Although the LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulb has been around for several years already, only recently has it begun a rapid evolution, as incandescent bulbs are being discontinued internationally and LEDs have taken the lead in efficiency.
As such, one of the more recent innovations in the LED industry is the emergence of MCOB technology (Multiple Chips on Board). But in order to understand the MCOB bulb, we need to understand its evolution from other light bulb technologies that make up the LED industry.
DIP
Dual In-Line Package (DIP) technology is the original LED bulb. Nowadays, DIPs seem reserved for signage, displays and household electronics, characterized by its “pill” or “bullet” shaped design, which serves as a lens that can focus the light from the diode. DIPs can only feature the one color that their bullet case provides. They are cheap, bright, and easy to solder onto any kind of circuit board. They deliver basic information to the consumer without needing an actual message display on a device.
SMD
The Surface Mounted Device are typically smaller than DIPs, square like a computer chip, and can produce full RGB color with their ability to have 3 diodes on a single chip. SMD chips can have 2, 4, or 6 contacts depending on the number of diodes on the chip, and each diode has its own individual circuit. They are very bright for their size, producing between 50 and 100 lumens per watt.
COB
Like SMDs, COB (Chip on Board) LEDs have multiple diodes on the same chip, but COB LEDs typically have 9 or more diodes, all of which use only one circuit and two contacts. However, because of this single circuit design, COB chips need multiple channels to adjust the individual levels of light output to create color changing effects, complicating this otherwise simplified technology. Therefore, COB LEDs are very powerful and efficient in single-color applications, and aren’t well-suited for color changing bulbs. COBs are more energy efficient than SMDs or DIPs, producing much higher lumens at lower wattage.
MCOB
Multiple Chips on Board (MCOB) LEDs basically apply several COBs to one plastic cup supporting the diode technology. This set-up allows for the brightest, most focalized and pure light without generating the heat that other LED technology produces. Lumen and CRI (Color Rendering Index) numbers are high with MCOB bulbs, while wattage remains low. Color temperature (CCT) is more easily controlled, and a wider range of beam angles can be achieved with MCOB technology. Euri Lighting provides several MCOB LED bulbs in our flood light and spot light product lines (MR, PAR, BR), featuring 90+ CRI, which is above par in the industry.
Have other questions about MCOB technology? Send our sales reps an email, or give us a call– we would be happy to help you choose the best lighting for your space!
Author: Hannah Rothblatt
