Guide
EMCOD LED Drivers & Transformers: Selection, Sizing, Dimming & Replacement Guide
If you need an EMCOD LED driver or landscape transformer, start here. This guide explains which family to open first, how voltage and wattage work, and when to replace an existing unit instead of redesigning the run.
It is written for homeowners, contractors, electricians, lighting designers, landscape contractors, and specifiers. You do not need to already know driver jargon. Product facts below come from the Projekt Supply EMCOD catalog and EMCOD specification documents. Child articles will go deeper; this page is the map.
Written by Projekt Supply Lighting Team. Last reviewed September 2, 2026. First published September 2, 2026.
Start here
Work the questions in order. Each answer points at a family in the EMCOD catalog, not a generic product type.
Question 1. What are you powering?
- LED tape or a constant-voltage LED fixture → Start with an LED driver.
- A 12-volt landscape lighting system → Start with a landscape transformer.
- An existing failed EMCOD unit → Start with replacement matching, not a new topology guess.
Question 2. What does the load require?
- A fixed voltage such as 12V or 24V DC → Constant-voltage driver.
- A current in milliamps printed on the module → Constant-current driver, such as ECC-UD.
Question 3. How much power is required?
- Add the wattage of every fixture or tape run on that driver → Choose a driver wattage class at or above that connected load, with headroom.
Question 4. What input voltage is available?
- 120V only → Families such as MLE-P, EDD, ML, and the landscape transformers list 120V input.
- 100–277V or 110–277V available → Universal-input electronic families such as MLE, MLE-UD, ECV-UD, ES-UD, ECC-UD, and EDR.
Question 5. Do you need dimming or control?
- No control → A non-UD electronic or magnetic driver may be enough. Confirm the spec sheet.
- Universal / 5-in-1 dimming → Look at MLE-UD or ECV-UD, then read the exact MPN sheet for the five methods.
- Integrated dimmer → Dimmer+Driver Combo (EDD).
- Tunable white / CCT → CCT Tunable Combo (EDD-CCT).
- Landscape timer or photocell → ESL, or EMT with the cataloged timer/photocell accessories.
Question 6. Where is it installed?
- Junction box, dry or damp → MLE-P is cataloged as a J-box electronic driver, Dry/Damp, Class 2 on listed models.
- DIN rail → EDR.
- Wet or washdown → Do not assume every driver is wet-listed. MLE-UD and ECV-UD catalog Wet; MLE-P catalogs Dry/Damp.
- Landscape enclosure → ESL, Simple, EMT, or SMT.
EMCOD family selector
Rows use the current catalog family names, input voltages, listings, and control labels. Dimming methods that are not printed on the catalog record are left to the specification sheet. Source: EMCOD catalog record
LED drivers
| Application | EMCOD family | Output type | Typical output | Input range | Dimming / control | Installation | Learn more | View products |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junction-box constant-voltage driver | MLE-P | Constant voltage, DC | 12V or 24V DC | 120V 50/60Hz | Electronic driver; confirm dimming on the exact spec sheet | J-box; Dry / Damp; plastic housing; UL1310 Class 2 on listed models | How to Choose an LED Driver | View MLE-P |
| Electronic constant-voltage driver | MLE | Constant voltage, DC | 12V or 24V DC | 100–277V 50/60Hz | Electronic constant-voltage; confirm dimming on the exact spec sheet | Indoor/Outdoor listed in catalog; powder-coated enclosure | How to Choose an LED Driver | View MLE |
| Universal dimming constant-voltage | MLE-UD | Constant voltage, DC | 12V or 24V DC | 100–277V AC 50/60Hz | Catalog label: universal 5-in-1 dimmable. Confirm methods on the MPN spec sheet | Dry, Damp, Wet listed; Class 2 on supported models | LED Driver Dimming Explained | View MLE-UD |
| Universal dimming constant-voltage | ECV-UD | Constant voltage, DC | 12V or 24V DC | 100–277V 50/60Hz | Catalog label: universal 5-in-1 dimmable. Confirm methods on the MPN spec sheet | Dry, Damp, Wet; NEMA 4X listed on catalog certifications | LED Driver Dimming Explained | View ECV-UD |
| Slim electronic PWM constant-voltage | ES-UD | Constant voltage, DC | 12V or 24V DC | 100–277V AC 50/60Hz | Catalog label: electronic PWM constant-voltage | Dry / Damp | LED Driver Dimming Explained | View ES-UD |
