Angel Eyes - Research

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Angel Eyes

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Angel Eyes
Angel Eyes, also known as "halos," are accessory lights that are installed or integrated
into a vehicle's headlight assembly, to encircle the low or high beam headlight. They
do not replace the headlight or any other lights, they are simply accessory lights, for
cosmetic purposes, or to be used as a DRL.
Originally designed and first used by BMW, the unique look was desired by many in
the aftermarket community, leading to a surge of lighting components available to be
installed into existing headlights to create the same look. There any many different
types of angel eye components on the market, utilizing different technologies to
BMW factory-installed angel eyes
create the "ring of light" effect.

Optical LED

Angel Eyes
Acrylic Accents
Accessories

The most basic angel eyes are made up of a clear acrylic rod. The rod is heated so it
becomes pliable, and is shaped into a circle of the correct diameter for the
application. Then, it is notched at even points along the ring. Finally, two traditional
5mm LEDs are inserted at the ends, shining light into the ring and being directed
outwards at every point there is a notch. The overall effect is small lines of light in a
circular pattern, depending on how many notches there are on the ring.
These rings are available in a number of colors- you just need the right LED, and the
correct ring size. You can even use four-lead RGB 5mm LEDs to create multicolor
effects. They are extremely durable, and should last a very long time, but they are
somewhat unrefined, as the "notching" process is often accomplished with a rotary
tool, such as a dremel.

Notches engraved into an acrylic ring, to

diffuse light.

However, the rings are very low in brightness, due to the fact that they use only two
LEDs. Total lumen output is only around 10 lumens, so they are not visible during the
day, and only provide a faint glow at night. Additionally, the light can be uneven. The
part of the ring closest to the LEDs is usually a bit brighter than the opposite side
from the LEDs, as brightness is immediately lost as the light makes its way through
the ring.

Optical angel eyes installed on a Honda

Civic

Originally, many automotive enthusiasts crafted these by hand, but due to better
options, very few are handmade in this way anymore, or offered individually for sale.
You'll still find this type integrated into many fog lights and headlights, as they are
extremely cheap to make. However, if you want your angel eyes to be visible, it's best
to use a newer technology.

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CCFL
Cold cathode florescent light, or CCFL, was the next widely-available light to be used
for angel eyes. This is essentially a florescent light, like you'd find in an office, but it is
very small, and shaped into a ring. Florescent light runs much better on AC power,
and requires high voltage to maintain an electrical arc of light, so small inverters are
required to power each ring. It is important that these inverters are fully waterproof
and high in reliability.
Since it is a florescent light, the output is a
very even, smooth light, with only a break on
one side where the electrodes are attached
for power.

CCFL Inverter

The rings themselves are extremely reliable, and last for thousands of hours, but
since they are glass, they can be very fragile. Many CCFLs are designed with diffusing
protective covers on them, in order to decrease the chance of damage. This cover
creates a "thicker" ring of light as well, versus the thin ring of the actual CCFL. As a
result, this provides two distinct looks that are available.

CCFL ring next to its cover, removed

Cool white is the most common color, and is a nice 5000K color temperature for
most rings on the market. Because other colors are created using a fluorescent
phosphor layer, these other CCFL colors are "washed out," so it is difficult to achieve
a true, deep red or amber color. Instead, you might end up with more of a pink and
warm white. CCFL rings cannot be multicolor.

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SMD LED
Surface-mount LEDs are the next step in the LED lighting arena. Due to their smaller size, they can be mounted onto a
circular board, facing directly forward. This provides an extremely high light output in the forward direction, while
maintaining a reasonable cost, with SMT manufacture.
SMD LED rings require very low power for operation, which makes them convenient to use and install. Often, they are
dimmable as well.

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Angel Eyes - Research

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There are many styles of SMD Angel Eye rings available, based on the number of LED
chips on the ring, or its density, and the size of the chips themselves. The LED chips
most commonly used are 3528 and 5050.

Diffusing Covers
SMD LEDs designed in a circle will create a
dotted-ring effect, as each LED creates an
SMD LED Ring
individual dot of light. Many enjoy this look,
as it provides a unique appearance. However,
those who want a more uniform, solid circle of light can add a diffusing cover, which
is designed to fit over the SMD LED ring and diffuse the light, to make it appear more
uniform.
SMD LED angel eye with and without
diffuser cover

COB
COB, or chip-on-board, is a manufacturing technology of LEDs where the LED chips
are mounted directly to a PCB board. Essentially, the whole board becomes the LED
package, and in white rings, the converter layer covers the whole surface, diffusing
the light very evenly from each LED chip. Multicolor COB technology is not possible
at this time.
This results in a very uniform and very bright
light source. There is much less surface area
to diffuse heat compared to the heatsinking
of individual LEDs like on an SMD LED, so the
Close-up of COB ring. Note the individual
heat should be diffused through a sturdy
emitters.
aluminum backing. Many cheaper rings use
an aluminum-colored film on the back, not actual aluminum.
There are no resistors on the ring itself,
rather, the power is supplied at a constant
current through an external regulator, which
is then plugged into a 12V source.

SMD and COB ring

The white color appears completely yellow when off, which can be mitigated through
the use of diffusing covers, if desired. Some manufacturers apply a diffusing layer on
the ring itself, which makes it appear less yellow, but by definition also removes
some of the effective brightness.
COB ring with and without diffuser

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Resisted vs Regulated SMD LED

The most common method of designing surface-mount LED rings is with resistors
mounted directly to the ring, in order to control power going to the LEDs on the ring.
Usually, one resistor is used for three LEDs.
This method is quite reliable, but under certain conditions, the resistors on the ring
itself can be subjected to excess heat, especially when in proximity to headlights.
This stresses the resistors. Additionally, automotive circuits can occasionally spike in
voltage, also adding stress to the resistors. Over time, with ongoing stress, the
resistors can fail or only work intermittently in some applications, especially those
where there is more heat near the ring.

SMD ring with built-in resistors

Diode Dynamics has progressively improved

the durability of the resistors on the rings,
leading to much higher reliability. However,
due to the sheer number of resistors on each
ring, especially in RGB rings, and the inability
to fully predict the conditions of use of each
ring, there are still failures from time to time.
In order to eliminate the problem completely,
Diode Dynamics has developed LED rings that
SMD ring without resistors
do not utilize any resistors on the ring itself.
Only the SMD LEDs are on the ring.
The power is controlled instead by voltage regulators, which are less susceptible to
voltage swings and heat. They are housed in a small, fully-potted (waterproof)
regulator box, which is simply attached inline between the power source or
controller, and the LED ring. This method is still completely plug and play, but
provides extremely high levels of reliability. And now, more LEDs can be put on each
ring, making them brighter, too!
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Regulator unit used to provide constant
current

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