Not Just Light

The IES LM-80 standard is a document developed by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Testing Procedures Committee (IES TPC). Its purpose is to provide uniform testing methods to obtain information on LED luminous flux and chromaticity changes, and allow a reliable comparison of LED characteristics when comparing products from different manufacturers with test results from different laboratories. But the LED landscape has shifted considerably with new types of component architectures, and new solid-state lighting (SSL) product development concepts such as tunable luminaires. The IES TPC has therefore worked to revise LM-80 to ensure it serves the intended purpose given the current state of LED and SSL technology.

IES Test

LM-80 data is critical for LED users to evaluate long-term light output change behavior.The testing methodology established applies to LED packages, arrays, and modules for all ranges of light radiation.It includes both wideband and narrowband, such as white-colored, single-colored, or UV LEDs. Depending on the LED application - illumination, plant growth, etc. - tested characteristics include luminous flux, radiant flux, and photon flux. The wavelength characteristics can be chromaticity, peak wavelength, centroid, or dominant wavelength.

 Expand procedures to cover AC, high-voltage DC, and pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) drive LEDs. 

Drive levels will replace drive current requirements, and will be specified as the operational requirements for DC constant-current drive, PWM drive, DC constant-voltage drive, and AC regulated-voltage drive. With LED technology changes, the DC constant-current drive is no longer the only drive mode. All other types of drive modes should be tested with the new version of LM-80.