Vaibhao Ingle says
hi Sir thanks for sharing important information.
sir i brought 5watt power led. this need 5v to 6v and 750ma. i dont have driver to drive this led.
so can i drive on mobile charger coz his output also 5v. 700ma .
and pls tell me which heatsink i use for this 5w led.
Swagatam says
yes it can be used put a 0.5 Ohm/ 2 watt resistor in series.
Vaibhao Ingle says
sir can u suggest any circuit to drive 30 1w power leds. with full brightness. with transfor or without transformer
Swagatam says
you can refer the following post:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2013/02/make-this-1000-watt-led-flood-light.html
Janesh Joshi says
Hi Swagatam,
I tried your ckt above but the light was very low. So i tried experiementing with various capacitor values and found that 4.7uF 400v is the most ideal value. It gives around 260mA to a series of 3 leds. Voltage across the leds is around 3.2 volts.
I however faced one problem. As a capacitor with rating of 400v was not available, i used 250v instead, and the leds were heating up too much even with a large SMPS heatsink. Does the Capacitor voltage rating cause this issue.
Regards
Janesh
Swagatam says
Hi Janesh,
Heating of the LEDs can be controlled by using a larger heatsink and by applying heatsink compound paste. heating of the leds is not an issue.
However with a 4.7uF cap your LEDs are always at risk of getting damaged from switch ON surge currents.
I would recommend a 12V 1 amp smps for driving the LEDs, that would be a permanent and a reliable solution.
Janesh Joshi says
Thanks for your reply.
Do you have a circuit for constant current (350mA) LED Driver that are commercially available. It is very nice and compact and we can get rid of the capacitor i guess.
Do post that circuit if you have.
Thanks & Regards,
Janesh.
Anonymous says
Hi Swagatam,
I came across this blog of yours today and am very impressed. This is something I have been looking for.
I am a total newbie on LEDs but very enthusiastic to learn. I want to use about thirty 1 Watt LEDs with heatsink (found on ebay.in) to generate 3000 lm of light, good enough to replace my 40W tubelight and get more light. Can you please help to design a circuit and also advise (with values) what components I need to build them to run on regular 220-230V AC?
Regards,
Uday
भारत शक्ति says
मजूमदार साहब नम:स्कार,
मैंने आपके दिये 1 वाट एलईडी सर्किट बनाया बिजली से ठीक चलता है जब मैं इसे 650 va इंवर्टर से चलाता हूँ तो इसका 56 ओम्स 1 w गरम होके जलने लगता है !मार्गदर्शन करें
एस।मिश्रा
A.K.Sumanasiri says
Dear sir,
I made your circuit. but when the power supply swiitch is on and off continuesly the LED was burn. how I fix this problem?
Anonymous says
Feed back, i found that when the circuit is used to run on a inverter power supply (230V, Square Wave) its 56E resistor gets burn out. i understand that it is because of the frequency in the power supply. The reactance of the capacitor changes with change in frequency. hope im correct. how dwe over com this problem to ensure the circuit runs both on direct power and inverter power?
Swagatam says
make this circuit, you won't require any resistor:
2.bp.blogspot.com/-nKF8T8lKIxY/UMg7YDLNQ3I/AAAAAAAAB8U/S1OWTK0cMD4/s1600/Surge%20free%20transformerless%201%20watt%20LED%20driver%20circuit.png
by the way, the frequency of the inverter will be the same as our mains ac.
Anonymous says
the difference between square wave and sine wave, is it the frequency variation or any other parameter?
Swagatam says
site check
heshan manu says
Hi Swagatam
can you help me to develop this circuit to powered 5mm super bright straw hat single led.(3.6V , 0.07A)thank you.
Heshan.
Swagatam says
Hi Heshan,
you may use the above mentioned circuit, just change the input capacitor to 0.22uF/400v, and make the 56 ohm resistor to 100 ohm
Sunish says
Using square wave inverters with capacitive power supply has issues of harmonics which causes the capacitor to budge out due to heating in the long term and series inrush current limiting resistor too gets extremely hot and burnt out.
prithipal singh says
Hello swagatam ji
4.7 mfd 250v is electrolytic capacitors
fidel catsro says
hi Mr Swagatam, I would like to make a single on /off button switch circuit that controls 2 different paths to switch 2 different appliances at each on/off button, means first press ON it switches on a lightbulb A, press button again it switches OFF light A, press same button again, it will switch lightbulb B, press same button it turns off, press again it comes back to light A,and so on..
Swagatam says
Hi Mr. Fidel you can use the following design, but you will need to skip one pinout of the IC between each sequence, in the diagram the sequence is continuous, which will need to be changed:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2013/08/single-push-10-step-selector-switch.html
Anonymous says
Hi Swagath Ji, Few Clarification
Calculation of Capacitative reactance Xc=[(2*22/7)*f*C]^-1
Oms Law for Power I=V/R
If we use 0.47uf capacitor and frequency 60Hz in our power line
Xc=(6.29*60*0.0000047)^-1
Xc=564 Oms
Power shall be I=V/R
Our AC Line 230V
I=230/564
I=0.407691Ams i.e 407 mill amps
Do we really get the above arrived amps ?
