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Xenon vs. LED
How to find the right technology for informing, warning or alerting. Should you use LED or Xenon solutions? Learn about the performance characteristics of LED and Xenon technology. Neither is fundamentally better than the other. However, depending on the application one option will generally be more suitable.
Informing
With the requirement to inform, signaling devices are used mainly as continuous lights, to indicate the operating status of a machine for example. LED signaling devices are recommended here because of their low power consumption, a long operating life and a wide range of signaling modes.
Warning
In potentially dangerous situations it must be ensured that the signal triggers the desired reaction of the user: to monitor and/or to intervene. LEDs are suitable for applications in which there is direct visual contact with the light. Furthermore, LEDs can also be used where they may be exposed to mechanical forces such as shocks or vibrations. Xenon on the other hand is recommended in environments in which the warning signal needs to be emitted over a broad area, like outside areas.
Alerting
Fire alarm and other emergency situations require people in the covered area to react without any delay. Xenon technology has clear advantages in this case. The extreme short light pulse of a Xenon flash offers peak light intensities easily exceeding 100.000 cd which cannot be achieved with LEDs.
LED technology | Xenon technology |
| Accurate light direction with a sharply defined radiation angle |
Omnidirectional radiation characteristics
|
| Different modes (continuous, blinking, flashing) | Flash mode with selectable frequency |
| Optional brightness adjustment | Maximum brightness |
| Long flash sequences | Short flash duration |
| Life cycle approx. 50000 operating hours | Life cycle approx. 10 million flashes |