| Constant-current LED modules | ECC-UD | Constant current | Current-mode; do not treat as 12/24V CV | 100–277V 50/60Hz | Catalog label: constant-current universal dimming | Indoor / IP20 on listed models | Constant Voltage vs Constant Current LED Drivers | View ECC-UD |
| DIN-rail constant-voltage | EDR | Constant voltage, DC | 12V or 24V DC | 110–277V 50/60Hz | Catalog: universal DIN-rail driver; confirm dimming on the spec sheet | Plastic DIN-rail case; Dry / Damp; Class 2 on supported models | How to Choose an LED Driver | View EDR |
| Integrated dimmer + driver | Dimmer+Driver Combo (EDD) | Constant voltage, DC | 12V or 24V DC | 120V AC | Integrated dimmer + constant-voltage LED driver | Confirm enclosure and listing on the exact spec sheet | LED Driver Dimming Explained | View Dimmer+Driver Combo (EDD) |
| CCT / tunable-white control | CCT Tunable Combo (EDD-CCT) | Constant voltage, DC | 12V or 24V DC | 120V AC | CCT tunable integrated dimmer + LED driver | Confirm enclosure and listing on the exact spec sheet | LED Driver Dimming Explained | View CCT Tunable Combo (EDD-CCT) |
| Multi-circuit Class 2 | MLE-UD-C2 | Constant voltage, multi-circuit | 12V or 24V DC, multiple Class 2 outputs | 110–277V 50/60Hz | Universal dimming Class 2; confirm methods on the spec sheet | Dry, Damp, Wet; UL8750 Class 2 | How to Choose an LED Driver | View MLE-UD-C2 |
| Magnetic LED driver | ML | Magnetic LED driver, DC | 12V or 24V DC | 120V standard; other inputs noted by manufacturer | Magnetic topology; not the 5-in-1 electronic UD families | Indoor/Outdoor; UL1310 Class 2 on supported models | Magnetic vs Electronic Transformers | View ML |
Landscape transformers
| Application | EMCOD family | Output type | Typical output | Input range | Control / taps | Installation | Learn more | View products |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape transformer with timer/photocell | ESL | Low-voltage landscape transformer | Low-voltage landscape output; confirm taps on the spec sheet | 120V 60Hz | Timer / photocell as cataloged for the series | Stainless steel; Wet Location; ETL UL1838 | How to Choose and Size a Landscape Lighting Transformer | View ESL |
| Compact landscape transformer | Simple Series | Low-voltage landscape transformer | Low-voltage landscape output; confirm taps on the spec sheet | 120V | Magnetic landscape transformer; confirm controls on the spec sheet | Stainless steel cabinet; outdoor landscape; ETL / DOE / CEC listed in catalog | How to Choose and Size a Landscape Lighting Transformer | View Simple Series |
| Multi-tap landscape transformer | EMT | Low-voltage landscape transformer, multi-tap | Multi-tap low-voltage; confirm 12V/15V taps on the spec sheet | 120V 60Hz | Multi-tap; photocell/timer accessories exist in the EMCOD accessory class | 304 stainless; Wet Location / NEMA 3R; ETL UL1838 | 12V vs 15V Transformer Taps | View EMT |
| Smart multi-zone landscape transformer | SMT | Smart multi-zone landscape transformer | Low-voltage landscape output; confirm zones on the spec sheet | 120V 60Hz | Smart multi-zone control as cataloged | 304 stainless; Indoor/Outdoor; ETL UL1838 | How to Choose and Size a Landscape Lighting Transformer | View SMT |
Also in the current catalog: EM Series magnetic power supplies, General Purpose Magnetic AC, landscape cable, and EMT timer/photocell accessories.
Constant voltage vs constant current
Constant-voltage drivers hold 12V or 24V DC. Constant-current drivers hold a listed current for modules that specify milliamps. The current catalog puts constant-current hardware in ECC-UD, while MLE-P, MLE, MLE-UD, ECV-UD, ES-UD, EDR, and the EDD combos are constant-voltage families. Source: EMCOD catalog record
Example: LED tape that says 24V DC needs a 24DC constant-voltage MPN such as MLE60-24DC-P. A board that says 350 mA needs a current-mode driver such as ECC-010-UD, not a 24V tape driver.
Continue in Constant Voltage vs Constant Current LED Drivers.
12V vs 24V
Output voltage must match the load. Many EMCOD constant-voltage MPNs encode that as 12DC or 24DC, for example MLE60-12DC-P versus MLE60-24DC-P. Source: EMCOD catalog record
24V runs usually tolerate longer low-voltage wire better than 12V at the same wattage, because current is lower. That is a circuit fact, not a reason to put 24V on a 12V tape.
Continue in 12V vs 24V LED Drivers.
