T-Cube™ LED Driver

Overview
Specs
Pin Diagrams
Multi-LED Source
Feedback

LED Controller Selection Guide
Type	Max Number of LEDs	Max Current	Modulation Mode	USB	Compatible LEDs
Compact T-Cube Driver	1	1.2 A	0 - 5 kHz	No	Mounted Collimated Fiber Coupled PCB Mounted^a
4-Channel Driver	4	1 A	0 - 100 kHz	Yes	Mounted Collimated Fiber Coupled PCB Mounted^a
Solis^® LED Driver	1	10 A	0 - 1 kHz	No	High Power
High-Power Touchscreen Driver	1	10.0 A	0 - 250 kHz	Yes	High Power Mounted Collimated Fiber Coupled PCB Mounted^a

Requires the CAB-LEDD1 cable.

Compact Light Source & Driver Modules
Laser Sources
Laser Diode Driver
LED Driver

Current Limit Adjuster

Click to Enlarge
Back View of the LEDD1B T-Cube. For more information, please see the Pin Diagrams tab.

Click to Enlarge
Top View of the LEDD1B T-Cube

Features

Easy-to-Use LED Driver
3 Operation Modes:
- Constant Current Mode
- Modulation Mode
- Trigger Mode
Compact Footprint Measuring 60 mm x 60 mm x 47 mm
(2.4" x 2.4" x 1.8")
Pulse Width and Frequency Control via External 0-5 V Signal
Adjustable LED Current Limit
Includes One CAB-LEDD1 Cable (Additional Cables Available Separately Below)

The LEDD1B driver is designed to drive high-power LEDs with currents from 200 mA to 1200 mA. It features an adjustable LED current limit to protect the connected LED. The output current limit can be adjusted continuously from 0.2 A to 1.2 A using the key slot on the front of the unit (shown above), thereby ensuring the output current does not exceed the limit regardless of the other settings or the modulation input voltage.

The LEDD1B is compatible with our high-power LEDs, which are available in collimated, uncollimated, PCB-mounted, and fiber-coupled versions. It is also compatible with select unmounted LEDs offered by Thorlabs for which the maximum forward DC current is higher than 200 mA. When driving these LEDs, care must be taken to ensure the LEDD1B current limit is set at or below the LED's maximum forward DC current rating. Set the current limit (see above) by rotating the arrow direction with a flathead screwdriver.

The LEDD1B driver offers three operation modes:

Constant Current Mode: The output current is set between 200 mA and 1200 mA using the knob on the top of the unit. Turning the knob by any amount beyond 0 will set the output current to 200 mA.
Modulation Mode: The output current exactly follows the amplitude and waveform of the voltage input signal, independent of the knob setting on the top of the T-Cube control unit.
Trigger Mode: The output current switches to the level that has been selected by the knob on the top of the unit as soon as an input voltage threshold is reached. The voltage threshold is fixed and cannot be changed by the user. This mode can be used for pulse width modulation (PWM).

The operation mode can be changed by a switch next to the current selector knob. The trigger and modulation modes are controlled by an external voltage in the 0 to 5 V range.

This LED Driver has the same compact form factor as other T-Cube modules. It is shipped attached to a removable base plate, which allows the T-Cube to be easily secured to an optical table.

Multi-LED Source
A customizable multi-LED source can be constructed using our mounted high-power LEDs and other Thorlabs items. This source may be configured for integration with Thorlabs' flexible SM1 Lens Tube Systems, 30 mm Cage Systems, and microscope adapters. Please see the Multi-LED Source tab for a detailed item list and instructions. Thorlabs also offers integrated, user-configurable 4-Wavelength LED Sources that can be driven using our four-channel LED drivers.

Warning!

The LEDD1B is designed for high-brightness LEDs only. Turning the current knob by any amount beyond 0 will set the output current to 200 mA. The LED current limit must be adjusted by the trim pot on the front of the unit so that the maximum current of the connected LED will not be exceeded. The available range for this limit is 200 to 1200 mA.