Swagatam says
I think you are one digit wron with 564 ohms, it should be around 5640 ohms..also the frequency should be 50 Hz and not 60 Hz.
You may use this site for easy calculation:
www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-RC.htm
The ohms law calculation method is correct.
Anonymous says
You are right, 0.47uf converted in to Farad should be 0.000000047. Thank you once again
Anonymous says
can i connect 5mm led to this ckt. if yes how many led ?? parallel or series ???
thanks.
Swagatam says
Please refer the following link:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/04/how-to-make-led-bulb-circuit.html
Anonymous says
sir,
can i connect this light to inverter (square wave output) ??
b.philip
Swagatam says
yes…no problem.
Anonymous says
dear sir i want to on my energy saver without circuit mostly people say that 220 k 5 watt resistance use it but it not working any0ne can help me i want only saver tub on
Swagatam says
energy savers comes in neat, self-contained cabinets, how do you want to modify it?….i did not quite understand.
ravinder singh says
Hi Sir
I need help from u , actually I need to make a 45-50 LED series of bulbs for a picture frame,
I have 4 IN4007 Diodes, one 474k 250v capacitor, one resistance 220k and I lost one capacitor for filtering may be 220uf 400v ,
as I need to know the circuit diagram to glow these LEDs with 220v power supply. can u please suggest me if I need different values of any material.
thanks
regards
Ravinder
Swagatam says
Hi Ravinder,
If you want to illuminate them constantly without flashing or blinking then you may try the following circuit:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/04/how-to-make-led-bulb-circuit.html
Ripan Gupta says
Hi Sir,
I have prepare the above mention circuit with one 1 watt LED . Circuit working fine till half an hour.
then i switch off the circuit and shift on other place . But when switch on the circuit, 1 watt led will not work.
Kindly suggest the forward path
Ripan
Swagatam says
Hi Ripan,
I have already addressed the issue in the article, please refer the section in RED color.
Kunal says
Hi sir i have connected circuit as you have given in curuit ,but at output insted of 3.3v dc i am gettingn 345v dc.
Please tell ,me what is problem
Swagatam says
Hi Kunal,
Please make the last circuit shown in the following article:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/09/surge-protected-cheap-transformerless-3.html
Under Construction says
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/03/how-to-make-simplest-1-watt-led-driver.html
Anonymous says
My 1 watt LED's are 1.5volt, 700ma devices. Would your circuit run 1 of these devices. I could not see what output voltages and currents were being produced in your circuits. I was looking for a low voltage driver that offered PWM input so I could dim the LED (Using Picaxe Microcontroller) Any help greatly appreciated
Swagatam says
Are they white? Are you sure they are 1.5V, because I have never come across white LEDs having 1.5V as fwd voltage.
Anyway, the above circuit won't support anything above 100 mA so not suitable.
The above circuit is certainly not recommended to be used in conjunction with microcontrollers due to its unpredictable nature.
Munib Saeed says
dear sir! i want 100watts LEd Driver circuit with 220volts AC input
please help
Swagatam says
Dear Munib,
You will have to use a readymade SMPS or transformer power supply for powering 100 watt LEDs.
You may refer this article for knowing how to configure the LEDs in series and parallel.
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/10/automatic-40-watt-led-solar-street_2.html
Sudhir Yadav says
thanks a lot for ur help dear…
Swagatam says
……welcome
Anonymous says
is it possible to connect the circuit to a dc supply in stead of AC supply. If so do we have to change the components in the circuit.
Swagatam says
No this circuit is intended solely for AC mains, you can use the below given circuit if you want a DC operation:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/11/3-watt-5-watt-led-dc-to-dc-constant.html
Anonymous says
Thank you u rock
Anonymous says
Can we connect MOV before DC conversion to handle trans current?
Swagatam says
I think it can be connected there.
saurabh parashar says
hi sir i am saurabh,my problem is that 56omhs resistor burst when power is on,i double ceck the circut….but problem is not solved.
Swagatam says
Hi Saurabh,
Use 474/400V capacitor in place of 105/400V or try the circuit given at the end of the article.
Anonymous says
Hi Swagath, Happy Dewali, I assembled this circuit and tested and it is working, the 56E resistor is heating-up, can we change it to 5Watt one and add ten 1 watt LED's
Swagatam says
Happy Diwali to you too.
Yes you may use a 5 watt wire would resistor. You can also 10 1awtt LEDs in series, but please read the highlighted red colored text in the article.
Anonymous says
I suggest to add a MOV at the start of AC line to handle trns current. will it be ok to have a stable supply
Swagatam says
Yes it can be connected, one lead after the input capacitor other lead before the 56 Ohm.
However it won't be cheap anymore as referred in the title.
Anonymous says
Ok, any specific rating for MOV, a regular one cost Rs.5-10. to connect one end after step down capacitor and one end before the 56E(5watt). 56E 5watt is quite fine nd does not get heated.
Swagatam says
Any standard or regulaer MOV for Indian voltage conditions should work.
That's fine, I think you can go ahead with it.