Driver sizing
Add the published wattage of everything on the driver, then pick a wattage class at or above that total. Do not exceed the nameplate on the specification sheet. Source: EMCOD manufacturer specifications
LED driver connected load
- Tape length:
- 16 ft
- Tape rating:
- 4.4 W/ft (example rating from the tape spec, not an EMCOD spec)
Connected load = length × watts per foot
16 ft × 4.4 W/ft = 70.4 W
Connected load = 70.4 W
Compare 70.4 W to the driver’s listed wattage class. A 60W MLE-P is too small. A 96W 24V model such as MLE96-24DC-P can cover this example only if the tape is 24V constant-voltage, the driver output matches, and the installation stays within the manufacturer’s listing. Projekt Supply often starts sizing conversations with headroom rather than loading a driver to its nameplate.
Projekt Supply calculation from stated assumptions. The 4.4 W/ft figure is an example tape rating, not an EMCOD specification. Always use the fixture or tape wattage from that product’s spec sheet, then confirm the EMCOD driver wattage, voltage, and listing on the exact MPN sheet.
Continue in How to Size an LED Driver.
Dimming and control
The current catalog labels MLE-UD and ECV-UD as universal 5-in-1 dimmable constant-voltage drivers, ES-UD as electronic PWM, Dimmer+Driver Combo as an integrated dimmer, and CCT Tunable Combo as CCT tunable. This page does not invent the five methods. Read the specification sheet for the MPN. Source: EMCOD catalog record
Know your control method? Compare EMCOD dimmable drivers →
Continue in LED Driver Dimming Explained.
Landscape transformer selection
Landscape systems that run on a 120V homerun to a low-voltage enclosure belong on EMCOD landscape transformers, not a tape driver.ESL is cataloged with timer/photocell, Simple Series is the compact stainless magnetic cabinet, EMT is multi-tap, and SMT is the smart multi-zone unit. Source: EMCOD catalog record
Continue in How to Choose and Size a Landscape Lighting Transformer.
Transformer sizing
Add fixture wattage on that transformer, then pick a listed VA/wattage class at or above the total. ESL classes in this catalog include 40W through 300W; EMT includes 150W through 900W; SMT is cataloged as 3 × 100W. Source: EMCOD catalog record
Continue in How to Choose and Size a Landscape Lighting Transformer.
Voltage drop and multi-tap
Long 12-volt cable runs lose voltage. Independent landscape-lighting guidance treats calculated end voltage under about 10V as a reason to shorten the run, enlarge the wire, or use a higher tap. Independent source: Kichler
EMT is the multi-tap landscape family in this catalog. Confirm the printed 12V/15V (or other) taps on that specification sheet before calling a tap set. Source: EMCOD catalog record
Continue in Landscape Lighting Voltage Drop.
Planned deeper guides: 12V vs 15V Transformer Taps; Landscape Wire Gauge & Distance.
Replacement selection
Photograph the nameplate. Match family, wattage class, output voltage, topology (magnetic vs electronic), dimming suffix, and listing. Replacing a magnetic ML or EM unit with an electronic MLE-UD is a redesign, not a swap.
Reading EMCOD model numbers
Some electronic constant-voltage MPNs encode family, wattage, output voltage, DC, and a suffix. MLE60-24DC-P is an MLE-P, 60W class, 24V DC, J-box P suffix. MLE100-12DC-UD uses UD for the universal-dimming MLE-UD series. Source: EMCOD catalog record
That grammar is not universal. ECC-010-UD is a constant-current series code, ESL100W is a landscape wattage code, SMT300W is a smart-transformer code, and the EMT photocell uses a short numeric code. Do not force every EMCOD SKU into one decoder.
Model-number lookup lives in EMCOD Replacement Guide.
Planned deeper guide: How to Read EMCOD Model Numbers.
Common questions
What is the difference between a constant-voltage and constant-current LED driver?
A constant-voltage driver holds a fixed output such as 12V or 24V DC and lets the load draw current. Most LED tape and many landscape LED fixtures are this type. A constant-current driver holds a listed current (for example a 10W ECC-UD model) and is used with modules that specify milliamps, not a 12/24V tape run. Putting a constant-current driver on constant-voltage tape, or the reverse, is a mismatch.
Can I use a 24V driver with a 12V LED product?
No. Output voltage must match the load. EMCOD constant-voltage families in this catalog are offered in 12V DC and 24V DC versions, encoded in many MPNs as 12DC or 24DC. A 24V driver on a 12V tape can destroy the tape. A 12V driver on a 24V tape will not run it correctly.
How do I know what wattage driver I need?
Add the published wattage of every fixture or tape length on that run. Compare the total to the driver’s listed wattage class. Example: 16 ft of 4.4 W/ft tape is 70.4 W, so a 60W driver is too small and a 96W class is the next common step if voltage and listing also match. Use the tape or fixture spec for watts, and the EMCOD spec sheet for the driver class.
