A look inside a TCP branded 2W GU10 LED lamp.
Quite a neat lamp with the front lens retaining ring clipped in flush with the front, but coming out easily. Inside is a typical plastic reflector/lens and a small PCB with three 3030 surface mount LEDs wired in series with the track underneath covering most of the area of the PCB to assist in thermal dissipation. The PCB has an aluminium base that is screwed onto the thermally conductive plastic body of the lamp. The screws also hold the front of the housing to the back which contains a mains voltage buck regulator.
The chip had very hard to read markings on a less than smooth surface, but what I could glean from it SO1213 (date code?) AR81226 (chip code?) AD2431. None of those brought up a buck regulator style of chip on a quick Google search.
Quite a neat lamp with the front lens retaining ring clipped in flush with the front, but coming out easily. Inside is a typical plastic reflector/lens and a small PCB with three 3030 surface mount LEDs wired in series with the track underneath covering most of the area of the PCB to assist in thermal dissipation. The PCB has an aluminium base that is screwed onto the thermally conductive plastic body of the lamp. The screws also hold the front of the housing to the back which contains a mains voltage buck regulator.
The chip had very hard to read markings on a less than smooth surface, but what I could glean from it SO1213 (date code?) AR81226 (chip code?) AD2431. None of those brought up a buck regulator style of chip on a quick Google search.
Love TCP. Their CFL vanity bulbs lasted much longer than Feits (sp) (phillps? yikes ) never had GE except incandescent. So found TCP LED Vanity bulbs. Got 6 of the running (12 bulbs in all but now 6 are LED's. ) rather bright ones for LED and well they aren't that white so you'd like them. Parents can't stand the Daylight / Cool White LED / CFL lights but doctor tells me I need them so thats what I get.
It's the Albus Dumbledore of "explosive underpant soiling" electronics hackery!
A very simple (if a bit destructive) test to see if that is thermally conductive plastic is to scratch the paint off. Thermally conductive plastic is thermally conductive due to being loaded with graphite dust and is as such either black or very dark gray.
That is just a simple off line switcher using either a purpose made LED driver chip or an off line switcher driver that uses active current limiting (which can be hacked to make the output constant current).
Hi Clive did you check the actual wattage on these bulbs? They look like half Watt leds