A warning light is a lighting device used to remind, warn or indicate, and is widely used in industry, transportation, safety and other fields. Different occasions and needs require different warning lights.
So how do you find the best warning lights for your situation? This article will introduce you from the following aspects:
Types and uses of warning lights
Key parameters of warning lights
Selection skills of warning lights
How to install the warning light
Types and uses of warning lights
According to different forms, colors, functions and application scenarios, warning lights can be divided into the following types:
Rotating warning lights: Use rotating reflectors or rotating bulbs to produce flashing effects. They are often used on emergency vehicles such as police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances to remind surrounding vehicles and pedestrians to give way or pay attention to safety.
Strobe warning lights: use electronic controllers or capacitors to produce intermittent flashing effects, commonly used on special vehicles such as engineering vehicles, road maintenance vehicles, tractors, etc., to remind surrounding vehicles and pedestrians to pay attention to obstacles or dangerous areas.
LED warning lights: LED light sources are used to produce stable or changing light effects, which have the advantages of low power consumption, high brightness, and long life.
Three-color warning light: use the combination of red, yellow and green lights to indicate different signals or information through lights of different colors. It is often used in traffic lights, quality inspection equipment, production line control and other fields for indication Traffic status, product quality, production progress, etc.
Sound and light warning lights: add sound effects on the basis of light effects, and enhance the warning effect through sound and light linkage. It is often used in anti-theft alarm systems, fire alarm systems, emergency stop buttons and other fields to remind people around to pay attention to danger or Take measures.
Key parameters of warning lights
When choosing a warning light, you need to pay attention to the following key parameters:
Wavelength: Wavelength refers to the physical quantity corresponding to the color of the light emitted by the light source, and the unit is nanometer (nm).
Different colors of light have different wavelength ranges, for example, the wavelength range of red light is 610nm-640nm, and the wavelength range of green light is 501nm-540nm.
The wavelength is related to the human eye's perception of light. Generally speaking, the human eye is most sensitive to light in the middle band (yellow-green) and least sensitive to light in both end bands (red-purple).
Therefore, when choosing a warning light, you should choose the appropriate wavelength and color according to different application scenarios and needs.
Luminous intensity: Luminous intensity refers to the luminous intensity of a light source in a certain direction, and the unit is candela (cd) or millicandela (mcd). The luminous intensity is related to the brightness of the light source. Generally speaking, the greater the luminous intensity, the brighter the light source.
Forward voltage and forward current: The forward voltage refers to the rated voltage required to make the LED glow, and the unit is volts (V).
The forward current refers to the rated current required to make the LED glow, and the unit is ampere (A) or milliampere (mA).
The forward voltage and forward current are related to the working state and life of the LED. Generally speaking, the higher the forward voltage, the greater the forward current, and the higher the brightness of the LED, but at the same time it will also cause the temperature of the LED to rise, affecting its stability and longevity.
Package form: The package form refers to the appearance structure and installation method of the warning light, and the common ones are in-line type, patch type, combined type, etc. The packaging form is related to the volume, appearance, heat dissipation, protection and other performances of the warning light. When selecting the warning light, the appropriate packaging form should be selected according to different installation spaces and usage occasions.
Selection skills of warning lights
After understanding the types and parameters of warning lights, we also need to master some selection skills in order to better find the most suitable warning lights for our situation. Here are some common techniques:
Determine the type according to the purpose: Different types of warning lights have different uses and functions. Before choosing, you should first clarify what kind of warning effect you need, and then determine the type according to the purpose.
For example, if you need to remind surrounding vehicles or pedestrians to pay attention to obstacles or dangerous areas, you can choose strobe warning lights; if you need to indicate the operating status or abnormal conditions of the equipment, you can choose LED or three-color warning lights; if you need to remind the surrounding If people pay attention to danger or take measures, they can choose sound and light warning lights; if they need to be used in flammable and explosive environments, they can choose explosion-proof warning lights.
Determine the parameters according to the environment: different environments have different requirements for the parameters of the warning lights, and the influence of environmental factors on the parameters should be considered when selecting. For example, when used at a long distance or under strong light, you should choose a warning light with longer wavelength, higher luminous intensity, higher forward voltage, and higher forward current; Choose warning lights with shorter wavelength, lower luminous intensity, lower forward voltage and lower forward current
When used in an environment with low temperature or high humidity, a warning light with good heat dissipation performance and high waterproof and dustproof level should be selected.
How to install the warning light
After choosing a suitable warning light, we also need to install and use it correctly to ensure its normal operation and best results. Here are some common installation methods:
In-line warning light: In-line warning light refers to an installation method where the pins of the warning light are directly inserted into the circuit board or socket, and is suitable for occasions with small size, stable power supply and no need for adjustment.
When installing, pay attention to align the positive and negative poles of the warning light with the positive and negative poles of the circuit board or socket to avoid reverse connection or short circuit.
At the same time, attention should be paid to whether the pin spacing and hole diameter of the warning light match, and avoid too tight or too loose.
SMD warning light: SMD warning light refers to an installation method in which the surface of the warning light is pasted on the circuit board and fixed by welding. It is suitable for occasions where the volume is small, the power supply is stable, and needs to be adjusted.
When installing, pay attention to align the positive and negative poles of the warning light with the positive and negative poles of the circuit board to avoid reverse connection or short circuit.
At the same time, attention should be paid to whether the solder joints of the warning lights are firm to avoid false or broken solder joints.
Combined warning light: combined warning light refers to a combination of multiple warning lights of different types or colors, and controls its light and sound effects through the controller. It is suitable for large volume, unstable power supply, and needs The occasion of multiple signals or information.
During installation, care should be taken to connect each warning light according to the requirements of the controller to avoid wrong connection or missing connection.
At the same time, attention should be paid to whether the settings of the controller are correct to avoid confusion or errors in signals or information.
In this fast-paced and high-pressure society, warning lights are an indispensable device in our life and work, which can help us improve safety, efficiency and quality.
Therefore, choosing a warning light that best suits our situation is a very important task. I hope that through the introduction of this article, you have mastered how to find the warning lights you need in terms of types, parameters, techniques and methods.
