The single most common LED lighting mistake is pairing the wrong driver mode to the load. Constant Voltage (CV) drivers hold a fixed 12/24 V and feed LED strips and modules that already carry their own current-limiting resistors. Constant Current (CC) drivers hold a fixed current (e.g., 350/700/1050 mA) and feed bare LED arrays that have no internal regulation. HENGWEI makes both—plus dual-mode CV+CC units like the US-100EP—so the right answer is to match the driver to how the LED is built, not to guess.
A CV driver regulates output voltage and lets current vary with the load. A CC driver regulates output current and lets voltage vary within a compliance window. Think of CV as “I deliver 24 V, you draw what you need” and CC as “I push exactly 700 mA, the voltage finds its level.” Connecting a CC driver to a strip (which expects fixed voltage) or a CV driver to a bare array (which expects fixed current) ends badly.
Use CV for LED strips and modules (the US-N 150 W industrial LED driver is a constant-voltage unit) where each segment already limits its own current. CV is the default for architectural cove lighting, signage, and long runs fed from a 12/24 V bus. Size the driver for the strip’s total wattage plus 20%.
Use CC for bare LED engines—high-bay arrays, grow lights, industrial fixtures—that have no internal regulation. The US-100EP and US-250EP support constant-current operation for exactly these loads. Read the LED’s forward current and pick the matching CC output; the driver holds that current as the array’s Vf shifts with temperature.
Dual-mode drivers start in CV and seamlessly transition to CC when the load demands a fixed current—ideal for long LED strips that behave resistively at low load but need current limiting at full brightness, or for retrofit jobs where the load type is uncertain. The US-100EP is a rectangular ultra-thin CV+CC unit built for this flexibility.
| LED load | Mode | HENGWEI example |
|---|---|---|
| 12/24 V strip, signage | CV | US-N 150 W |
| Bare high-bay array | CC | US-100EP / US-250EP |
| Mixed / retrofit | CV+CC | US-100EP |
Dimming is layered on top of the mode. HENGWEI dimming CV drivers support 0–10 V, Triac, and resistive (3-in-1) interfaces; pick the one your lighting controller speaks. Note that dimming a CC load means reducing its current, so confirm the driver’s dimming method matches the load type—do not assume a 0–10 V wall dimmer works on a bare CC array.
Q: Can I use a CV driver on a bare LED array?
A: No—without current limiting the array draws runaway current and fails. Use a CC (or CV+CC) driver for unregulated LEDs.
Q: What does dual-mode CV+CC actually do?
A: It holds a fixed voltage until the load needs a fixed current, then switches to current regulation—one driver for both strip and array loads.
Q: Does HENGWEI make both CV and CC drivers?
A: Yes: constant-voltage lines (US-N, LPV/HPV waterproof) and constant-current-capable units (US-100EP, US-250EP), plus 3-in-1 dimming CV drivers.
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