LED, red or green

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor component that emits light and has the electrical characteristics of a diode. If an electric current is flowing through the diode in forward direction, it emits light with a wavelength that depends on the semiconductor material and doping.

In this component, a green and a red LED with opposite polarity are connected in parallel. Depending on the current direction either the green or red LED lights up. Connected to alternating current with a frequency higher than about 30 Hz, the human eye cannot recognize the blinking and it seems as if both LEDs are lit simultaneously.

Since version 5.6c the maximum power P_max can be specified. If this value is exceeded during simulation, the diode burns out. For reasons of compatibility with older circuit diagrams, the default value is unrealistically high.