Product family data sheet
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and
EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
Cree, Inc.
4600 Silicon Drive
Durham, NC 27703
USA Tel: +1.919.313.5300
WWW.CREE.COM/XLAMP
CLD-DS77 REV 3G
Cree® XLamp® CXA1520 LED
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The XLamp® CXA1520 LED is Cree’s rst
High Density (HD) LED array, featuring
a 9‑mm optical source and enabling
lighting manufacturers to create a new
generation of products that delivers the
same intensity and light quality as 39‑W
ceramic metal halide (CMH) at up to 50
percent lower power. The new HD class
of CXA arrays provide unrivaled lumen
density that can reduce system cost for
the next generation of LED spotlights.
The CX Family LED Design Guide
provides basic information on the
requirements to use the CXA1520 LED
successfully in luminaire designs.
FEATURES
• Available in 4‑step, 3‑step and 2‑step
EasyWhite® bins at 2700K, 3000K,
3500K, 4000K and 5000K CCT
• Available in ANSI white bins at
4000K and 5000K CCT
• Available in 70‑, 80‑, 90‑ and
93‑minimum CRI options
• Forward voltage option: 36‑V class
• 85°C binning and characterization
• Maximum drive current: 900mA
• 115° viewing angle, uniform
chromaticity profile
• Top‑side solder connections
• Thermocouple attach point
• NEMA SSL‑3 2011 standard ux bins
• RoHS and REACh compliant
• UL® recognized component
(E349212)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Characteristics ............................................2
Operating Limits ..........................................2
Flux Characteristics, EasyWhite® Order
Codes and Bins ...........................................3
Flux Characteristics, ANSI White Order
Codes and Bins ...........................................5
Relative Spectral Power Distribution .........6
Electrical Characteristics ............................6
Relative Luminous Flux ...............................7
Typical Spatial Distribution .........................8
Performance Groups ‑ Brightness .............8
Performance Groups ‑ Chromaticity ..........9
Cree EasyWhite® Bins Plotted on the
1931 CIE Color Space .............................. 11
Cree ANSI White Bins Plotted on the
1931 CIE Color Space .............................. 12
Bin and Order Code Formats ................... 13
Mechanical Dimensions .......................... 13
Thermal Design ........................................ 14
Notes ........................................................ 15
Packaging ................................................. 16
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
2
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
CHARACTERISTICS
Characteristics Unit Minimum Typical Maximum
Viewing angle (FWHM) degrees 115
ESD withstand voltage (HBM per Mil‑Std‑883D) V8000
DC forward current mA 900*
Reverse current mA 0.1
Forward voltage (@ 500mA, 85°C) V 35
Forward voltage (@ 500mA, 25°C) V42
* Refer to the Operating Limits section.
OPERATING LIMITS
The maximum current rating of the CXA1520 is dependent on the case temperature (Tc) when the LED has reached thermal equilibrium
under steady‑state operation. The graph shown below assumes that the system design employs good thermal management (thermal
interface material and heat sink) and may vary when poor thermal management is employed. Please refer to the Mechanical Dimensions
section on page 13 for the location of the Tc measurement point.
CXA1520
0
200
400
600
800
1000
025 50 75 100 125 150
If (mA)
Case Temperature (°C)
CXA1520
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
3
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
Notes
• Cree maintains a tolerance of ±7% on ux and power measurements, ±0.005 on chromaticity (CCx, CCy) measurements and a tolerance of ±2 on CRI
measurements. See the Measurements section (page 15).
• Cree XLamp CXA1520 LED order codes specify only a minimum ux bin and not a maximum. Cree may ship reels in ux bins higher than the minimum
specied by the order code without advance notice. Shipments will always adhere to the chromaticity bin restrictions specied by the order code.
* Flux values @ 25°C are calculated and for reference only.
FLUX CHARACTERISTICS, EASYWHITE® ORDER CODES AND BINS (IF mA, TJ 
The following table provides order codes for XLamp CXA1520 LEDs. For a complete description of the order code nomenclature, please
see the Bin and Order Code Formats section (page 13).
