Moving up in the world: first saber with sound

[oswaldkefo]

Title sums it up. I built 3 stunt sabers (no sound or swanky electronic-wizardry) with help from all you lovely people here and I am back for more!
I watched madcows video on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sApB7J5JdZ4) to learn how to do it. Now, I am fairly confident that I can do that since such care was put into the video, however I would like to maybe add some things.

I would like to do Shaak Ti-ish lightsaber (see pictures) so I want to add the LED bar-graph array. Ideally I would like to add the 2 accent LEDs as well but if the NBv2 cant do that or something, I am fine with them just being ornamental.
So my question is: how the heck do I do this?
I assume it goes somewhere between the battery and the NBv2 but I am not sure. I also do not know how to wire the whole thing to work in series, have them light-up all at once or in some pattern. I searched around for some similar threads and found one that was almost exactly what I was looking for, sadly I cannot understand all the technical jargon.

I am sorry to ask so many questions! Lucky for me, the jedi are famed for their patience eh?

Thanks one and allshaak ti saber.jpgs-l500 (1).jpgs-l500.jpg

if it helps, I am using pretty much everything from the YouTube video except I am using a Luxeon Royal Blue LED assembly from one of cannibalized sabers.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

The NB doesn't do anything like bar graph patterns. It can do a simple PLI type deal, but not a more complex thing. The two accent LEDs would be easier to do.

[oswaldkefo]

I did not know that, thank you. PLI would be cool, but I assume it requires a more intimate technical knowledge than I posses.

If I just treat them like standard accent LEDs (if the saber is, on they are all on) would that make it easier? In the thread I mentioned it was recommended to solder all the positive leads together and then the negative leads the same, because of the low power consumption 10 individual resistors were unnecessary. If that is the case, where would it go in the wiring? I would imagine it would be between the switch and the main LED. If so, would the other 2 accent LEDs be wired right next to that?
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Re...ator-P113.aspx This is what I would like to use 2x accent LEDs for.

2015-10-27_3-05-02.jpg <no bargraph or accent LEDs
wbag.jpg<its like an expensive version of pin the tail on the donkey

I appreciate your assistance

[Askew Wai]

The support for accent LEDs is limited to 20mA. You could supply 10mA (using the right resistor) to each of the solo accent LEDs, wiring them in parallel.

So additional current for the PLI LEDs could be gotten by wiring the LEDs in parallel to the blade LEDs (again with the right resistor). That's as far as I've gotten in practice.

Whether you then have the individual PLI LEDs in parallel or series will in theory be a choice. LEDs are usually wired in parallel so if one fails it doesn't leave additional current load on the other LED(s) (putting them at risk). If the LEDs use different loads (perhaps true, if yours are different colours) then serial LEDs can have an imbalanced load, risking the weaker members of the herd. So a whole lot of parallel LEDs is perhaps more reliable, assuming you're running them at near their current maximum. Now whether that is best done with a whole lot of parallel resistors, or just one splitting to all LEDs (different calculations) I haven't seen any explanation of that.

[oswaldkefo]

The support for accent LEDs is limited to 20mA. You could supply 10mA (using the right resistor) to each of the solo accent LEDs, wiring them in parallel.

So additional current for the PLI LEDs could be gotten by wiring the LEDs in parallel to the blade LEDs (again with the right resistor). That's as far as I've gotten in practice.

Whether you then have the individual PLI LEDs in parallel or series will in theory be a choice. LEDs are usually wired in parallel so if one fails it doesn't leave additional current load on the other LED(s) (putting them at risk). If the LEDs use different loads (perhaps true, if yours are different colours) then serial LEDs can have an imbalanced load, risking the weaker members of the herd. So a whole lot of parallel LEDs is perhaps more reliable, assuming you're running them at near their current maximum. Now whether that is best done with a whole lot of parallel resistors, or just one splitting to all LEDs (different calculations) I haven't seen any explanation of that.

Cool, I can try that.
I will poke around see if i cant figure out which resistors I will need to use. Thanks!

[hapki]

I have a few of those LEDs lying around. I want to use them but can't figure out how to mounty them in the hilt. Looks like you did a good job of that!