Wiring an LED bar graph array?

[Matt Thorn]

I got hold of a nifty LED bar graph array identical to the one used in the Shaak Ti/Adi Gallia saber. Rather than just use it purely cosmetically, I'd like to have it actually light up when the saber is on. I know how to wire a simple LED accent light, but this one has 20 pins! Does anyone know how I might do this, assuming, for example, that I'm using a 4aaa battery pack with a Luxeon III and an Ultrasound 2.0? Obviously, I'm going to need a resistor, right? Here's a JPEG of the datasheet:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SVNodx4YTsI/AAAAAAAAAHE/IjVk9Np8jdw/s400/SSA-LXB10GW-GF%2BLP.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Yg7tdRixM__tRguovemn6w?feat=embedwebsite)
And here's a link to the original PDF file (http://www.lumex.com/spec.asp?p_n=SSA-LXB10GW-GF/LP). The technical information is mostly Greek to me. And for those of you interested in buying it, here it is on mouser.com (http://jp.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=SSA-LXB10GW-GF/LPvirtualkey69600000virtualkey696-SSA-LXB10GW).
Finally, here's what it looks like on a fan-made replica of the saber hilt:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SVJeKGWkLfI/AAAAAAAAAGo/GRhOf-kc5lE/s400/saberwiki-swcreators-shaak_ti-aotc-fan-gallia_side3.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KGX3APDrfZWP38zPmupYPw?feat=embedwebsite[/url)
BTW, does any know who made this? I found the photo on the Lightsaber Archives here (http://www.lightsaberarchives.org/dokuwiki/doku.php/saberwiki:swcreators:shaak_ti). It's beautiful, but I would have polished the brass part and protected it with a sealant. I suppose it's a matter of taste.
It would be extremely cool if I could wire it so that the bar graph reflected the amount of power the Ultrsound board is sending the Luxeon, but I'd be happy just have have all ten LEDs light up while the saber is on.

[Matt Thorn]

Nevermind! I figured it out for myself. It's tedious, but quite simple. It's literally an array of ten separate LEDs that just happen to be encased in the same shell, so you treat each individual LED as you would any accent light. So I just soldered 150 ohm resistors to each positive post, then connected all those resistors to the positive lead from the battery pack. The negative posts (hidden from view in this photo) are all connected together directly, and connected to the negative lead from the battery pack.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SVOe4lcg4QI/AAAAAAAAAIA/fykXya3YnEM/s400/IMG_0253.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qIrgbLk42MW31e4NPjd93A?feat=embedwebsite)
Is this cool or what? :D

Now I just have to find a way to jam this thing inside a hilt without causing any shorts. :-? But I'm not even close to that stage yet.

BTW, if I place this array between the Ultrasound board and the Luxeon, the LEDs in the array will flicker and flash in unison with the Luxeon. :cool:

One more BTW: Lumex makes these in a variety of colors and styles (http://www.lumex.com/products.aspx?id=653).

[xwingband]

You can also switch to one resistor by putting them all in parallel. Just solder all the legs on each side together and it will act as one LED. That might help you fit things better.

It looks like a really nice soldering job though.

[Matt Thorn]

You can also switch to one resistor by putting them all in parallel. Just solder all the legs on each side together and it will act as one LED. That might help you fit things better.

It looks like a really nice soldering job though.

Thanks (for both the tip and the compliment). I tried getting more than one LED to light up using a single 150 ohm resistor, but had no luck, so I figured it couldn't be done--at least not with one 150 ohm resistor (and those are the only kind I have on hand). Would it take a different resistor to handle all ten LEDs? How many ohms would it have to be? I used the LED series/parallel array wizard (http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz), and it suggested this set-up:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SVOSZ9vQscI/AAAAAAAAAHg/OjKBOU5f_tY/s400/array.png (http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/lh/photo/OWqtgrj2xc_Pw9zArHzUdg?feat=embedwebsite)
The first thing that struck me about this diagram is that it shows the resistors on the negative side of the LEDs, rather than the positive side. What's up with that? :confused:

[JetSet]

This is ten levels of cool.

Think this will work with a mrfx board wired through the led to get power on and off flicker and stuff?

