Help With LED-Wiz Wiring Please!

[lettuce]

Can someone help me clear up some questions about the LED-Wiz and wiring. Does the LED's take there power from the LED-Wiz itself or is the power supplied form else where?, i know that the wire with the resistor on is attached to the screw terminal of the LED-Wiz now is this wire the positive wire or the common/negative/ground wire?

If the wire connected to the LED-Wiz is the positive wire and the LED-Wiz is powering the LED, can i connect the other wire from the LED (negative/common/ground) to the terminal on a micro switch attached to a push button, or does this other wire need to run to ground? Thanks in advance 

[BobA]

Leds take the power from the Ledwiz USB connection up to 500ma.  After that the jumper from the USB and Ext power must be removed and an external power source connected.  The wire going to the numbered output of the LEDwiz is the cathode of the LED.  The LEDwiz sinks current so the other end of the LED goes to +5V on the ledwiz.

The documentation from GGG shows examples on USB and external supplies and how the LEDs are wired.

http://groovygamegear.com/PDF/LEDWIZ_INSTALL.pdf

[lettuce]

Ok cheers, i have that diagram but that looks like to me that i have to connect the other wire not connected to the LED-Wiz to a 5v+ connect, yet you say that the LED-Wiz supplys the power for the LED's. So do i just connect one wire with the resistor on to the LED Wiz and the other wire to a ground wire? Can i connect the ground of the LED to the ground on a push button switch?, so the wiring is more tidy?

[BobA]

The wire with the resistor is connected to a numbered terminal on the LEDwiz.  The other end of the led is NOT tied to ground.  It is connected to the 5V terminal on the LEDwiz called x5v or u5v.  These are jumpered when the LEDwiz is supplying power (max 500 ma) from the USB port.  The LEDwiz numbered terminal is sinking current that means it acts as a ground when that LED is turned on.   For the led to work is has to have the other end connected to 5V.  You do not connect to any ground connection on your buttons!

[Kaytrim]

Follow the diagram as is.  There is three screw terminals next to the USB connection on the board just like in the diagram.  Think of the 32 output connections as variable resistors only they are controlled via software instead of a POT.  This is how the brightness of the LED is changed. 

If you are using more than 500ma total then take out the jumper between the USB 5v and the External 5v.  Then connect an external 5v and ground to the terminals as shown on the diagram.  The average LED uses 20ma while the RGB LED uses 60ma (20ma per color).  In reality you can safely use 24 standard LEDs or 8 RGB LEDs and not need external power.  You can get the external power from the PC Power Supply.  Look at one of the drive power connectors.  The red wire is typically the 5V and the black wire next to it is the ground.  Check it with a multimeter to be sure, the other colored wire (yellow) is 12v.

TTFN

[lettuce]

Ah ok that make sence now. Is it ok to daisy chain the 5v wire from led to led, as to limit the amount of wires going from the LED-Wiz? I'll have 26 buttons connected up altogether, would i be able to get away with this by using just the USB power??

[Kaytrim]

Dasy chaining the 5v would be fine.  You are pushing over the limit on the LEDs though.  To be safe I would use an external source for your 5v.

[lettuce]

Is there anywya to wire these types on buttons to the LED-Wiz?, http://www.happcontrols.com/pushbuttons/5700043x.htm

[Kaytrim]

You need 14v of power for those.  The LED-Wiz is only 5v.  If you want only on/off operation then you might be able to use a relay that trips at 5v to allow the 14v through.  You would need to use 12v from the PC power supply or get 14v from someplace else.

TTFN

[lettuce]

Thats a real shame, as i have these types of push button as my Player start buttons, and wanted to set them up with LED-Wiz so when you inserted the right amount of credits they would start to flash 

[RandyT]

5v operation is what is "supported" because it is very safe.  The drivers on the board can theoretically handle much higher voltages.

Send me an email for more info.

RandyT

[Kaytrim]

Thats a real shame, as i have these types of push button as my Player start buttons, and wanted to set them up with LED-Wiz so when you inserted the right amount of credits they would start to flash 

That could still be handled with a relay, you are just turning it off and on.  The LED-Wiz would control the relay and the relay would pass the higher voltage through to the button.

[RandyT]

That could still be handled with a relay, you are just turning it off and on.  The LED-Wiz would control the relay and the relay would pass the higher voltage through to the button.

This would work, but probably isn't necessary.  I have a 12v lamp hooked to a test unit here, right next to a 5v LED connected to the same LED-Wiz board, and both are pulsing and working just fine.  But there are a few cautions that need to be heeded when using it this way.

RandyT

[lettuce]

I sent you an email RandyT