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For a custom COB LED module, binning is a production specification, not a line item that can be added after the layout is finished. The same nominal CCT can still lead to visual results. An acceptable voltage spread can cause uneven current, in parallel strings. The same nominal CCT can still lead to visual results. An acceptable voltage spread can cause uneven current in parallel strings.\u00a0A practical LED binning plan therefore defines luminous flux, chromaticity and CCT, forward voltage (Vf), and hot-state behavior at named test conditions. The goal is to give the supplier a measurable acceptance window for the complete module, not only a label for the LED die.<\/p>\n
This guide explains what each bin controls, how the measurements interact, and what to include in an RFQ or sample-approval sheet for a custom COB module.<\/p>\n
LED binning sorts emitters into defined ranges of optical and electrical performance. In a COB package many dies share one emitting area. Variation is visible, across the array and variation can also affect driver margin.A source\u00a0level bin may describe one die or a packaged emitter; a module\u00a0level requirement must additionally account for die count, series and parallel connections, phosphor or color\u00a0conversion behavior, substrate, optics, and thermal path.<\/p>\n
The bin name is meaningful only when the test conditions travel with it. Current, pulse duration, case or junction temperature, integration time, and measurement geometry can change the result. Write those conditions into the specification and keep them unchanged when comparing samples, production lots, and replacement material.<\/p>\n
Flux binning controls how much light a unit produces within a stated test window. For a custom module you need to state whether the requirement applies to each die each COB or the entire assembled module. Also clarify if the limit is about the flux range the variation between units or both. A single nominal lumen value does not provide information, for a multi-emitter design.<\/p>\n
State the drive current, electrical mode, pulse or steady\u00a0state measurement, temperature reference, optical integration method, and allowed uncertainty. Flux can change with current and temperature, so a bin measured at a short pulse and room temperature should not be treated as proof of continuous output in a heat\u00a0loaded luminaire. If the module will be dimmed, identify the operating point that controls acceptance and the point used for characterization.<\/p>\n
For repeat orders, ask for lot traceability and a rule for material outside the agreed flux range. That rule may be a hold, re-bin, mixed\u00a0lot prohibition, or written deviation approval. The right choice depends on the visual risk, the driver design, and whether modules will be installed side by side.<\/p>\n
CCT is a useful label for a white\u00a0light target, but it does not fully describe tint or perceptual distance from the target. A binning sheet should name the target CCT, the chromaticity representation used for acceptance, and the allowed SDCM or equivalent color\u00a0tolerance boundary. Where tint matters, include Duv or a defined x-y or u’-v’ coordinate window rather than relying on CCT alone.<\/p>\n
SDCM expresses a position relative to a color\u00a0matching tolerance region. The region changes across the chromaticity diagram, so a step count is not a universal conversion to one fixed numerical distance. Specify the nominated target, the ellipse or tolerance model, the measurement temperature, and the instrument geometry. If one module will sit beside another, require the same color family and retain the bin code for future replacement matching.<\/p>\n
Color can also move as the module heats. For that reason, a cold color bin and a hot color acceptance limit should be written as separate requirements. A detailed method for comparing chromaticity movement, Duv, and SDCM across temperature can be paired with the production binning plan through temperature<\/b><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/u><\/strong>dependent COB color checks<\/b><\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n The module acceptance sheet should connect optical bins to the actual electrical and mechanical design. Start with the emitter arrangement, substrate, dimensions, intended driver, operating current, thermal interface, optics, and enclosure. Then state the cold and hot test points, the sampling plan, and the release rule. This prevents a supplier from meeting a die\u00a0level bin while the assembled COB misses the system requirement.<\/p>\n Forward voltage is the voltage measured at a stated current and temperature. It is not a fixed identity of the LED, and it should not be used as a substitute for flux or color data. In a series string, Vf spread consumes or releases driver headroom; in parallel paths, mismatch can influence current sharing unless the circuit includes suitable balancing.