Power Supply Options

The preferred power supply (single channel or hub-based) depends on the end user's application and whether you already own compatible power supplies. To that end and in keeping with Thorlabs' green initiative, we do not ship these units bundled with a power supply. This avoids the cost and inconvenience of receiving an unwanted single-channel supply if a hub-based system would be more appropriate. The power supply options compatible with the LEDD1B LED Driver are listed below.

Compatible Thorlabs LEDs
Photo (Click for Link)
LED Description	Collimated	Mounted	Fiber Coupled	PCB Mounted^a

Requires the CAB-LEDD1 cable, included with the LEDD1B. Additional CAB-LEDD1 cables are available below.

Specification	Value
Common Data
Output Current Range	0 - 1200 mA^a
LED Current Limit Set Point Range	200 - 1200 mA
LED Forward Voltage	11 V (Min) 12 V (Typical)
Current Ripple	8 mA
Current Ripple Frequency	570 kHz
Modulation Mode^b,c
Frequency Range	0 - 5 kHz, Sine Wave
Modulation Form	Arbitrary
Input Voltage Rate	0 - 5 V
Slew Rate	13.6 mA/µs
Decay Rate	13.1 mA/µs
Trigger Mode^b
Frequency Range	0 - 1 kHz
Duty Cycle Range	20 - 80% @ 1 kHz 2 - 98% @ 100 Hz 0.2 - 99.8% @ 10 Hz
Modulation Form	Square Wave / PWM
Logic Input Levels	TTL Min H-Level: 2 V Max L-Level: 0.55 V
Slew Rate	18 mA/µs
Rise Time	51 µs
Decay Rate	12 mA/µs
Fall Time	79 µs
General Data
Power Supply	15 VDC
Maximum Power Consumption	15 VA
Operating Temperature	0 - 40 °C
Storage Temperature	-40 to 70 °C
Weight	240 g
Dimensions (W x H x D)	60 mm x 73 mm x 104 mm

Turning the current knob by any amount beyond 0 will set the output current to 200 mA. An output current between 0 and 200 mA is achievable only in Modulation Mode.
Specifications for the modulation and trigger modes depend on the forward voltage and capacitance of the connected LED.
Specifications are valid for a current limit of 1.2 A.

All the technical data is valid at 23 ± 5 °C and 45 ± 15% relative humidity.

LED Connector - Female

PINout details for LED connector

Pin	Description
1	LED Anode
2	LED Cathode
3	Unused
4	Unused

Modulation In

BNC Female

0 to 5 V external LED control.

Click to Enlarge
Multi-LED Source Coupled to Microscope Illumination Port

Creating a Custom Multi-LED Source for Microscope Illumination

Thorlabs offers the items necessary to create your own custom multi-LED light source using two or three of the mounted LEDs offered below. As configured in the following example, the light source is intended to be used with the illumination port of a microscope. However, it may be integrated with other applications using Thorlabs' versatile SM1 Lens Tube and 30 mm Cage Systems. Thorlabs also offers integrated, user-configurable 4-Wavelength LED Sources.

Design & Construction

First, light will be collimated by lenses mounted in lens tubes. Dichroic mirrors mounted in kinematic cage cubes then combine the output from the multiple LEDs. The mounted LEDs may be driven by LEDD1B Compact T-Cube LED Drivers (power supplies are sold separately). The LEDD1B LED Drivers allow each LED's output to be independently modulated and can provide up to 1200 mA of current. Please take care not to drive the LED sources above their max current ratings.

