Wiring Configuration

[Lord_Jyensba_Lalne]

http://www.maj.com/gallery/Bakuta/MyLightsaber/wiring.bmp

Sorry I've been gone for a LONG time, but life caught up to me. So would this wiring configuration work? I have a feeling that I will finish my saber within the next year...Dang, this kinda stinks...

[Lord Maul]

what sound board are you using? if it is a MR then you need a latching switch :wink:

i can't help ya with anything else :(

[Lord_Jyensba_Lalne]

I'd really like to know if this'll work. I'm ready to put this stuff in. And I'm using a Darth Vader Hasbro Sound Board, btw.

And what kind of Diode will I need? Please post a link to one at RadioShack, please...

[Jedi-Loreen]

I have not see this schematic configuration done before. Did you come up with it yourself?

I don't know if you can wire up a Hasbro sound board with an EL blade this way. It certainly can't take 12 volts, you'll fry it.

Is a 220 ohm resistor the right one for 12V to your accent LED?

Not sure why you'd need a diode, but the 5V relay should go between the battery pack and the sound board.

But the inverter won't run on just 5V. You should run that directly off of the 12V from the battery pack and split it off to run the sound board on just 5V.

Don't quote me on that though, because I've never done it. I hope someone who knows, will correct me if I'm wrong.

And before you get impatient and wire everything up according to your diagram and fry your LED and sound board.

[Hasid Lafre]

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1015

does anyone not read the thread index?

[Jedi-Loreen]

Apparently I don't. :oops:

[Lord_Jyensba_Lalne]

Come on, just tell me if the stupid thing will work as is. Thanks for your input Loreen, but I'd really like more opinions before I try something I have no idea what to do.

EDIT: Also, which side of the OHM resistor needs to be connected to the LED I have and which side needs to be where on the positive and negative wires to the Mono Jack? The two color bands on the ends are Brownish and Gold.

EDIT THE SEQUEL: And does it matter which way the diode is facing? If so which way should it be facing?

[Ghostbat]

there are too many unknowns to simply say it will or won't work but in my admittedly limited technical knowledge (I treat electronics like I treat mechanics, if it didn't explode it worked) I can say a few things.

1) Yes a diode is polarized, it is basically a one way gate so you need to have positive and negative leads on the correct sides, on an LED the indicator would be the UN flattened edge and/or a longer lead on the positive side. Not so sure on a non light emitting diode.

2) Voltage drop across an LED is absolute, so the in line LED could result in you starving the sound board, example: you are running 9 volts out and the LED is a 3 volt LED, 6 volts are coming off the other end of the LED

3) The LED in question will likely need a resistor as well which could further effect other components in the circuit.

Anyone who wants to correct me, please do, I am basing this off a couple electronics classes, one weekend LED workshop, and a lot of trial and error :)

EDIT: I'm an idiot and didn't see the resistor on the diagram, ignore at least that much of point 3

Further EDIT: an intertube search shows me that the positive side of a diode is typically the unmarked side? That seems counter-intuitive...

[Ghostbat]

I'm also a bit confused by the relay, shouldn't a relay have two inputs of power? a controlling voltage and the voltage it's switching?

EDIT: Ok, looking at Do-Clo's diagram I think I get what the relay is doing, there are really two circuits here with the sound board circuit controlling the EL inverter? So the sound board is the controlling voltage.

[Lord_Jyensba_Lalne]

2) Voltage drop across an LED is absolute, so the in line LED could result in you starving the sound board, example: you are running 9 volts out and the LED is a 3 volt LED, 6 volts are coming off the other end of the LED


What would happen if I "starved" the sound board as you say?

Also, I have question about the LED on my diagram. The two red lines that are coming off of the LED: Could those be "branched" wires? I can't remember what I was thinking when I made this...