Nominal
CCT
CRI Minimum Luminous Flux 2-Step 3-Step 4-Step
Min Typ Group 


 Group Order Code Group Order Code Group Order Code
5000K
70 75
P2 1830 2028
50H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00P250H
50F
CXA1520-0000-
000N00P250F
P4 1965 2177 CXA1520-0000-
000N00P450H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00P450F
Q2 2100 2327 CXA1520-0000-
000N00Q250H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00Q250F
80 ---
N4 1710 1895
50H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HN450H
50G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HN450G
50F
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HN450F
P2 1830 2028 CXA1520-0000-
000N0HP250H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HP250G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HP250F
P4 1965 2177 CXA1520-0000-
000N0HP450H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HP450G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HP450F
90 95
M4 1485 1645
50H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UM450H 50G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UM450G 50F
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UM450F
N2 1590 1762 CXA1520-0000-
000N0UN250H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UN250G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UN250F
4000K
70 75
N4 1710 1895
40H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N440H
40F
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N440F
P2 1830 2028 CXA1520-0000-
000N00P240H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00P240F
P4 1965 2177 CXA1520-0000-
000N00P440H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00P440F
80 ---
N2 1590 1762
40H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HN240H
40G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HN240G
40F
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HN240F
N4 1710 1895 CXA1520-0000-
000N0HN440H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HN440G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HN440F
P2 1830 2028 CXA1520-0000-
000N0HP240H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HP240G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0HP240F
90 95
M2 1380 1587
40H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UM240H 40G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UM240G 40F
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UM240F
M4 1485 1645 CXA1520-0000-
000N0UM440H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UM440G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0UM440F
3500K
80 ---
N2 1590 1762
35H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N235H
35G
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N235G
35F
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N235F
N4 1710 1895 CXA1520-0000-
000N00N435H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N435G
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N435F
P2 1830 2028 CXA1520-0000-
000N00P235H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00P235G
CXA1520-0000-
000N00P235F
93 95
K4 1290 1484
35H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK435H 35G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK435G 35F
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK435F
M2 1380 1587 CXA1520-0000-
000N0YM235H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YM235G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YM235F
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
4
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
Notes
• Cree maintains a tolerance of ±7% on ux and power measurements, ±0.005 on chromaticity (CCx, CCy) measurements and a tolerance of ±2 on CRI
measurements. See the Measurements section (page 15).
• Cree XLamp CXA1520 LED order codes specify only a minimum ux bin and not a maximum. Cree may ship reels in ux bins higher than the minimum
specied by the order code without advance notice. Shipments will always adhere to the chromaticity bin restrictions specied by the order code.
* Flux values @ 25°C are calculated and for reference only.
Nominal
CCT
CRI Minimum Luminous Flux 2-Step 3-Step 4-Step
Min Typ Group 


 Group Order Code Group Order Code Group Order Code
3000K
80 ---
N2 1590 1762
30H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N230H 30G
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N230G 30F
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N230F
N4 1710 1895 CXA1520-0000-
000N00N430H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N430G
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N430F
93 95
K2 1200 1380
30H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK230H
30G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK230G
30H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK230F
K4 1290 1484 CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK430H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK430G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK430F
M2 1380 1587 CXA1520-0000-
000N0YM230H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YM230G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YM230F
2700K
80 ---
M4 1485 1645
27H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00M427H
27G
CXA1520-0000-
000N00M427G
27F
CXA1520-0000-
000N00M427F
N2 1590 1762 CXA1520-0000-
000N00N227H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N227G
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N227F
N4 1710 1895 CXA1520-0000-
000N00N427H
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N427G
CXA1520-0000-
000N00N427F
93 95
J4 1120 1288
27H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YJ427H 27G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YJ427G 27F
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YJ427F
K2 1200 1380 CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK227H
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK227G
CXA1520-0000-
000N0YK227F
FLUX CHARACTERISTICS, EASYWHITE® ORDER CODES AND BINS (IFmA, TJ
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
5
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
Notes
• Cree maintains a tolerance of ±7% on ux and power measurements, ±0.005 on chromaticity (CCx, CCy) measurements and a tolerance of ±2 on CRI
measurements. See the Measurements section (page 15).
