A systematic technical reference covering selection, wiring, installation and maintenance - the questions engineers ask most, answered against real model specs.
Tell from the luminaire datasheet in one step whether you need a CV or CC driver — output behaviour, wiring, the parameters that matter, what happens if you mix them up, and three common mistakes.
Read the guide →Field-by-field walkthrough of an LED driver nameplate and datasheet - input, output, current accuracy, power factor, THD, tc versus ta, inrush current - plus which missing numbers signal risk, and a receiving checklist you can run on site.
Read the guide →The minimum load of a leading-edge triac dimmer is not a driver capability - it is the dimmer's holding-current requirement. This guide gives the current magnitudes, four reasons published figures fail in the field, a three-step on-site test, and how to size a dummy load.
Read the guide →Steady-state current is a quarter of the breaker rating and the circuit still trips on switch-on. This guide gives the comparison rule between inrush peak and the breaker magnetic trip threshold, the B/C/D curve conversion, a worked 16 A type C example, plus on-site measurement and an acceptance checklist.
Read the guide →Do not size to the nameplate. For constant voltage derive run length from 80 percent of driver power; for constant current derive series LED count from the voltage window, leaving margin for Vf spread and temperature drift. Worked examples for 60/100/150 W and 350/700/1050 mA, plus an acceptance check.
Read the guide →Why 20 percent headroom: load ratio, losses, tc and life in one worked 100 W table, plus the five conditions that tell you when 10 percent is enough and when you need 30.
Read the guide →A 9 to 48 V constant-current driver does not hold regulation across the whole span. String voltage peaks cold and bottoms out hot, and crossing either end fails differently. Cold and hot string voltage formulas, series count limits, and three worked examples.
Read the guide →Copper cross-section required for 12V and 24V constant-voltage strips by load and cable run, with the formulas and when to raise the voltage instead of thickening the cable.
Read the guide →Dim or colour-shifted strip ends almost always come from topology, not the driver. Using one 24 V 14.4 W/m strip we calculate the end-of-line voltage drop for single-end, both-end and star wiring, with a 5/10/15 m table and a multimeter test to pick the right method.
Read the guide →0-10 V distance is limited by summed sink current against cable resistance, not a voltage threshold. Includes a units x cable size x length table and a two-point test.
Read the guide →A symptom-first fault tree for dimming flicker — flicker at low output, glow after switch-off, flicker at full output, camera banding, unsynchronised groups and far-end flicker, each with a one-step check and a fix.
Read the guide →Drivers usually die before the LEDs — the weak point is the electrolytic capacitor and heat. How to read the tc point, the temperature/lifetime relationship, five heat sources, and an eleven-point cooling checklist.
Read the guide →Five stages from mains to load, each with a measured pass criterion: 198 to 242 V AC, CV reads nameplate open circuit, CC at its window ceiling is normal, a 5 m 24 V strip reads about 8 ohms.
Read the guide →The whole group trips the RCD when switched on together, but not one at a time. Each driver contributes earth leakage current, and a simultaneous close adds a transient on top. Sizing formula for a 30 mA RCD, three ways to split the circuit, a six-step location procedure and four factors that make it worse.
Read the guide →What the two digits mean, what each common rating actually protects against, the four things IP ratings do not cover, and condensation — the most overlooked cause of outdoor driver failure.
Read the guide →Want numbers for your own job? Use the sizing calculator and the dimming comparison table.
© 2026 YFX. Figures are for selection purposes. Always follow the datasheet and local wiring regulations for final installation.