Andrew Morris designed a dimmable LED driver circuit that is simple and energy efficient. He then installed the circuit into a portable fluorescent lamp.
You could use my circuit to create your own custom LED lamp. You could make a beautiful LED desk lamp out of wood. My father was a skilled furniture maker, who went into electronics when his employer moved to an assembly-line manufacturing style. When he got engaged to my mother, he had no money for a diamond engagement ring, so he made her a small, but very beautiful wooden table lamp. That lamp was far more precious to her than any diamond ring could have been. One of my sisters has the lamp now.
The original 9-watt fluorescent tube in the lamp costs about $5 and lasts about a year with heavy use. I spent $21 on the LEDs I installed in the lamp and they should last for many years of heavy use. The remaining parts cost about $10, not including the lamp itself. The 72 LEDs produce plenty of light for reading. The lamp does not light up the whole room like the fluorescent version did, but it brilliantly illuminates whatever it's aimed at. At its focal-point it's a lot brighter than the 14-watt fluorescent lamp (with a new tube in it) that I had been using for reading. The color is better, too. Now, I'll just use my fluorescent lamps for area lighting.
My new LED desk lamp is just what I need. I set it on a table beside my easy-chair. It produces a natural white light, like daylight. The light from the LED array is very focused, like a big flashlight. BTW, you should use LEDs with a viewing angle of 30 degrees or wider. The dimmer greatly enhances the lamp's utility. I can turn the brightness up for easy reading, or I can dim it down to the point where it perfectly illuminates my laptop keyboard, without the hassles of my USB light. Turned all the way down, the lamp produces enough light to illuminate my TV remote while not affecting the view of my TV. I also use it as a nightlight. I also use the lamp as a work light, because it can be folded or rotated to illuminate my work surface, without being in my way. The lamp is very portable and is much lighter than it was, having lost its heavy ballast coil and glass tube.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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