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5V/12V LED's - Any need for a resistor?
ryguy:
I've got 6 x 5V LED's I want to permanently light up and 1 x 12V LED for the trackball. I was just going to take power from my computer using a spare Molex connector, so Yellow for the +12V and one ground for the negative, and the red +5V for the other 6 LED's and chain wire the other ground for their negatives.
Sounded quite easy and then I heard people talking about putting in resistors into the circult? Before I blow myself up can anybody tell me if I can just go in and wire it up like I said or is there more to it?
Many thanks,
Ginsu Victim:
If the LEDs are the exact voltage needed, you won't need resistors....but it doesn't hurt to do what RandyT says below....
(Edited for clarity)
ryguy:
They're 5V and 12V LED's.
Many thanks for the advice, sounds like I can keep it simple then!
Cheers,
hatrick:
--- Quote from: GinsuVictim on July 22, 2008, 11:51:05 am ---If the LEDs are the exact voltage needed, you won't need resistors.
--- End quote ---
What about amperage? I thought LED's were sensitive to amperage so you need resistors to limit the amperage to the LED.
sarge:
There needs to be a load placed on that circuit. If you're wiring just an LED across your + and - supply, you are basically just shorting the supply.
You may also have a problem keeping them close to the same brightness wiring several LED's in parallel.