Addon LEDs for buttons - please help

[minorhero]

Hello folks,

I am relatively handy in some respects. But when it comes to things electrical, I really need to be talked to like I am a child. If anyone can help me out, I'd really appreciate it.

I have concave translucent buttons on my cabinet I am building. I plan to drill them and install 5mm leds so that I can use LEDBlinky to have the correct buttons light up when a game is being played. I have an ipac ultimate which has ... a lot of connectors for leds, way more then I need.

I have 12 buttons I want to light (6 per player).

And that's pretty much where I am at. I would like to buy these leds:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GRD9DCV?smid=A4796MTJVO3KW&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp&th=1

Which have wires attached already. But I am unsure what connectors to buy to stick on the ends so I can plug them into the ipac. I am also unclear if I can just stick them right onto the 4 pins of the ipac or if I need to stick only 1 wire on the ipac and the other go to ground ... somewhere..

 In a perfect world there would be a kit I would plug in and be done, but that doesn't seem to exist so I am now in the place of making my own as it were. If anyone can walk me through what I need I would really appreciate it.

Picture of my wiring for context:

[PL1]

I have concave translucent buttons on my cabinet I am building. I plan to drill them and install 5mm leds

Sounds like the approach shown in the wiki.
https://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/Lighting_Microswitch_Buttons

Neph did a variation on this by drilling through the microswitch holder so the LED wires couldn't shift and get in the way of the plunger leg/microswitch nub.
https://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108719.msg1177518.html#msg1177518

I would like to buy these leds:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GRD9DCV?smid=A4796MTJVO3KW&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp&th=1

One thing that concerns me about these is that the listing doesn't indicate if they are wide or narrow angle LEDs.  You might end up with a "hot spot" in the middle of the plunger.


If the LEDs are narrow angle, you might experiment with using 2 or 3 of them to side-light the button, either through some diffusion material like this guy did or design/3d print a bracket to hold the LEDs horizontally.  You might need to route a pocket for the diffusion material or bracket.

I am unsure what connectors to buy to stick on the ends so I can plug them into the ipac. I am also unclear if I can just stick them right onto the 4 pins of the ipac or if I need to stick only 1 wire on the ipac and the other go to ground ... somewhere..

The pins on the IPac Ult. I/O are "Dupont" connectors.

You can get long pre-crimped M-F or F-F Dupont jumper wires, cut off one end if you got the F-F ones, and use a euro-style terminal strip to join the jumper wire to the LED wire.

When you connect the jumpers to the Ult. I/O board, the order for the pins is written at the bottom of the board: +RGB on the left and BGR+ on the right.
- Connect the LED anode (the resistor side on the LEDs you're looking at) to +.  This is the operating voltage for the LED.
- Connect the LED cathode to the R, G, or B ground channel.  The Ult. I/O board controls the brightness of each LED channel by controlling how much current can flow through each of these channels.

If you use more than one LED per button, connect the anode wires for that button's LEDs together on the LED side of the terminal strip and connect one wire from the jumper side of the terminal strip to the + on the Ult. I/O.
- Use one ground channel (R, G, or B) per LED.

Set LEDBlinky color for all buttons to white so all three channels will conduct equally if an LED is connected and LEDBlinky sets the button LED to ON.  If the LED cathode is on "R" and LEDBlinky tells the Ult. I/O to light the button blue, the LED won't light because only the blue channel will conduct.


Scott

[minorhero]

Sounds like the approach shown in the wiki.
https://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/Lighting_Microswitch_Buttons

The pins on the IPac Ult. I/O are "Dupont" connectors.

You can get long pre-crimped M-F or F-F Dupont jumper wires, cut off one end if you got the F-F ones, and use a euro-style terminal strip to join the jumper wire to the LED wire.

When you connect the jumpers to the Ult. I/O board, the order for the pins is written at the bottom of the board: +RGB on the left and BGR+ on the right.
- Connect the LED anode (the resistor side on the LEDs you're looking at) to +.  This is the operating voltage for the LED.
- Connect the LED cathode to the R, G, or B ground channel.  The Ult. I/O board controls the brightness of each LED channel by controlling how much current can flow through each of these channels.

If you use more than one LED per button, connect the anode wires for that button's LEDs together on the LED side of the terminal strip and connect one wire from the jumper side of the terminal strip to the + on the Ult. I/O.
- Use one ground channel (R, G, or B) per LED.

Set LEDBlinky color for all buttons to white so all three channels will conduct equally if an LED is connected and LEDBlinky sets the button LED to ON.  If the LED cathode is on "R" and LEDBlinky tells the Ult. I/O to light the button blue, the LED won't light because only the blue channel will conduct.


Scott

This is extremely helpful, thank you!!!!!!!

When it comes to figuring out what voltages work and ohms and things like that, I am absolutely hopeless. I frequently make mistakes and then can't even figure out why things don't work.

I decided to switch up the leds though and just buy plain leds and wire them myself. I read on the ultrimark website that the leds don't require a resistor? I am concerned the wires from the one I had before would not be long enough. So if I am going to need to solder some wires regardless, I figure I might as well just get the normal leds. I found this set:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073QMYKDM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Which advertises 30 degree beam angle. Not ideal, but probably ok.

From there I should be able to get some of those dupont connectors and wire up the leds. Would that work?

[PL1]

I read on the ultrimark website that the leds don't require a resistor?

Correct.
https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac-ultimate-i-o/

Constant current negates the need for resistors for each LED

I am concerned the wires from the one I had before would not be long enough.

You can either get a Dupont pin/housing connector kit, ratchet crimper, and some wire (harder and more expensive, but you can make custom harnesses) or there are various lengths and styles of Dupont jumpers that you can string together.

How long do the wires need to be for your setup?

There are several ways to solder the LEDs to the wires/jumpers.

One way is to strip and tin the wire, bend a hook in the wire end, then bend a hook in the LED lead and solder the hooks together.
- This is easier to do if you have a soldering tool with a slot in the end like the one shown in the second pic.





Another way is to remove the plastic cover off a female Dupont pin, insert the LED lead through the pin like this, then bend, solder, and trim off the excess.



Either way, heat shrink is your friend.  Get an assortment of colors/sizes.   

So if I am going to need to solder some wires regardless, I figure I might as well just get the normal leds. I found this set:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073QMYKDM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Which advertises 30 degree beam angle. Not ideal, but probably ok.

Yeah, they should be OK.


Scott

[minorhero]

Yeah, they should be OK.

Thank you!!! This is pretty basic stuff I know, but its really helpful to me to know I can just wire these things in without a resistor and where to actually stick the wires. I ordered stuff so it should come in a few days and I'll be able to continue with lighting my build.