6 LED wiring circuit help needed!
- Thread starter gonk27
- Start date
star-art
Sr Member
Can you give a little more info? What color? (Different colors operate on different voltages.) LEDs are pretty straightforward. Each one needs an inline resistor added to one of the leads to restrict the current flow and avoid applying too much voltage. The value of the resistor is determined by the desired voltage of the LED (varies by color).
The standard approach would be to make a "bus bar" for your + and - power, and hook up all six LEDs to this in parallel. That means each LED gets its own connection to + and - power, independent of all the others. Now, add a resistor in line between, say, the LED's + lead and the + power connection, and you should be set. Do this for all the LEDs, then hook up the bus connections to your power source. All six should light at once.
If you want to mix colors, things might be a little more complicated. Some colors require higher voltages than others. So, you might need to create separate circuits for each color.
I'm a little rusty, so I'm sure other experts with more recent experience can chime in with more detailed info. But I hope that helps. . .
The standard approach would be to make a "bus bar" for your + and - power, and hook up all six LEDs to this in parallel. That means each LED gets its own connection to + and - power, independent of all the others. Now, add a resistor in line between, say, the LED's + lead and the + power connection, and you should be set. Do this for all the LEDs, then hook up the bus connections to your power source. All six should light at once.
If you want to mix colors, things might be a little more complicated. Some colors require higher voltages than others. So, you might need to create separate circuits for each color.
I'm a little rusty, so I'm sure other experts with more recent experience can chime in with more detailed info. But I hope that helps. . .
gonk27
Sr Member
Thanks star-art, these would be yellow standard LEDs, or possibly white for a 3PO head.
I was hoping I could also use the same circuit for LED lighting in another prop as well. If mixing colours becomes tricky I'll just cheat with that one and paint clear LEDs the colours I want.
Jeremy
I was hoping I could also use the same circuit for LED lighting in another prop as well. If mixing colours becomes tricky I'll just cheat with that one and paint clear LEDs the colours I want.
Jeremy
Can you give a little more info? What color? (Different colors operate on different voltages.) LEDs are pretty straightforward. Each one needs an inline resistor added to one of the leads to restrict the current flow and avoid applying too much voltage. The value of the resistor is determined by the desired voltage of the LED (varies by color).
The standard approach would be to make a "bus bar" for your + and - power, and hook up all six LEDs to this in parallel. That means each LED gets its own connection to + and - power, independent of all the others. Now, add a resistor in line between, say, the LED's + lead and the + power connection, and you should be set. Do this for all the LEDs, then hook up the bus connections to your power source. All six should light at once.
If you want to mix colors, things might be a little more complicated. Some colors require higher voltages than others. So, you might need to create separate circuits for each color.
I'm a little rusty, so I'm sure other experts with more recent experience can chime in with more detailed info. But I hope that helps. . .
star-art
Sr Member
Sounds like you need to "simulate" the glow of an incandescent bulb. In that case, watch out for white LEDs. These typically have a bluish cast, meaning they look like white EL material which is more like a blue-white.
I hear there are some new white LEDs that have a yellowish cast to resemble regular lightbulbs, but I haven't tried them and I haven't seen anyone else post about their experiences using them. . .
I hear there are some new white LEDs that have a yellowish cast to resemble regular lightbulbs, but I haven't tried them and I haven't seen anyone else post about their experiences using them. . .
ursus43
Well-Known Member
http://metku.net/index.html?sect=view&n=1&path=mods/ledcalc/index_eng
Resistor calculator
Resistor calculator
Doctor Faust
New Member
I got a question somewhat along the similar line...
I have the big Polar Light Enterprise kit and I am thinking of lighting it. The problem I have no clue where to begin and I have zero electronic experience. What resources or reference material can you suggest to get me started?
I have the big Polar Light Enterprise kit and I am thinking of lighting it. The problem I have no clue where to begin and I have zero electronic experience. What resources or reference material can you suggest to get me started?
star-art
Sr Member
Radio Shack sells an excellent book called Getting Started In Electronics that got me up to speed on the basics. They also have an Engineer's Mini Notebook series of booklets that cover more specialized topics. If you don't know an electron from a turn-on, the Getting Started book is a great way to get up to speed.
There's a lot to learn, but the basics are that you'll be creating a DC circuit with low voltage. This is far safer than working with AC current (don't even go there unless you know what you're doing). You'll need some wire (choices are solid-core and stranded, I prefer stranded), resistors, connectors, and light sources. You'll also need a soldering iron and rosin-core electronics solder. This stuff is toxic when it heats up, so always have positive ventilation (for some reason, the smoke always comes straight at your face no matter which way you turn!).
I used to do a LOT of wiring for cars, so I would go to a local surplus store and buy reels of 18-gauge stranded wire that I used in all my projects. That plus 16-gauge and 12-gauge will do most automotive work. But that's a bit beefy for model work. The higher the number, the thinner the wire. The gauge needed depends on the amount of current that will flow through each branch of your circuit. The higher the current, the beefier the wire needed for safe operation.
The most important things to remember are to over-engineer everything for added safety, limit the voltage, and limit the current. Limiting the voltage protects elements in your circuit from burning out. Limiting the current keeps things from burning up! (As in catching on fire!). Over-engineering means building in extra safety margins to prevent problems. For example, you would use a thicker wire than the minimum needed so it won't heat up.
I guess that's not too bad for someone who's as rusty as I am on this stuff. I used to build circuits a lot, but haven't done much wiring in the last several years.
There's a lot to learn, but the basics are that you'll be creating a DC circuit with low voltage. This is far safer than working with AC current (don't even go there unless you know what you're doing). You'll need some wire (choices are solid-core and stranded, I prefer stranded), resistors, connectors, and light sources. You'll also need a soldering iron and rosin-core electronics solder. This stuff is toxic when it heats up, so always have positive ventilation (for some reason, the smoke always comes straight at your face no matter which way you turn!).
I used to do a LOT of wiring for cars, so I would go to a local surplus store and buy reels of 18-gauge stranded wire that I used in all my projects. That plus 16-gauge and 12-gauge will do most automotive work. But that's a bit beefy for model work. The higher the number, the thinner the wire. The gauge needed depends on the amount of current that will flow through each branch of your circuit. The higher the current, the beefier the wire needed for safe operation.
The most important things to remember are to over-engineer everything for added safety, limit the voltage, and limit the current. Limiting the voltage protects elements in your circuit from burning out. Limiting the current keeps things from burning up! (As in catching on fire!). Over-engineering means building in extra safety margins to prevent problems. For example, you would use a thicker wire than the minimum needed so it won't heat up.
I guess that's not too bad for someone who's as rusty as I am on this stuff. I used to build circuits a lot, but haven't done much wiring in the last several years.
star-art
Sr Member
PS Another thing is that proper circuit building requires having a DESIGN up front. You can hook up an LED pretty simply, but doing it right means knowing exactly how your circuit is going to perform before it's even built. Think of it as structural engineering. You wouldn't build a bridge unless you knew in advance what the loads would be on it. This is not the time to just wing it!
So, be sure to learn all the basics and understand exactly what the circuit is doing before you hook anything up. These days, that is getting easier thanks to advanced tools and simulators, etc. Just be sure never to connect anything to a power source unless you already know what it's going to do. Then, test to make sure it works the way it was designed. Stay safe!
So, be sure to learn all the basics and understand exactly what the circuit is doing before you hook anything up. These days, that is getting easier thanks to advanced tools and simulators, etc. Just be sure never to connect anything to a power source unless you already know what it's going to do. Then, test to make sure it works the way it was designed. Stay safe!