When designing your custom source, select mounted LEDs from below along with dichroic mirror(s) that have cutoff wavelength(s) between the LED wavelengths. The appropriate dichroic mirror(s) will reflect light from side-mounted LEDs and transmit light along the optical axis. Please note that most of these dichroic mirrors are "longpass" filters, meaning they transmit the longer wavelengths and reflect the shorter wavelengths. To superimpose light from three or more LEDs, add each in series (as shown below), starting from the back with longer wavelength LEDs when using longpass filters. Shortpass filters may also used if the longer wavelength is reflected and the shorter wavelength is transmitted. Sample combinations of compatible dichroic mirrors and LEDs are offered in the three tables below.

It is also necessary to select an aspheric condenser lens for each source with AR coatings appropriate for the source. Before assembling the light source, collimate the light from each mounted LED as detailed in the Collimation tab. For mounting the aspheric lenses in the SM1V05 Lens Tubes using the included SM1RR retaining rings, we recommend the SPW801 Adjustable Spanner Wrench. A properly collimated LED source should have a resultant beam that is approximately homogenous and not highly divergent at a distance of approximately 2 feet (60 cm). An example of a well-collimated beam is shown on the Collimation tab.

After each LED source is collimated, thread the SM1V05 Lens Tubes at the end of each collimated LED assembly into their respective C4W Cage Cube ports using SM1T2 Lens Tube Couplers. Install each dichroic filter in an FFM1 Dichroic Filter Holder, and mount each filter holder onto a B4C Kinematic Cage Cube Platform. Each platform is then installed in the C4W Cage Cubes by partially threading the included screws into the bottom of the cube, and then inserting and rotating the B4C platform into place. Align the platform to the desired position and then firmly tighten the screws. To connect multiple cage cubes and the microscope adapter, use the remaining SM1T2 lens tube couplers along with an SM1L05 0.5" Lens Tube between adjacent cage cubes. Finally, adjust the rotation, tip, and tilt of each B4C platform to align the reflected and transmitted beams so they overlap as closely as possible.

If desired, a multi-LED source may be constructed that employs more than three LEDs. The limiting factors for the number of LEDs that can be practically used are the collimation of the light and the dichroic mirror efficiency over the specified range. Heavier multi-LED sources may be supported with our Ø1" or Ø1.5" Posts.

Click to Enlarge
Three-LED Source Using Components Mounted LEDs and Dichroic Mirrors
Detailed in Example Configuration 1

Parts List
#	Product Description		Item #	2 LEDs	3 LEDs
#	Product Description		Item #	Item Qty.
1	Microscope Illumination Port Adapter:	Olympus IX or BX	SM1A14	1	1
		Leica DMI	SM1A21
		Zeiss Axioskop	SM1A23^a
		Nikon Eclipse Ti	SM1A26
2	Mounted LED^b		-	2	3
-	T-Cube LED Driver, 1200 mA Max Drive Current		LEDD1B^c	2	3
-	15 V Power Supply Unit for T-Cube		KPS101^c	2	3
3	4-Way Mounting 30 mm Cage Cube		C4W	1	2
4	Kinematic Cage Cube Platform for C4W/C6W		B4C	1	2
5	30 mm Cage-Compatible Dichroic Filter Mount		FFM1	1	2
6	Dichroic Filter(s)^d		-	1	2
7	Externally SM1-Threaded End Cap		SM1CP2	1	2
8	SM1 (1.035"-40) Coupler, External Threads, 0.5" Long		SM1T2	3	5
9	Ø1" SM1 Lens Tube, 1/2" Long External Threads		SM1V05	2	3
-	Aspheric Condenser Lens	AR-Coated 350 - 700 nm	ACL2520U-A^c,e	2	3
-	Aspheric Condenser Lens	AR-Coated 650 - 1050 nm	ACL2520U-B^c,e	2	3
10	SM1 Lens Tube, 0.3" Thread Depth		SM1L03	2	4
-	Blank Cover Plate with Rubber O-Ring for C4W/C6W		B1C^c	1	2

The SM1A23 Zeiss Axioskop Microscope Adapter is shown.
Mounted LEDs are available below.
Item not pictured.
Please see the following tables for suggested compatible LED and dichroic filter combinations, or create your own by taking into account the transmission and reflection wavelength ranges of our Dichroic Filters.
Lenses are mounted in the SM1V05 Lens Tube in front of each LED. For each lens, select an AR coating corresponding to the emission wavelength of the LED source.