[neophyl]

The first thing that struck me about this diagram is that it shows the resistors on the negative side of the LEDs, rather than the positive side. What's up with that? :confused:

Its a circuit, it makes no difference what side the resistors are on. The total resistance stays the same.

[eastern57]

You calculate the resistance based on the total [required] current of all 10 LEDs. 10 LEDs x 25mA per segment = 250mA. With just a single 150ohm resistor, you were still only feeding 20mA to 10 LEDs (IOW 2mA per LED :)). If you're going to power all at once, try a 10ohm 2W resistor.

[Sairon]

that is COOL, and the saber looks like one of do-clo's, but I could be wrong, and idt does look mhs doable.

[xwingband]

Well, what I would do is to run it in parallel with the LED. If you are using an ultrasound or other driver the resistor calculation is made a bit simpler.

(Main LED Voltage - LED bargraph voltage)/Amps = resistor value

I'd recommend 100mA (or .1A for the calculation) to the whole bargraph.

If you don't have a PSU to test the main LED just meter it once setup or take the average value from the specs.

[Matt Thorn]

This is ten levels of cool.

Think this will work with a mrfx board wired through the led to get power on and off flicker and stuff?

Someone with more electrical savvy than I should have no trouble transferring the "ramp-up/ramp-down" effect to the LED bar. That would be pretty sweet, particularly since that effect is lost when using a single LED like a Luxeon III.

[Matt Thorn]

Its a circuit, it makes no difference what side the resistors are on. The total resistance stays the same.

Thanks. Learn something new everyday. :oops:

[Matt Thorn]

You calculate the resistance based on the total [required] current of all 10 LEDs. 10 LEDs x 25mA per segment = 250mA. With just a single 150ohm resistor, you were still only feeding 20mA to 10 LEDs (IOW 2mA per LED :)). If you're going to power all at once, try a 10ohm 2W resistor.

Thanks. Ohm's Law, right? Perhaps if I had been fiddling with that in the morning, instead of late Christmas night after a couple of beers, I'd have figured that out for myself. :oops: Yes, soldering under the influence. Darth Tyranus would slap me upside the head. ;)

[Matt Thorn]

that is COOL, and the saber looks like one of do-clo's, but I could be wrong, and idt does look mhs doable.

DoClo made a pair of sabers in this style for a customer. (http://www.fx-sabers.com/forum/index.php?topic=9695.0) But the non-functioning replica pictured here was made by someone else, and is much closer to the actual prop (also pictured on the Saberwiki page linked above).

[Matt Thorn]

Well, what I would do is to run it in parallel with the LED. If you are using an ultrasound or other driver the resistor calculation is made a bit simpler.

(Main LED Voltage - LED bargraph voltage)/Amps = resistor value

I'd recommend 100mA (or .1A for the calculation) to the whole bargraph.

If you don't have a PSU to test the main LED just meter it once setup or take the average value from the specs.

Just when I think I'm getting close to Intermediate level, one of you veterans reminds me just how much of a Beginner I am. ;) I'm afraid that whole post went over my head. I am in fact planning to run it parallel to the Luxeon III. Does that mean the crude solution I worked out here won't work when put in the same circuit as the Lux? And what's a PSU? I'm guessing it's not a reference to my alma mater. :confused:

[xwingband]

Oops... PSU is a power supply unit.

The way you have it wired is fine really. If you didn't measure the LED value though it will likely be dim. See... a driver like the Ultrasound gives out whatever voltage the LED needs. That's called "stepping down".

So I'm not sure what voltage you lit it with in that photo but it's not likely to be what the board gives to the LED. So if you have a multimeter I would check that. Or the simplest thing is to use an average spec. For III's the average is 3.9V for whites, green, and blues, and 2.95V for Reds and amber.

(Bonus! If your LED only needs 2.95V and the bargraph say needs 3.3V... don't worry about the resistor! It will regulate itself.)

Also I'll explain the parallel setup. For the bargraph it will be the positive from the board (same as Lux III), and the negative from the battery directly. This will make the bargraph mirror your main LED for all the lighting effects. :)

[Matt Thorn]

Oops... PSU is a power supply unit.

