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How Do Smart Light Bulbs Work?

smart light bulb lighting

How Do Smart Light Bulbs Work?

Smart light bulbs are one of the most popular and accessible smart home devices. Their varied hues and tones and wireless adjustable settings allow you to transform the ambiance of your home. In addition, simple controls and automation for these bulbs help to keep your home energy costs and bills down. But how exactly do smart light bulbs work? Find out in this concise guide.

What Is a Smart Light Bulb?

A smart light bulb is a light bulb that is SMART, meaning has self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology. These light bulbs are equipped with wireless networking technology and LED lighting hardware that allow you to control them remotely. Once connected to a smart home controller or dedicated smartphone app, you can program a smart lightbulb to:

  • Switch on or off without using a light switch.
  • Change the RGB or ARGB color of the light the bulb emits.
  • Change the temperature or brightness of the bulb.
  • Participate in programmed lighting schedules or smart home routines.

As an Internet of Things (IoT) device, you can integrate a smart bulb with a wide range of similarly internet-capable smart home appliances and sensors. Most smart bulbs use common wireless networking technologies, including Wi-Fi, ZigBee, or Bluetooth. This means that you can connect to a smart bulb and control it easily. In addition, you can monitor and track data generated by the smart bulb to help household energy consumption become more efficient. 

Some manufacturers also equipped their smart bulbs with additional technology, including speakers, motion sensors, and even cameras that can assist with home security. 

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03/10/2024 07:11 am GMT

How Do Smart Light Bulbs Work?

Smart light bulbs are LED lightbulbs that have additional hardware to enable them to connect wirelessly and be controlled remotely. The additional technology they have onboard makes them completely different from a conventional light bulb.

Teardown of a Smart Light Bulb

If you took apart a smart light bulb, you would find the following key components:

1. A plastic diffuser: A domed diffuser made from molded acrylic and designed to prevent hotspots from individual LEDs. The plastic is usually between 3 and 5  millimeters in thickness. 

2. A primary circuit board with LEDs: The key component of a smart light bulb is its circuit board, which contains the following components:

  • LEDs: Depending on the type of smart bulb, it will contain a combination of white light and RGB LEDs mounted on the surface of the PCB.
  • A Wi-Fi module: The Wi-Fi module is also seated against the PCB, with its outputs connected to each individual LED. The Wi-Fi module uses a super small connector known as a U.FL connector. If the bulb uses ZigBee or Bluetooth, it will carry the relevant radio module.

3. The power supply module: The power supply module regulates the power to the bulb. It contains typical circuitry, like an AC-to-DC converter, capacitors, and transformers. Smart bulbs require a dual power supply to power the LEDs and the Wi-Fi module.

How a Smart Light Bulb Works

Smart light bulbs don’t just have a circuit within them, they also become part of a “circuit” when their wireless connectivity turns on and they join a smart home network. Smart home networks are a type of wireless local area network (WLAN) where all the devices connect wirelessly. 

The radio module in the bulb can connect to a home network or individual app via Wi-Fi, ZigBee, or Bluetooth. Once the network controller or app authenticates the light bulb, a user can program the bulb. Any settings that need to be initiated in the bulb can be actioned by a signal sent from the network controller or app to the Wi-Fi module that is connected to the individual LED lights. By switching combinations of LEDs on and off, it enacts the ideal settings for the bulb.

The smart bulb may also use its radio module to send data back to the app or home hub that controls it. Then, this data is used to monitor faults or provide the user with a summary of the smart light bulb’s operation.

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03/10/2024 07:11 am GMT

What Are the Wireless Technologies That Smart Bulbs Use?

Most smart light bulbs use one of three technologies: 

ZigBee

ZigBee is a wireless networking technology that uses the license-free 2.4GHz frequency band for data exchange between connected devices and a designated controller. Its name comes from the waggling tail dance of honeybees. The ZigBee controller acts as a gateway to the smart home network and controls each connected device directly. A smart light bulb can also send data to the controller that the user can then access.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless networking technology that can build personal area networks (PANS). This Swedish-developed technology also uses the 2.4GHz frequency band. However, it functions over shorter distances than Wi-Fi, so users have to be within range of the smart light bulb to control it remotely. 

