CV drivers?

[LivingLight]

Hey, recently i've seen a lot of people using CV+CC drivers.
I've always been using CC only drivers and found it really easy to use and appropriate. But maybe i'm missing something, so can anyone explain to me what is the interest of a CV+CC driver in led supply please?

[Kiwi_Jezza]

I like them because its easier to load the driver to 100%. I always feel a CC driver has some wasted potential as you can never match the load to the max voltage output.
They're also a good option if you want to scale up your light over time. Start with three cobs. Then go to four then to five.
The 'A' type drivers also have voltage and current adjustment pots. Fun to tinker with.

A drawback is that your loads need to be almost identical in resistance. So no mixing and matching strips or cobs on the same driver.

[LivingLight]

I like them because its easier to load the driver to 100%. I always feel a CC driver has some wasted potential as you can never match the load to the max voltage output.
They're also a good option if you want to scale up your light over time. Start with three cobs. Then go to four then to five.
The 'A' type drivers also have voltage and current adjustment pots. Fun to tinker with.

A drawback is that your loads need to be almost identical in resistance. So no mixing and matching strips or cobs on the same driver.

Thx for your answer. If i understand well, the voltage is adjusting a bit right? Because the led got a very define voltage. Do you know approximately the range of auto-adjust a cv+cc driver can provide?

[sdfoster22]

Thx for your answer. If i understand well, the voltage is adjusting a bit right? Because the led got a very define voltage. Do you know approximately the range of auto-adjust a cv+cc driver can provide?

http://ledgardener.com/driver-reference-sheet/

Here is the reference sheet for drivers. Spec sheets might be able to provide the voltage range when it kicks into cc mode.

[Hyakutak]

A drawback is that your loads need to be almost identical in resistance. So no mixing and matching strips or cobs on the same driver.

I'm currently using a CV+CC driver to power 5x 48v strip + 22x 2.25v led. I've not done any resistance testing and can't find the resistance of my differents strips / mono online.

I never had any problems in the past and no one has explained to me the risk or why I could have problems.

[LivingLight]

Thx for your answer. If i understand well, the voltage is adjusting a bit right? Because the led got a very define voltage. Do you know approximately the range of auto-adjust a cv+cc driver can provide?

http://ledgardener.com/driver-reference-sheet/

Here is the reference sheet for drivers. Spec sheets might be able to provide the voltage range when it kicks into cc mode.

Okay thx i understand better now, that's not what i would call a "constant voltage" driver. I mean i expected something like 5% max auto-adjust range.
Here if we look at macthezazou's driver (HLG-320H-48) the datasheets says 43-52V, so the adjusting range is actually around 20% of max voltage.

A drawback is that your loads need to be almost identical in resistance. So no mixing and matching strips or cobs on the same driver.

I'm currently using a CV+CC driver to power 5x 48v strip + 22x 2.25v led. I've not done any resistance testing and can't find the resistance of my differents strips / mono online.

I never had any problems in the past and no one has explained to me the risk or why I could have problems.

Well, finally we were wrong on your case, you still got to adjust the voltage to be the same in every serie.
I think actually you got no big problem, but as the voltage of your mono serie is very different of the one of your strips, the system is probably adjusting with a higher intensity on strips and a lower intensity on the monochromatic leds.
You should try to adjust better, but without a multimeter it's not really accurate. At least the mono ratio we was talking about on your post is closer (according to the datasheets) to the strips' voltage.

[sdfoster22]

Okay thx i understand better now, that's not what i would call a "constant voltage" driver. I mean i expected something like 5% max auto-adjust range.
Here if we look at macthezazou's driver (HLG-320H-48) the datasheets says 43-52V, so the adjusting range is actually around 20% of max voltage.

The a version of the driver puts out slightly more volts than it's rated for, and it also puts out a bit more current. If you want cc mode to kick in, you max out the current pot, and it will provide 24-48v at max amp.

Its considered constant voltage because it provides the same voltage for however many strips you wire in parallel, and it splits the amps between the strips. Unlike the constant current series wiring, where it supplies all the voltage of the strips combined at the constant current range.

If you get the a version you have to dial in the voltage and current according to how hard you want to run the strips, and they correlate to each other. The b version, you adjust the current and the voltage auto adjusts to fit the strips.

[LivingLight]

Its considered constant voltage because it provides the same voltage for however many strips you wire in parallel, and it splits the amps between the strips. Unlike the constant current series wiring, where it supplies all the voltage of the strips combined at the constant current range.

You also can wire many strips in parallele with a cc only driver, that's not a problem at all. I got a 16-24v 1400mA cc driver and i've been wiring 6 strips (~22v each). It still splits the current between the strips.
confusing

Imo the cv+cc driver is just a way to make things harder than they are xD, the only benefit i can see is the larger choice of modeles for compatibility

[sdfoster22]

You also can wire many strips in parallele with a cc only driver, that's not a problem at all. I got a 16-24v 1400mA cc driver and i've been wiring 6 strips (~22v each). It still splits the current between the strips.
confusing

Imo the cv+cc driver is just a way to make things harder than they are xD, the only benefit i can see is the larger choice of modeles for compatibility

Cc is a lot easier, but with the cv drivers it's easier to max out the driver you are using, and sometimes you can use the smaller wattage driver, and you have more options.