Difference between revisions of "Cree"

[[File:Ansi-white.jpg|thumb|Chromaticity chart with tint bins used by Cree]]Cree is a [[LED]] manufacturing company based in Durham, North Carolina. They produce a number of different models of high output LEDs that are widely used in flashlights. They do not actually make flashlights, though some companies will describe their product as a "Cree flashlight." This refers to the LED inside the flashlight.  

Cree bins individual models of LED on the basis of total flux or light output. Individual flux bins are about 7% apart taken at some reference current like 350mA or 750mA, but at higher currents the output goes up, up to some maximum current. Cree measures output at a reference temperature 85° Celsius, which is a more realistic operating temperature, but in the past they measured at 25°. Output is typically higher at a lower temperature.

Cree classifies tints of white LEDs as being warm, neutral, and cool, but also "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.

Below are output numbers for different currents for the various brightness bins of more current LED models. There is more information available with the '''[http://pct.cree.com/ Cree Product Characterization Tool]''', an online calculator that allows you to look up output based on more factors. The numbers on this page, like those given by the PCT, are based on charts in the LED datasheets.

'''Older models of Cree LEDs have been moved [[Old Cree LEDs|here]].''' For bins at 25° see [[Cree 25 degree bins|this page]].

==MT-G2==

Large die high power LED has versions that run at 6, 9, or 36 volts with maximum power of 18 watts, first available around November 2012. The LED is 8.9mm x 8.9mm and the light will be floody compared to the smaller XM-L. The first production lights to use this LED were the Crelant 7G10 and Solarforce S200, introduced in May 2013. The LED is binned at 85°C. The bins shown below have been increased by 15% to give output at 25°C for easier comparison to other LEDs.

|+ Brightness Bins for 6-volt Cree MT-G2 at 25° C

|-

!Bin      !!  1100mA<BR>100%    !!    1500mA<BR>172%    !!    3000mA<BR>230%

|N0    ||  828-874  ||  1076-1136 ||  1904-2010

|-  

|P0    ||  874-920  ||  1136-1196 ||  2010-2116

|'''Q0*'''    ||  920-977  ||  1196-1681 ||  2116-2248

==XHP70==

|+ Brightness Bins for Cree XP-H at 85&deg;C<BR>(max is N4 bin)

!Bin  !!  2100mA (6V)<BR>1050mA (12V)<BR>100%    !!  3200mA (6V)<BR>1600mA (12V)<BR>142%  !!  4800mA (6V)<BR>2400mA (12V)<BR>192%

==XM-L2==

Same 5mm x 5mm size as the [[Old Cree LEDs#XM-L|original XM-L]] but with up to 20% more output. Introduced in December 2012. Like the XP-G2, the XM-L2 is silver on top, has two bonding wires, and the die has dots instead of lines. The XM-L2 is significantly larger than the XP-G2 and has a round hole at the upper left as opposed to the XP-G2's square hole. The first production lights to feature the XM-L2 were the [[ThruNite]] Catapult V3 and TN31 in January 2013, followed by a number of Xeno lights which also had options for neutral tints in Feburary. [http://www.cree.com/news-and-events/cree-news/press-releases/2012/december/xml2-intro Press release].

[http://www.cree.com/led-components-and-modules/products/xlamp/discrete-directional/~/media/Files/Cree/LED%20Components%20and%20Modules/XLamp/Data%20and%20Binning/XLampXML2.pdf Cree XM-L2 datasheet]

[[File:Creexm-l2.jpg|thumb|right|Cree XM-L2 is the same size as the original XM-L, but a new design]]

|+ Brightness Bins for Cree XM-L2 at 85&deg;C<BR>(max is U4 bin)

==XP-E2==

Introduced in September 2012, this redesign is similar to the XP-G2. Cree claims up to 20% more output than the [[Old Cree LEDs#XP-E|original XP-E]] at half the cost in terms of lumens per dollar. Given the small die size, this LED throws well for the amount of output. It was used in some smaller Fenix flashlights. [http://www.cree.com/news-and-events/cree-news/press-releases/2012/september/xpe2 Press realease], [http://www.cree.com/led-components-and-modules/products/xlamp/discrete-directional/~/media/Files/Cree/LED%20Components%20and%20Modules/XLamp/Data%20and%20Binning/XLampXPE2.pdf datasheet].

[[File:Cree_XP-E2.jpg|thumb|Cree XP-E2 LED has a smaller die than the XP-G2]]

|+ Brightness Bins for Cree XP-E2 at 85&deg;C<BR>(max bin is R4)

|R2 ||  114-122  ||  195-209  ||  249-266

==XP-G2==

Introduced in July 2012, the XP-G2 is an all new design with the same size as the [[Old Cree LEDs#XP-G|earlier XP-G]]. In August 2012, [[Foursevens]] was the first company to adopt this LED, claiming up to 20% more output and a 5% smaller hotspot for greater throw compared to the same models using a XP-G. [http://www.cree.com/news-and-events/cree-news/press-releases/2012/july/xpg2-intro Press release], [http://www.cree.com/led-components-and-modules/products/xlamp/discrete-directional/~/media/Files/Cree/LED%20Components%20and%20Modules/XLamp/Data%20and%20Binning/XLampXPG2.pdf Datasheet]

[[File:Xpg2.jpg|thumb|Cree XP-G2 LED is the same size as the XP-G, but a different design]]

|+ Brightness Bins for Cree XP-G2 at 85&deg;C<BR>(max is S4 bin)

|-

!Bin  !!  350mA<BR>100%    !!  700mA<BR>183%  !!  1000mA<BR>243%  !!  1500mA<BR>329%

==XP-G3==

Announced in April 2016, the XP-G3 is completely covered in yellow phosphor and can be driven to higher currents than the XP-G2, with a maximum current of 2 amps instead of 1.5. High CRI versions of the LED appear to be available in all tints, even cool tints. [http://www.cree.com/News-and-Events/Cree-News/Press-Releases/2016/April/Cree-Introduces-the-Next-Generation-of-XLamp-XPG-Platfor Press release], [http://www.cree.com/~/media/Files/Cree/LED-Components-and-Modules/XLamp/Data-and-Binning/dsXPG3.pdf Datasheet]

{|class="wikitable"  style="text-align: center; width: 400px;"

|+ Brightness Bins for Cree XP-G3 at 85&deg;C<BR>(max is S5 bin)

|R2 ||  114-122 ||  225-240  ||  284-304  ||  393-421

|'''S5*'''  ||  172-182  ||  339-359  ||  428-453  ||  593-628

 

[[File:Xp-l.jpg|thumb|Cree XP-L HD LED puts a large die in a XP-G size package under a frosted dome]]

[[File:Cree-xpl-hi.jpg|thumb|Cree XP-L HI does away with the dome, allowing greater throw]] Introduced in May 2014, the XP-L puts the same size die as the XM-L2 onto the smaller 3.5mm board of the XP-G (shaving off the edges of the dome to make it fit). Due to the larger die, it will not throw quite as well as the smaller die of the XP-G, but it puts out more light and can be driven at higher currents. Binned at a higher current than the XM-L2, higher bins are typical for the XP-L, but a V5 bin XP-L is roughly equivalent in output to a U2 bin XM-L2. In June 2015, Cree began shipping a "[http://cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Products/XLamp/Discrete-Directional/XLamp-XPL-HI high intensity]" or "HI" version of the LED with a flat coating instead of a dome that could offer the throw of a de-domed LED without the trouble. The original domed version is referred to as "high density" or "HD." The brightness bins for both are the same, but the highest bin on the HI is about V3.