Dan Frederiksen says
It's an interesting circuit but I'm afraid it's bad. the problem is that it flickers and there seems to be no way to prevent it. I've done a simulation and the cap in parallel with the diode makes no difference. no need to have it there at all.
100Hz flickering is bad for the brain and should not be used for indoor lighting. you might think it's ok but you might also think the light from plutonium is ok. but it's not.
we need a different circuit for proper powering of LEDs from mains.
dmpl says
mr.swagatam,
i have 12W led circuit in which (IC-MIP 553) mainly manufacture by panasonic company is used,..
but i did not found in my city (hyd),can u enqr in ur hometown reply me…plz….
Swagatam says
Hi dmpl
This IC is very difficult to find I have inquired with the local dealer and he has no clue about it.
pp says
It's My Pleasure too…!!!
Swagatam says
I appreciate that PP…that's great 😀
pp says
Swagatam…..Really feel Honoured for your kind reply that too on same day..!!!
Swagatam says
It's my pleasure PP…
pp says
Dear Swagatam…
This is regarding the Chinese/ Rice Bulb Running Lighting, you must have seen the Box with COB,(Chip On Board) and 4 output connections for 8 different stages for running lights…
Now I need your help, how to use this BOX to run LEDs of different colour…How many LEDs required in 1 string???
Swagatam says
Dear PP,
I'll have to study the circuit and then figure out a suitable modification for using it with LEDs, because as you know LEDs cannot be run directly on mains AC, so it will require quite many changes… I'll try to post it as a new article soon.
pp says
Dear Swagatam…HAPPY DEEPAWALI !!!!
Swagatam says
Dear PP,
Wish you all the same!!
HAPPY DIWALI TO EVERYBODY!
amitsharma says
Hello Swagatam
You are really doing great job.
the best part you really take pain to reply any queries without frustration.
Great going… Keep it up.
Swagatam says
Thank You Amit! Appreciations from readers like you keeps me motivated.
Itech says
Yes Dear Swagatam,
Amit Is Very True , i my self feel it that you are always helping and very Friendly, and always with warm welcome 🙂 to any problem and you give your best efforts and full attention to every persons problem.
Thanks Dear I really Appreciate your love and help to others.
Lots of Love and Regards
Swagatam says
Dear Itech,
This blog is running due to the best wishes from you all…and I am enjoying that.
Lots of love to you also…God bless you.
Anonymous says
i would like to comment on Mr Ketan's comment. You are asking to check capacitor voltage and mA chart on internet.Internet itself not creating and publishing any theory. what you read is also article of some human being.Mr Swagatam is also a good knowledgable person. PLS dont trust whatever you get from internet. according to your belief ,1uF capacitor supplies only 40 mA. and 0.22uF supplies 20 mA. Have you practically checked this?if you get 20ma from 0.22uf, you will definitely get around 80-90 ma from a 1uf cap.
anyway according to my experience(practical) 1uf without series resistor can deliver around 70- 75 ma.
if this circuit is not working for you, pls cross check your connections. i made this circuit and was ok.but life is not more. reason for that is explained by the author itself.
yogesh
Anonymous says
Dear Swagatam,
thanks for the wonderful simple diagram, please explain why 400v capacitors, what if 250V and can i use 470uf cap for the second cap with the LED.
Thanks,
Chaminda
Swagatam says
Dear Chaminda,
Thank you!
250V caps will also work, 400V is selected for extreme safety against accidental high voltages which might exceed 250V.
any value cap will do at the output as long as its rated at 250V
Regards.
CARLOS POLETINI says
Dear Swagatam!
I'm here in Brazil and your blog is so cool!
I need your help because I want install a LED (1 watt) in a switcher dimmer (220V). Which is the right way?
Thank you!
Carlos
Swagatam says
Hi Carlos,
Thanks very much.
Presently I am not sure about the answer, I'll surely tell you after I figure it out.
Regards.
dheeraj says
Dear sir
how can i use 10w led for this circuit
dheeraj
Trivandrum
Swagatam says
Hi Dheeraj,
The above circuit is not suitable for driving a 10 watt LED, you will have to use a small 12 smps circuit for it.
Pratik Bhagat says
Hi Swagatam,
Your blog is very good.
I want to share this.
Leds are same as zener diodes. So voltage is not an issue. Current is the
main factor which we should keep under consideration. Also an MOV or varistor or Gas discharge tube component is must(input side). Also to make galvanic isolation one can use small transformers.
The above circuit must contain small heat sink on which led must be placed. More heat less efficiency and life on led.
Regards,
Pratik .R. Bhagat
Swagatam says
Thanks Pratik!
I appreciate your knowledge!
Since the current is nowhere near the 350mA mark, the LED in the above circuit will never get hot, so a heatsink is perhaps not required here.
Regards.
Anonymous says
Very responsible and honest of you to admit that the circuit is not working anymore…
1. pl check capacitor voltage and mA chart on internet. 1uF capacitor supplies only 40 mA. a 0.22uF supplies 20 mA.
2. So, i think using 2 capacitors (224K) in parallel will keep voltage same – 3.5 v as output. However, amperage will be 20 mA from each – equal to a 105K capacitor.
