LED Sources / Suggestions

[Franco]

Hopefully I should have some of Shawnzillas clear buttons winging there way to me 

Eventually I want to light them in conjunction with Buddabings LED driver board but I think it may be a while until this is avaliable. Im thinking of using four leg tri-colour LEDs with them in the end but I would like to light the clears whilst I am waiting for the board.

I am presuming that one of the four legs on the LED is the ground and the other three are for each colour? Would it be possible for me to just light the buttons using one colour leg and the ground in the meantime?

If this is possible does anyone know of any good sources for tri-colours?

Thanks

[Franco]

I have been having a bit of look arond and it looks like you can only get three leg tri-colour LEDs with one of the legs being the common annode and the other legs giving you the single/mix of colours. I want my buttons to be lit blue at the moment and I wont be able to do this just using the tri's without the driver board.

I think im just gonna go for some normal blue LEDs for the moment.

Ive seen these on eBay:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14984&item=7334334525&rd=1

Do you think they will be bright enough/too bright? They are rated at 7000mcd.

They are also available in 3mm and 5mm for the same price. Is one size more suitable than the other?

Thanks.

[Buddabing]

Hopefully I should have some of Shawnzillas clear buttons winging there way to me

[Franco]

Thanks for the info Buddabing.

Did you go for the clear or diffused Tri-colours? I imagine the diffused would be better to spread the light more evenly in the button.

Any more news on the boards?

[rdagger]

I also bought RGB LED's from Super Bright LEDs for my driver board.  I'd recommend getting the diffused lens because they will illuminate the buttons more evenly.  Also becareful when soldering because the leads are very close together.

[Buddabing]

Thanks for the info Buddabing.

Did you go for the clear or diffused Tri-colours? I imagine the diffused would be better to spread the light more evenly in the button.

IIRC I went for the diffused, but I don't remember for sure.

Any more news on the boards?

I've got a working prototype all wired up and working. GameCab is working on getting sources for all the various parts. Once that is done, we'll be able to set pricing and take orders for boards.

I am working fast and furious on the software.

[Franco]

Are we looking at the same page?

 http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=LEDS

The diffused ones on that page are only avaiiable with a common cathode and I need a common annode right?

Good work on the board Buddabing, cant wait!

[rdagger]

Are we looking at the same page?
 http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=LEDS
The diffused ones on that page are only avaiiable with a common cathode and I need a common annode right?

Here is what I used:
Product:       RL5-RGB-D TriColor LED $ 1.95 (each)
Options:       Common Cathode 

I wanted a common ground.

[Buddabing]

Are we looking at the same page?

 http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=LEDS

The diffused ones on that page are only avaiiable with a common cathode and I need a common annode right?

Good work on the board Buddabing, cant wait!

I ordered these:
Product:       RL5-RGB-C TriColor LED $ 1.59 (each)
Options:       Common Anode 

Unfortunately, they don't come in a frosted/diffused variety.

[CJK]

I've got a working prototype all wired up and working. GameCab is working on getting sources for all the various parts. Once that is done, we'll be able to set pricing and take orders for boards.

I am working fast and furious on the software.

Looking forward to placing my order!   

-- Chris

[crashwg]

Is there any particular reason you went with common anode Budda?  I though common cathode was more the "norm"...    I could be wrong on that, it's just my observation.

[Buddabing]

Is there any particular reason you went with common anode Budda?

[rdagger]

I wonder about the relative brightness of the red, green, and blue LEDs, what colors will be possible, and how hard it will be to produce white.

Using pulse width modulation you can create just about any color.  You can get the relative RGB brightness even by playing with the resistors, but it does take a little work.  Furthermore, I found that the RGB LED's don't have consistent brightness.  Therefore, the resistor combination that works for one LED may not be ideal for the next.   The diffused lens makes a big difference when working with the RGB LED's.  Although the clear lens is brighter, it does not mix the 3 colors well.  Therefore, when you start mixing the RGB colors, you can see hot spots of the primary colors though the clear lens.

Here's a shot showing one my pushbuttons illuminated with a diffused RGB LED cycling through a few colors:

[gl.tter]

There seems to be conflicting information on LED terminology.

[Buddabing]

There seems to be conflicting information on LED terminology.

[gl.tter]

I do not support pulse width modulation, so only 4913 (17*17*17) colors are theoretically possible on my controller with the RGB LEDs. I don't know how many it'll actually be in practice, I'll have to do some experimenting.