<\/p>\n Specify the Vf range at the actual operating current, the measurement temperature, and whether the value is per die, per string, or for the complete module. Ask the supplier to report minimum, typical, and maximum values when the driver has a narrow compliance range. Keep the voltage window aligned with the selected driver, dimming method, protection limit, and thermal state.<\/p>\n Hot\u00a0binning refers to sorting or assigning acceptance bins based on LED performance measured at a specified elevated temperature. It should be distinguished from hot\u00a0state characterization, which evaluates how optical and electrical parameters change with temperature without necessarily creating separate production bins.It is useful when color, flux, or Vf changes materially with temperature and when adjacent emitters must remain visually consistent after warm\u00a0up. The term is only useful if the temperature basis is explicit: chamber ambient, case temperature, board temperature, or an estimated junction temperature are different conditions.<\/p>\n Define the hot setpoint, mounting and thermal interface, stabilization rule, drive current, optics, and measurement sequence. Record flux, CCT, Duv or chromaticity, SDCM position, and Vf at the hot point, then compare them with the cold baseline. If color stability matters, include intermediate temperatures or a return\u00a0to\u00a0cold check rather than relying on one endpoint. Use more than one unit and, for production approval, more than one lot so the result separates thermal behavior from manufacturing variation.<\/p>\n Hot\u00a0binning does not remove the need for a cold bin. It adds a second acceptance condition and may change how the supplier labels, stores, and releases material. The thermal limits and the sample method should be agreed upon before starting tooling or mass production, for professional lighting, studio, medical, machine vision or other close view applications.<\/p>\n A useful RFQ gives the supplier enough context to select a bin and enough detail to prove that the selection is repeatable. Include the module drawing, light\u00a0emitting area, substrate and mechanical constraints, target current and voltage, driver or power architecture, thermal mounting, optics, viewing distance, quantity, and intended application.<\/p>\n For the binning section, request the proposed flux, CCT, SDCM, and Vf windows; the cold and hot test conditions; the measurement equipment and stabilization method; the sample count; and the report format. Ask how bin codes will be recorded on production paperwork and how a future replacement lot will be matched. When comparing suppliers, compare the test method as carefully as the headline specification.<\/p>\n IHY Lighting presents both a custom COB LED category<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and an LED module range<\/strong><\/a>, alongside broader LED solution work<\/strong><\/a>. These categories are relevant starting points for an OEM discussion, but suitability, bin limits, and hot.state acceptance still need to be confirmed against the project drawing and representative samples.<\/p>\n LED binning for a custom COB module should describe the complete decision boundary: how much light the module produces, where its color sits, how tightly units match, how much voltage the driver must accommodate, and whether those results remain acceptable when the module is hot. Flux, CCT, Vf, SDCM, and hot\u00a0binning requirements work together only when their test conditions, sampling rules, and lot traceability are written down. A clear specification reduces surprises during driver tuning, thermal validation, visual inspection, and repeat procurement.<\/p>\n LED binning is the grouping of emitters or modules into defined performance ranges, such as flux, chromaticity, CCT, or forward voltage, measured under named conditions.<\/p>\n No. CCT should be paired with a chromaticity or tint measure and an agreed tolerance such as SDCM, especially when modules are viewed side by side.<\/p>\n Use it when the application is sensitive to temperature\u00a0related changes in color, flux, or Vf and the cold measurement does not represent the operating condition.<\/p>\n State the current, temperature, topology, and whether the value is per die, string, or module. Then check the range against the driver’s compliance and protection limits.<\/p>\nBuild a Module<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong>Level Binning Specification<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Vf Binning: Protect Driver Margin and Current Sharing<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Hot<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong>Binning: When a 25\u00b0C Bin Is Not Enough<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n
RFQ and Sample<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/strong>Approval Checklist<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n
What is LED binning?<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Is CCT enough to specify a color bin?<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
When is hot-binning needed?<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n
How should Vf be specified?<\/b><\/strong><\/h3>\n