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5V/12V LED's - Any need for a resistor?

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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.

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