Just when i heard and wanted to mix colors using resistors and potentiometers this thread popped up on top
I like to try this way of mixing with the trimmer potentiometers. I tried to understand the diagram and drew a draft version with 4.5v source. What happens when the mosfets are removed? Can someone look at the draft and help me on my way so that i know how to know: which resistors, mosfets, potentiometers i need (and where i should add the resistors?). I want to make sure that 3 leds combined can't go over 2A (when turning all tree potmeters max).
Thanks in advance
diagram v0.1.jpg
EDIT: i decided not to mix colors
Last edited by was; 11-27-2015 at 11:15 AM.
First post. Hope I'm not breaking a resurrecting-old-threads rule. Just wanted to say thank you for this awesome creative idea. Using the diagram and parts listed in this thread, I soldered this up last night. It's a 1 inch board. Works great on the bench with battery as source. Next to test with Nano Biscotte v3. I am wondering if the flicker is going to come through.
I had to slant stuff due to SMDs on premade breadboard without adapters. It works for version 1, plus it keeps the size down and less work adding additional components.
Each color is slightly laid out differently as I modified as I went along, but essentially it's the diagram, which I made after seeing the best way. Other jumps and stuff could be done of course, this just worked for me with what I had. Took me about an hour total. Again, THANK you!
CM-Diagram_1inch.jpgIMG_20160608_232926.jpgIMG_20160608_232943.jpgIMG_20160609_014132.jpgIMG_20160609_014501.jpg
Saberforge Epoch dual tone hilt.
**EDIT** maybe. so small inside.
Hey, am I going to have an issue with this on the Nano Biscotte V3...the board has a 2A max, no? Running all 3 dice, yes, but since not all at full blast....ugh. Here goes the math again.
Last edited by NoSloppy; 06-12-2016 at 08:16 PM.
A common workaround for this problem is to install a Power Xtender in parallel to the LED transistor do double the power rating.
If you look around here or at FX-Sabers you can find the instructions about how to wire the PEX for this application.
Sabersmith at the Ludosport Lightsaber Combat Academy
It's working as is....I am not driving more than one LED 100% at a time so it seems to be happy without getting out the meter and math right now. Also I barely fit everything in the hilt as is. Had to change to a wired battery instead of a holder and some serious cram-fu of the wires (there's 8 coming off the LED alone with 3x .5 5W resistors and a ceramic 1.5...all in the choke...WITH the switch...all in a unibody hilt. UGH.
Thanks for the reply.
Sorry to resurrect this thread, but this is very close to what I want to do with my current build.
Can this be done without a board? I'm trying to save money on my build by leaving out sound (I dislike the noise anyway. *ducks* Nobody lynch me please)
What works in my head is to have the proper resistor on each positive led wire, then the potentiometer (I understand that wiring only one outer prong and the center prong of the potentiometer makes it a variable resistor), then splice all positive together and all negative together and connect them to the battery wires.
Will this work, or am I making a huge rookie mistake?
Technically the solution works, but has something to be taken into account.
The majority of the potentiometers does not support currents up to 1A, which is pretty common with the LEDs we use today.
A required workaround is to put the potentiometer in series to the proper resistor for each LED.
This way the fixed resistor will take out the majority of the voltage drop (and obviously wattage/heat), but it remains an inefficient method.
Honestly I warmly suggest to drop the idea and try to use this circuit.
It's not that difficult all to build it, as you can see few posts up.
Sabersmith at the Ludosport Lightsaber Combat Academy
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