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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: hycday on May 03, 2015, 01:54:29 pm

Title: MiniPac and 9 leds
Post by: hycday on May 03, 2015, 01:54:29 pm

Hi,

I have a MiniPac (https://www.ultimarc.com/images/Minipac_wiring.pdf (https://www.ultimarc.com/images/Minipac_wiring.pdf)) and 9 buttons : 5 blue led ones, 4 red led ones (5 volts leds).

I would like to know if it is possible to wire all that together on a MiniPac, and if so, how to do it please ?

Here is the MiniPac. I used the wires of GROUP J4, 1 RIGHT and 1 LEFT here, to connect them to my Blue button and Red button (respectively).
(http://img15.hostingpics.net/thumbs/mini_335446minipac.jpg) (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=335446minipac.jpg)
(http://img15.hostingpics.net/thumbs/mini_396115switchs.jpg) (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=396115switchs.jpg)

If I connect the MiniPac right now, the buttons should work, but not the leds.
To connect the leds, I have this IDE Flat Data Cable which I can plug to the MiniPac on one end, and cut on the other hand to fix the insulated spade/connectors that I would connect to the buttons for the leds.
(http://img15.hostingpics.net/thumbs/mini_555660idespade.jpg) (http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=555660idespade.jpg)

As the MiniPac has 3 "GROUND" and 3 "5VOLTS" wires, I would like to know if it would be possible to have 9 leds buttons (they are one color leds), thus 3 per wire. If so, how could I connect that ?

Can I follow that (for the leds : + on "5volts" and - on "GROUND"):
(http://www.davesclassicarcade.com/vpinball/pics/lights.JPG)

and that (for the switch, as I already did):
(http://www.davesclassicarcade.com/vpinball/pics/switches.JPG)

and have no electric risks?

Once done (if that is possible), would I be able to also connect other switches ? If so, how many (if there is a limit other that what the MiniPac offers, i.e. usb limitation).

Thank you for your help !

day

Title: Re: MiniPac and 9 leds
Post by: AndyWarne on May 07, 2015, 04:38:53 am

Presumably you want the LEDs simply to be lit all the time?

If so, then this would work. You would be able to power them from the 5 volt pins. But there would be a maximum of around 20 LEDs.

For more than that, a convenient power source might be a hard drive power connector.

Title: Re: MiniPac and 9 leds
Post by: hycday on May 07, 2015, 10:20:36 am

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, all lit all the time (just out of curiosity, what would be the wiring if I want the LEDs to be lit only when pressed?)

so out to approx 20LEDs maximum, is it per pins ? or over the 3 ? if so, what is the limit per pin ?

Thanks again

Title: Re: MiniPac and 9 leds
Post by: AndyWarne on May 09, 2015, 01:18:29 pm

The "fixed" 5V pins on the Mini-PAC are directly wired to 5 volts so one pin should be OK for all LEDs.

If you wanted the LED to light only when pressed:
Wire the "-" of the LED to the same I-PAC input as the switch.
Wire the "+" of the LED to the 5V pin.

Title: Re: MiniPac and 9 leds
Post by: hycday on May 12, 2015, 03:39:39 pm

Andy, Thanks a lot. This is some quality Customer Service. As always !