LED-Wiz and wiring questions

[markronz]

Hello everyone, I am a newb when it comes to wiring up lighting.   I've recently decided to get some illuminated buttons and etc for my control panel, like so many others before me.   I've searched this forum for informaiton on LED-Wiz and wiring, and it has been helpful, but I guess I have some questions that are more specific to my set up.

I just got my 32 port LED-Wiz the other day.   I will be lighting up all of my buttons with blue LEDs.   No RGB for me, just straight up blue.

Here is what I would ideally want to wire up:
- Electric ICE™ RGB Trackball Lighting Upgrade Kit V2.0 - Blue Novagem lightsource
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=74&products_id=273

- 18 Ultralux 5 Volt LEDs
http://www.ultimarc.com/ultralux.html

-  I also currently have 3 things wired up with White T 1-3/4 Single 6v LED's from Happ.  Part number "91-5WB-61W2 "
http://www.happcontrols.com/lighting/915wb61w.htm


Now for some questions...

1.   The LED's from Happ are 6v.  Is that going to present a problem since everything else is only 5v?   Or will it only use 5v of power?    If I have to do something special to get it to work, I will just remove the 6v bulbs and get some 5v replacements.  I just didn't know for sure if it would matter, and didn't want to take apart things for no reason.

2.   Above I count 22 different items, so I assume the 32 port LED-Wiz would suit me just fine in that aspect.  What I am wondering is if I need to hook up additional power to the LED-Wiz or not.    I see that the Trackball kit uses a NovaGem light source which I've read is 100ma @ 5v.    But the other LED's don't really list a "ma usage".  They just list the fact that they are 5v or 6v.    So does anyone know what ma is used by the UltraLux 5v LED's? or by the Happ 6v LED's? 


I'm pretty sure I can find a guide on HOW to hook up additional power if I need to, but I am just curious to see if I even need to do that.

Thanks in advance for the help!   Let me know if you need more information!

-Mark   

[whines]

The 6v LED's will probably just be a little dimmer.

As far as the current draw goes...you could just keep hooking them up a few at a time and see how it goes. It's really easy to steall 5v from your computer, though, may just do that preemptively and not worry about it.

[markronz]

So is the same thing true for a 12v bulb too?   It won't short anything out, it will just be dimmer?    I just thought you weren't supposed to hook things up to the LED-Wiz that had different voltages is all...

[Franco B]

A 12v filament bulb would light up with 5v, it would just be very dim. A 12v LED would not light up with 5v though as it would be out of the operating range.

You can connect LEDs etc with different power requirements to the LED Wiz revision 2. You just need to isolate them into their own banks and feed each bank the required voltage.

[markronz]

Great thanks!   I was just scared that it would short out the LED-Wiz or my computer or something.  Since a 12v LED won't light up, I will just replace anything that's 12v with 5v bulbs to avoid having to power an entire bank with a different voltage.

Last question I have right now is still realted to the ma usage...
Does anyone know what ma is used by the UltraLux 5v LED's? or by the Happ 6v LED's? 

If no one knows, I will probably just work on powering up the LED with a 5v wire from my PC power supply, but I'd rather not if I don't have to.

[Franco B]

They should be in the region of 30ma.

So 21x30ma = 630ma + 100ma from your trackball kit = 730ma which is way over the USBs 'available' 500ma.

You will need to run a 5v lead from your PC. Its easy to do. Let us know if you need any help

[markronz]

Thanks so much for your response Franco, very helpful!

Ok, so my official game plan is to power about fifteen to twenty 5v or 6v bulbs, and then also the one 5v one for the trackball.   Nix the 12v bulbs, I will be replacing those to be consistent.

I do have two more questions.  I've attached a picture that I got from another topic and edited it a little bit.   On the picture it lists both of my questions..

1.  Is it correct that half of the ports are powered by the USB cable going to the pc, and that the other half of the ports are powered via the cable connected to the power supply?

2.  And then I am also confused as to where that other wire goes to in that picture.   

Help anyone?  Thanks!

[Franco B]

No problem

1. If you connect a separate 5v source the added amperage is available to all of the terminals.

2. Simply connect the wire to the 5v like you have shown on the right hand side. You could just piggy back it off the terminal strip on the right hand side that is connected to the 5v if it is easier. Basically what you are creating is a parallel 5v rail which all of the LEDs anodes (postive legs) are connected too.

[markronz]

I should have guessed that.   

The official directions from the Led-Wiz device mention using an "in-line fuse"   

Would I need that for my set up?  If so, where would that fit into the picture?

[markronz]

Ok, so I am sort of piggy backing onto my own post here.  I came up with another question.

I bought some terminal blocks but I am afraid that I'm not sure how exactly they work.

Is the wire on the one side one single wire that's just looped over and over?   And then the LED's all wire up to the one side? 

I've attached a picture to hopefully explain what I am trying to ask...

So that question in addition to...

The official directions from the Led-Wiz device mention using an "in-line fuse"   

Would I need that for my set up?  If so, where would that fit into the picture?

Thanks!

[Franco B]

I should have guessed that.  

The official directions from the Led-Wiz device mention using an "in-line fuse"  

Would I need that for my set up?  If so, where would that fit into the picture?

It wants to go in line with the 5v source before it reaches any of the loads (LEDs etc).



As for fuse size, add up the current used by each load and then select the next rated fuse above that.

Ok, so I am sort of piggy backing onto my own post here.  I came up with another question.

I bought some terminal blocks but I am afraid that I'm not sure how exactly they work.

Is the wire on the one side one single wire that's just looped over and over?   And then the LED's all wire up to the one side? 

You got it

You don't even have to use terminal strips if you dont want to. You could just piggy back each anode to each other.

You could also use a buss bar:



This is basically a terminal strip but all of the terminals are already linked. You would just attach the 5v to one side and then connect each LED to the terminals.

I would advise using a linked terminal strip or buss bar over just piggy backing the anodes as its much easier to trouble shoot and change out LEDs etc if you have a problem or for future maintenance.

There are quite a few ways you can connect them up. I mounted some of mine in project boxes and used d-subs.





I also did something similar in another project with an LED Wiz and GP Wiz.

[markronz]

Ok, so for the fuse part this is what you said earlier:

21x30ma = 630ma + 100ma from your trackball kit = 730ma

So I would get a fuse holder like this one:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102784&numProdsPerPage=60&retainProdsInSession=1

And then a 1.0A 5x20mm fuse like this one:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103770

That sound about right?

And as far as placement of the fuse holder (with fuse in it obviously), I've attached another picture.   Does that look correct as well?

[markronz]

No responses yet, but I'm pretty sure that's where you meant for me to put the fuse.   Let me know if that's wrong.

I thought I'd post one last picture of how everything will be set up.   I thought it might help another newb some day who might have a similar situation as me.

So if anything's wrong, just let me know.   Otherwise thanks Franco and everyone else for the help!

[Franco B]

If you look in my post above I did put the fuse in the same place as you

I'm no expert but I think that rating fuse should be ok. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Good luck with it! 

[markronz]

Oh man, I'm so sorry!  You even connected the two terminal blocks together in your picture too.      I looked at the post on my cell phone originally, so I didn't see the pictures.  My bad!

I'm still waiting on the buttons, but once I get them I should be ready to wire it all up!

Thanks again.