• Cree XLamp CXA1520 LED order codes specify only a minimum ux bin and not a maximum. Cree may ship reels in ux bins higher than the minimum
specied by the order code without advance notice. Shipments will always adhere to the chromaticity bin restrictions specied by the order code.
* Flux values @ 25°C are calculated and for reference only.
FLUX CHARACTERISTICS, ANSI WHITE ORDER CODES AND BINS (IF mA, TJ 
The following table provides order codes for XLamp CXA1520 LEDs. For a complete description of the order code nomenclature, please
see the Bin and Order Code Formats section (page 13).
Nominal
CCT
CRI Minimum Luminous Flux
Chromaticity Regions Order Code
Min Typ Group 



5000K
70 75
P2 1830 2028
3A0, 3B0, 3C0, 3D0, 50F
CXA1520‑0000‑000N00P20E3
P4 1965 2177 CXA1520‑0000‑000N00P40E3
Q2 2100 2327 CXA1520‑0000‑000N00Q20E3
80 ---
N4 1710 1895
3A0, 3B0, 3C0, 3D0,50F
CXA1520‑0000‑000N0HN40E3
P2 1830 2028 CXA1520‑0000‑000N0HP20E3
P4 1965 2177 CXA1520‑0000‑000N0HP40E3
4000K 70 75
N4 1710 1895
5A0, 5B0, 5C0, 5D0, 40F
CXA1520‑0000‑000N00N40E5
P2 1830 2028 CXA1520‑0000‑000N00P20E5
P4 1965 2177 CXA1520‑0000‑000N00P40E5
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
6
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
RELATIVE SPECTRAL POWER DISTRIBUTION
The following graph is the result of a series of pulsed measurements at 500mA and TJ = 85°C.
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The following graph is the result of a series of steady‑state measurements.
Relative Spectral Power Distribution - White, Hot Binned, Baby
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
380 430 480 530 580 630 680 730 780
Relative Spectral Power
Wavelength (nm)
5000 K, 70 CRI
4000 K, 70 CRI
3000 K, 80 CRI
3000 K, 93 CRI
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Voltage (V)
Current (mA)
Tc = 25 °C
Tc = 55 °C
Tc = 85 °C
Tc = 105 °C
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
7
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
RELATIVE LUMINOUS FLUX
The relative luminous ux values provided below are the ratio of:
• Measurements of CXA1520 at steady‑state operation at the given conditions, divided by
• Flux measured during binning, which is a pulsed measurement at 500mA at TJ = 85°C.
For example, at steady‑state operation of Tc = 105°C, IF = 700mA, the relative luminous ux ratio is 120% in the chart below. A CXA1520
LED that measures 2100lm during binning will deliver 2520lm (2100 * 1.2) at steady‑state operation of Tc = 105°C, IF = 700mA.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
160%
180%
200%
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Relative Luminous Flux
Current (mA)
Tc = 25 °C
Tc = 55 °C
Tc = 85 °C
Tc = 105 °C
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
8
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
TYPICAL SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
PERFORMANCE GROUPS - BRIGHTNESS (IF mA, TJ 
XLamp CXA1520 LEDs are tested for luminous ux and placed into one of the following bins.
Group Code Minimum Luminous Flux Maximum Luminous Flux
J2 1040 1120
J4 1120 1200
K2 1200 1290
K4 1290 1380
M2 1380 1485
M4 1485 1590
N2 1590 1710
N4 1710 1830
P2 1830 1965
P4 1965 2100
Q2 2100 2260
Q4 2260 2420
Far Field
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
-90 -70 -50 -30 -10 10 30 50 70 90
Relative Luminous Intensity
Angle (º)
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
9
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
PERFORMANCE GROUPS - CHROMATICITY (TJ 
XLamp CXA1520 LEDs are tested for chromaticity and placed into one of the regions dened by the following bounding coordinates.