The way you have it wired is fine really. If you didn't measure the LED value though it will likely be dim. See... a driver like the Ultrasound gives out whatever voltage the LED needs. That's called "stepping down".

So I'm not sure what voltage you lit it with in that photo but it's not likely to be what the board gives to the LED. So if you have a multimeter I would check that. Or the simplest thing is to use an average spec. For III's the average is 3.9V for whites, green, and blues, and 2.95V for Reds and amber.

(Bonus! If your LED only needs 2.95V and the bargraph say needs 3.3V... don't worry about the resistor! It will regulate itself.)

Also I'll explain the parallel setup. For the bargraph it will be the positive from the board (same as Lux III), and the negative from the battery directly. This will make the bargraph mirror your main LED for all the lighting effects. :)

Thanks. I'm pretty sure I got all that. :-D I'm thinking of using this with a blue Luxeon III, so I suppose I'll need a resistor. The Ultrasound 2.0 allows you to set the LED you're using. I wonder if the "Luxeon III Overdrive" setting would compensate for any dimming effect? BTW, in the photo I have the LED bar alone attached to a 4aaa battery pack, without a driver or Lux, which is probably why it's so bright.

[Matt Thorn]

Oops... PSU is a power supply unit.

The way you have it wired is fine really. If you didn't measure the LED value though it will likely be dim. See... a driver like the Ultrasound gives out whatever voltage the LED needs. That's called "stepping down".

So I'm not sure what voltage you lit it with in that photo but it's not likely to be what the board gives to the LED. So if you have a multimeter I would check that. Or the simplest thing is to use an average spec. For III's the average is 3.9V for whites, green, and blues, and 2.95V for Reds and amber.

(Bonus! If your LED only needs 2.95V and the bargraph say needs 3.3V... don't worry about the resistor! It will regulate itself.)

Also I'll explain the parallel setup. For the bargraph it will be the positive from the board (same as Lux III), and the negative from the battery directly. This will make the bargraph mirror your main LED for all the lighting effects. :)

Wait, I said I think I got all that, but I didn't. :oops: The specs on newark.com (http://www.newark.com/lumex/ssa-lxb10gw-gf-lp/bar-graph-led/dp/09J9182) say the array has "Forward Current:25mA", "Forward Voltage:2.6V". But I don't know if that's for each LED or the whole array. This is where the fuse in my tiny brain gets close to blowing. Is the number of LEDs irrelevant?

Forward voltage of the blue Luxeon III: 3.9v
minus
Forward voltage of array: 2.6v
equals 1.3v
...
divided by 0.1 amps...?
...
equals 13...ohms...? And the resistor wattage would be...:confused::confused:

Fuse blown. Time to go watch the Teletubbies and eat dry Cheerios. :shock:

[Sairon]

This saber could be done also with a 1.25 sinktube, 1.25 blade holder, and hardware stuff over top

[eastern57]

Matt, the specs provided apply to each segment - each LED requires 2-2.5V @25mA. So if you run all the LEDs in the bargraph in parallel, that means the current requirements get added up - 250mA total. The voltage requirements stay the same.

What Xwing is refering to with the US, is the voltage is adjusted automatically, and feed what the LED requires - so you don't need to worry about that - just pay attention to the current requirements.

I've wired up accent LEDs with an ultrasound (just like he described), and you'll see that with that much required current, you won't need a resistor anyway.


... and last thing, Matt - multi-quote & edit buttons are your friend ;)

[Matt Thorn]

This saber could be done also with a 1.25 sinktube, 1.25 blade holder, and hardware stuff over top

I'm debating whether to do it that way, or fudge it with MHS parts. Carving out the decorative "gullies" on MHS pieces could be beyond the capacity of the equipment I have, but dremelling a sinktube and laying it over a basic MHS hilt with a black matte finish would fairly easy.

To top it off, I'd like to use that LED array as the switch, probably improvising a momentary pushbutton switch with a couple of springs and a tactile switch. Sounds like I'm biting off more than I can chew, doesn't it? :-P The alternative is finding some way to improvise a momentary switch (pushbutton or rotating) from one of the two big silver thumbscrews. (BTW, I found thumbscrews of just the right size and shape online. I think. DoClo says he custom machined the ones on his Adi Gallia sabers.)

