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Stretching the budget with an LED-Wiz

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QuixoteQuest:

I'd like to maximize what I can get out of one LED-Wiz board, both for cost reasons, but also I don't know how support is gonna work across multiple boards for animations, or other software or frontend functions. SO I'd like to start with one board and see how it goes. Since each RGB LED takes up 3 outputs I'll run out of space pretty fast with one board. So I'd like to start with my 7-button player clusters. I like to wire P1 and P2 clusters to sharing the same outputs. So what lights up on P1 cluster will be the same as P2 cluster. Can I gang 2 LEDs per output without worry for needing secondary power to the USB draw or creating a fire or heat risk? If I can then that would leave me an extra 3 buttons I could wire up in my RGB test--either the mouse cab buttons, Start buttons or the trackball.

Unfortunately one LED wiz just can't cover running all the buttons --utility buttons, Asteroids, and pinball buttons will get overlooked -- on my 2-p panel in RGB mode, but it would be fun to start and try this device (and the ICE buttons) out.


spiffykyle:

I'm going to start off with just one LED-Wiz board. The thing is I am not planning on hooking up RGB LED's to every button. Just one color for each group (like red for player 1, blue for player 2, etc...), that way only one spot on the board per button.

I figure if I like this setup then i can expand in the future if I want.

spiffykyle

Chris:


--- Quote from: QuixoteQuest on January 10, 2007, 07:26:08 pm ---Can I gang 2 LEDs per output without worry for needing secondary power to the USB draw or creating a fire or heat risk? If I can then that would leave me an extra 3 buttons I could wire up in my RGB test--either the mouse cab buttons, Start buttons or the trackball.
--- End quote ---
Make sure you run them in parallel, each LED with its own resistor.  If you wire them in series you'll increase the voltage you need.

QuixoteQuest:


--- Quote from: Chris on January 11, 2007, 01:00:04 am ---
--- Quote from: QuixoteQuest on January 10, 2007, 07:26:08 pm ---Can I gang 2 LEDs per output without worry for needing secondary power to the USB draw or creating a fire or heat risk? If I can then that would leave me an extra 3 buttons I could wire up in my RGB test--either the mouse cab buttons, Start buttons or the trackball.
--- End quote ---
Make sure you run them in parallel, each LED with its own resistor.  If you wire them in series you'll increase the voltage you need.

--- End quote ---
I had better do more research. I thought if I bought the RGB lights that come with the ICE buttons that it was as simple as plugging each of the leads into a power terminal, much like wiring up the IPac. I didn't know I needed to mind equipment like resistors.

Chris:


--- Quote from: QuixoteQuest on January 11, 2007, 01:15:34 am ---
--- Quote from: Chris on January 11, 2007, 01:00:04 am ---
--- Quote from: QuixoteQuest on January 10, 2007, 07:26:08 pm ---Can I gang 2 LEDs per output without worry for needing secondary power to the USB draw or creating a fire or heat risk? If I can then that would leave me an extra 3 buttons I could wire up in my RGB test--either the mouse cab buttons, Start buttons or the trackball.
--- End quote ---
Make sure you run them in parallel, each LED with its own resistor.  If you wire them in series you'll increase the voltage you need.

--- End quote ---
I had better do more research. I thought if I bought the RGB lights that come with the ICE buttons that it was as simple as plugging each of the leads into a power terminal, much like wiring up the IPac. I didn't know I needed to mind equipment like resistors.

--- End quote ---
If you have the RGB-Drive lighting modules on little circuit boards they already have resistors on them; they would still need to be wired in parallel.If you have plain RGB LED's, I don't know if you have resistors or not.

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