EasyWhite Color Temperatures – 2-Step
Code CCT x y
50H 5000 K
0.3429 0.3507
0.3434 0.3571
0.3475 0.3604
0.3469 0.3539
40H 4000 K
0.3784 0.3741
0.3804 0.3818
0.3867 0.3857
0.3844 0.3778
35H 3500 K
0.4030 0.3857
0.4061 0.3941
0.4132 0.3976
0.4099 0.3890
30H 3000 K
0.4291 0.3973
0.4333 0.4062
0.4395 0.4084
0.4351 0.3994
27H 2700 K
0.4528 0.4046
0.4578 0.4138
0.4638 0.4152
0.4586 0.4060
EasyWhite Color Temperatures – 3-Step Ellipse
Bin Code CCT Center Point Major Axis Minor Axis Rotation Angle

x y a b
50G 5000K 0.3447 0.3553 0.00840 0.00312 65.0
40G 4000K 0.3818 0.3797 0.00939 0.00402 53.7
35G 3500K 0.4073 0.3917 0.00927 0.00414 54.0
30G 3000K 0.4338 0.4030 0.00834 0.00408 53.2
27G 2700K 0.4577 0.4099 0.00834 0.00420 48.5
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
10
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
PERFORMANCE GROUPS - CHROMATICITY (TJ 
EasyWhite Color Temperatures – 4-Step
Code CCT x y
50F 5000K
0.3407 0.3459
0.3415 0.3586
0.3499 0.3654
0.3484 0.3521
40F 4000K
0.3744 0.3685
0.3782 0.3837
0.3912 0.3917
0.3863 0.3758
35F 3500K
0.3981 0.3800
0.4040 0.3966
0.4186 0.4037
0.4116 0.3865
30F 3000K
0.4242 0.3919
0.4322 0.4096
0.4449 0.4141
0.4359 0.3960
27F 2700K
0.4475 0.3994
0.4573 0.4178
0.4695 0.4207
0.4589 0.4021
ANSI White Bins
Code CCT Bin
Code x y
0E5 4000 K
5A0
.3670 .3578
.3702 .3722
.3825 .3798
.3783 .3646
5B0
.3702 .3722
.3736 .3874
.3869 .3958
.3825 .3798
5C0
.3825 .3798
.3869 .3958
.4006 .4044
.3950 .3875
5D0
.3783 .3646
.3825 .3798
.3950 .3875
.3898 .3716
ANSI White Bins
Code CCT Bin
Code x y
0E3 5000 K
3A0
.3371 .3490
.3451 .3554
.3440 .3427
.3366 .3369
3B0
.3376 .3616
.3463 .3687
.3451 .3554
.3371 .3490
3C0
.3463 .3687
.3551 .3760
.3533 .3620
.3451 .3554
3D0
.3451 .3554
.3533 .3620
.3515 .3487
.3440 .3427
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
11
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
CREE EASYWHITE® BINS PLOTTED ON THE 1931 CIE COLOR SPACE (TJ 
2700 K
3000 K
3500 K
4000 K
4500 K
5000 K
0.33
0.34
0.35
0.36
0.37
0.38
0.39
0.40
0.41
0.42
0.43
0.44
0.33
0.34
0.35
0.36
0.37
0.38
0.39
0.40
0.41
0.42
0.43
0.44
0.45
0.46
0.47
0.48
0.49
CCy
CCx
EasyWhite 4-Step
EasyWhite 3-Step
EasyWhite 2-Step
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
12
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
CREE ANSI WHITE BINS PLOTTED ON THE 1931 CIE COLOR SPACE (TJ
3500 K
4000 K
4500 K
5000 K
5700 K
3A
3B
3C
3D
5A
5B
5C
5D
0.33
0.34
0.35
0.36
0.37
0.38
0.39
0.40
0.41
0.42
0.32
0.33
0.34
0.35
0.36
0.37
0.38
0.39
0.40
0.41
0.42
CCy
CCx
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
13
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
BIN AND ORDER CODE FORMATS
Bin codes and order codes are congured as follows:
Order Code Bin Code
SSSSSCC-HHHH-HHHGGRNNNNN
Series = CXA15
Internal code
CRI Specification
0 = Standard CRI
H = 80 CRI minimum
U = 90 CRI minimum
Y = 93 CRI minimum
Kit code
Vf class
N0 = 36-V class
Performance class
SSSSSCC-WWW-FF-GGR-AAAAA
Series = CXA15
Chromaticity bin
Vf class
N0 = 36-V class
Internal code
CRI Specification
B = 70 CRI minimum
H = 80 CRI minimum
U = 90 CRI minimum
Y = 93 CRI minimum
Flux bin
Performance class
MECHANICAL DIMENSIONS
Dimensions are in mm.
Tolerances unless otherwise
specied: ±.13
x° ±1°
Meaning of 1520N
1520N = 36‑V CXA1520
SIZE
TITLE
OF
REV.
SHEET
C
DRAWING NO.
DATE
DATE
DATE
CHECK
FINAL PROTECTIVE FINISH
MATERIAL
APPROVED
DRAWN BY
THIRD ANGLE PROJECTION
SCALE
A
B
C
D
123456
6 5 4 3 2 1
A
B
C
D
Phone (919) 313-5300
Fax (919) 313-5558
4600 Silicon Drive
Durham, N.C 27703
UNAUTHORIZED PERSON WITHOUT
THE WRITTEN CONSENT
MAY NOT BE COPIED, REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED TO ANY
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION OF CREE, INC. THIS PLOT
CONTAINED WITHIN ARE THE PROPRIETARY AND
CREE CONFIDENTIAL. THIS PLOT AND THE INFORMATION
OF CREE INC.
NOTICE
X° ± .5°
.XXX ± .25
.XX ± .75
.X ± 1.5
FOR SHEET METAL PARTS ONLY
.XX ± .25
.XXX ± .125
X° ± .5°
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED
DIMENSIONS ARE IN
MILLIMETERS AND AFTER FINISH.
TOLERANCE UNLESS SPECIFIED:
SURFACE FINISH:
1.6
15.85
± 0.2
15.85
± 0.2
5.5
3.3
2.6
2.6
2.6
2.6
1.0 ± .15
R
4X
.5
0.55 ± 0.1
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
± 0.2
8.90
± 0.2
10.50
4/18.000
B
LE1601
LE1601 MARKETING SPEC
05/08/12D. CRONIN
REVISONS
REV DESCRIPTION BY DATE APP'D
TOLERANCE UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED:
DIMENSIONS ARE IN MM
.X ± .10
.XX ± .03
.XXX ±.010
X° ± 1 °
1.3
OPTICAL REFERENCE
OPTICAL
REFERENCE
Tc
1520N
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
14
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
THERMAL DESIGN
The CXA family of LED arrays can include over a hundred different LED die inside one package, and thus over a hundred different junction
temperatures (TJ). Cree has intentionally removed junction‑temperature‑based operating limits and replaced the commonplace maximum
TJ calculations with maximum ratings based on forward current (IF) and case temperature (Tc). No additional calculations are required to
ensure the CXA LED is being operated within its designed limits. Please refer to page 2 for the Operating Limit specication.
There is no need to calculate for TJ inside the package, as the thermal management design process, specically from solder point (TSP) to
ambient (Ta), remains identical to any other LED component. For more information on thermal management of Cree XLamp LEDs, please
refer to the Thermal Management application note. For CXA soldering recommendations and more information on thermal interface
materials (TIM) and connection methods, please refer to the Cree XLamp CX Family LEDs soldering and handling document. The CX
Family LED Design Guide provides basic information on the requirements to use Cree XLamp CXA LEDs successfully in luminaire designs.
To keep the CXA1520 LED at or below the maximum rated Tc, the case to ambient temperature
thermal resistance (R_c‑a) must be at or below the maximum R_c‑a value shown on the following
graph, depending on the operating environment. The y‑axis in the graph is a base 10 logarithmic
scale.
As the gure at right shows, the R_c‑a value is the sum of the thermal resistance of the TIM (R_tim)
plus the thermal resistance of the heat sink (R_hs).
R_j-c
Tc
R_tim
R_hs
Ta
R_j-c
Tc
R_c-a
Ta
CXA1520
.
0.01
0.10
1.00
10.00
100.00
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Maximum R_c-a
Current (mA)
Ta = 25 °C
Ta = 55 °C
Ta = 85 °C
Ta = 105 °C
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
15
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
NOTES
Measurements
The luminous ux, radiant power, chromaticity, forward voltage and CRI measurements in this document are binning specications only
and solely represent product measurements as of the date of shipment. These measurements will change over time based on a number
of factors that are not within Cree’s control and are not intended or provided as operational specications for the products. Calculated
values are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended as specications.

Please read the LED Reliability Overview for details of the qualication process Cree applies to ensure long‑term reliability for XLamp
LEDs and details of Cree’s pre‑release qualication testing for XLamp LEDs.
Lumen Maintenance
Cree now uses standardized IES LM‑80‑08 and TM‑21‑11 methods for collecting long‑term data and extrapolating LED lumen maintenance.
For information on the specic LM‑80 data sets available for this LED, refer to the public LM‑80 results document.
Please read the Long‑Term Lumen Maintenance application note for more details on Cree’s lumen maintenance testing and forecasting.
Please read the Thermal Management application note for details on how thermal design, ambient temperature, and drive current affect
the LED junction temperature.
RoHS Compliance
The levels of RoHS restricted materials in this product are below the maximum concentration values (also referred to as the threshold
limits) permitted for such substances, or are used in an exempted application, in accordance with EU Directive 2011/65/EC (RoHS2), as
implemented January 2, 2013. RoHS Declarations for this product can be obtained from your Cree representative or from the Product
Documentation sections of www.cree.com.
REACh Compliance
REACh substances of very high concern (SVHCs) information is available for this product. Since the European Chemical Agency (ECHA)
has published notice of their intent to frequently revise the SVHC listing for the foreseeable future, please contact a Cree representative
to insure you get the most up‑to‑date REACh Declaration. REACh banned substance information (REACh Article 67) is also available upon
request.
UL® Recognized Component
Level 4 enclosure consideration. The LED package or a portion thereof has been investigated as a re and electrical enclosure per ANSI/
UL 8750.
Vision Advisory
WARNING: Do not look at an exposed lamp in operation. Eye injury can result. For more information about LEDs and eye safety, please
refer to the LED Eye Safety application note.
Copyright © 2013-2017 Cree, Inc. All rights reserved. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Cree®, XLamp® and EasyWhite® are registered trademarks and the Cree logo is a
trademark of Cree, Inc. UL® and the UR logo are registered trademarks of UL LLC.
16
XLamp® CXa1520 LED
PACKAGING
Cree CXA1520 LEDs are packaged in trays of 20. Five trays are sealed in an anti‑static bag and placed inside a carton, for a total of 100
LEDs per carton. Each carton contains 100 LEDs from the same performance bin.
Dimensions are in inches.
Tolerances: ±.13
x° ±1°
PATENT LABEL IS LOCATED
ON UNDERSIDE OF CARTON
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
SIZE
TITLE
OF
REV.
SHEET
C
DRAWING NO.
DATE
DATE
DATE
CHECK
FINAL PROTECTIVE FINISH
MATERIAL
APPROVED
DRAWN BY
THIRD ANGLE PROJECTION
.X ± 0.1
X° ± 2 °
.XXX ± .010
.XX ± .03
.X ± .06
FOR SHEET METAL PARTS ONLY
.XX ± .05
.XXX ± .005
X° ± 1 °
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED
DIMENSIONS ARE IN
MILLIMETERS & BEFORE FINISH.
TOLERANCE UNLESS SPECIFIED:
SCALE
A
B
C
D
123456
6 5 4 3 2 1
A
B
C
D
Phone (919) 361-4770
Fax (919) 313-5303
4600 Silicon Drive
Durham, N.C 27703
UNAUTHORIZED PERSON WITHOUT
THE WRITTEN CONSENT
MAY NOT BE COPIED, REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED TO ANY
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION OF CREE, INC. THIS PLOT
CONTAINED WITHIN ARE THE PROPRIETARY AND
CREE CONFIDENTIAL. THIS PLOT AND THE INFORMATION
OF CREE INC.
NOTICE
5.875
5.875
.38
R.375
.875
.875
1/10.500
A
CXA15XX_DATASHEET_BAG2013
CXA15XX_DATASHEET
BAG
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
PATENT LABEL IS LOCATED
ON UNDERSIDE OF COVER
SIZE
TITLE
OF
REV.
SHEET
C
DRAWING NO.
DATE
DATE
DATE
CHECK
FINAL PROTECTIVE FINISH
MATERIAL
APPROVED
DRAWN BY
THIRD ANGLE PROJECTION
.X ± 0.1
X° ± 2 °
.XXX ± .010
.XX ± .03
.X ± .06
FOR SHEET METAL PARTS ONLY
.XX ± .05
.XXX ± .005
X° ± 1 °
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED
DIMENSIONS ARE IN
MILLIMETERS & BEFORE FINISH.
TOLERANCE UNLESS SPECIFIED:
SCALE
A
B
C
D
123456
6 5 4 3 2 1
A
B
C
D
Phone (919) 361-4770
Fax (919) 313-5303
4600 Silicon Drive
Durham, N.C 27703
UNAUTHORIZED PERSON WITHOUT
THE WRITTEN CONSENT
MAY NOT BE COPIED, REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED TO ANY
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION OF CREE, INC. THIS PLOT
CONTAINED WITHIN ARE THE PROPRIETARY AND
CREE CONFIDENTIAL. THIS PLOT AND THE INFORMATION
OF CREE INC.
NOTICE
5.875
5.875
.38
R.375
.875
.875
1/10.500
A
CXA15XX_DATASHEET_BAG2013
CXA15XX_DATASHEET
BAG
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
PATENT LABEL IS LOCATED
ON UNDERSIDE OF COVER
SIZE
TITLE
OF
REV.
SHEET
C
DRAWING NO.
DATE
DATE
DATE
CHECK
FINAL PROTECTIVE FINISH
MATERIAL
APPROVED
DRAWN BY
THIRD ANGLE PROJECTION
.X ± 0.1
X° ± 2 °
.XXX ± .010
.XX ± .03
.X ± .06
FOR SHEET METAL PARTS ONLY
.XX ± .05
.XXX ± .005
X° ± 1 °
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED
DIMENSIONS ARE IN
MILLIMETERS & BEFORE FINISH.
TOLERANCE UNLESS SPECIFIED:
SCALE
A
B
C
D
123456
6 5 4 3 2 1
A
B
C
D
Phone (919) 361-4770
Fax (919) 313-5303
4600 Silicon Drive
Durham, N.C 27703
UNAUTHORIZED PERSON WITHOUT
THE WRITTEN CONSENT
MAY NOT BE COPIED, REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED TO ANY
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION OF CREE, INC. THIS PLOT
CONTAINED WITHIN ARE THE PROPRIETARY AND
CREE CONFIDENTIAL. THIS PLOT AND THE INFORMATION
OF CREE INC.
NOTICE
5.875
5.875
.38
R.375
.875
.875
1/10.500
A
CXA15XX_DATASHEET_BAG2013
CXA15XX_DATASHEET
BAG
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
LABEL WITH CREE BIN
CODE, QUANTITY, LOT #
PATENT LABEL IS LOCATED
ON UNDERSIDE OF COVER