Then there's the whole problem of the blade holder. I'm thinking of just asking Tim to custom machine one for me. And since I've ordered a Craftsman Powder Coating System, I might try powder coating the blade holder (Xtreme Chrome and Sun Gold) myself. :D As for the pommel, I think the MPS pommel style 4 will do, though it's actually rather shorter than the real thing.

I've derailed the thread. Sorry 'bout that. :?

[Matt Thorn]

Matt, the specs provided apply to each segment - each LED requires 2-2.5V @25mA. So if you run all the LEDs in the bargraph in parallel, that means the current requirements get added up - 250mA total. The voltage requirements stay the same.

What Xwing is refering to with the US, is the voltage is adjusted automatically, and feed what the LED requires - so you don't need to worry about that - just pay attention to the current requirements.

I've wired up accent LEDs with an ultrasound (just like he described), and you'll see that with that much required current, you won't need a resistor anyway.

So since the LED array hooked up in parallel would require 250mA, I wouldn't need a resistor at all? And hooking it up in parallel would basically mean connecting all the positive posts together, doing the same with the negative posts, then putting the array between the Luxeon III and the Ultrasound board...?


... and last thing, Matt - multi-quote & edit buttons are your friend ;)

They will be from now on, yes. :oops:

[eastern57]

So since the LED array hooked up in parallel would require 250mA, I wouldn't need a resistor at all? And hooking it up in parallel would basically mean connecting all the positive posts together, doing the same with the negative posts, then putting the array between the Luxeon III and the Ultrasound board...?



They will be from now on, yes. :oops:

Parallel means both are running from the same sources (i.e. LED pads)... and strangely enough, yes, it will work - and not overload - without a resistor... I don't have an explanation for that yet.

[Matt Thorn]

Parallel means both are running from the same sources (i.e. LED pads)... and strangely enough, yes, it will work - and not everload - without a resistor... I don't have an explanation for that yet.

Thanks! I'll give it a try.

[Matt Thorn]

Reviving an old thread here. I finally got around to making this project a reality (?), and would be grateful if someone with more electronic expertise could check this wiring diagram for me. Apologies for scribbling rather than using Fireworks or Photoshop, like I usually do, but I was in a bit of a hurry, and I think (well, hope) the diagram is pretty easy to read. From what everyone told me, I gather I don't need any resistors, since the Lux III, accent LED, and LED bar gragh array are all powered by the MR board.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZWXYvk_42I/AAAAAAAAAfE/AW3xvpeB768/s400/wiring_diagram.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/325s_iDJUsN9pRyDosQ8PQ?feat=embedwebsite)
Yeah, I know it looks like a sketch of the internal organs of some rare deep-sea fish, but it's actually a light saber. And the position of things will be basically as I drew it. Here is the hilt it is going into.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZWV8pCkvII/AAAAAAAAAeQ/xJCTVhypUoI/s400/IMG_0404.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CYhwhaTYDcijk_ebW1Hq1w?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZWV90PkZyI/AAAAAAAAAeU/8dvVusp7kEY/s400/IMG_0405.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/l8kFt3SYOqODl4TePLE77w?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZWV_0NGUtI/AAAAAAAAAec/D8wfPWlySx0/s400/IMG_0407.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cSvAItGsvdFg8yGPAOnd6w?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZWWBHYB0TI/AAAAAAAAAeg/vEcSrKVztJg/s400/IMG_0408.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yL8yI3St_LhDT0rWNTWM5g?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZWWCbXs_3I/AAAAAAAAAek/-RscPtr7mrg/s400/IMG_0409.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TvTrVZF5Cdcfz4ZMI-eIyw?feat=embedwebsite)
Unlike the color-changing saber I just finished, in which I obsessed over the wiring, and the hilt was an afterthought, in this case I was stupid enough to build the hilt before giving serious thought to the wiring. In fact, I finished the hilt more than a month ago. And, of course, the idea for the hilt was based entirely around the idea of using an LED bar graph array that actually lights up. My original plan was to make a replica of a clan saber that uses the array, but I decided it would be too difficult, and besides, I liked my own design better. :p

Note that I haven't actually put a switch anywhere yet. (The "knobs" on the left-hand side are purely cosmetic thumbscrews.) I was hoping to make the array work as a switch, but decided that would be biting off more than I can chew, so I'm going to add a latching switch, probably on the underside, directly opposite and just above the array. (Oh, I'm using an MR Mace board now rather than an UltraSound; thus the latching switch.)

