Cree

Chromaticity chart with tint bins used by Cree

Cree is a LED manufacturing company based in Durham, North Carolina. They produce high output LED's from their XLamp LED series that are widely used in flashlights.

Cree bins individual models of LED on the basis of total flux or light output, typically measured at 350mA. Bin numbers might be P4, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, R2, R3, R4, and R5 with each bin being about 5% additional flux. The P4 is 80 lumens, a Q5 would be 107 lumens, and the R5 bins are 137 lumens. At higher amperage than 350mA, the brightness goes way up, with the XP-G producing 3 times as many lumens at a maximum current of 1500mA.

Cree classifies tints generally as being warm, neutral, and cool, but has recently added "outdoor white" in between and overlapping neutral and cool (4000-5300K). Tints are binned using a system based on the ANSI White standard. Cree's tints subdivide and expand on the ANSI regions giving bins such as cool 1B, neutral 5B1, and warm 7D2, though many other tints and subdivisions are available. Click on the graphic at right to see all of the bins, though not all bins are available.

In addition, Cree produces High CRI LED's, with CRI values of 80, 85, and 90 represented by bins H1, P1, and U1 respectively (separately, L1 represents normal CRI white LED's, and O1 is outdoor white).

MC-E

A 4-die LED available with four of the same color dies or the MC-E Color with four different color dies (white, red, green, blue). The maximum current is 700mA with a Vf of 3.4V, though this varies from one color to another. Bins run from G (240 lumens) to M (430 lumens) at 350 mA. The white quadrant of the MC-E Color is available in cool white (A5) or neutral white (A4).

Cree MC-E datasheet

The MC-E was widely used in high-power flashlights like the EagleTac M2SC4, Fenix TK40, iTP A6 Polestar, and JETBeam M1X with advertised output of up to 700 lumens. The color version is in the Quark RGB (with neutral white or cool white available) but although the LED allows mixing of colors, the Quark RGB is switched to one color at a time.

Cree MC-E multi-die LED

Brightness Bins for Cree MC-E
(max is N bin)

Bin	1400mA (350mA/die) 100%	2800mA (700mA/die) 175%
H	280-320	490-560
J	320-370	560-648
K	370-430	648-753
M	430-490	753-858
N*	490-550	858-962
P	550-620	962-1085

XB-D

Very compact LED (the die is mounted on a chip 2.45 mm square opposed to 3.45 mm square for XP series) introduced in February 2012, promising lower cost. Should provide similar brightness to XP-E LED's. First available units were warm white with Q2 brightness bin (at 350mA). Can be driven up to 1000mA. Datasheet, press release.

Brightness Bins for Cree XB-D

Bin	350mA 100%	700mA 175%	1000mA 222%
Q2	87.4-93.9	153-164	193-207
Q3	93.9-100	164-172	207-222
Q4	100-107	172-187	222-236
Q5	107-114	187-199	236-252
R2	114-122	199-213	252-270
R3	122-130	213-227	270-287
R4	130-139	227-243	287-309

XM-L

Cree XM-L LED with 6 yellow strips and 3 brass bonding wires

Larger die LED first available in November 2011, offering efficiency of 160 lumens per watt at 350mA. Output is 260-280 lumens at 700mA (bins T5 and T6) therefore it is more efficient and puts out more light at any current than earlier single-die Cree LED's. However the biggest improvement to overall output is the XM-L can be driven to 3000mA for 910-975 lumens of output. The LED die is 2mm x 2mm on a 5mm x 5mm substrate with 6 yellow strips and 3 bonding wires as opposed to the XP-G with 4 strips and 2 bonding wires and the XP-E with 3 strips and 2 bonding wires. The first production lights to feature the XM-L were versions of the ThruNite Catapult V2 (first to ship), EagleTac M3C4, a 4Sevens Quark MiNi, and the JETBeam M1xm, introduced in December 2010, but budget retailer KaiDomain had LED's and P60 drop-ins as well as P60 lights around the same time. Neutral and warm tints began shipping in March 2011. Press release Cree XM-L datasheet

Brightness Bins for Cree XM-L
(max is T6 bin)

Bin	700mA 100%	1000mA 137.5%	1500mA 195%	3000mA 325%
T2	200-220	275-303	390-429	650-715
T3	220-240	303-330	429-468	715-780
T4	240-260	330-358	468-507	780-845
T5	260-280	358-385	507-546	845-910
T6	280-300	385-413	546-585	910-975
U2*	300-320	413-440	585-624	975-1040
U3	320-340	440-468	624-663	1040-1105

XP-C

A lower current version of the XP-E with a smaller die. Maximum current 500mA and Vf of 3.5V. Bins up to Q4 (100 lumens) in cool white, Q2 in neutral white (84.7 lumens) and P3 in warm white (73.9 lumens). Looks like the XP-E, but the die has 2 yellow strips and 1 bonding wire instead of 3 strips and 2 bonding wires.

