Wiring Pac Drive Problem. LED runs hot (SOLVED: Don't cut out inline resistor)

[jdbailey1206]

I have wired three 5 volt leds to Ultimarcs Pac Drive.  But the last bulb in the chain burns hot and dim.  Any ideas?
Again thanks in advance.

[jdbailey1206]

Does anyone know if the Pac Drive has to powered by a certain version of USB?  ie 1.0, 2.0.

[PL1]

How much current are the LEDs rated to draw?

Are you plugged into a powered USB hub, an unpowered hub, or a port on the motherboard?

Are the LEDs wired in series or parallel?

Does the last LED have the same value resistor as the other two?

More details/pics?


Scott

[jdbailey1206]

Scott,

In the setup I have one Red Convex LED Lighted Arcade Pushbutton from Paradise Arcade Shop and two NovaGemCDR Coin Drop Replacement Pushbuttons from GGG.  They are run in that order from my Pac Drive. 

I don't know how much current the Convex LED is rated for but it has a rating of 5V AC/DC while the Coin Drops are rated at 100 ma @5V DC.

I am plugged into my motherboard which is rated for 2.0 USB which I believe is strong enough to power the Pac Drive.  I have a powered USB hub at the house which I have not tried yet.

The LEDs are run in a series.  I have not tried to run them parallel.  Last night I only plugged in the one switch that was giving me the problem and still had the same affect.  Thinking it was a problem with the LED earlier I got a new switch but I am having the same problem.

I CANNOT say for certain that the Paradise Arcade button has the same value resistor as the other two.  Is there any way to check with a meter?

The attached images are how Ultimarc shows 5V to be wired and how I wired it.  I drew over the wires in Photoshop how it was wired.  (Don't you like my killer 5 year old art skills?   ) 

The button on the top left (because I couldn't get it in the shot) is the button from Paradise Arcade Shop.  If any more info is needed let me know.  I also included a picture of how dim the one button gets. The picture does not do it justice.  There is a major contrast IRL.

[PL1]

The reason they are so different in brightness is that the CDR buttons are designed to draw about 4-5 times the current of the Paradise ones.

Picture putting a 20 or 25 watt light bulb next to a 100 watt bulb.

The LEDs are run in a series.

Umm, they're daisy chained in parallel.

To wire them in series, you would have the output of one leading to the input of the next.

There are three ways to balance the light level between the two styles of buttons:
1. Make the Paradise button brighter -- requires finding either an extra-bright or a cluster-type led similar to this one.



2. Make the CDRs dimmer by adding a current limiting resistor -- probably easiest to add it on the black wire side.



3. Find one LED that fits both types of buttons.


Scott

[jdbailey1206]

The two lights that are shown in the dark photograph are both from GGG.  The one that is dimmer on the right of the photo is the first of two in a series of three.  This first one also runs extremely hot.  Starts to get hot within 30 seconds of the computer starting up.  This is the second one I have installed due to the last one burning out within one day of use.  The last one, from Paradise, is dull.  I'm not worried about that one.  It is in the back of the cabinet.

My concern is that the first two, both from GGG are not the same intensity and the first one in the chain is EXTREMELY HOT and burns out.  It starts fine but gets hot and burns out.

[PL1]

Sounds like there is a poor/high resistance connection in the first button.

Try swapping the bulbs in the CDRs to see if it follows the bulb or if it is related to the socket.


Scott

[jdbailey1206]

It may be.  When GGG sends out their CDR's they solder on the wires.  Why?  I don't know.  I had to remove the solder so the connection may be bad.  I have two new push buttons coming from Ultimarc that I am going to switch out with these.  So they will be same and not have solder still on them.  I went to get a desolder tool from R*AHEM* Shacmffmfmf yesterday.  Convinced myself that I would only need the desolder wick.     Might have over heated the post trying to remove the solder.  Need to go with my gut in the future.  When I get home I am going to try to put the grounds in order of the buttons, do what you requested, and switch buttons.  Here's to hoping.

[PL1]

Yeah, you might have created the problem during the desoldering.

If it's any consolation, you're a little less likely to cause heat damage using the wick than with a solder sucker.

Consider getting a heat sink clip, too.




Scott

[RandyT]

It may be.  When GGG sends out their CDR's they solder on the wires.  Why?  I don't know.  I had to remove the solder so the connection may be bad.

If you removed the wiring, you also removed the in-line resistor which is regulating current to the LED's.  This is why the LED's are getting hot, and burning out.  The wires can be shortened, but the section with heat-shrink material, near the button, must remain.

[jdbailey1206]

Good to know.  I thought the heat shrink was just connectors.  I still kept the wires and used new ones.  I'll put the resistor back in the loop.  Wondered why the one on the left was good and the right one wasn't.

[PL1]

D'oh.  Missed this under the CDR description.

Pre-Attached, extra-long 48" lighting wires with resistor termination.

Scott

[jdbailey1206]

Dont feel bad Scott.  I looked over the description twice today and read right over it.  Im gonna leave difficult things like reading to the professionals.