Specifying a Module From the Sign Depth
The published depth band is the first filter, not the last. This is the order the decisions actually have to be made in.
Almost every complaint about a badly lit sign traces back to one decision made in the wrong order: the module was chosen before the cavity depth was measured. Every model on this site publishes the depth band it was designed for, which turns that decision into a lookup.
Specifying a Module From the Sign Depth In 6 Steps
Measure the cavity, not the letter
The height of the letter tells you nothing about how it lights.
The figure that matters is the distance from the module face to the inside of the acrylic. That is what the published depth band refers to.
Filter by the published band
A module rated 80-120 mm in a 35 mm return will show as a bright dot.
Shortlist only models whose published band contains your measured depth. That alone usually cuts twenty-five products to three or four.
Choose brightness from lumens per piece
Lumens per metre hides how many pieces you are paying for.
Within the shortlist, the lumens-per-piece figure and the face area decide how many modules the letter needs.
Check the cascade limit against the run
A long run wired past the published limit dims at the far end.
Divide the run by the published cascade figure to get the number of feed points before the wiring is drawn.
Size the supply with headroom
A driver run at its rated ceiling in a hot sign cavity is the first thing to fail.
Multiply the per-module wattage by the count, then specify a supply above that rather than at it.
Confirm the colour option in writing
'White' is three different temperatures on these sheets.
The published options run from 3000K warm white to 10000K cool white. Pick one and put it on the order.
The Products Referenced Above
JDS-6616B
Three-lens 66 mm module at 170 lm/W and IP68, for deep channel letters and light boxes 80 to 120 mm deep.
See the specification
JDS-4116B
Two-lens 41 mm module at 170 lm/W and IP68, for signs 50 to 80 mm deep.
See the specification
JDS-1812B
Single-lens mini module, 18 x 12 x 9 mm at 170 lm/W and IP68, 100 modules per double-ended run.
See the specification
JDS-3939B
Square four-lens DC module, 245 lm per piece, IP68, for deep signs 120 to 200 mm behind the face.
See the specificationSpecifying a Module From the Sign Depth Questions
What if my depth falls between two published bands?
Does the depth band change with colour temperature?
Start On Specifying a Module From the Sign Depth
Send the reference, the quantity and the destination market. A recommended starting point with the matching specifications comes back by email.