Example Configuration 3
Mounted LEDs
#	Item #
2a	M1050L2
2b	MCWHL6
Dichroic Filter(s)
#	Item #
6a	DMLP900R

Example Configuration 2
Mounted LEDs
#	Item #
2a	M625L4
2b	M455L4
2c	M1050L2
Dichroic Filter(s)
#	Item #
6a	DMLP505R
6b	DMSP805R

Example Configuration 1
Mounted LEDs
#	Item #
2a	M625L4
2b	M530L4
2c	M455L4
Dichroic Filter(s)
#	Item #
6a	DMLP605R
6b	DMLP505R

Click to Enlarge
Beam Profile of Source with 3 Mounted LEDs

Click to Enlarge
Two-LED source. This is the same as Example 1, but with the blue LED removed.

Posted Comments:

user (posted 2020-11-12 20:51:51.247)

Hi, Do you have RoHS 2015/863 information for your LEDD1B ? (Including any exemptions?) (I see the RoHS 2011/65/EU compliance in the product manual, but no mention of amendment 2015/863.) Thank you.

MKiess (posted 2020-11-13 07:56:05.0)

Thank you very much for your inquiry. You can download the available RoHS certificates of our products under the documents of the corresponding product on our website. I have sent them to you directly.

Arthur Ludwigsen (posted 2020-02-21 18:35:08.223)

What is the maximum length of cable that can be used between the M780L3 Mounted LED driven by a LEDD1B Driver?

MKiess (posted 2020-02-26 09:31:51.0)

This is a response from Michael at Thorlabs. Thank you very much for your inquiry. We have not made special tests on the maximum length for all possible materials. In general, this depends on what kind of extension cable is used and what kind of connectors are used. If the internal resistance of the extension becomes too high, additional voltage drops across the extension, which is no longer available to the LED. When the system voltage is exhausted, the LED can no longer be operated at full current. I have contacted you directly to discuss the exact specifications.

Yuri Mal (posted 2019-05-28 13:19:29.67)

It is said in specs that for LEDD1B it is required 0 - 5v to modulate LED intensity. My questions are: 1. What current is required to effectively (i.e. to achieve 100% modulation depth) module light intensity? 2. Related to above: what effective load the modulation input would represent for external source? Thank you in advance for your comments. Yuri

MKiess (posted 2019-06-04 06:32:59.0)

This is a response from Michael at Thorlabs. Thank you very much for your inquiry. The specifications given for the modulation mode depends on the forward voltage and capacitance of the connected LED. Therefore the general procedure to determine the modulation depth is to connect a external voltage source to the MOD IN connector while the output voltage is set to 0V. If the external voltage is increased from 0V to 5V, the brightness of the LED should also increase accordingly. If the external voltage signal is now modulated, the LED is also modulated accordingly. Regarding the second question, the modulation input impedance is 10kΩ. I will contact you directly to provide further assistance.

jacob.artz (posted 2019-02-07 11:34:34.853)

If we use the LEDD1B to drive a 1.5 A LED, will the LED be damaged? Or merely underpowered by 300 mA? Thank you.

swick (posted 2019-02-18 03:25:48.0)

This is a response from Sebastian at Thorlabs. Thank you for the inquiry. The 1.5 A LED would be under powered by the LEDD1B. We recommend using the DC2200 for LEDs with high current requirements.

user (posted 2018-10-27 17:14:03.36)

Instead of using a bladed chopper, can this driver be used with a square-wave generator 0-5V at the MOD input? Would this enable differential intensity measurements?

swick (posted 2018-11-21 03:22:56.0)