[Jay-gon Jinn]

Most of the diagram looks okay, but you have all of your led's wired in series not parrallel. For a parallel connection, you attach all of the negative together, and all of the positives together then attach to the board's respective outputs.

[Matt Thorn]

Most of the diagram looks okay, but you have all of your led's wired in series not parrallel. For a parallel connection, you attach all of the negative together, and all of the positives together then attach to the board's respective outputs.

Great. That's exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for. Thanks! :D

[Sairon]

Thats a nice looking saber if I may add.

[Lord Dottore Matto]

Matt, I'll echo Jay-gon. Definitely run that in parallel not in series. The MR board will not light that array in series (at least not well).

BTW, I should mention that I am impressed with the way that you are a problem solver and always seem to be thinking. Kudos to you.:cool:

[Matt Thorn]

Matt, I'll echo Jay-gon. Definitely run that in parallel not in series. The MR board will not light that array in series (at least not well).

BTW, I should mention that I am impressed with the way that you are a problem solver and always seem to be thinking. Kudos to you.:cool:

Thanks, Sairon and LDM. I hope the final saber justifies the praise. ;)

[FenderBender]

Impressed I am also with the progress you have made in the last couple of months! Great shroud work on that hilt man. Love the little band around the accent LED. *Fender' apologizes in advance for stealing that idea* ;)

[eastern57]

Impressed I am also with the progress you have made in the last couple of months! Great shroud work on that hilt man. Love the little band around the accent LED. *Fender' apologizes in advance for stealing that idea* ;)

Whoa cool, I didn't even notice that - that's right up your alley, Fenders!

And Matt, just to plant the seed, if you're going to be using an MR mace board... you might be able to get a little more out of that bargraph (ref: fishbone/obsidioro - hintimus hintacai). I, me, myself will certainly be using that concept more often now. ;)

EDIT: this is what I mean: http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn260/eastern57/MR%20board/fishbone.jpg

[Matt Thorn]

Impressed I am also with the progress you have made in the last couple of months! Great shroud work on that hilt man. Love the little band around the accent LED. *Fender' apologizes in advance for stealing that idea* ;)

Thanks. I did a half a dozen drafts before I settled on that design for the band that crosses the accent LED. :D


Whoa cool, I didn't even notice that - that's right up your alley, Fenders!

And Matt, just to plant the seed, if you're going to be using an MR mace board... you might be able to get a little more out of that bargraph (ref: fishbone/obsidioro - hintimus hintacai). I, me, myself will certainly be using that concept more often now. ;)

EDIT: this is what I mean: http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn260/eastern57/MR%20board/fishbone.jpg

Ah-hah! Wish I had seen that earlier. I've already got it wired and in the hilt. :rolleyes: Well, the seed is planted now, and I still have a bunch of the LED bar graph arrays, so someday!

[eastern57]

I just drew it up today. :) So I doubt you would have seen it before today...

[Matt Thorn]

I just drew it up today. :) So I doubt you would have seen it before today...

