Electronic – Integrated LED + Resistor + Transistor

integrated-circuitledmicrocontrollerresistorstransistors

Most designers when are controlling an LED have to make the same old circuit of Vcc -> Resistor -> LED -> Transistor (you need the transistor in case your MCU/MPU pins can't handle the LED current, and many MCU/MPU can't give you more than a few milliamps).

I wonder if there is a LED that comes ready to just be connected to Vcc and GND with a signal pin to turn it on or off, this might save some board space, but I never heard of them. Does anyone know if they exist and their name?

Best Answer

Short answer: No

Explanation: Essentially what @Passerby said. While it sounds like a nice idea in theory, the variability in supply voltage, control voltage, max brightness/current, etc. all mean that these devices would have to be made in relatively small volume.

Small volume -> high price, so that product line likely wouldn't survive very long since the supply of transistors, resistors, and LEDs are so high that the same ol' circuit can generally be made dirt cheap.