Can every EMCOD driver be installed outdoors?
No. Catalog wet-location fields differ by family. MLE-P is listed Dry/Damp. MLE-UD and ECV-UD list Dry, Damp, Wet. ESL landscape transformers list Wet Location. Read the specification sheet and installation instructions for the exact MPN; do not copy one family’s listing onto another.
Can I use any dimmer with an EMCOD driver?
No. Dimming is model-specific. The catalog labels MLE-UD and ECV-UD as universal 5-in-1 dimmable, ES-UD as PWM, EDD as an integrated dimmer, and EDD-CCT as CCT tunable. Magnetic ML drivers are a different topology. Confirm the allowed control method on the specification sheet for the MPN you are buying, then match the wall dimmer or 0–10V control to that sheet.
Why do landscape transformers have 12V and 15V taps?
Low-voltage cable loses voltage over distance. A higher tap is a common way to land closer to 12V at the last fixture after drop. Independent landscape-lighting guidance treats end-of-run voltage around 10V as a warning threshold. Confirm the actual taps printed on the EMCOD transformer spec sheet; do not assume every family has the same tap set.
Can I replace a magnetic transformer with an electronic LED driver?
Only when the load, voltage, listing, and dimming method all match. Magnetic ML or EM hardware and electronic MLE/UD hardware are not drop-in equivalents. Match the failed nameplate first. If you are changing topology, treat it as a new design, not a swap.
How do I identify my existing EMCOD model?
Read the label on the enclosure. Many electronic constant-voltage MPNs encode family, wattage class, output voltage, DC, and a suffix such as P or UD. Other families do not use that grammar: ECC-010-UD is a constant-current series code, ESL100W is a landscape wattage code, and SMT300W is a smart-transformer code. Photograph the label and match it in the catalog before ordering a replacement.
Explore EMCOD guides
Child articles that are published link here. Planned titles have no unfinished routes.
How to Choose an LED Driver
Planned — not published
- How to Size an LED Driver
Guide
- 12V vs 24V LED Drivers
Guide
- Constant Voltage vs Constant Current LED Drivers
Guide
- LED Driver Dimming Explained
Guide
How to Choose a Landscape Transformer
Planned — not published
- How to Choose and Size a Landscape Lighting Transformer
Guide
- Landscape Lighting Voltage Drop
Guide
12V vs 15V Transformer Taps
Planned — not published
Landscape Wire Gauge & Distance
Planned — not published
- EMCOD Replacement Guide
Guide
How to Read EMCOD Model Numbers
Planned — not published
Magnetic vs Electronic Transformers
Planned — not published
Shop the authorized set on EMCOD Lighting Group, LED drivers, and landscape transformers.
Technical Sources & References
- Projekt Supply catalog / EMCOD Lighting Group — MLE-P Series Electronic JBox Driver familyManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- EMCOD Lighting Group — MLE60-12DC-P specification sheetManufacturer specification sheet
- EMCOD Lighting Group — MLE60-12DC-P manufacturer product pageManufacturer product page
- EMCOD Lighting Group — MLE60-12DC-P installation instructionsManufacturer installation instructions
- Projekt Supply catalog / EMCOD Lighting Group — ECC-UD Series familyManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- EMCOD Lighting Group — ECC-010-UD specification sheetManufacturer specification sheet
- Projekt Supply catalog / EMCOD Lighting Group — MLE-UD Series familyManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- EMCOD Lighting Group — MLE100-12DC-UD specification sheetManufacturer specification sheet
- Projekt Supply catalog / EMCOD Lighting Group — ECV-UD Series 5-in-1 Dimming familyManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- Projekt Supply catalog / EMCOD Lighting Group — EDR Series DIN Rail Universal Driver familyManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- Projekt Supply catalog / EMCOD Lighting Group — MLE-UD-C2 Series familyManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- Projekt Supply catalog / EMCOD Lighting Group — ESL Series Stainless Steel Landscape Transformer familyManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- EMCOD Lighting Group — ESL100W specification sheetManufacturer specification sheet
- Projekt Supply catalog / EMCOD Lighting Group — EMT Series Stainless Steel Multi-Tap Landscape Transformer familyManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- Projekt Supply catalog / EMCOD Lighting Group — SMT Series Smart Transformer familyManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- Projekt Supply — Authorized EMCOD LED Drivers collectionManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- Projekt Supply — Authorized EMCOD Landscape Transformers collectionManufacturer catalog / Projekt catalog record
- Kichler — What is voltage drop?Independent technical source
- Projekt Supply — LED driver connected-load example (16 ft × 4.4 W/ft)Projekt Supply calculationExample arithmetic from stated tape assumptions, not an EMCOD specification.
