LEDWIZ32 Question about the Banks

[wbassett]

I hope I didn't make a mistake with the RGB LEDs I went with...

First though I have a question about the banks.  The board has four banks with 8 connections per bank.  I need to wire up 16 buttons so I bought two LEDWIZ32 boards.   Here is the question, I will be doing 8 buttons per board, do I put two buttons on each bank?  Reason I am asking is because if I wire everything to each output there will be LEDs that span two banks... example one RGB LED on outputs 1-3, second RGB LED on outputs 4-6, and the third would span the first and second banks using outputs 7-9.  I am thinking it should be first on bank 1 outputs 1-3, second on bank one outputs 4-6, third on bank two 9-11, and so on.  Would this be correct?

Next question and where I am concerned because I don't have easy access to the PC power supply- I will have 8 Electric Ice2 buttons with the Helio9 RGB LED lights.  Is this too much per board if being powered from a USB port on the PC?

Last question (for now)-  I know I will need something like LED Blinky to control the lights and colors, but what color will the buttons be once wired and without something like LED Blinky setup?  I am assuming white is that correct?

[wbassett]

Hopefully we're back up for good now and someone will be able to have time to answer this

[wbassett]

I know the forum has been up and down lately, but does anyone have an answer to this before I start wiring?  I have all the buttons replaced, now I need to wire them to the LEDWIZ boards and setup LED BLinky.  I'd rather wire once and be done, plus I want to make sure the boards can handle the load with the helio lights.

[RandyT]

Here is the question, I will be doing 8 buttons per board, do I put two buttons on each bank?  Reason I am asking is because if I wire everything to each output there will be LEDs that span two banks... example one RGB LED on outputs 1-3, second RGB LED on outputs 4-6, and the third would span the first and second banks using outputs 7-9.  I am thinking it should be first on bank 1 outputs 1-3, second on bank one outputs 4-6, third on bank two 9-11, and so on.  Would this be correct?

If you only need 8 Helio9's connected, then 2 units per bank is fine, and is a good load distribution.  You will need to tell the software you use where everything is connected, but you would need to do that anyway.

Next question and where I am concerned because I don't have easy access to the PC power supply- I will have 8 Electric Ice2 buttons with the Helio9 RGB LED lights.  Is this too much per board if being powered from a USB port on the PC?

The load depends on how the units are being used, but if all of the Helio9's are on at the same time, and in the color white (i.e. all 9 elements lit at once) you would need 180ma x 8, or 1440ma.  The USB port can only provide up to 500ma, minus the current required by whatever else you have on the port.  So no, you would not be able to power all of these from the USB port.  If you don't have access to the PC power supply, you would need a well regulated external 5VDC supply, rated at more than 1440ma,  to run your lighting.

Last question (for now)-  I know I will need something like LED Blinky to control the lights and colors, but what color will the buttons be once wired and without something like LED Blinky setup?  I am assuming white is that correct?

Without software, they will not light at all.  The LED-Wiz needs to be told what you want it to do, or it will do nothing.