New LED String using Hasbro board Help

Dear Jedi and Sith,

i need your help and i hope youre better than my german friends.
Ok here we go. Im getting a Hasbro FX Luke Skywalker ANH lightsaber with removal blade. At first here the original schematic / wiring diagram. Because this board is a bit different from the others without removal blade. Please note that i used only 3 LEDs in the schematic but in real its more of course.

Attachment 9385

My first question is: When i use 2 or 3 times more LEDs as the standart Hasbro String has (so around 2 - 2.3 Ampere). Will the board (and the Clash sensor) burn or fried? Or just the LEDs glows half so bright?


Ok my 2nd part. Apart from the above. I know the boards bring max 1 - 1.2 A. My Led string need around 2- 2.3 A. So to solve the problem im using transistors (see pic).

Attachment 9386

Please note that im using instead of the 3 AAA, 18650 Li Ion for more current. Ok the idea is to use the power direct from the 18650. In this way im using transistors. The reason is: transistors are cheap, can be bought as SMD version (there is not much space in the hilt) and they can bring up to 800 mah. Wich is enough for each LED stripe. If someone want more power i need Mosfets are needed. The Hasbro board using transistors for the LEDs too. Ok to keep it simple the idea is to make a small board wich come between the hasbro board and the led string. Under the line the hasbro board transistors switch the new transistors wich switch the LED String.

So please can you check if i did a mistake? I hope it will work so and can maybe help than others too. Maybe i do a new Thread than with more Pics and informations to the build. But first i need a few good people to check my idea and schematic.

Thank you very much for your help. =)

Your logic is sound, and the diagram looks correct. It's a lot of work to do what you're trying to do, and I'd feel bad if I didn't let you know that you're reinventing the wheel, so to speak.

There is a version of the popular Crystal Focus soundboard by Plecterlabs that is specifically designed for use with LED strings. It supports up to 6 segments, with 2A available per segment. Take a look at the CF-LS available over at Plecterlabs and it should get you what you want with considerably less work.

You can still build your own if you enjoy the challenge. I'm just offering this as an alternative. Good luck with your build!

For another alternative you could convert to an led. Also I am pretty sure that those crystal focus boards are very hard to get so in the next run you need to be quick to get one. I think you would also need two 18650 or 14500 li-ion batteries from what I'm reading on plecterlabs.

Crystal Focus boards are a lot easier to get these days. The arrival of the Petit Crouton, and later the Nano Biscotte, have done a lot to help with the saber sound board supply.

You are correct though, a 7.4v li-ion pack is ideal for use with a CF.

Thank you very much for youre help =)

For this project its better for me just to solder a few transistors between the blade and the hasbro board. But for a costum made Lightsaber it would be great to have the board from Plecterlabs thanks for the hint =D

This sounds like a good idea that I would be interested in trying. Please let me know if it worked out well for you.

Gr?? Gott!
I have a similar idea in mind, I will start an own thread about it, but in my opinion this is a worthy project to try out! If you make it, you can still opt later to invest in a Plecter Lab board once you satisfied your qest for improving what you already have.
As to the wiring diagram you draw up, I see no flaw in it, it should work all right. I played around a lot with one of my Hasbros, I know from experience that there is some room left in the hilt to place those segment drive transistors, you might even be able to place one or two inside the blade under the black cap at the trunc of the blade which inserts into the hilt. I'm not worried about the clash sensor, it just sends a signal to the board, but alas I do not know what transistors Hasbro uses for the segments, if they can take that current (if you calculate ~2.3Amps, it's gonna be ~400mA per segment, well if the transistors they designed in there cannot take even that much, then their developers selected the worse possible transistors on the market to make sure no one tinkers with their toy...bus alas I do not know, maybe someone knows around here what type they are...). Currently I'm making a LED string with serialized sub-segments, they need less current but more voltage and maybe more Transistors to work properly with an MR/Hasbro board.

Viel Gl?ck und teil deine Ergebnisse mit uns!!! Sch?ne Gr??e aus Holzkirchen (Oberbayern)!