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Avoiding Pulse Width Modulation Pitfalls

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How do you know if an LED product has the proper PWM specifications for your application? As a general rule of thumb, if the published PWM rate of the fixture is less than 3 kHz, then proceed with caution. If you’re not able to find a published PWM rate for your fixture, contact the manufacturer directly and ask for the fixture’s PWM rate. Then ask if they have video samples or examples of the fixtures installed in applications similar to your own. Finally, try to get a demo unit and test it as closely as you can in the environment(s) the lights will be used in. During your tests, look to see if you can perceive steps/stutters as the fixture dims or changes color/color-temperature. If steps are perceived, this may mean that the PWM resolution may be too coarse for your application. Be sure to shoot test footage while dynamically changing variables, including: varying the output to different intensities, dimming from zero to full and, changing the color or color-temperature at slow and fast rates.
-Mike Johnson, from Tech Talk, PLSN, Nov. 2017, page 106