Automotive lighting and Related Topics

Headlamp

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Lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead.

One of the first optical headlamp lenses, the Corning Conaphore. Selective yellow "Noviol" glass version shown.

1917 advertisement for the Corning Conaphore headlamp lens shown above

Two Mercedes-Benz SL: right with US-spec sealed beam type headlamps; left with normal headlamps for other markets

European (top) and US (bottom) headlamp configurations on a Citroën DS

Rectangular headlamp with Selective yellow bulb on Citroën Ami 6

U.S. standard 7-inch headlamp combining low and high beam with turn signal lights below on a 1949 Nash 600

Glass-covered 5¾" sealed beam headlamps on a 1965 Chrysler 300

Rectangular sealed-beam headlamps with turn signal light below on a 1979 AMC Concord

Headlamp sold in Sweden not long before Dagen H changeover from left to right hand traffic. Opaque decal blocks the lens portion for low beam upkick to the right, and bears the warning: "Not to be removed before 3 September 1967".

1957 Citroën 2CV with selective yellow headlamps and auxiliary lamp

HID projector low beam headlamp illuminated on a Lincoln MKS

2014 Toyota Avalon headlamp with "Quadrabeam"-styled HID low beams, halogen high beams, and LED daytime running lights that also illuminate at a lower intensity to provide the front position light function

2014 Toyota Corolla The low beam features LED lighting, halogen high beams, and LED daytime running lights that also illuminate at a lower intensity to provide the front position light function

Digitally controlled adaptive non-glare multi-LED headlamp technology, on the Audi A4

Audi Matrix Laser headlamp at Consumer Electronics Show 2014

Directional (steering) headlamp (middle) on a 1928 Willys-Knight 70A Touring

Directional (steering) headlamps on a Citroën DS – the driver can see clearly through curves.

Advanced front-lighting system on Opel Vectra C

Fog lamps were new for 1938 Cadillacs, and their 1954 "Autronic Eye" system automated the selection of high and low beams.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108

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Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 (FMVSS 108) regulates all automotive lighting, signalling and reflective devices in the United States.

Blue, green, and red LEDs in 5 mm diffused cases

Light-emitting diode

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Semiconductor light source that emits light when current flows through it.

Parts of a conventional LED. The flat bottom surfaces of the anvil and post embedded inside the epoxy act as anchors, to prevent the conductors from being forcefully pulled out via mechanical strain or vibration.

A bulb-shaped modern retrofit LED lamp with aluminum heat sink, a light diffusing dome and E27 screw base, using a built-in power supply working on mains voltage

Green electroluminescence from a point contact on a crystal of SiC recreates Round's original experiment from 1907.

A 1962 Texas Instruments SNX-100 GaAs LED contained in a TO-18 transistor metal case

LED display of a TI-30 scientific calculator (ca. 1978), which uses plastic lenses to increase the visible digit size

X-Ray of a 1970s 8-digit LED calculator display

Illustration of Haitz's law, showing improvement in light output per LED over time, with a logarithmic scale on the vertical axis

Combined spectral curves for blue, yellow-green, and high-brightness red solid-state semiconductor LEDs. FWHM spectral bandwidth is approximately 24–27 nm for all three colors.

Spectrum of a white LED showing blue light directly emitted by the GaN-based LED (peak at about 465 nm) and the more broadband Stokes-shifted light emitted by the Ce3+:YAG phosphor, which emits at roughly 500–700 nm

LEDs are produced in a variety of shapes and sizes. The color of the plastic lens is often the same as the actual color of light emitted, but not always. For instance, purple plastic is often used for infrared LEDs, and most blue devices have colorless housings. Modern high-power LEDs such as those used for lighting and backlighting are generally found in surface-mount technology (SMT) packages (not shown).

Image of miniature surface mount LEDs in most common sizes. They can be much smaller than a traditional 5mm lamp type LED, shown on the upper left corner.

Very small (1.6×1.6×0.35mm) red, green, and blue surface mount miniature LED package with gold wire bonding details.

