My First Saber

[Jacen Solo]

Found this forum a week ago and have been reading it ever since. I'm trying to build rechargeable lightsaber with a MR Luke Skywalker ROTJ Force FX soundboard inside. I'm putting an TCSS LED driver into it with a clash sensor soldered on because I want it to 'flash on clash'. I didn't want to do a MR conversion because I want to have my 'own' lightsaber.

Here is my sabers parts list

LED "TCSS style" Battle blade 1" OD (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/LED-TCSS-style-Battle-blade-1-OD--P155.aspx) (Haven't decided which length yet)
Screw on LED blade holder style 12 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Screw-on-LED-blade-holder-style-12-P294.aspx)
MHS choke style 1 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MHS-choke-style-1-P211.aspx)
Hilt style 2 with guarded style switch hole (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Hilt-style-2-with-guarded-style-switch-hole-P445.aspx)
Double ended male threaded connector2 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Double-ended-male-threaded-connector-P127.aspx)
Double female threaded connector (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/2-Double-female-threaded-connector--P121.aspx)
MPS Pommel style 3 v1 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MPS-Pommel-style-3-v1-P502.aspx)
MPS Insert style 3 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MPS-Insert-style-3-P231.aspx)
MPS Clip (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MPS-Clip--P72.aspx)
Several Pieces Painted
Machined button for Covertec clip (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Machined-button-for-Covertec-clip-P161.aspx)
Covertec clip (Already have this on the way from EBAY because TCSS didn't have any in stock)
8-32 x 1/4" socket head (For covertec clip) (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/8-32-x-14-socket-head-P107.aspx)
8-32 x 3/8" aluminum thumb screw (For Blade holder) (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/8-32-x-38-aluminum-thumb-screw-P539.aspx)

Soul P4 Blue (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Seoul-P4--P306.aspx) (Does anyone know what the maH is for the Seoul P4 Blue?)
SPST Latching Guarded switch with blue button (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/SPST-Latching-Guarded-switch-with-blue-button-P259.aspx)
Kill plug style 2 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Kill-plug-style-2-P570.aspx)
2.1mm Power Jack (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/21mm-Power-Jack-P37.aspx)
PCB for 7.2V-7.4V Li-ion battery packs (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/PCB-for-72V-Li-ion-battery-packs-P482.aspx)
2 x Li-Ion 14500 Rechargeable AA size 3.7V 900mAh (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Li-Ion-14500-Rechargeable-AA-size-37V-900mAh-P480.aspx)
Clash Sensor (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Clash-Sensor-P485.aspx)
Constant current LED driver (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Constant-current-LED-driver-P609.aspx)
5V regulator (NEED ADVICE FOR THIS PART OF THE SABER! In front of the MR board? Is it the right way to lower the voltage to whatever voltage the board is? Advice on where to get one would also be appreciated.)
3.7V-14.8V Li-Ion Smart charger (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/37V-148V-Li-Ion-Smart-charger--P129.aspx) (Maybe)(Does anyone know if this is usable is Australia?)
2.1mm plug adapter for smart charger (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/21mm-plug-adapter-for-smart-charger-P36.aspx)

Heres how I'm going to wire it up (Not an electrician but this is what I came up with. Red is Positive)
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee508/galactica91/Lightsaber%20Build/circuit.png


I'm hoping it'll end up similar to this
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee508/galactica91/Lightsaber%20Build/SaberBuilder_render5.png


I would greatly accept any input from the pros. I don't want to wreck my first saber by not doing something that I should've.

[Silver Serpent]

Deleted my post, it was full of bad advice.

Never post after a long weekend full of partying, and before your coffee kicks in.

[IG-88]

Your latching switch needs to be on ONLY the red wire, or ONLY on the green wire. Not both.

I haven't worked with the MR boards personally, so I don't know their voltage ranges, but I don't recall seeing any MR board diagrams with a 5V regulator.