Actually your controller chip is most likely using PWM (pulse width modulation) behind-the-scenes.

[Franco]

Just had a thought.

Buddabing, your largest LED will have 40 outputs, correct?

I imagine we will not be able to control 40 RGB LEDs independantly as I would imagine each of the three colour legs would need to be conected to an output?

If this is the case will we only be able to run thirteen independant RGBs of the board?

I wanted to run around 16 RGBs independantly and 16 normal LEDs independantly as well. Please say this will be possible!

If we cannot control them all of one board will it be possible to link two?

[Buddabing]

Just had a thought.

Buddabing, your largest LED will have 40 outputs, correct?

I imagine we will not be able to control 40 RGB LEDs independantly as I would imagine each of the three colour legs would need to be conected to an output?

If this is the case will we only be able to run thirteen independant RGBs of the board?

I wanted to run around 16 RGBs independantly and 16 normal LEDs independantly as well. Please say this will be possible!

If we cannot control them all of one board will it be possible to link two?

The board will be able to control 40 outputs. Since the RGB LEDs each take three outputs, the board will only control 13 RGB LEDs.

It will be possible to link two boards. However, this will require a slight reversible mod to the second board. One leg of two of the ICs on the second board will have to be lifted and a jumper wire soldered from the lifted leg to one of the other legs. To split the parallel port signal, you can use a parallel port splitter cable like I am using for debugging, or you can run two jumper wires from the first board to the second.

Are you serious about getting two boards? It will require some software changes on my part.

[Franco]

Yeah in that case im going to need at least 64 outputs if possible, so ill probably be looking at two 40 boards This is depending on price of course, and ideas about how much we are going to be talking? I know you probably havent figured costs out but a ball park figure would be nice before I get all excited and buy a load of LEDs etc.

Will the software changes be a big hassle for you?

[Buddabing]

Yeah in that case im going to need at least 64 outputs if possible, so ill probably be looking at two 40 boards This is depending on price of course, and ideas about how much we are going to be talking? I know you probably havent figured costs out but a ball park figure would be nice before I get all excited and buy a load of LEDs etc.

Will the software changes be a big hassle for you?

The software changes are already done.

The software changes mostly involved changing the number 40 to the number 80.

I did have to create a config option to enable the second controller.

So it was no big deal.

I'm sorry, I cannot give you specific details about pricing at this time. I have committed in another thread to providing a fully loaded 40 LED controller with wired-up white LEDs, power cable, and parallel port cable for less than $100. I will honor that commitment. If you want to buy your own LEDs and wire them, then the cost will be less.

Don't worry, you will know the pricing before you order.

[g1275]

With the RGB LEDs is there anyway to keep it constant on one color, say purple, instead of cycling through the diferent colors. I was thinking of utilizing this to have each player choose the color of buttons and joysticks that they want.

Is this possible?

[Buddabing]

With the RGB LEDs is there anyway to keep it constant on one color, say purple, instead of cycling through the diferent colors. I was thinking of utilizing this to have each player choose the color of buttons and joysticks that they want.

Is this possible?

Sure. I am working on making a way to specify colors so that you can have purple LEDs for pacman, green for Donkey Kong, etc.

What you describe might be more useful in a front end application, but it is doable.

[g1275]

I know certain RGB LEDs have different timings, like 2 or 10 seconds between color changes, would it make a difference which one you get and where you got it from?

[Buddabing]

I know certain RGB LEDs have different timings, like 2 or 10 seconds between color changes, would it make a difference which one you get and where you got it from?

I don't know if it would make a difference or not. I was unaware of any LEDs that take so long to switch color. Do you have a part number or something I can look at?

[g1275]

On Superbrightleds.com they have the RL5-RGB-C TriColor LED which doesn't appear to change colors automatically. But on Ebay they have all types of RGB LEDs and Tricolor LEDs that are automatically changing. For example

Tri-colour LEDs are again two LEDs, but this time with 3 legs (common anode or cathode).

[gl.tter]

On Superbrightleds.com they have the RL5-RGB-C TriColor LED which doesn't appear to change colors automatically. But on Ebay they have all types of RGB LEDs and Tricolor LEDs that are automatically changing. For example

If you want to control the colour yourself, you don't want colour-changing ones.