A third 224K capacitor across the led can be kept so that there is no voltage or current fluctuation.
3. So the final circuit could be 2 capacitors in parallel, and a third to across the led.
4. NO diode bridge is required and, as evident, no zener may also be required.
5. rating of led is 300-350 mA. But a capacitor provides only 20 to 40 mA. So no resistor is required, since we want maximum current. By using a resistor, current would only get limited. For power ON, the third capacitor across the led will control both voltage and current fluctuations.
reg
ketan
Swagatam says
Thanks!
Adding two 0.22uF in parallel would make it 0.44uF, half of what I have used in the above circuit.
When a 1uF cap is not able to illuminate the 1 watt LED with 100% brightness, with a 0.44uF the brightness would be further reduced?? Here we want to illuminate the 1 watt LED to its maximum rated value.
Without rectification, the light will produce vibrating effect when our vision is under motion, wouldn't be pleasing
to view…
pandyaketan says
I agree abt the amperage. But problem is not just mA, but voltage also.
105k provides 24 volts… whereas 224k provides about half of it.
I think it is the much higher voltage that burnt your LED, since amperage was below requirement.
One way to reduce voltage is by lowering capacitor rating…
Swagatam says
LEDs get damaged only during switch-ON, due to initial surge voltage.
If this initial surge is controlled, LEDs will never have the risk of getting destroyed.
Anonymous says
sir my circuit was working perfectly from the last 10 or 15 days with 6 led but suddenly it gave high voltage and all the led are dead i check the output current of circuit with multi meter its high can u plz tel help me and tell me wats the reason behind this???
Swagatam says
It is probably due to current surge, add a 30V/1 watt zener at the output of the circuit across the LED series, this might help to control sudden high influxes.
Anonymous says
Thanks Sir.
Swagatam says
The design discussed in the above articles uses a 1 watt LED, which I think cannot be illuminated brightly using a 0.22uF cap. Using a resistor will generate a lot of heat, any other method too won't be cheap or effective and will fail to produce the amount of light the above circuit is able to produce….
Deepak Jalihal says
Hi Swagatam,
I was looking to drive 20 LEDs of 0.06 watts.
So total Output voltage is 12-17 volts and total current is 0.08 amps
to drive 4 strings of 5 LEDs each
each led is 3.4 volts and 20 mA.
Can you help with this?
Also I would like to have an ambient sensor to switch on and off and a proximity sensor to switch to full brightness if some one approaches and to switch to half or 30% brightness after 30 seconds.
I need this for commercial use. I need a simpel cost effective circuit. I have been following the blog and am sure that you know the subject. Please get back to me. You can email me at deepakjalihal@gmail.com or call at 09880718834
Swagatam says
Hi Deepak,
I'll try to design it and inform you when it's done.
Swagatam says
Hi Deepak,
I have tried to fulfill your request here:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/09/pir-controlled-led-driver-circuit.html
suraj says
Dear Swagtam Thanks for this amazing circuit.
Friend i m using this circuit with 10 led i had add 1uf 400v in parallel for brightness.but i can't get full brightness.
i want glowing white bright.is that posible?
Swagatam says
Dear Suraj,
Thanks!
How did you connect the 10 leds, they should be connected in series and not in parallel….
suraj says
yup its in series.my led's are bright but not fully bright.
if i drive 1 led with mobile battery its giving me full white brightness ,i want that kind of brightness.
Swagatam says
With a capacitive power supply you won't get extreme high bright illuminations, this is probably the maximum that you can get, try adding one more capacitor in parallel, see what happens.
Anonymous says
Sir i had add only 1 led on this ckt but its not giving me full brightness.i had used 1uf 400v and 1uf 250v.
Swagatam says
I used a single led too, and it produced very good illumination as you can see in the pics….not sure what's the problem with your circuit.
Anonymous says
Hello Swagtam, friend i want to make a ac tube light with 10 1w led is this pcb working with 10 led's?or i have to change capacitor or else?
Thanks
Swagatam says
Hi friend,
As mentioned in the previous comment, you may connect all the leds in series and connect the chain to the shown circuit. If the power looks less bright, you may connect another 1uF/400v in parallel with the input cap…
Regards.
Anonymous says
Thanks for helping me my friend.i m new to all this i m confused at 1 point.there are two wire 1 is coming from 1uf 250 capacitor.and 2nd 1 is coming from diode rectifier near 56 ohm resistance in diagram. do v have to attach both these wires with 56 ohm input ????
Swagatam says
No, the broken link indicates that the wires are NOT touching each other, rather are overlapping.
The wire from the diode is connecting to the 1u/250 and the LED but NOT with the 56 ohms wire.
Anonymous says
Thanks so much my friend.
You have a golden heart to spend your time to help others.
Regards
Karan
Swagatam says
It's my pleasure…Thanks!
shankar says
sir 1 baat btaiye ke ye cuircuit 1w ki led ke liye hai isi cuircuit pe hum 1w ki 15 led kaise drive kar sakte hai?muje 1w ki 15 led lightup karna hai kya is pcb me koi changes krna pdega plz help me out
Swagatam says
You may connect all of them in series to the above circuit, according to me no changes in the design would be required.
