Piranha LED are small and compact square LED with a relatively large light output with four pins (instead of two). They are also known as SuperFlux.
Similar to Straw Hat LED, they have a built-in lens for a wide viewing angle but are even brighter than the latter. There are even high performance piranha LED available that internally use two light emitting chips.
Anode and Cathode
To identify anode and cathode, closely examine the piranha LED. Use a magnifying glass if at hand.
- Anodes: On one side you can identify two holes. The pins on this side are the anodes (+).
- Cathodes: One edge is rounded. When you look at the LED from the top and place the rounded edge to the lower right side, then the bottom pins are the cathodes
The picture shows both the rounded edge and the two cathode pins from a different angle. The rounded edge is positioned at the lower right, so the two pins seen in the picture are the cathodes.
Typically, both anodes and both cathodes are internally connected. You need to connect only one anode and cathode, and use only one series resistor.
With the high performance multi-chip piranha LED, all pins must be wired.
Intended Use
Piranha LED are often used in automotive use cases where a robust and very bright light with a wide viewing angle is needed, i.e. in brake lights.
Even though not required with the regular types, for added robustness you can connect anode and cathode with two separate wires each.
Here you can see the built-in lens on to of the housing that is designed to emit the light in almost all directions (wide viewing angle):
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(content created Feb 26, 2024 - last updated Mar 18, 2024)