High-power light-emitting diodes attached to an LED star base (Luxeon, Lumileds)

Composite image of an 11 × 44 LED matrix lapel name tag display using 1608/0603-type SMD LEDs. Top: A little over half of the 21 × 86 mm display. Center: Close-up of LEDs in ambient light. Bottom: LEDs in their own red light.

Simple LED circuit with resistor for current limiting

Daytime running light LEDs of an automobile

LED for miners, to increase visibility inside mines

Los Angeles Vincent Thomas Bridge illuminated with blue LEDs

A large LED display behind a disc jockey

Seven-segment display that can display four digits and points

LED panel light source used in an experiment on plant growth. The findings of such experiments may be used to grow food in space on long duration missions.

LEDs have also given rise to new types of displays and sensors, while their high switching rates are useful in advanced communications technology with applications as diverse as aviation lighting, fairy lights, automotive headlamps, advertising, general lighting, traffic signals, camera flashes, lighted wallpaper, horticultural grow lights, and medical devices.

Daytime running lamp

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Full-voltage vs. parking light headlamp on European-market Volkswagen

Hella 6 W halogen-bulb DRLs for retrofit. Other retrofit DRLs use LEDs

Hella DRL retrofit kit in selective yellow offered in Sweden in the 1970s. Package text reads "Install Hella perception lights so you are seen in traffic".

Early type of DRL as used by Volvo and Saab on Nordic markets in the 1970s and 1980s: Bright filaments were mounted in the front parking lamps as "perception light"

Reduced-voltage high beam DRL on a US/Canada 2002 Lexus RX300

A daytime running lamp (DRL, also daytime running light) is an automotive lighting and bicycle lighting device on the front of a roadgoing motor vehicle or bicycle, automatically switched on when the vehicle's handbrake has been pulled down, when the vehicle is in gear, or when the engine is started, emitting white, yellow, or amber light.

Emergency vehicle lighting

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One or more visual warning lights fitted to a vehicle for use when the driver wishes to convey to other road users the urgency of their journey, to provide additional warning of a hazard when stationary, or in the case of law enforcement as a means of signalling another driver to stop for interaction with an officer.

The parts and workings of a rotating light: Top The assembled beacon, including an optional mirror to be used when the beacon is placed in the windshield or rear window. Center The beacon, with the mirror removed. Bottom left and right The green dome of the beacon has been removed to show its rotating reflector, stationary incandescent lamp, and electric motor.

Police cars sit at the base of the I-35W bridge collapse. The lightbars mounted on the cars are LED-based. The illuminated back-up lamps seen in the two cars in the foreground are being used as emergency lights which operate on a different circuit, rather than burning steadily to indicate that the cars are in reverse gear.

A hide-away strobe light fitted into a headlamp. The strobe light is the coiled glass tube in the bottom of the headlight assembly, near the center of the highlighted region of the picture (click picture to enlarge).

LED Information matrix sign (black surface) on a police car between the beacon and search lights

Diagram showing potential mounting positions for internal, body mounted and removable beacons on emergency vehicles

A Michigan State Police cruiser with a single red beacon and hood fin

An LED lightbar on a police car, also fitted with ANPR cameras

Closeup of an older light bar. This light bar has a clear dome under which two rotating lights can be seen. The rotating light on the right is fitted with a red lens, while the left light gives off unfiltered white light. At the extreme left, a siren speaker can be installed behind the grill.

Body mounted beacon in operation, used to draw attention to the vehicle as it emerges from side roads

A Roads & Traffic Authority vehicle in Australia with interior mounted lights on the rear windshield, along with a lightbar and integrated lighting in the tail lamps

The police car on the right is a slick-top or ‘stealth’ vehicle, lacking the roof-mounted lightbar seen on the traditionally equipped car on the left.

An ACT Police vehicle with red and blue lights. Also seen is an LED message board, which can display static or scrolling text.

A Victorian Ambulance responding with alternating blue and red flashing lights

A Fire and Rescue New South Wales fire truck on scene with red and blue lights

An ambulance of the Austrian Red Cross emitting blue emergency lighting

A Toronto Fire truck displays red and white lighting

A York Regional Police Ford Taurus using blue lights

Toronto Paramedic Services ambulance using red lights

Ambulance in Zlín, Czech Republic, With blue LED lights

Police Nationale police car with blue lights

German emergency vehicles (all blue beacons)

A Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance responding with flashing blue lights

Dublin Fire Brigade Foam and Environmental Unit with blue flashing led lights

A Japanese police car with a PATLITE AWS light bar

NEXCO East Japan patrol car with amber and red light bar

A picture of a Putrajaya area enforcer pickup truck patrolling.