Regards.
shankar says
thanks for reply sir but i m facing a problem jaisa aapne btaya maine waise he pcb accemble kiya or isey 1w ki 1 led ke sath check kiya jaise he ise ac power se connect kiya after 1 min led burn hogyi can u plz tel me where i m wrong jo component aapne btaye maine same use kiye hai…..
Swagatam says
send me the picture of your unit to hitman2008@live.in, let me see what you have built…then I'll try to trace out the fault.
Rahul Seth says
Hi Swagatam
What if I add 1mfd400v electrolytic on output instead of 1mfd250vPPC. Will it work.
Swagatam says
Hi Rahul,
I think it should work, because the current is limited at the output, so there's no danger of an electrolytic cap blowing off.
Rahul Seth says
Hi Swagatam
Thanks for this wonderful curcuit. I am having little problem. When I am trying to test the circuit my diode gets short in 2-3 seconds. Diode which is connected to 56ohms resistance and second end of the diode is makeing GND hence connected with ground led. Please guide me where is the problem. I have added 1watt led.
Swagatam says
Hi Rahul,
Thanks!
It will be difficult for me to know the fault because the circuit is very straightforward and should start working immediately, in my house it is working very fine, may be the diodes that you are using are not good quality or duplicate ones, replace them with some other brand and see what happens.
Regards.
Rahul Seth says
Thanks buddy I have found the problem. Problem solved. Excellent circuit.
Parthiban says
Hi
We want to drive 3W Led (3.5V@700mA). Does 2UF/400VPPC at input and 1UF/250V PPC at ouput is sufficient to drive the leds.
I just want to know one more information that the 56 ohm/1W is a normal 1 watt resistor or fusible resistor
Swagatam says
Hi,
According to me 2uF/400 and 1uF/250 should be OK.
All resistors are normal CFR type.
Najeeb says
The input capacitor i am using is 105/400V and 474K/400V in parallel
Swagatam says
Check the brightness after removing the output capacitor…..
Najeeb says
Dear sir,
The brightness is little improved. i would like to know what is the function of output capacitor? what will happen if it is removed from the circuit?
Swagatam says
Output cap is for filtering and absorbing surge current during initial switch ONs. Nothing much will happen if removed….
Najeeb says
whether 474K, 400V poly capacitor can be used as output capacitor?
Swagatam says
yes can be used….
Najeeb says
Dear sir,
Thank you very much for your quick reply. I have connected leds in series. Please confirm the low brightness is due to the change in the output capacitor?
Swagatam says
Remove the output capacitor for time being, also tell me the value of the input capacitor….tell me the print value..it should be 105/400v
Najeeb says
I am new to electronic circuits. I have assembled the led driver circuit as explained by you. I have used1uf poly capacitor and .47uf in parallel. The electrolytic capacitor used is 4.7uf 250V instead of 1uf.
I have connected 5 nos. 1w leds to the circuit.The circuit is not giving full brightness. Please suggest what is to be done to obtain maximum brightness
Swagatam says
How did you connect the LEDs, in series or parallel? It should be in series.
The output capacitor is not electrolytic it's PPC
Prosenjit says
1 watt led not consuming 1 watt instead consuming around 15 watt by applying 70mA 3.4 v 1 watt
Adding multiple PF increasing Brightness proportional to current consuming
How to really save power ?
Will a transformer could reduce power wastage?
Please guide me how simply build a High power led Driver like China made Led driver
Swagatam says
Please measure and check the current with an ammeter, a 1 watt led will never consume 15 watts….
Prosenjit says
Thanks very much for your reply because I am finding a solution but Sir,
I have measured AC ampere by my millimeter ( can show wrong result) , it is drawing around 68 mili amp current from 225v AC mains That is 15.3 watt for single LED.
For cross verification in theory
As per reactance rule 1/(2π•f•C) a 105k PF can only provide around 70mA AC current for 225v AC and keeps a resistance (reactance ) around 3184 ohms but no heat produced by PF unlike normal resistors dissipated excessive heat.
LED consuming only 0.224 watt (P=E*E/R) working as a 45 ohm (R=E/I) resistor in 3.2v DC 70mA current; capacity upto 350 mA
Non-polarized capacitor working as a current limiting resistance, consuming around 15.6 watt power working as 3.18 Kilo Ohm resistor with no heat dissipation.
Adding LED in series reduce Ampere in circuit brightness also reduces.
Adding Capacitor in parallel Ampere increases in circuit brightness increases Resistance and power consumption by Capacitor increases
Please correct me, if I made some miscalculation.
I need is really power saving mechanism to light 1 watt led without much power wastage.
Swagatam says
You should multiply the 0.68mA current with the voltage drop across the LED, measure both these magnitudes and then multiply them.
Alternatively you can connect the ammeter with the input AC wires and measure the current and then multiply it with 220v….keep the meter range to AC
Read CAUTION MESSAGE in the article
Bilal Ishaq says
i hav 1wat led 350ma, plz tell me the exact R1,R2,Capacitor ?
i can use 1mm 450v Capacitor & 57OHm R but not work led never glow & output not stable out put ratio is 1v to 2.5 v .plz tell me wat can i do ?