Ha-ha. You're late in dropping your hints. :p
Here's the finished saber. Unfortunately, the LED bar graph is so bright I couldn't get a sharp picture of it! Of the three sabers I've made to date, this is by far my favorite. And hopefully it will be reasonably duelable. I added a couple of close-ups of the switch, which I also think is pretty cool. :cool:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZfGodHAt9I/AAAAAAAAAfg/f6yfO8mdxYU/s400/IMG_0415.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aqFppbUYy309gG32PmIiSw?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZfGqzeSngI/AAAAAAAAAfo/j58CiCVGih8/s400/IMG_0417.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RI4x6owq-YkOHa0K1DCvuw?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZfGrwgYeBI/AAAAAAAAAfw/wd7sPuYlXzY/s400/IMG_0418.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qOlu_xfLY4rC8uJMonjH5A?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZfGs7YgwJI/AAAAAAAAAf0/jC8B7R0DMmg/s400/IMG_0419.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zGsdPFUteUsIb32zy_EBlA?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZfGtwqIKrI/AAAAAAAAAf4/N32g-fgw9wg/s400/IMG_0420.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eHU0bORwY5MQHSSNDj45pw?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZfGuwE4oGI/AAAAAAAAAf8/0fxFPIZtQts/s400/IMG_0421.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TV6WfqnvxXduiKtI1HYvwA?feat=embedwebsite)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_THBqz9vPciU/SZfGv7DFHvI/AAAAAAAAAgA/wo30WT_hILo/s400/IMG_0422.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gTDNVrcwLDyNqE2Tojfknw?feat=embedwebsite)

[cardcollector]

Very nice!!! I like the red accent LED. it gves it a perfect touch!!

[Frank G]

Someone with more electrical savvy than I should have no trouble transferring the "ramp-up/ramp-down" effect to the LED bar. That would be pretty sweet, particularly since that effect is lost when using a single LED like a Luxeon III.

If you are using an UltraSound Board, you would have to make a separated circuit to have that effect on the bargraph. But, if you are using a MRfx board then it is quite simple:

MR boards turn on a full blade in 6 segments(red/orange/yellow/green/blue/purple)


Hook up the one that lights up the first segment to your 3W LED(dont remember if its red or purple)
Then hook up the rest of the five wires to the bargraph (in order, 2 segments of the bargraph per wire)
Remember that the wires are "negatives" and the brown wire is a common positive


You will need 1 resistor for each segment-pair
Be very patient an it will work like a charm!

[Sairon]

That looks great Matt! But I would change the switch from red to black, black seems to fit better.

[Matt Thorn]

If you are using an UltraSound Board, you would have to make a separated circuit to have that effect on the bargraph. But, if you are using a MRfx board then it is quite simple

Thanks, Frank. Eastern provided a great diagram for that very setup...after I finished the saber. ;)


That looks great Matt! But I would change the switch from red to black, black seems to fit better.

Hmm. Black would definitely be less conspicuous, which is what I originally wanted. I think after finishing my incredibly subdued color-changing saber hilt, I subconsciously wanted to go for more bling. :p

BTW, the red accent LED is out. I don't know if it's because I broke a connection in the crowded emitter end of the hilt, or if it was burned out by too much power. I'll have to dissect it once again to find out. :rolleyes:

Also, the LED bar graph array, in addition to being really bright, gets quite warm. I wonder if that's normal, or if it's getting too much juice. :confused:

[Kal El Rah]

Warmth is excess voltage being bled off, so yeah most likely to much JUICE.

[eastern57]

If you are using an UltraSound Board, you would have to make a separated circuit to have that effect on the bargraph. But, if you are using a MRfx board then it is quite simple:

MR boards turn on a full blade in 6 segments(red/orange/yellow/green/blue/purple)


Hook up the one that lights up the first segment to your 3W LED(dont remember if its red or purple)
Then hook up the rest of the five wires to the bargraph (in order, 2 segments of the bargraph per wire)
Remember that the wires are "negatives" and the brown wire is a common positive


You will need 1 resistor for each segment-pair
Be very patient an it will work like a charm!


You would be an absolute genius... about five months ago. ;)

[Matt Thorn]

So...while I'm checking on the red accent LED, should I add a resistor? If so, how many Ohms/Watts? Yeah, I know I should be able to figure this out on my own, but my particular brand of ADD makes it hard for me to deal with calculations that have multiple variables. :cry: I'm using a blue Luxeon III and 4.8V 4aaa Ni-MH battery pack (1000mA). The red accent LED wants a forward voltage of 1.85V and 10mA (if I'm reading the data sheet properly). The bar graph array seems to want 2.2V and 25mA per chip (again, if I'm reading the data sheet properly).

Totally off-topic: This weekend was like spring here in Kyoto, as if winter had ended abruptly. This morning it's snowing. :rolleyes:

[eastern57]

sounds about right. Also sounds like you got some weak LEDs. Might I suggest HB (high brightness)?

