Surface mount LED's

[kist2001]

I was at the local mall and saw cellphone batteries with blindingly bright surface mount LED's. Yet the maximum brightness SMT's I see advertised are around 200mcd. Not exactly a tidal wave of brightness...

Is it that these smt components have a higher viewing angle than their pinned and diffused counterparts?

Thanks,
Ken

[Gary Warner]

Does the veiwing angle usualy get smaller for higher mcd values, if all else is the same?

Digi-Key has a number of SMD LED's that are in the "super" or "ultra" category. Chicago Miniature Lamp and Liteon seem to have some of the brightest. The brightest I found was pt#160-1461-1-ND at 1050mcd and 20ma - just .26 cents each.

It's veiwing angle is just 25 deg while others seem to be 50+ deg. It does have a small lens on it, but it's still a smd led.

(post edit)

I found one at 1500mcd at 20ma by Lumex. It's smd, 30deg veiw and lensed - a bit big for smd type (5.4x6.6mm).

[Robbie d]

i just bought a 1500-3600mcd standard size led for my lithium voltage indicator. They are extremely bright but the viewing angle is only 12 degrees.