Swagatam says
All the values in the diagram are correct.
The input capacitor should be 105/400V or 1uF/400V/450V
check your led with a 3 volt button cell to confirm it's operation.
Bipin says
Hi Swagatam, Your efforts and blog is appreciated.
But sorry to give you a negative feedback. As you know, the current is directly from the 230Volt mains, and charging and discharging circuit of the capacitor is perpetual, this circuit VA is about 0.35 x 230 = 80VA !!!!!!!!!!! So such power supplies should not be used more than few milliamps of applications (say 5mA).
Swagatam says
Hi Bipin,
Thanks very much. But I failed to understand a few things, what's 0.35 and what's 80 VA, are you referring to the LED power as 80VA?…. the LED used is just 1 watt rated, so I am a little confused….
Manfred Richter says
How about using 3 leds of 3W (4V – 700ma)?
Swagatam says
Can be done…the input capacitor will need to be increased from 1u to may be to 2 or 3 uF…and the leds will need to put in series.
Manfred Richter says
You say can put many leds in "series", wouldn't it be in parallel?
Swagatam says
No, parallel connection won't work, it has to be in series only.
Sameera says
Sir
I want to connect 4 1w LEDs to my room. Can I use this circuit to connect those 4 LEDs? And how?
If I connect 4 1w LEDs to above circuit, is that LEDs lights up their maximum bright or not?
If it is not the maximum bright of them how can I increase light until their maximum?
please explain me
Swagatam says
Hi Sameera,
Connect the LEDs in series, to increase the brightness you may try adding a 0.5uF/400V capacitor in parallel with the existing 1uF/400V capacitor.
Sameera says
Thank you sir..
Anonymous says
What about power factor correction, PFC. Can I put an inductor somewhere to increase the power factor and what would you recommend? The PF of this circuit is probably less thn .5.
Swagatam says
I think this circuit too trivial and insignificant to be considered for PF corrections etc,
Anonymous says
I know one by itself is trivial but what if everyone had LED ltes and now there were 100s of these circuits. The PF of the LED capacitive powered circuit I bult has a pf of only .23!!! Most CFLs have about .6. It would take quite a big inductor to compensate with a freq of 50 or 60 hz. Maybe u know of a electonic inductor i could build?
Your robot filter word is extremely difficult to read for publishing verification…
Swagatam says
I'll think about the PF issue and hopefully will come up with an inductor solution and post it here.
I did not understand what you meant by
"Your robot filter word is extremely difficult to read for publishing verification…"
Can you please explain it?
Regards.
James Franco says
I tried to add inductor (2.4mF), but it does not higher PF. Did you find any solution for improving PF?
pp says
Thank You…
pp says
Hello..Swagatam…!!!
Are these LEDs tend to Fade away after a period of time???
Regards,
Swagatam says
Hello PP,
This circuit has been designed in such a way that it will not cause any deterioration in the LEDs, however actual confirmation can be made only after practical testing.
pp says
Sir…
What are POWER LEDs and How different they are form these 1Wtt or 2Wtt LEDs???
I came accross when I was browsing Elektor Magazine and reading in book store, Sir, the same article I would like share with you…The intro of the article goes like this…Power LED Driver By Michael Hölzl (Germany)
If you want to operate power LEDS with a truly constant current – which significantly
prolongs the lifetime of the lamp and avoid the power loss resulting from using a constant voltage supply with a series resistor, you need a suitable constant current source. However,the only way to achieve really good efficiency is to use a switching regulator. Altogether, this means that you need a switching regulator designed to generate a constant current instead of a constant voltage.
Swagatam says
I tried to explore over the net but couldn't find any info, if you could show me the pic of it then may be I can investigate.
pp says
Thank You Swagatam…!!!
pp says
Sir…
Do need to connect all 20 Nos. 1Wtt LEDs in Series or Parallel???
Swagatam says
Connect them all in series
pp says
Sir…
In reply to one of you post, you have mentiined upto 60 LEDs you can connect…while doing this will the illumination redused by some percent…???
Swagatam says
Actually 50 nos. will be OK, and will give good illumination, at 60 it might become dim
pp says
Hi Swagatam..
Thanks alot…I am sure, now I am going to build this 1Wtt LED Driver.
Is 1Wtt LED is costly..because I need to get 50 Nos.
Just for precaution.. If we use it for extended time say for about 10Hrs daily…does any of it's part gets heated up…
Regards,
Swagatam says
Hi PP,
Each of them would cost you around Rs.12/- if you procure the 50nos strip.
According to me nothing would go wrong even if it was kept switched ON forever, however i wouldn't guarantee anything as I haven't kept them used them for so long.
Regards.
pp says
Hi..Swagatam
Your this Blog is Truly AMAZING..!!!
On every page I find some or the other information Important..really Great Work.!!!
Max to Max…Total how many 1Wt LEDs, we can connect to this particular circuit???
Does it provide the same illumination as a 40Wt TubeLite, for a normal room size???
