The multicolor LED chip above is the most complete reproduction of the light spectrum possible with solid state lighting, but don’t go getting your hopes up of using it on an aquarium just yet. This multicolor, multichannel LED puck is made by SpectralLED and it is designed for testing lights and lighting equipment, not for being a bright, constant use light source for aquariums.
While we may be proud of some of our lights sporting 5,6, 8 or even 11 channels of LED colors, the SpectralLED blows them all out of the water. The SpectralLED RS-7 has thirty two individual channels of LED color control to cover the entire visible spectrum and then some.
The thirty two LED colors include all the ultraviolet, blues and green that you’d expect but the red color spectrum is much wider than you’d expect. To that end the RS-7 SpectralLED also uses at least ten infrared diodes that our eyes can’t even see. What you won’t find in the RS-7 are any white or warm white colors, as all the LEDs in the RS-7 are monochromatic, or just a single color.
While the RS-7 might be just a research tool for now, on a long enough timeline it’s not hard to imagine a ‘future multichip’ LED with a wealth of LED colors all on their own channels. This could be developed as a lighting component for use by aquarium light manufacturers in the distant future but for now this lighting instrument is limited to just research applications. [Gamma-Sci]
