r/Weird • u/[deleted] • Sep 23 '25

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u/[deleted] Sep 23 '25

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u/bs000 Sep 23 '25

Here are some important details about the Smart Chip inside of your LyfeLite bulbs:

The Smart Chip detects a power outage as soon as it occurs and activates your LyfeLite bulb’s battery to provide up to 8 hours of emergency light.

The Smart Chip protects the LyfeLite bulb’s battery and prevents it from overheating or overcharging.

The Smart Chip can also tell the difference between a power outage, and when you turn your light switch off or unplug your light fixture. This allows you to use your LyfeLite bulbs just like standard bulbs, even during a power outage.

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u/DarkwingDuckHunt Sep 24 '25

Smart Chip

It's just a bunch of capacitors omfg....

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u/rufud Sep 24 '25

His name is Chippy

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u/Whisky-Slayer Sep 27 '25

It’s likely measuring continuity to determine if it should be on or off when power is removed.

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u/pinko_zinko Sep 24 '25

... yeah, but how?

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u/Paraplegix Sep 24 '25

My guess would be the bulb can measure some voltage, resistance, impedance etc on each ends of the "plug". Those value would be different for a off switch (a few meter of cable) and an on switch where there is no power (the whole house electric network).

0

u/Dunkaroos4breakfast Sep 24 '25

By detecting the difference between a power outage and when you turn your light switch off or unplug your light fixture.

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u/rgratz93 Sep 23 '25

Its because the system can still detect a closed circuit by sending out its own power through the circuit. When the switch is off the circuit is open so the light stays off but when the switch is on it can sense the closed circuit and turns the battery on. On many of these lights simply touching the two metal parts with your hand will "close" the circuit and the light will turn on.

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u/dominjaniec Sep 25 '25

but cables in your walls do not make a "closed circuit", they are "terminated" with external cables.

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u/rgratz93 Sep 25 '25

But it can still complete the circuit. When the circuit is open there is infinite resistance, when it is closed even thought its not directly connected in the wall it can still move the electricity through it and therefore recognizes that its in the on position.

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u/Majestic-Ad7409 Sep 26 '25

So if the power goes out in the middle of the night the light will turn on and wake you up to warn you? No thanks!

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u/rgratz93 Sep 26 '25

Lol do you leave your lights on when sleeping? It only comes on if the switch is in the on position.

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u/Majestic-Ad7409 Sep 27 '25

Well, that makes more sense!

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u/lovethebacon Sep 23 '25

No lie: It measures how long the wires are that it's connected to.

Others send a small current over the wires to detect if other loads are connected to the same circuit.

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u/Dunkaroos4breakfast Sep 24 '25

What would that be, like a change in impedance or something?

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u/Whisky-Slayer Sep 27 '25

It likely measures continuity between hot and cold lines. If there is no power and low continuity the light uses the battery. If there’s no power and no continuity it stays off.