OPERATING CIRCUIT FOR LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES

摘要

The invention relates to a method for operating at least one LED by means of a switched-mode regulator circuit to which a DC voltage or a rectified AC voltage is supplied and which provides a supply voltage for at least one LED by means of a coil (L1) and a switch (S1) that is clocked by a control/regulation unit (SR). When the switch (S1) is activated, power is temporarily stored in the coil (L1) and is discharged through a diode (D1) and through at least one LED when the switch (S1) is deactivated and the current flows through the LED through a first power storage element which is coupled to a second power storage element. The first power storage element just reaches its maximum capability of storing power due to the current (iLED) flowing through the LED. A rising current is supplied to the second power storage element such that the time can be detected when the first power storage element recovers its capability of storing power due to the current flowing through the second power storage element.