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is probably the best-known and easiest-to-use wireless networking technology for connecting a smart light bulb. It also uses license-free frequency bands at 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz, for efficient data transfer between a bulb and a controller or app. As most homes have a Wi-Fi network, this is the best type of wireless network for onboarding a smart bulb and getting a voice-activated device like Alexa to manage it. 

What Are the Benefits of Smart Light Bulbs?

Smart light bulbs have wide-ranging benefits, including:

No need for switches: You can control your home’s lighting remotely or by voice without switches, which can be helpful in households with young children or the elderly who cannot reach a light switch. 

Energy savings: Not only do smart light bulbs use energy-efficient LED technology, you can also program them to operate in the most energy-efficient manner with dimming and an automatic shut-off when a room is not occupied. 

Change your environment: You can program smart light bulbs with RGB LEDs for a full spectrum of mood lighting that can enhance your environment in a new and different way. 

Boost home security: If you are away from your property, you can schedule your lighting to switch on, making it appear as if someone’s home. 

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  • Various hues (color temperatures) and brightness levels of white light available.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/10/2024 07:12 am GMT

Vulnerabilities of Smart Light Bulbs

As networked devices, smart bulbs are at risk of being attacked by malicious agents. Researchers discovered two notable vulnerabilities in 2021. The researchers were able to not only make smart light bulbs blink but also cause the bulbs to forget their programming and surge to their maximum setting. Without a remedy, a hacker could access the bulbs and control them as much as they want, or cause their home electricity consumption to spike through overuse of the bulbs. This security breach has been remedied but requires the most recent firmware update for the network to perform optimally. 

Final Thoughts

Smart light bulbs are an ingenious smart home accessory that can help you run your home more efficiently. For such a small device, these lightbulbs contain a lot of technology with chipsets from the leading wireless networking technology. Integrate them into your smart home network and remember to always keep your device security high. 

  1. SYLVANIA Wi-Fi LED Smart Light Bulb
    $38.77 ($9.69 / Count)
    • Compatible with Alexa, Siri Shortcuts, and Google Home
    • Dimmable functionality
    • 2-year SYLVANIA warranty
    • Up to 15,000 hours of lighting
    Buy Now on Amazon

    We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

    03/10/2024 07:11 am GMT
  2. LUMIMAN Smart Light Bulbs, 2 Pack
    $15.99 ($8.00 / Count)
    • 16 million different colors available
    • Google Home, Alexa, and Echo dot voice control enabled without needing an extra hub
    • 7.5W, 800LM bulbs x 2
    • Easy installation with included instructions
    Buy Now on Amazon

    We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

    03/10/2024 07:11 am GMT
  3. Philips Hue White Smart Bulb, 1 Bulb
    $15.98
    • 1000LM, A19 smart bulb x 1'
    • Alexa, Echo dot, and Google Home voice control enabled
    • Includes lighting presets
    • Various hues (color temperatures) and brightness levels of white light available.
    Buy Now on Amazon

    We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

    03/10/2024 07:12 am GMT

Frequently Asked Questions

Do smart light bulbs have any disadvantages?

Smart light bulbs have several known disadvantages, which include:

  • High cost: Depending on the technology used, smart light bulbs cost three to four times the price of a regular LED lightbulb.
  • Reliance on a wireless network for operation: If the home network goes down, you may not be able to control your light bulbs.
  • Remote monitoring: The data generated by your smart bulb activity is being continually recorded. Depending on the privacy policy of the smart home system you use, this sensitive information could be shared with third parties.

Do smart bulbs consume power when they are off?

Yes! Smart bulbs continue to consume a small amount of electricity even if the bulb is on standby or switched off. This is because the wireless connection that controls the bulb has to be maintained. The cost of maintaining connectivity is between 1 and 1.5 cents per month per bulb.

Can you plug a smart bulb into a lamp socket?

Yes. you can plug or screw a smart light bulb can in anywhere a regular light bulb would be connected.

Can all the smart bulbs in a property be managed as a group?

Yes. Smart home software can group all the smart bulbs so that you can manage them in a coordinated manner. Once grouped, the different bulbs will have a single on/off switch.

What is a smart switch?

A smart switch is a light or power switch that can be controlled remotely using a wireless connection, just like a smart bulb.

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