This is a response from Sebastian at Thorlabs. Thank you for the inquiry. It is possible to apply rectangular pulses at MOD input. The resulting shape of the current signal is related to slew- and decay rate of the driver. Differential intensity measurements might be challenging as the LEDD1B can not be accurately set to specific current levels.

tmdavies1 (posted 2018-04-13 14:58:19.323)

Could this device be powered from a 14.4V 1.8Ah battery?

wskopalik (posted 2018-04-19 04:21:53.0)

This is a response from Wolfgang at Thorlabs. Thank you very much for your inquiry. Generally the LEDD1B can be powered by a battery as well and a voltage of 14.4V would be sufficient. But the specifications of the LEDD1B could change slightly in this case, especially regarding the supported LED forward voltage. Unless your LED needs the full forward voltage range, this would however not be a problem. The forward voltage of most LEDs is much smaller than 11-12V. The battery would need to be able to provide the necessary current, i.e. it should be rated for more than 1A continuous current. In addition the voltage would need to be stable under load. I will contact you directly to provide further assistance.

utzinger (posted 2017-11-12 07:25:32.007)

What is the type of the power plug connector needed to power up the unit with a custom power supply? E.g. what is the diameter of the central pin?

swick (posted 2017-11-16 03:55:45.0)

This is a response from Sebastian at Thorlabs. Thank you for the inquiry. The diameter of the pin is 1.3 mm. I will contact you directly for further assistance.

massimo.baroncini (posted 2017-07-09 23:23:47.383)

Can the T-cube driver supply a single LED with a forward voltage of 15 V? In the Spec I don't understand clearly the lowest and highest supported forward voltages.

wskopalik (posted 2017-07-10 02:07:57.0)

This is a response from Wolfgang at Thorlabs. Thank you very much for your inquiry. The LED forward voltage given in the specs of the LEDD1B is the maximum voltage it can supply. So the LEDD1B works up to minimum 11 V, typically 12 V. An LED with 15 V forward voltage couldn't be operated at full power. I will contact you directly to provide further assistance.

joshuamattjackson (posted 2017-06-27 14:04:14.82)

I'd like to push the output current right up to my LED's maximum rating (1 A), but I'm a bit worried of under or overshooting it with the manual pot. Secondly, I'm putting together two identical systems, so I would like to make sure I have both LED's operating with the same current input. Is there a straightforward way of measuring the pot's resistance or the current output to ensure calibration between two T-cube drivers? Of course, I will check the LED light output for calibration (which is probably a good way of going about it since I doubt two LEDs are exactly the same), but that doesn't help with the under/overshoot problem. Thanks. -Matt

wskopalik (posted 2017-06-29 05:12:03.0)

This is a response from Wolfgang at Thorlabs. Thank you very much for your inquiry. You can set the current limit of the LEDD1B driver on the potentiometer on the front. This will be the maximum current the LEDD1B will provide in CW and trigger mode. To make sure that you stay below a critical current with this setting you could e.g. attach a resistor with a resistance similar to your LED and measure the current going through it. You can use the connection cable CAB-LEDD1 for this. The pin diagrams can be found on the website. Please make sure to take the necessary precautions as the current provided by the LEDD1B is quite high. The best way to get the same power out of two LEDs is to measure the power emitted by the LEDs and to adjust the currents through the LEDs accordingly. Just like you mentioned two LEDs will never be exactly the same so simply applying the same current wouldn't be enough. I will contact you directly to provide further assistance.

lester (posted 2017-04-11 17:31:06.313)

We have been using flashlamps for many years (since 1976!) to generate 1 ms blue or UV flashes. We typically dump 200 J (!!) into a 75 W xenon short-arc lamp, and we get ~ 100 mJ of photons. The frequency is ~ 0--that is, every 30 s or so. For most applications, we could focus a laser down to a spot a few microns in dia. However, for other examples, we need a spot ~ 1mm in dia, which is why we need ~ 100 mJ. Can we do this with LEDs? 10 ms would be OK, too. Your power supply delivers 10 V x 1 A = 10 W, so 100 mW would take 10 ms. However, output light would be much less. This takes a phone call--not a boilerplate email from your technical department. Henry A. Lester, Caltech

wskopalik (posted 2017-04-12 03:13:38.0)

