An LED (Light Emitting Diode) is an energy-efficient, reliable, and long-lasting lamp.

An LED is a type of diode that glows when current flows through it from the anode (+) to the
cathode (-).

Main characteristics

Voltage drop V​F V

Rated current I A

Intensity (brightness) IV Cd

Wavelength (color) λ Nm

Typical wiring diagram

LED’s internal resistance after saturation is too low, and without a resistor that limits the
current flowing through the LED, the diode will burn out.
The place of the installation of the resistor in the circuit – before or after the LED – is not
important.

Finding the right resistor

Let’s calculate which R-resistor in the circuit we will need to use to get the best results. Let’s
imagine that we have the following LED and power supply unit:
V​F​ = 2.3 V
I = 20 mA
V​CC​ = 5 V

Let’s calculate the optimal resistance of the R-resistor and the minimum permissible voltage
of the PR – resistor. First, we will need to figure out the optimal voltage for the R-resistor:
UR​ ​ = VCC
​ ​ – VF​ ​ = 5V – 2.3 V = 2.7 V
Using Ohm’s law, we shall calculate the resistance value that we will get thanks to this
voltage drop:
R = U​R/I ​ = 2.7 V/0.02 A = 135 Ω
Thus:
● With resistance more than 135 Ohm, the brightness will be lower than the initially
stated one.
● With resistance less than 135 Ohm, LED’s life expectancy will be shorter.

Now we shall calculate the power that the resistor will be dissipating:
P​R​ = I​2​ * R = 0.02​2​ A * 135 Ω = 0.054 W
This means that if power is less than 54 megawatt, the resistor will burn out.

Simple rule
In order not to calculate values for the resistor during every experiment, you can simply
remember a rule for a most typical scenario.
To power 1 20 mA LED from 5 V, you need to use a 150 to 360 Ohm resistor.