Does the LED work with a led driver or transformer ? In general, it depends on the design configuration... Most of the LED lights sold in today's North American Canadian market require a driver that provides an electronic product that combines DC current into the LED chip to illuminate it.
The main function of the driver circuit is to limit the amount of current consumed by the LED, otherwise it will quickly self-destruct.
The appearance of the drive may be similar to the familiar transformer we used to link old halogen lamps. However, they are different and cannot be interchanged for normal work.
Transformers for halogen lamps typically provide unregulated low voltage to the lamp and do not limit current.
Using a standard constant voltage led transformer for LEDs designed for constant current power supply can damage the LEDs. Therefore, careful selection of the power supply is critical to ensure the life of the LED.
The compact "driver" is built into the base of most LED lights. This answers a question we often ask, “Why does the lamp not require a driver?” In fact, each LED requires some type of adjustment to provide reliable operation.
As we move toward “unmanned” technology, these challenges of choosing an external led power supply should be mitigated. Please note that even "unmanned" technology means there is still a driver there, but these components are likely to be integrated into the luminaire's circuitry. Again, the LED still requires a regulated DC current, but this can be achieved.
