Main Restorations Software Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Everything Else Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements Monitor/Video GroovyMAME Merit/JVL Touchscreen Meet Up Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing Woodworking Software Support Forums Consoles Project Arcade Reviews
Automated Projects Artwork Frontend Support Forums Pinball Forum Discussion Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board controls.dat Linux Miscellaneous Arcade Wiki Discussion Old Archives
Lightguns Arcade1Up Try the site in https mode Site News

Unread posts | New Replies | Recent posts | Rules | Chatroom | Wiki | File Repository | RSS | Submit news

  

Author Topic: PAC Drive w/ 12V LED Buttons Problem (Dim lighting)  (Read 2823 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Rantlers

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2
  • Last login:November 22, 2024, 08:06:18 am
  • I want to build my own arcade controls!
PAC Drive w/ 12V LED Buttons Problem (Dim lighting)
« on: May 28, 2024, 04:13:29 pm »
Hi, wondering if someone could guide me in the right direction.  I'm having an issue with the brightness of my 12V LED buttons, they're very dim when running LED Blinky.  The program recognizes all the buttons individually as expected, but I can't figure a way to increase the brightness (for the record they look incredibly bright when connecting +/- to a direct power source).  Things I've tried:

  • 2A, 3A, and 5A 12V power supplies (only 14 buttons)
  • Powered USB hub for the PAC Drive connection
  • multiple different USB cables
  • Connecting fewer buttons

The buttons: https://www.diyretroarcade.com/collections/arcade-parts-buttons/products/one-piece-design-28mm-led-12v-illuminated-buttons-switch-for-arcade1up-machines

Wiring setup: positive side daisy-chained directly to a 12V source and the ground wires connected to the individual terminals as recommended in the "Advanced Connection Methods" on Ultimarc's page.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2024, 08:40:04 pm by Rantlers »

lilshawn

  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7513
  • Last login:Yesterday at 06:49:54 pm
  • I break stuff...then fix it...sometimes
Re: PAC Drive w/ 12V LED Buttons Problem (Dim lighting)
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2024, 11:43:09 am »
your controller may be trying to drive the LED's on a floating ground... since the controller effectively switches the negative of your LED's to it's ground to "turn them on" ... you need to make sure your controller and your LED's power supply are sharing the same negative rail. you may have to tie one of the negative power leads from the power supply to the controller/computer ground or shield so they are switched to the same ground potential difference. (and not just the negative ground potential of the computer the controller is attached to.)

Rantlers

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2
  • Last login:November 22, 2024, 08:06:18 am
  • I want to build my own arcade controls!
Re: PAC Drive w/ 12V LED Buttons Problem (Dim lighting)
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2024, 08:57:00 pm »
your controller may be trying to drive the LED's on a floating ground... since the controller effectively switches the negative of your LED's to it's ground to "turn them on" ... you need to make sure your controller and your LED's power supply are sharing the same negative rail. you may have to tie one of the negative power leads from the power supply to the controller/computer ground or shield so they are switched to the same ground potential difference. (and not just the negative ground potential of the computer the controller is attached to.)
You're incredible, thank you so much!  I simply touched a ground lead from the power supply to the USB terminal on the PAC Drive and the lights lit up like a Christmas tree.  Now just trying to figure out how to make a "cleaner" more permanent solution.