LIGHTING

Lighting



Lighting

Introduction

Fast forward almost 100 years from the invention of the Edison bulb to the advent of solid state lighting (SSL). We are now at the early stages of a similar epoch that will be just as disruptive to the lighting industry as Edison's light bulb. As a new industry develops around this novel light source, a myriad of interconnect options exist that now pose a dilemma to all those involved in lighting design and integration. It affects everyone from the light source supplier to the final lighting contractor responsible for installation. Simply put and broadly stated - the dilemma is: What are my interconnect options? The answer to this is a rather ambiguous, “it depends”. There currently is no clear answer to this since many options exist; it all depends where the interconnect lies within the overall system.

The solution is a method that better defines each level of interconnects thereby isolating the specific connector application as well as the products and options available. This paper proposes a classification system that clearly defines natural demarcations that are inherent in all lighting systems.

Discussion

A number of years passed in which the incandescent bulb was the only electric light source commercially available for general illumination. Shortly before World War II, the fluorescent bulb was released, offering the world a uniform, linear light source suitable for illuminating large spaces. As with the incandescent bulb, the characteristics of this light source required a new socket to allow easy replacement of the fluorescent bulb.

The now familiar “tombstone” socket shown was developed specifically for these linear light sources. Unlike the incandescent bulb, the fluorescent bulb could not be readily retrofit into existing light fixture designs so a new fixture design was required. The new fixture design, coupled with the harsh, blue-white light emitted by the early bulbs meant this new light source would find few residential applications since consumers wanted the warm glow of an incandescent bulb. As a result, the fixture design that developed was geared toward commercial applications with a focus on utility rather than aesthetics. Typically rectangular or square in shape, these fixtures are used with one or more fluorescent bulbs and are now ubiquitous in industrial and commercial applications.

Driven by the growing requirements of energy conservation, it was not until the 1990s when the efficient fluorescent bulb morphed into the now familiar compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) targeting residential/consumer use. Given the huge installed base of Edison sockets around the world, it was natural that the CFL was offered with an Edison base for easy, energy efficient, retrofit replacement. Even with the Edison base, the initial blue-white CFLs found poor consumer acceptance due to the harsh light and poor color rendition. Newer, higher quality warm-white products now on the market are finally gaining consumer recognition and are making their way into homes. It should be noted that as CFLs gain acceptance, certain states (California) now mandate that all energy efficient bulbs incorporate a new GU-24 bulb base rather than the Edison base thereby ...