If it doesn't then how many LED's we need to connect to get same illumination???
Regards,
Swagatam says
Thanks PP,
I haven't tested it practically, I think 20 leds can be accommodated….. i think it won't give a 40 watt FLT equivalent light….it will need to be experimented practically, though.
Regards.
Anonymous says
Can we use this circuit as night light i.e. continuously for more than 10 Hours, I read on web that 1W LED required heat sink to operate properly, please guide. Thanks
Swagatam says
You can keep this circuit switched ON permanently without damaging anything.
The circuit will be able to provide only 50% of light so there's no danger of heating up.
Anonymous says
Hi Swagatam,
Considering that you are using a 1uF cap, I am unable to understand how this circuit can provide about 350mA to the 1W LED (at about 3.3 to 3,5 V)?
The reactance for this would be around 3.18K (1/2pifC), which should put the output current at around 72mA.
Anonymous says
Meaning that the LED would not light up at it's full brightness? Also, if you put 4-5 in series, will they be bright enough?
On the other hand, if I have to run this of 12V (car battery), and have to put about 9 of them (3 series x 3 parallel), what would you suggest (for maximum brightness)
Bhavesh Patel says
hey this is bhavesh patel.
plz ans me. if i use 3.3uf at i/p side i anm getting 240ma,
also i have connected 10 led in series each of 2.1v drop accross it, so total voltage drop should be 21v but it is showing 32v. so can u plz explain me reason.
i have don all this experiment on simulator.
parthiban says
thanks for your quick reply…….
and one more think
In your earlier comments you told that your circuit will give 70 to 100mA and 3.5V if so the wattage will be only 0.35W.then how can we use it for a 3W LED
no load voltage will be around 296V if we connect a LED then LED fails, how can we use the circuit
Swagatam says
You will have to increase the input cap value for 3W LEDs,
The voltage will drop from 220V to 3V when connected, so there's no danger to the LeD…
parthiabn says
Hi thank you for your reply
and we have tested with your circuit we used 2.2uF in input and 1uF in output me getting no load voltage as 296V only.when connecting my LED also burned.
Swagatam says
Try with a 1uF/400V, I am using the circuit since last one year in my house and it's working very well.
The input capacitor should be metallized polyester type.
Anonymous says
dear Swagatam,
Thanks for the reply. Just one question.
I want to know 2uf/400v mean series 1uf/400v or parallel.
Anonymous says
dear Swagatam,
Is there any circuts for 3w led or can I use this circuit Changing some parts….?
Deomar Oliveria says
hi sir, can we use your circuit overnight? and it will only consume 1 watt of power? thanks
default19in says
Hi,
Love this circuit a lot. Just one question I want to connect 60 LED's of 1 watt what will be the gr8 circuit for accomplish my task at 230v ac. Thanks in advanced.
Swagatam Dash says
hi
swagatam i want to connect 4 1 watt LEDs to mains how to connect those to this ckt?
Swagatam Dash says
thanx for reply , can i use this ckt for 1 watt IR LEDs ? and upto how much power it can supply, can i use this ckt for battery(3v,6v,12v) charger like Chinese. torch lights.
Swagatam Dash says
can i contact u on facebook.
Swagatam Dash says
can i do something more for extra brightness.reducing resistance causing LED damage .
swagatam dash says
should i connect two 1 uF/400v capacitor in parallel ?
Anonymous says
Hi Swagatam,
part list of my project:
334/600v
105/250v
1N4007 x 4
56 ohms
1M
10MM LED
problem – my LED wont light up and i only got 1.5Vdc in my output.
can you help me with this?
Thanks in advance
Anonymous says
Hi,
actually my LED got busted when i turn it on.
i only put a 12v zener diode parallel to CAP 105/250V to make it work.
what i want is to eliminate the zener diode to work it perfectly.
i wont light up if i series 2 LED with a zener diode. it will only work in parallel but the voltage is dropping.
what is the best to do?
Thanks,
Anonymous says
Hi,
what is the difference between polyester and mylar capacitor?
tnx
Anonymous says
thanks…
Anonymous says
Hi Swagatam,
i use 0.33uF/600V (334) but it's not working, if i used 1uF/600V its working but it now glow bright. what could be the problem?
Thanks,
Anonymous says
hi there Swagatam,
in my place 1watt LED is not available.
can i use 10mm LED for this circuit?
is there any modification?
hope to see your reply.
Thanks a Lot,
Babu says
Hi. Great web site. I am learning many things from your site and trying out though I do not have an electronic back ground. Kindly let me know how many LEDs we can use for the above circuit. If we use more what are the changes needed for the same.
Kind regards,
VKS
9840023846
Chennai, India
Babu says
Hi. This is a wonderful site. Great Job. Only one question. Kindly let me know how many LEDs we can connect in series. Are there any limitations that for the circuit we can use only 3 or 4 1 watt leds. Please reply.
Kind regards,
VKS
9840023846
Anonymous says
what type of capacitor is it? electrolytic or polyester…
thanks..