A picture of a new Honda Civic 1.8S Malaysian police car patrolling the street.

Typical New Zealand Police patrol vehicle with current LED lightbar, LED dash lighting and alternating headlights

A St John New Zealand ambulance with red lights

Rotating blue emergency lighting used in Sweden

A London Fire Brigade appliance demonstrating blue and white lights. Both blue and white lights on vehicles are protected under legislation.

Lightbar incorporating blue lights and white 'alley' lights for night-time searches

An ambulance responding with blue flashing lights and alternating headlights — 'wig-wags'

A Metropolitan Police 'area car' with emergency equipment activated. Such vehicle is considered an 'advanced' vehicle.

A California Highway Patrol Ford Explorer with its emergency lights and traffic advisor on

Required flashing white beacon on top of school buses for a strobe light flashing at the proper period can appear to freeze or have a reverse cyclical motion.

A security vehicle using green lights in a mall in Florida

1960s-70s era Fire truck with Federal signal Beacon Ray emergency light and siren mounted on top

A New Jersey EMT's vehicle at night with lights flashing

Private security car with amber/yellow lightbar on top

Bangalore City Police patrol cars with red and blue lights.

Toyota Innova Crista patrolling car with multi-colored lights by Telangana State Police.

An Mumbai Police Mahindra Bolero patrol vehicle with amber lights and sirens.

Kent Ohio Police Ford Police Interceptor Utility

These lights may be dedicated emergency lights, such as a beacon or a light bar, or may be modified stock lighting, such as a wig-wag or hide-away light, and are additional to any standard lighting on the car such as hazard lights.

Selective yellow

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Porsche 911 with selective yellow lights

The beam produced by selective yellow lights

Selective yellow is a colour for automotive lamps, particularly headlamps and other road-illumination lamps such as fog lamps.

Parabolic aluminized reflector

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Type of electric lamp that is widely used in commercial, residential, and transportation illumination.

Sealed beam PAR lamp. When the lamp burns out or breaks, the whole assembly must be replaced

Two Mercedes-Benz SLs: right with US-spec sealed-beam headlamps; left with European-spec composite replaceable-bulb headlamps

The following suffixes are commonly used with PAR lamps to indicate their beam width: PAR lamps are also manufactured to produce beam patterns specific to the needs of particular applications, such as low beam and/or high beam headlights and fog and driving lights for vehicles, and warning lamps for school buses.

Florence Lawrence

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Canadian-American stage performer and film actress.

Portrait of Lawrence by Frank C. Bangs Studio, c. 1908

Carl Laemmle's promotion of The Broken Oath starring Lawrence (Billboard 1910)

Scene of Lawrence (far right) in 1912 Victor production After All; other cast are (from left) Owen Moore, Victory Bateman on step, and Gladden James.

Lawrence's gravestone, Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Besides her film career, Lawrence is credited with designing the first "auto signaling arm", a predecessor of the modern turn signal, along with the first mechanical brake signal.

Relaxation oscillator

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Nonlinear electronic oscillator circuit that produces a nonsinusoidal repetitive output signal, such as a triangle wave or square wave.

A vacuum tube Abraham-Bloch multivibrator relaxation oscillator, France, 1920 (small box, left). Its harmonics are being used to calibrate a wavemeter (center).

Original vacuum tube Abraham-Bloch multivibrator oscillator, from their 1919 paper

Circuit diagram of a capacitive relaxation oscillator with a neon lamp threshold device

Basis of solid-state Blocking oscillator

A comparator-based hysteretic oscillator.

Transient analysis of a comparator-based relaxation oscillator.

Relaxation oscillators are used to produce low frequency signals for applications such as blinking lights (turn signals) and electronic beepers and in voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs), inverters and switching power supplies, dual-slope analog to digital converters, and function generators.