Cree XP-C datasheet

XP-E

Introduced in Fall of 2008, the XP-E shrunk the XR-E by 80% (though it uses the same die), now 3.45 mm square. It is available, in white (cool, neutral, and warm), blue, green, amber, red, and red-orange. For cool white, bins are Q3, Q4, Q5, R2 and R3 with output from 93.9 to 122 lumens. Neutral white bins are from P4 to Q4 (100 lumens min) and warm white bins range from P2 to Q2 (87.4 lumens min).

Cree XP-E datasheet

This LED is used in the NiteCore Defender Infinity, early Quarks (R2, neutral whites used a Q3), the iTP A series EOS and S series lights, EagleTac P100 and T100 series.

The XP-E has 3 strips on the die as opposed to 2 on the XP-C and 4 on the XP-G.

Cree XP-E LED

Brightness Bins for Cree XR-E, XP-E
(max bin for XP-E is R4, XR-E is R2)

Bin	350mA 100%	700mA 170%	1000mA 220%
P4	80.6-87.4	137-149	177-192
Q2	87.4-93.9	149-160	192-207
Q3	93.9-100	160-170	207-220
Q4	100-107	170-182	220-233
Q5	107-114	182-194	233-251
R2	114-122	194-207	251-268
R3	122-130	207-221	268-286
R4*	130-139	221-236	286-306

XP-G

Same size package as the XP-E, but with a larger die. Therefore the resulting beam has a little more flood. It is available in varying output bins from R2 to S3. Maximum current is 1500mA and Vf of 3.3V with efficacy of 132 lumens per watt.

Cree XP-G datasheet

The XP-G R5 began widespread use in 2010 after being adopted early by 4Sevens and EagleTac. The limited edition titanium Quarks were among the first to use the XP-G, with an R4 bin. S2 bins became available in November 2010 but only in Quark and iTP special edition lights. Special edition matte-finish titanium Quark Mini and Turbo models were the first to feature S3 bins, shipping in December 2010.

Cree XP-G R5 LED

Brightness Bins for Cree XP-G
(max is S3 bin)

Bin	350mA 100%	700mA 187%	1000mA 250%	1500mA 333%
R2	114-122	213-228	285-305	380-406
R3	122-130	228-243	305-325	406-433
R4	130-139	243-260	325-348	433-463
R5	139-148	260-277	348-370	463-493
S2	148-156	277-292	370-390	493-520
S3*	156-164	292-307	390-410	520-547
S4	164-172	307-322	410-430	547-573

XR-C

Same size as XR-E (7mm x 9mm) but is designed for less current (500mA max). The die itself is smaller than the XR-E. The maximum bin is Q2 with 87.4 lumens for cool white. It is available in white (cool, neutral, and warm) as well as royal blue, blue, green, amber, red-orange, and red. Vf is 3.5 volts at 350mA. Identifiable by the metal ring around the dome and a LED die with only two yellow strips and one bonding wire.

Cree XR-C datasheet

The XR-C is used in retail lights made by Coleman, River Rock, and Energizer.

XR-E

Cree XR-E LED easily identified by the metal ring around the LED

Introduced in the Fall of 2006 the XR-E was widely used in a number of different flashlights, with cool white, neutral white, and warm white colors available in addition to blue, royal blue, and green. Common bin numbers are P4, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, and R2 with increasing output from 80 lumens to 122 lumens at 350 mA and a Vf of 3.3V, but with much greater output available with higher currents. The size is 7 mm x 9 mm and you will often see this referred to as a 7090 XR-E. The die itself was available as the EZ1000 at first and then the smaller EZ900. Because the EZ900 can have the same overall output as the larger EZ1000 but in a smaller form, it should provide 23% greater intensity and throw (the EZ1000 is 1 mm square and the EZ900 is 0.9 mm square).

Cree XR-E datasheet

This LED was very widely used, featured in flashlights by Fenix, JETBeam, NiteCore D10, and EagleTac P20 and T20 series, and is still available in some budget lights. The neutral white version is used in Nitecore EZ series. It is easily recognized by the metal ring around the die with 3 yellow strips and 2 bonding wires.

XT-E

Introduced in February 2012, the XT-E has the same size chip as the XP series but seems to have a wider viewing angle for more flood and less throw. Can be driven up to 1.5A and available in bins up to R5 (at 350mA). This is a high efficiency LED capable of 148 lumens per watt at 350mA. The LED is not a flat square, but has an X shaped hill on the surface. EagleTac was the first company to feature the XT-E in a production light, making it an option in the D25 clicky series in April 2012. At about the same time, KaiDomain offered P60 drop-ins and flashlights with the XT-E. Datasheet, press release.

Brightness Bins for Cree XT-E
(max is R5 bin)

Bin	350mA 100%	700mA 178%	1000mA 230%	1500mA 302%
Q5	107-114	190-203	246-262	324-354
R2	114-122	203-217	262-281	354-369
R3	122-130	217-231	281-299	369-393
R4	130-139	231-247	299-320	393-420
R5*	139-148	247-263	320-340	420-447
S2	148-156	247-277	340-359	447-471