I don't see anything else wrong with it, but let some of the more experienced builders chime in before you start soldering. :)

Okay. I have not used the new driver for any builds yet, so I cannot give advice on that. As for the 5V regulator, it is needed if you are going with the 7.4V li-ion pack because more than 5-6volts will fry a MR board.

Does the driver need a certain amount of voltage, becuase if not you could get by with a single 3.7V lion running the board and a blue P4 and no 5V regulator?

Also, why do you want a latching switch after the recharge port? The port acts as your kill key, so the switch seems unnecessary.

[Silver Serpent]

Be sure you get the LED driver with the latching configuration instead of momentary as well, since it comes in two diferent types.

[X]

From what I have learn there are some problems with the wiring. I used an MR board and an old corban driver together before.

1.You can't get Flash On Clash unless you have a multi-die led so take out the clash sensor.
2.You'll need a DPDT latching switch so you'll have one circuit for the driver board and one for the MR so no power leads to the switch.
I did a quick rework of your diagram.

Also I haven't used a ROTJ board but I know it uses 6 AA batteries that equals 9v so you may not have to use the 5v reg. (Maybe someone else who has used that board before can chime in.)
Hope it helps.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f39/guyver04/circuitcopy.jpg

[Jacen Solo]

1.You can't get Flash On Clash unless you have a multi-die led so take out the clash sensor.


What is a multi-die LED?

[xl97]

What is a multi-die LED?

its an LED/STAR with more than one DIE (led/light) under the dome..

if you see an RGB LED.. you will see it has 3 dies (tiny led) under the dome/bubble..

or an RGBA/W will have 4 dies under the dome..

http://www.hero-ledstore.com/images/categories/MC-E-M.jpg

[Jacen Solo]

Where can I get a RGB/W LED?

Edit: And Say I used the Blue from the RGB/W. Where would I wire in the white for the 'flash on clash'

[cardcollector]

googling will help you out a lot. Ledengine is one thing you can google.

Searching around here will also give you some answers.

[xl97]

you dont even need to leave the confines of 'this' forum to get your answers.. so internal linking is ok =)

and you'll need a CF/power extender to do so...(I believe).. not sure if a MR solution has been had.. maybe Gravy did one? (off the top of my head)

not sure if a stand-alone solution has been worked out either.. (perhaps?)

actually here are some links that may be of some help.. read through them.. see the questions and answers by all..


*LEDengin 10W (hint hint)
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?12467-LEDengin-10W-questions

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?11979-RGBW-wiring-with-clash-flash-on-CF-4.3&highlight=flash+clash

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?7088-some-help-with-wiring-plz-10w-ledengin%28green%29cf4.1-clash-flash-shimmer!&highlight=power+extender

[cardcollector]

Gotcha xl, I always try to stay on the conservative side of that guideline.. Because the last thing I desire to do is detract from the business of Tcss in any way.

When I get on my main PC, I'll give you some links around the forums....

[Jacen Solo]

Thanks for the help guys. Followed your links and did some searching of my own and I think I'm just going to forget about the FoC for now. Maybe I'll put in later.

Okay fixed up the latching switch so its only on the positive wire, got rid of the Clash sensor, and the Latching LED Driver is wired in parallel with the MR Soundboard with the 5V regulator wired before the MR board. Can anyone see any problems with it now?

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee508/galactica91/Lightsaber%20Build/circuit2.png

Oh and if anyone could tell me what the mA of a Blue Seoul P4 and also knows where I can get my hands on a 5V regulator that would also be appreciated.

[Jedi-Loreen]

mAh is not the same as mA.

Milliampere-hours is the current capacity of the batteries at a given output. mA is the amount of current used by a device.

To find the forward voltage and needed current for your LED, go to the Store page and look at the LED Resistor Chart.

[xl97]

LED Chart & Resistor "Finder" All-In-One:

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/wiringbuilder/wiring.aspx

[Silver Serpent]

You'll need to move that latching switch on the diagram again. I gave bad advice in my first post (long weekend and not enough coffee is a bad combination.)