This is a response from Wolfgang at Thorlabs. Thank you very much for your inquiry. What you wrote is correct, the main limitation for your application is the light output of the LEDs. Depending on the spectral range in the blue and UV, the LEDs will emit between 10mW and roughly 1000mW. This means that it will take at least 100ms to get 100mJ of energy. We will contact you directly to talk about your application in more detail.

aroy (posted 2017-01-16 15:32:52.6)

Is the BNC only for modulation or can it be used for current control using an arduino etc.

swick (posted 2017-01-17 05:09:25.0)

This is a response from Sebastian at Thorlabs. Thank you for the inquiry. The BNC port can be used for current control from DC - 5 kHz. DC indicates that the current-level can also be controlled without modulation. I will contact you directly for further assistance.

user (posted 2014-06-24 17:28:21.56)

Can this T-cube driver be used to supply the single LED with forward voltage of 3 V? In the Spec the LED Forward Voltage of 12 V is mentioned.

shallwig (posted 2014-06-27 07:18:34.0)

This is a response from Stefan at Thorlabs. Thank you very much for your inquiry. The LEDD1B is a current source which delivers a max output current of 1200mA. You can operate any LED with a forward voltage smaller than 11V with this controller so your LED with 3V will work fine. But you have to take care to set the current limit properly to avoid damaging your LED. Use of LEDs with a forward current lower than 200mA could also result in damage to the LED.

sc13967 (posted 2014-03-26 10:33:52.203)

For our application, stability of the light source is of the highest importance. Please can you tell me if intensity stability of the LEDs is primarily dictated by the LED itself (we're looking to use the 530 nm LED) or the LED driver. How do the four available LED drivers compare in terms of stability? We were assuming the parameter "current accuracy" will determine stability, is this assumption correct? Thanks, Stephen.

tschalk (posted 2014-03-28 08:16:27.0)

This is a response from Thomas at Thorlabs. Thank you very much for your inquiry. We can provide different kinds of drivers. The LEDD1B is a switching driver and shows ripple in the output current which can be as high as 20%. The DC4100 is a linear driver and the main advantages of such a driver is low output current ripple and its EMC compatibility. These drivers are applicable for fluorescence microscopy. The DC2100 is a combination of linear and switching drivers, this method combines the advantage of both principles. A detailed description can be found in the manual of the LEDD1B at section 5.1 LED Driver. The parameter current accuracy does not indicate how stable the drivers are. I will contact you directly with more detailed information.

julien (posted 2010-04-01 11:17:49.0)

a response from Julien at thorlabs: We checked and could indeed measure that pulses down to at least 5µs could be obtained with the DC2100 at a rep. rate of 10kHz and for a LED current of 1400mA.

julien (posted 2010-03-19 13:13:46.0)

A response from Julien at Thorlabs to Adamt: when operated in pulsed mode, the LEDD1 has a minimum pulse width of 50µs. We are currently checking if the DC2100 can be brought to achieve 5µs pulses. We will get the test results within one or two weeks. I will contact you directly to discuss the specific details and requirements of your application.

adamt (posted 2010-03-18 21:36:29.0)

The ON/OFF time is listed as <25 microseconds. Do you have an idea of the shortest pulse widths possible? I am looking for an about 5 microsecond LED "flash"

klee (posted 2009-07-20 10:14:38.0)

Pinout description is now in Overview and selection guide was added to other LED drivers.

acable (posted 2009-07-17 17:47:06.0)

I had to search for the pin out diagram for the driver, this is pretty basic information that would best be given on the Overview tab. Also it is hard to understand all the different LED drivers offered by Thorlabs, can you add a selection guide and some links to thread them all together.