This should (at least) get you started... I still use it

http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz

[Matt Thorn]

sounds about right. Also sounds like you got some weak LEDs. Might I suggest HB (high brightness)?

This should (at least) get you started... I still use it

http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz

I had never heard of HB-LEDs until I read your post and Googled. I chose the red accent LED for the simple reason that 1) I liked the small size, and 2) I liked the anodized black bracket. Any suggestions for alternatives? With the bar graph array, obviously, I've got to work with what I have. I use that resistor calculator myself, and it's great for calculating single LEDs or a series of identical LEDs. Where my head turns to fudge is trying to figure out the needed resistance in a case like this, where I have three very different kinds of LEDs, and a total of 12 LEDs. :(

[eastern57]

if you're using three different LEDs, you should use separate circuits - different requirements and all. if they're the same LEDs, just add them up: total current for parallel, total voltage for series.

And if you're looing for ideas, look at any of my project threads, I like to use HB LEDs for just about everything! ;)

[Frank G]

You would be an absolute genius... about five months ago. ;)

:sad: OH MAN!!!

I hate it when Im too late to help! It happens to me ALL THE TIME.
Im some times even more than a year late :rolleyes:

[Matt Thorn]

if you're using three different LEDs, you should use separate circuits - different requirements and all. if they're the same LEDs, just add them up: total current for parallel, total voltage for series.

And if you're looing for ideas, look at any of my project threads, I like to use HB LEDs for just about everything! ;)

Wow! Your projects are amazing. And they remind me again of what a n00b I still am. Different circuits, huh? Hmm. I've already got a latching SPST switch installed, and the emitter end is already so crowded I can barely get the blade holder screwed on (which is probably why the connection on the red accent LED broke). Even if I just made two circuits (with the red accent LED and bar graph array on one circuit), I'd have to do major surgery and find a DPDT switch that'll fit the hole I made the the current one.

Do you have any product numbers for the HB LEDs you use? Where do you get them? Thanks.

[eastern57]

Do you have any product numbers for the HB LEDs you use? Where do you get them? Thanks.

:? dude, epic question... with all the sourcing that i've done, you're better off telling me what you want to do... then I can narrow it down... :cool:

[Matt Thorn]

:? dude, epic question... with all the sourcing that i've done, you're better off telling me what you want to do... then I can narrow it down... :cool:

Episode I in The Epic Saga of Matt's Pursuit of HB LEDs: Novice sabersmith Matt Thorn, having recently fried a nifty little bracketed red LED, seeks to replace it with a similar, yet brighter, bracketed LED, because he's too thick to figure out a way to mount a non-bracketed LED on the inside of a hilt. As our story begins, our n00bian hero seeks the counsel of LED-fu master Eastern57....

[eastern57]

Just as replacements or accent LEDs? Either 5mm or 3mm. 5mm for one or two LEDs. 3mm for more "bargraph" type set-ups.

And since they don't have to be the same batch, ebay is fine. or Tim. ;)

[Matt Thorn]

Just as replacements or accent LEDs? Either 5mm or 3mm. 5mm for one or two LEDs. 3mm for more "bargraph" type set-ups.

And since they don't have to be the same batch, ebay is fine. or Tim. ;)

So Tim's accent LEDs are HB? In that case, I think the ones I'm using may be HB as well. :confused: The LEDs I have are made (or distributed) by a Japanese company called Satoh Parts. They don't have an English-language data sheet, but here's a Google-translated version of the page (http://translate.google.co.jp/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.satoparts.co.jp%2Fjp% 2FDB%2FDB-9-T.html&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=ja&ie=UTF-8).

[eastern57]

The accent LEDs in misc. are NOT BH - These are:

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Product.aspx?ProductId=357

[Matt Thorn]

The accent LEDs in misc. are NOT BH - These are:

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Product.aspx?ProductId=357

"Not listed"!? Wow. Makes me wonder what else isn't listed. ;) I'm guessing these are basic non-bracketed, 5mm LEDs like the kind Makototsai uses in his blades? No product details are provided...