High-frequency applications commonly face the issue of electromagnetic interference, and LED lighting circuits are one of them. This issue can be mitigated by accurate board-level shielding of LED PCBs. Shielding of EMI in this segment is crucial because LED lights may be used for multiple functions besides lighting and illumination. The LED indicator system is one such application used across industries as part of their integrated systems. LED indicator system show the status of the system, process, and so on, and issues alerts in case of any fault in the system. Hence, reliability is crucial here to get accurate output and avoid disasters, so any type of disturbance, noise, and so on must be prevented in such systems. This post discusses the usefulness of board-level shielding in LED lighting circuits and indicator systems in mitigating EMI.
Scope of Board Level Shielding and Market Size
Board level shielding is a huge market in which electronic devices and integrated systems account for a large segment. Electronic devices and integrated systems require LED indicator systems at various levels. LEDs are required across sectors such as automobile, healthcare, smart homes, telecommunication, and more. The major driving factors here are IoT and 5G applications as well as stringent regulations and compliance with industry standards. The global EMI shielding market was valued at $7 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach $9.4 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2023 to 2028
Why Opting for EMI Shields for LED Systems May Be a Wise Choice
Today’s complex industrial LED systems demand modern solutions, as conventional solutions don’t seem to help anymore. Here are some reasons why EMI shielding in LED systems is gaining traction.
- The issue of EMI is common in LED applications, especially in high frequencies and when they switch from one mode or color to another to indicate a certain status. This affects the performance and reliability of LED indicators and jeopardizes safety.
- Conventional approaches such as metal cans and coatings are not suitable for today’s thin and compact systems, and may not be reliable enough. Lightweight and flexible plasticized metal shields conform to the board well and are suitable for compact LED PCBs embedded in small form factor devices with colored lights atop and other advanced features and functionalities.
- EMI shielding has to be incorporated right at the PCB design stage. Designers need to select the components for LED lighting circuits carefully. However, some of these include capacitors, diodes, and inductors which produce EMI. Hence, choosing components with fast switching characteristics and low equivalent series inductance as well as resistance is essential. It is crucial to add a plan for EMI shields to mitigate noise produced by capacitors and inductors. It is also wise to use electrolytic capacitors with a low dielectric constant, which helps mitigate EMI.
- PCB design plays a crucial role in mitigating EMI. This includes the placement of LED driver ICs away from I/O terminals, routing of sensitive traces away from gate drive and output diode, filtering of input and output signals using passive components, and so on. The ultimate step is to use EMI shields in LED lighting circuits which acts as a block or suppressor and ensures there is no noise affecting the circuit.
Achieving immunity against EMI is crucial for any device, including LED applications. This is especially crucial in industrial systems where LED indicators give a certain output. While LED devices and systems are designed to be EMC compatible, EMI suppression or filtration should also be one of the measures taken, which is where board-level shielding helps. Plasticized EMI shields prevent unwanted signals and subsequent damage to the board and in turn the system of device. Since LED strips can be conformed to the surface of the device, it is best to use lightweight and flexible shields that fit well on the board, are flexible, and cover the required areas. XGR Technologies offers SnapShot® EMI shields made from a thin polyetherimide film on the interior and conductive tin on the exterior surfaces. These flexible and lightweight shields can be easily used in LED indicators and lighting systems to mitigate electromagnetic inference. If you need further information on SnapShot® EMI shields and their application in the LED segment, you can contact the team at XGR Technologies via phone or email.
