A LED driver is the circuitry (a self-contained supply of power) that powers your light source with the needed drive current. But this current is still quite lumpy so we need to finetune the output that reaches the LED. For this to be accomplished we also need a resistor built in the driver circuitry.

Drivers should be current regulated, so they deliver a consistent current over a range of load voltages.

Actually, your LED can be overdriven past their continuous operating currents and generate higher peak light outputs (within some limits) by operating them at a reduced duty cycle. This will hold the average current and therefore chip heating within the continuous operating limits.

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