2010 Electronic Lightsaber w/ DVD Tutorial

[Ballistic Jello]

All right guys, I've (of course) had to change plans midstream while building my sink tube saber. I don't seem to have enough room for 2 3.7 volt li-ion batteries, so I think I will be using just one of them and downgrade from the Lux V green LED that I have to a Cree XR-E green. How much voltage does the 2010 Anakin board need...and how much can it cope with?

Ok, after thinking about this, (and actually using a little logic...shocker!) the Anakin board uses 4.5 volts (3X 1.5 volts...DUR!). The real question is, can the Anakin board operate off of only 3.7 volts as opposed to the 4.5 volts it would normally have?

Sorry if these are very noobie questions, but I AM a noob at this after all!

[cardcollector]

I have only used 3.7V Li-ion cells with these boards and they work great.

I've also run older boards 3V-6V, Anything above 6V I've fried...

[Ballistic Jello]

Thanks Cardcollector! To say you are the bomb-diggity would be an understatement! Now am I right in assuming that if I use the (1) 3.7 volt battery with a Seoul P4 (from the store) and my Anakin board that I no longer need the regulator, resistor, and transistor?

[Rhyen Skytracker]

If you use the 2010 Anakin board you will still need the transistor.

[cardcollector]

You won't need a resistor, but you will still want to use the transistor setup.

The reason behind this is because your LED like to run at 1000ma. The cheapy 2010 boards only give off around 20ma. The trasistor "switches" the power straight to the LED (which gives you the 900-1000ma you need for a bright and happy LED), and the board. Instead of power through the board to the LED.

You won't need a regulator because you are running the board below 6V.

[RevengeoftheSeth]

The purpose of the transistor is to allow for the LED to perform the flash on clash and flash on startup effects.

A transistor's intended purpose is to act as a flood gate by using a small amount of electricity to control a larger amount of electricity (like an amplifier). When it is triggered, it unleashes the larger amount. In our case, we are using it in the opposite way it was intended. We are leaving the flood gates open normally, and using the negative poles to close the flood gates to cut off the electricy for the 'flash' effect.

[jjshumpert]

sorry seth but that is not correct, the transistor functions to give the lux the ma that the board is incapable of delivering. the foc function is a product of the board programing alone and has nothing to do with the transistor.

[RevengeoftheSeth]

Apparently you didn't understand (or fully read) what I just posted, because that is what I said in not-so-few words.

The LED gets the correct current from the battery (through the transistor and resistor). The transistor is CONTROLLED by the negative leads coming from the board. When the negative terminals are active, the LED functions normally. When they shut off (controlled by the board), they close the gate on the transistor and stop the current from flowing to the LED temporarily. Therefor, it DOES have something to do with the transistor (by proxy of the board).

What I said was not incorrect. You just didn't understand it.

[jjshumpert]

"What I said was not incorrect. You just didn't understand it."

i find great humor in this statement...

[Skottsaber]

What JJ means, Seth, is that the Transistor MAY give you flash on activation etc, but its PRIMARY use is to give the full amount of current to the LED.