Simplified Wiring Check Parallel Cree/Accents for RGB crystal chamber

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12-27-2015, 09:27 PM
Sparda666

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Simplified Wiring Check Parallel Cree/Accents for RGB crystal chamber
Hi all, Im kind of a n00b here and am making plans for my first saber using Prizm (also no EE background). I've done some research/studying and I want to run my understanding and some simplified plans with some of you more experienced smiths. I basically want to run RGB accents in a crystal chamber to mirror my blade color. Below is a simplified sketch of what I want to do.

A few main questions:
- when wiring LEDs in parallel is it the same resistor values per LED as if you were doing them alone? (assuming each led gets its own resistor.) For example a red Cree LED usually neesd 1Ohm. If I were to run it in parallel with a low amperage accent led, do I need to adjust the resistor on the Cree in any way to compensate, or are they completely independent and everything is fine as long as the battery can supply the current?
- Ive seen other diagrams and accent LEDS get pointed to ground as well as PS+. What's the difference?
- Any other mistakes in my understanding shown in the drawing below?
http://i.imgur.com/EMGmfhL.png

Thanks all for teaching a new padawan.
12-28-2015, 06:52 AM
Silver Serpent
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparda666

when wiring LEDs in parallel is it the same resistor values per LED as if you were doing them alone? (assuming each led gets its own resistor.) For example a red Cree LED usually neesd 1Ohm. If I were to run it in parallel with a low amperage accent led, do I need to adjust the resistor on the Cree in any way to compensate, or are they completely independent and everything is fine as long as the battery can supply the current?
Yes, the LED dice are individually addressable. Calculate each LED value as if it were the only LED. Most any 18650 li-ion will provide sufficient current to power all three dice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparda666

Ive seen other diagrams and accent LEDS get pointed to ground as well as PS+. What's the difference?
Some people use accent LEDs as general power indicators. They'll connect them to PS+ and GND so that they turn on as soon as power is applied to the board. In your diagram, the accent LEDs need to be connected to the PS+ pad, since their negative is already hooked to the board.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparda666

Any other mistakes in my understanding shown in the drawing below?
None that I can see.
12-28-2015, 03:03 PM
girot

Hi there! I also am working on a Prizm build at this very moment. Feel free to reference my build log and ask any questions. I will do my best to share what I've learned so far and to figure out the rest along the way. The community here is pretty awesome. The veteran smiths can be a bit salty sometimes so if someone posts something that feels just a little abrasive just think of it as "tough love" and roll with it. Here are some basics you're likely to encounter (if you haven't already):

1) READ YOUR MANUAL. Cover to cover. Multiple times. When you come across concepts that are unfamiliar to you please take the time to do some basic reading on them. The learning curve isn't huge for this particular board (the Prizm) but it does have one.
2) LEARN OHM'S LAW. Do ALL of your resistor calculations manually. Online calculators (several of them) failed me horribly. Learning to do the math myself took 20 minutes and eliminated a lot of unnecessary frustration.
2) I was warned away from using the DynaOHM resistors for the CC due to the fact that they prevent the flicker effects in the CC from mirroring the blade.
3) The manual shows two different configurations for wiring in the common cathode RGB LED. One is tying them into the main color channels (as shown in your diagram) and the other is using an alternate location on the cards that ties into the color channels. There is some brief discussion about the merits of both methods but I think what you're planning is probably the safest bet.

Have you started soldering anything yet? I have some suggestions if not...
1) Use THIN solder with a flux core. DO NOT use that crap they sell at Lowes or Home Depot over in the tool department. It's like using a fire hose as a drinking fountain.
2) 24 AWG (gauge) wire is plenty strong enough. Anything larger and you're going to run out of room REALLY fast.
3) Solder your speaker in from the TOP side of the card. If you go from the bottom you'll end up blocking your SD card cradle (learned that one the hard way, lol).

While I didn't really have the patients to do a wiring diagram first I did manage to do my initial electronics build without cooking anything. I posted a video in my build log that includes a breakdown of how I wired everything the first time out. I've since updated thing but I'll do another video again later once the rest of my LEDs come in.