Ushio Achieves World Record for 850 nm Single-Chip Output Power with 19 W Narrow Angle IR LED Package

Featuring approximately five times more power per package than conventional products to enable the downsizing of irradiation equipment and cost reduction

Ushio Inc. (Head Office: Tokyo, President and CEO: Koji Naito, hereinafter “Ushio”) will release the SMBB850DS-1200 series 850 nm infrared LED package in February 2021. Intended for imaging and analysis under infrared (IR) illumination using surveillance cameras, ANPR1, and other similar devices, this product has achieved both the highest power output in the world2 (19 W3) and narrow-angle irradiation. Compared to conventional LEDs for use with surveillance cameras4, this product has achieved five times higher output per package, an irradiated area approximately four times wider, and approximately two times higher central illuminance, when used for long-distance irradiation.

This product is the latest model in the SMBB family of high-power LED packages, which were initially developed by Ushio in 2013 and have been used for diverse applications, including the quality inspection (sorting) of food and other products, medical devices, and defect inspection. At the wavelength of 850 nm, the product realises both narrow-angle irradiation and the highest power output in the world, which is effective for long-distance irradiation. Thus, the product permits long-distance imaging using a surveillance camera, ANPR, or similar device. Further, the high output power permits the reduction of LED packages per system, enabling infrared irradiation equipment to achieve smaller dimensions and lower costs. Accordingly, the product contributes to increased adoption of surveillance systems, and eventually to building a social environment with increased security and peace of mind.

Development background of the SMBB850DS-1200 series 850 nm infrared LED package

Reflecting the growing awareness of safety and security among people in recent years, surveillance cameras have begun to be used not only in buildings but also outdoors, such as in areas around buildings, parking areas, and city streets. The application of ANPR has also been expanded to expressways and public highways. Amid this trend, the distances that infrared illumination for outdoor surveillance cameras are required to irradiate have increased (to distances ranging between 100 and several hundred metres), demanding higher power.

In addition, while LED packages with lenses are used for the narrow-angle irradiation, which is necessary for long-distance irradiation using infrared rays, multiple packages need to be aligned in these units to secure a sufficient amount of light. This results in larger size, larger area required for installation, and a higher cost of the irradiation equipment, which are problems. Further, while there is technology for mounting multiple chips on a package to secure a sufficient amount of light, a large-sized outer lens must also be mounted on these packages to enable narrow-angle irradiation. This technological challenge had to be overcome to achieve further downsizing.

Solving issues by increasing the LED chip area and adapting the package with a lens

In response, Ushio developed the SMBB850DS-1200 series package with a lens, which is capable of emitting a narrow-angle beam using only one chip while significantly increasing the output power per package with a larger LED chip area.

This enables the reduction of the number of packages mounted on the irradiation equipment for surveillance cameras or ANPR and removes the need for an outer lens, permitting systems to be miniaturised and their cost reduced.

Ushio will continue to contribute to building a safe, reassuring society with light, by increasing performance and improving quality of LEDs.

1. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is a system which automatically reads vehicle registration plates while vehicles are moving, using high-speed imaging.
2. As of December 31, 2020, according to research by Ushio
3. Output value per package using pulse operation
4. Compared to SMBB850DS-1100, a conventional product

Product features

• Highest power output in the world, five times that of conventional products
  The product has achieved the highest power output in the world for 850 nm infrared LEDs, at 4 W per package at continuous wave (CW), which is three times that of conventional products, and 19 W per package using pulse operation, which is approximately five times that of conventional products.
• Light distribution angle of ± 19°enabled by a package with a lens, achieving narrow-angle irradiation
  The product realises an irradiation area four times wider and two times brighter in central illuminance than conventional products when used for long-distance irradiation (100 metres or longer).
• A wide variety of lenses to choose from
  Lenses with light distribution angles from ± 19° to ± 61° are available according to the installation environment.

*Package with 02 lens **Flat package (without lens)

source:Ushio