Optics for LED is nothing new and optics for the channel letter modules (CLM) has advanced at a fairly fast rate. However with all things new, there is always more to the story than meets the eye, the budget and the actual application need.
LED光源没有什么新进展，槽形发光字模组（CLM）却以相当快的速度发展起来。然而所有呈现在眼前的新事物，背后一定经历了各种挑战以满足预算和实际应用的需求。
First let’s talk about the optic or lens or light enhancing cover. When optics first appeared for CLM in the not too distant past a light enhancing cover was placed over a standard chip. This was akin to taking a 1 gallon of “light” and putting it into a 2 gallon container… same light is the same light, kind of like a pound of feathers vs. a pound of lead—they both weigh the same but they take up totally different spaces. In other words, just adding an optic—while it did allow for more light coverage—takes the same “gallon of light” and spreads it over a larger area, thus more coverage but less illumination overall. This low-tech principle is still available today and the burden of what is right for your needs unfortunately is on your shoulders to separate the good guys from the not-so-good guys.
首先，我们来谈谈光学透镜或光增强盖具。光学透镜不久前第一次用于CLM，是将一个光增强盖具放在标准芯片的上方。这就相当于将1加仑的“光”装进2加仑的容器中，光是同一种光，有点像一磅羽毛和一磅铅，它们的重量是一样的，但是它们占据的空间是完全不同的。换句话说，只是加了一个透镜，它就可以有更大的光覆盖范围，相同加仑的光照射的范围更大，因此光覆盖率更大，整体亮度却更低了。这种低端技术目前仍在使用中，不幸的是，区分优质产品和劣质产品以满足需求的重任就压在你的肩上了。
CLM Optic Considerations
CLM光学透镜考虑因素
The main advantage of considering an optic CLM is first it should lower your BOM (Bill of Materials), and second it should provide more “chip” illumination to compensate for fewer CLM and a wider beam/light spread over a greater area. On the other hand, a high brightness (HB) chip set is needed to make this simple principle work at its fullest, all things equal.
选择用于CLM的光学透镜首先要考虑的是，它要能减少你的物料清单（BOM），其次它要有更多照明“芯片”，以补偿更大光覆盖范围造成的低亮度。另一方面，需要一种高亮度（HB）芯片组使得该技术充分发挥作用。
Think of your car’s headlights: typically a mirror type reflector behind the bulb gathers the light and spreads if over a determined area in front of your car. However, when you need more illumination and hit the “high beam” button, the reflector is not changing, there is more power being driven to the filament/bulb. In simple terms, for an optic-enhanced LED to properly work with the mentioned advantages you have two choices; overdrive the LED (typically not a good solution for longevity) or use a premium HB-type chip(s) with higher lumen output. Now we are getting somewhere.
想一下你的车前灯：通常是灯泡后面的镜面反射器将光线聚集，然后将其在车前确定区域内扩散开。当你需要更大亮度的照明时，按下“远光灯”按钮，反射器没有变化，但是它会驱动更大的灯丝功率。简而言之，要使得视觉增强型LED充分发挥其优势的话，你有两个选择：过度驱动LED（通常不是一个好的解决方案），或者使用优质高流明输出的HB类型的芯片。现在我们来谈谈别的方面。
While optic enhanced CLM are now mainstream it is important to compare standard 120 degree beams vs. optics. A very easy and factual example that was on display at a trade show which showed two brand names of CLM installed in a single channel letter—an “H.” One side of the letter was illuminated with a double row of standard 120-degree beam CLMs in a 10” stroke, and on the other side of the “H” was a HB 160-degree sign row of optic CLM. The optic CLM needed seven modules, and the double row of standard CLM required 13 modules. So the unit price of the non-optic vs. the optic gave the unit price favor to the non-optic CLM. Yet when the cost of 13 vs. seven modules was factored in, the optic offered a lower overall job cost, less labor to install and less liability after the sale! As you always hear from me—buyer beware!
与标准120度光束光学相比，视觉增强型CLM现在已经是主流产品了。这里有一个非常简单且实际的例子，贸易展上展出的两个品牌的CLM，它们被安装在单通道槽形发光字“H”内部。发光字一边是用10英寸冲程的双排标准120度光束来照明，另一边是HB160度的光学透镜CLM。光学透镜CLM需要7个模组，而双排标准CLM需要13个模组。因此无光学透镜CLM比光学透镜CLM价格低。然而，将13个模组和7个模组的成本考虑进去的话，光学透镜CLM整体的工作成本更低、需要的安装劳力更少、要承担的售后责任更少。因此你经常会听到一句话——买方风险自负！
Dual-Beam Solutions
双光束解决方案
Additionally, with the advent of optics, newer dual-beam solutions are offering real advantages by directing the light beam in two different directions instead of providing a simple conical beam. This format offers even more BOM savings, especially when used as designed and directed. These dual beam optics are great for narrow stoke letters where you typically have to increase the CLM count due to the narrow space and to eliminate hot spots, however with the dual beam you can normally get away with two small-footprint CLM per foot where up to five might have been needed with a 120-degree CLM.