Anonymous says
what type of capacitors are being used?
thanks…
Itech says
hi Dear, This Faisal Mateen, I have tried to Lit up around 48 LED's of 1 Watt in series with the same circuit and it works well, BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some Times when i Switched ON any 1 of the LEDs in Series Burst out , what can be the reason for this ? any Idea??
Secondly The Value of Input Capacitor i used was 3.3 uf 400 Volts, and the capacitor parallel to the LED Series i used the 100 uf Polar Capacitor with 250Volts, and i did not used the 56ohms resistor because it gets very Hot even if i use 5 watts Resistor at the Input 220v Ac, kindly correct me what mistake i am doing???
Thanks and Regards/ Faisal Mateen
Swagatam says
do not use 3.3uF, use 1uF/400V, remove the output polar capacitor, use 56Ohms,2 watt resistor it's required, it will not get hot with 1uF/400V capacitor.
By the way please refer the following article also:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/09/surge-protected-cheap-transformerless-3.html
Itech says
Dear Swagtam Thank you very much for the very quick reply, one more question is that if the transistor No MJ 13005 is not available then what else number??? i can use of NPN Transistor, 2nd question is that do i must need to use a Transistor Heat Sink with it or not????
I need to make the circuit sealed and water proof so that is why i may have some problem if i put a Heat sink with the Transistor.
Regards/Faisal Mateen
Swagatam says
You may use MJE340 in place of MJ13005.
Heatsink is not required for the transistor, in fact nothing should become hot.
You may immerse the whole assembled circuit in EPOXY and dry it, this will make it water proof and weather proof.
Regards.,
Itech says
Dear i tried after making the circuit but it is not working at all, when i checked the power output it is giving only 10 volts output, i used MJE 13005 .(this practice was for surge protected 1 watt driver circuit.
2ndly when i tried 1watt led circuit by making it through 56 ohms 1 watt Resistence, 1 uf (105K) capacitor 400 V and 1 Meg Resistor 1/4 w. and Ready made Bridge rectifier.and at the output of rectifier i mean at + and – i use another 1uf 400 v capacitor and when i powered on with 1 watt LED it burst immediately…. :(, what should i do now????
Swagatam says
Dear Faisal,
As you can see in the respective pictures and video, I have successfully built the circuits, however the circuit presented in the above article is not reliable therefore it would be better to build the surge protector circuit only.
You might have connected the transistor wrongly, just check everything again, the circuit has been tested by me and it works perfectly.
Itech says
Thanks for the reply,dear i found the problem it was with the 1uf Capacitors, they were not working at all although i buy the Fresh pieces, but when i replaced with another brand circuit started working, but another issue came across was that the illumination was low , so when i checked the voltage at every LED i found 2.1 or 2.2 Volts DC thats why the illumination was not proper, as you know that 1 Watts LED's working volts are in between 3.2 to 3.6 Volts, so when i increase by adding 3.3 uf Capacitor parallel to 1uf the illumination was very good and the volts across the LED's were 3.1 VDC, but the 56 ohms resistor and the Transistor both started heating up and after some time the 10 K resistor which is connected to the Bridge + Positive line also started Burning. please let me know how can i increase the voltage across LED's to get full illumination without heat up of other parts.
Thanks and Regards/ Faisal
Swagatam says
3.3uF is far too big, try tw0 1uF/400V in parallel, that will keep things in control.
Anonymous says
Hi,
Is there any circuit like this with multiple 1 w LED's?
sat says
IN 4007 diode is rated for 1000v – 1A. connecting 50 x1w leds would put 5000mA (100mA per 1W led) through the DIODE Bridge.. Pl explain how can it work?
Swagatam says
series connection does not call for current multiplication, rather it involves voltage multiplication….so for 50 LEDs in series current requirement will be 100mA….but voltage requirement could be approximately 50 x 3.3 = 165V
Anonymous says
Hi Swagatam
Words are not enough to thank you for all your services to the community in this day and age and in this materialistic world. I appreciate every single word and sentence from you and pray for your wealth, happiness and growth.
Regards
Sam
Radhakrhisna Roopchander says
Hi ! this Roop from hyd'bad i really thank and appreciate circuit
power regulator for a single led i need a power regulator for 25 bright white leds run on 2220 volts
I need thorid ferrite rings circuits to run leds on 1.5v AA batary
roopchander@hotmail.com
Swagatam says
Hi, You can try this circuit:
https://homemade-circuits.com/2012/10/1-watt-led-driver-using-joule-thief.html
faisal yasin says
sir can you tell me the plus or minus sides of circuits and can you also send me the complete pic of that projects please i want to make it kindly send me on my email faisalyasin34@yahoo.com i am waiting sir
Jony Hossain says
sir I want to build a circuit without transformerless power supply for eight led 4-4 series and two series are parallel,
but I can't build this circuit. Please help me
Swagatam says
..without transformerless power supply??? sorry that may not be possible because connecting LEDs directly to mains will blow them up
Rajagilse@gmail.com says
Dear sir, how to make it glow normal white led with only two 1.2v nicd cell? Please give the circuit sir
Pradip Raj Adhikary says
Blog has been removed
Sorry, the blog at homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs.