Search continues for replacement for Color Rendering Index (MAGAZINE)

Aug. 20, 2010
TC 1-69 of the CIE is evaluating new metrics for color rendering of white-light sources.

Color-rendering index (CRI) is widely used as a standard for assessing the color quality of white-light sources. However, due to various shortcomings with this 40-year-old metric, particularly with regard to white LEDs, various alternatives are being discussed and promoted.

The US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed the Color Quality Scale (CQS), as described in a paper by Yoshi Ohno and Wendy Davis of NIST which was published on the DOE’s website in June 2010. The authors say that the purpose of the article is “to solicit comments from the SSL industry on the CQS,” and such comments can be emailed to [email protected].

The CQS is being discussed as one of the proposals in the Technical Committee (TC) 1-69 of the Commission on Illumination (CIE), which is evaluating new metrics for the color rendering of white-light sources. "Since the SSL industry is not well represented in the TC, we hope to convey the opinions of the SSL industry to the committee members," the paper says.

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This article was published in the July/August 2010 issue of LEDs Magazine. To read the full version of this article, please visit our magazine page, where you can download FREE electronic PDF versions of all issues of LEDs Magazine. You can also request a print copy of LEDs Magazine (available by paid subscription) and sign up for our free weekly email newsletter.