此外，随着光学透镜的出现，新型双光束解决方案发挥了真正的优势，它将光束指向两个不同的方向，而不是提供简单的锥形光束。这种形式节省的物料会更多，特别是按照设计和指示制作时。这些双光束透镜非常适合窄冲程发光字，由于其狭小的空间，通常需要增加CLM数量，并且要消除潜在的危险区域。然而，有了双光束透镜，你就弃用那种每英尺有两个小型CLM的光学透镜，甚至是每英尺可能有5个光学透镜的120度CLM。
Thus optics serve a real purpose when designed, manufactured and engineered correctly. On the other hand, good old 120-degree beam CLM do work fine, so do not fret if you have a large inventory of them left over or if you prefer them. Like all technology, if it serves your needs and purpose then go for it!
因此经过正确设计、制作的光学透镜就能发挥真正的作用。另一方面，优质的旧版120度光束CLM也可以发挥很好的作用，所以不要担心会剩下很多库存或者更偏好使用这种CLM。像所有技术一样，如果符合你的需求和目的，那就去做吧！
Power Options
电源选择
Let’s talk about power on several fronts. HB LEDs provide a real advantage. Typically, if the “HB package”—which includes the chip (LED), PCB and electronics wire and housing—is designed properly all should be fine. On the other hand, the easiest way to get increased lumen/brightness output is to increase the mA voltage to the p/n junction. However, if the package is not designed for the increased voltage, the requisite heat gain can cause premature failure. Understand, this failure might be years out, but in this case it will fail sooner rather than later. It begs the question: “How do you want your customers to remember you?”
接下来我们从几个方面来讨论一下电源的选择。HB LED可以提供真正的优势。通常情况下，如果包含LED芯片、PCB板、电线和外壳在内的“HB封装包”设计得当，就不会出现问题了。另一方面，提高流明/亮度输出最简单的方法，就是增大p/n结的电压值。然而，如果封装包不适用于升高的电压，必要的热量增益就会造成产品过早失效。注意，这种失效情况可能几年才出现一次，但是这种情况的出现宜早不宜迟。
Watts per CLM are a direct result of the package components, in total. To understand this simply, watts while measured as consumption is directly related to brightness. Thus, a low watts per foot (WPF) will equate to less lumens/brightness per CLM and potentially the overall impact. More and more sign shops seem to be demanding maximum CLM per power supply, even at the expense of brightness. While this seems to be driven to offer the absolute lowest costs and may be aiding by our economy in general, this is not always the best solution.
每个CLM的瓦特数是该封装包内所有元件的总计瓦特数。要想理解起来更容易，就是消耗的瓦特数是与亮度直接相关的。因此，低瓦特/英尺（WPF）等同于需要更少流明/亮度的CLM，并且它对整个封装包都有潜在的影响。越来越多的标识商铺似乎都想要最大的CLM电源供给，甚至不惜牺牲亮度。虽然这可以提供绝对的最低成本，且有助于我们的经济增长，但是这并不是最好的解决方案。
As an example if the average CLM per average job is 37 feet and it only requires one 60w power supply and does not increase the need for more power in this example, then it seems you would want to go with the best brightness option you could offer.
举个例子，如果CLM平均尺寸为37英尺，它只需要一个60w的电源供给，且不需要更大的电源，那么你肯定想要它提供最大亮度。
In my estimation I see far too much emphasis on the absolute lowest material costs and a number of these types of sales will ultimately come back to cost you in the long run. Signage is still driven by impact and brightness and while everyone wants the best price, the best price is not always the best solution and this can come into to play even more when considering optics because of the HB chip factor.
在我看来，过度强调材料的绝对最低成本和这些类型产品的销售额，从长远来看它们最终会反过来消费你。标识的发展仍然会受到冲击力和亮度的推动作用，所有人都想要最理想的价格，但是最理想的价格并不总是最好的解决方案，如果将HB芯片用到光学透镜中时，价格也会有所不同的。
Other Considerations
其他考虑因素
One more consideration in this market is your vendor’s warranty, and while most all LED products today in the sign industry offer a five-year warranty, it is not the cost to warranty the replacement LED that is expensive—it is the service call, and ultimately your company’s reputation, if you are in it for the long haul.
该领域需要考虑到的另一个因素是供应商提供的质量保证。虽然目前标识行业中的大多数LED产品都提供了五年质保，但是它不仅包含更换LED所需的高昂成本，同时它也是公司提供的服务项目，最终关系到贵公司的名声。
In closing, these comments are very general and provide an overview of optics and related power considerations. It is my belief that we should always offer the best overall solution first and work backwards if the customer demands it, but never cut the prospect short without justification.
最后我想说，这些提到的论述非常一般，只是关于光学透镜的概述和相关电源考虑因素。我认为，我们首先应该为客户提供最好的整体解决方案，如果客户同意就着手准备，但是永远不要无故否定方案的可行性。
