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LED IR (infrared)
Isaac Newton, an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, discovered that sunlight is composed of all the colors of the rainbow. Some colors we can see, others - such as infrared and ultraviolet - are indistinguishable to the human eye. Infrared or infrared radiation is therefore the healthy heat of the sun. You can’t see it, it’s invisible light, but you do experience it as warmth. Infrared is a type of electromagnetic radiation located beyond visible light and colors. Infra-red literally means: after the red light. Infrared radiation is used in electronics, as well as in medical science. Just think of babies that are placed in the incubator so that they are kept at the right temperature. It is also used by physiotherapists to heal muscle injuries, and by beauty experts for various beauty treatments.
Products
Infrared diodes and transmitters for IR communication
Infrared is one of the oldest bands of electromagnetic radiation used for communication. Due to the fact that the light from an IR diode, even of high power, is not visible to the human eye, infrared diodes are often used in systems around us - remote controls, camera illuminators, access control systems and alarm systems.
A wide selection of discreet infrared diodes
Discreet infrared diodes are frequently used elements in remote control systems. The receivers of light pulses from the IR diode are usually dedicated phototransistors or infrared photodiodes, which are further connected to appropriate transmission decoders. In our store's catalog you can find a wide selection of discreet IR diodes in standard LED housings, as well as diode modules, for example with high-power diodes.
IR LEDs for illumination for cameras
High-power IR diodes are often used as illuminators for infrared cameras. Most image sensors are made of silicon, whose maximum sensitivity falls in the visible light range, but reaches up to 900 nm. Thanks to this, such cameras are able to "see" infrared, which is often used in surveillance systems using a video camera. IR diodes are often used to illuminate places observed by this type of cameras. Infrared systems are preferred because the light from the infrared diode is not visible to our eyes and does not disturb, for example, people who live close to the observed area.
Modules dedicated to development kits
Our store's offer includes not only high-power IR diodes or discreet infrared diodes. You will also find here modules dedicated to integration with development kits, or infrared illuminators dedicated to cameras in popular single-board computer systems. Modules with infrared diodes available in our store are compatible with Grove standards, the Arduino ecosystem and other popular educational and development systems. Thanks to this, it is easy to integrate IR diodes in original projects, without the need to design a printed circuit board, connect the system on a breadboard or spider-solder the whole thing. Additionally, by using a ready-made module with an infrared diode, you do not have to worry about designing its driver or calculating the diode current that should flow through it.
IR infrared diodes - FAQ
An IR diode - also called an infrared diode - is a type of LED that generates radiation with a wavelength above (approximately) 750 nm, invisible to humans, but - unlike UV - safe for the human eye.
The general rule for selecting IR diodes for camera illuminators is to select the appropriate emission band - diodes around 850 nm may be slightly visible in the dark (due to a slightly red glow), but they allow for a greater range than completely invisible diodes ~940 nm.
Infrared itself is completely invisible to the human eye, but some LEDs operating in this band also emit a small amount of red light, which is already visible to the human eye.
The simplest and fastest method to check whether the infrared diode emits the expected radiation is to bring the mobile phone camera closer to it in a dark environment - if the diode is working, its light should be visible in the image as a white-purple glow.