The MR board and the LED driver board each have connection points for a switch. On the LED driver board, they're labeled "SWA" and "SWB". Not sure of the labelling on the MR board. You will want a DPDT latching switch so that you can connect it to both of those boards. X had the switch wiring correct in his diagram.

5V regulators can be found at your local Radio Shack or other electronics supplier. Barring that, Mouser and other online companies have them as well.

[Jacen Solo]

I was going to solder two wires to a third to make a Y shape and make the single wire go to the switch and then one of the two 'branches' go to the LED and the other to the soundboard. Then do the same for the negatives but wire it to the killswitch/recharge port instead.

Maybe this picture will make it clearer what I'm trying to say

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee508/galactica91/Lightsaber%20Build/solderexample.png

[Silver Serpent]

I see what you're trying to do, but it won't work the way you think it will. Look closer at the picture for the LED driver.

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Assets/ProductImages/ccleda.jpg

You will need to attach your red wire to "IN+" and your green wire to "IN-". This will supply power to the board. The board will still need to be turned on via a switch connected to the "SWA" and "SWB" points. The MR board functions in the same manner. It needs power AND switch connections. The boards will not automatically turn on when you supply power.

[X]

you'll need a CF/power extender to do so...(I believe).. not sure if a MR solution has been had.. maybe Gravy did one?

If I'm reading the description of the new constant current board, it can be used to drive an led but to get FoC, so he'd need 2 drivers. 1 to run the blue die and the other with a clash sensor for FoC on the white die. That's if I'm reading the description right.

@Jacen: You need a DPDT switch. Use one of these http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/DPDT-Latching-blue-illuminated-switch-P435.aspx they look cool and work great.

[Azmaria Dei]

for FoC you'll need the add-on board, or the new driver board if it supports FoC - haven't played with it yet so i'm not really sure how, if it does. on another note though, the MR board has a 1A driver so using another driver is kinda wasting space in my opinion...

[Jacen Solo]

The boards will not automatically turn on when you supply power.

Ah okay then. I thought they turned on when they got power. So my wiring should look like this instead with a DPDT

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee508/galactica91/Lightsaber%20Build/circuit3.png

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee508/galactica91/Lightsaber%20Build/layout.jpg

[Azmaria Dei]

seriously, is the only reason you're using the driver board is for the FoC? because as i said, the MR board is an LED driver that puts out 3.5V @1000mA. also, the 5V regulator needs a ground wire coming off of it as well. as for the 3-switch the wires going to the MR board are just the switch wires, right?

[Jacen Solo]

I'm planning to upgrade it later on to a FoC. The wires from switch 3 to the MR board are just the switch wires.

EDIT: Whereabouts would I gound the regulator to?

[Azmaria Dei]

I'm planning to upgrade it later on to a FoC. The wires from switch 3 to the MR board are just the switch wires.

EDIT: Whereabouts would I gound the regulator to?

the battery negative.

[Jacen Solo]

Thanks for the grounding advice. Is this the right way to wire up a DPDT switch?

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee508/galactica91/Lightsaber%20Build/layout.jpg

[Silver Serpent]

That is the correct way to wire the switch. There's no polarity on the switch itself, so feel free to use the same colored wire if you like. Or use one color for the soundboard, and a different color for the LED driver.

[Jacen Solo]

Just out of curiousity what are the NC1 and NC2 terminals for on the switch? Are they the same as NO1 and NO2?

[Jedi-Loreen]

NC mean "Normally Closed". Therefore, NO means "Normally Open".

1 and 2, because you have 2 separate circuits you can turn on and off. That's why it's called a DPDT switch. Double Pole (the 1 and 2) Double Throw (the NO and NC)

[Jacen Solo]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Loreen. and thanks also to all the others in this thread who pointed out all the mistakes I made and helped me fix them.