Performance Considerations for LED Automotive Signal Lamps

LED light sources offer many advantages to incandescent light sources for use in signal lamps, but require special considerations in their implementation. The phenomena of self-heating and electronic controls affect the function of LEDs in ways much different than with incandescent sources. LED output can be dramatically affected by rises in temperature, and therefore these rises need to be minimized, either with the implementation of electronic controls or by thermo-mechanical systems for optimized heat flux. Some LEDs are more efficient for heat management than others, so LED selection also plays a large role in managing output fluctuations.