DIP Bi-Color & RGB LED Datasheets

Download specifications for Through-Hole Multi-Color DIP LED series

Bi-Color LEDs

4 models

Model Size Updated Download
234 Bi-Color LED 2×3×4mm — PDF
257 Bi-Color LED 2.5×7mm — PDF
Bi-Color LED 3mm 3mm — PDF
Bi-Color LED 5mm 5mm — PDF

More models are continuously updated.

Multi-Color & RGB LEDs

1 model

Model Size Updated Download
8mm Multi-Color LED 8mm — PDF

DIP RGB LED datasheets are continuously updated.

All specifications are subject to change without prior notice.
Datasheets are updated periodically. If your required model is not listed or the file appears outdated,
please contact our technical support team at sales@queendomlamp.com.

Bi-Color & RGB DIP LED Selection Guide

Common Anode vs. Common Cathode

Multi-color through-hole LEDs integrate two or three dies in one epoxy package. In a common anode (CA) configuration the anodes are tied together and each color is switched by pulling its cathode low; in a common cathode (CC) the cathodes share one pin and colors are driven high. Choose CA for circuits that sink current (typical of MCU GPIO and driver ICs like the 74HC595 or ULN2003), and CC for source-drive topologies. Bi-color LEDs are also offered in anti-parallel wiring, where the two dies share two pins and color is selected by current direction — handy for polarity indication.

Forward Voltage Differs by Color

Each die inside the package has its own electrical characteristic, so each channel needs its own series resistor:

Die Color Typical VF Recommended IF
Red / Amber 1.9 – 2.4 V 10 – 20 mA
Yellow 2.0 – 2.4 V 10 – 20 mA
Green (standard) 2.0 – 2.4 V 10 – 20 mA
Pure Green / Blue / White 2.8 – 3.4 V 10 – 20 mA

Design Tips

  • For RGB white balance, adjust the per-channel resistors — green and blue dies usually need lower drive than red to balance perceived output
  • PWM dimming above 200 Hz avoids visible flicker and preserves color mixing
  • Match intensity bins across channels for uniform indicator panels
  • Typical applications: status indicators (red/green), traffic signals, channel letters, RGB display pixels, and automotive telltales

Browse the full multi-color product range in DIP Multicolor LEDs, or see the through-hole LED catalog for single-color options.

Wiring Topologies: Common Anode, Common Cathode, Anti-Parallel

DIP bi-color and RGB parts come in three wiring schemes, and the choice locks your drive circuit. Common-anode parts share the positive terminal — natural for low-side switching with NPN transistors or sink drivers. Common-cathode parts share ground and suit high-side PNP switching. The anti-parallel red-green part is the odd one out: two die wired head-to-tail in a two-pin package, where current direction selects the color — ideal when pin count is fixed and only a two-position indicator is needed.

Topology Pins Color Selection Watch Out For
Common anode 3 (bi-color) / 4 (RGB) Ground the active cathode Shared pin carries summed current of lit channels
Common cathode 3 / 4 Drive the active anode high High-side switching adds a transistor per channel
Anti-parallel (red-green) 2 Reverse the supply polarity Red and green Vf differ — size the series resistor per direction

Current Planning and Resistor Sizing

Each color has its own forward voltage: red dies sit near 2.0 V while green runs 2.9–3.2 V. A single shared resistor never balances channels — size one resistor per channel from the supply rail minus that channel’s Vf. For indication duty, 5–10 mA per channel is plenty; pushing past 20 mA in a 5 mm package trades brightness for encapsulant life. When two colors are lit simultaneously to mix a third (red + green = amber), match perceived intensity by trimming the green channel down to roughly 40–60% of the red current before fine-tuning by eye under the actual ambient.

Where DIP Multi-Color Parts Still Win

Equipment status stacks, industrial panel lamps, and test fixtures value DIP multi-color parts for exactly the reasons SMD took over elsewhere slowly here: the lens produces a crisp viewing cone visible from across a plant floor, leads self-locate in drilled panels, and a failed lamp is replaced with a soldering iron in two minutes. For surface-mount indicator arrays and display-grade color control, the SMD bi-color and RGB datasheet page covers binning and PWM practice in depth, and the PLC indicator application case shows a production status-lamp design.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get yellow from a red-green bi-color part?

Only by rapid alternation faster than the eye integrates (above ~100 Hz at 50% duty each). Both dies lit steadily at DC also read as amber-yellow at the right current ratio, but the perceived hue shifts with viewing angle because the two dies sit side by side in the package.

Do both dies share one lens?

Yes — the molding is common, so the color mixing happens inside the package. That is also why the apparent color center shifts a degree or two between die positions in tight viewing cones.

What is the failure mode of an overdriven multi-color DIP?

The lower-Vf channel (red) usually dies first if the resistor was sized for the green die. The symptom — green-only output on a bi-color lamp — is a reliable field tell that someone replaced a per-channel resistor with a shared one.