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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Temp123 on May 17, 2022, 03:37:39 pm

Title: What is necessary to run LED Blinky?
Post by: Temp123 on May 17, 2022, 03:37:39 pm

Even if I go to the manufacturers sites - that LED Blinky lists on https://www.ledblinky.net/ledblinky.htm; the schematics are very basic to non-existent.

So, if I wanted to create a setup where the LED/RGB Buttons change colors/blink to the beat of the music on whatever game is on the PC - what is needed?

A controller such PacLED64, the buttons and wires that come with the buttons and LED Blinky, and that's it?

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Someone said they can do the same thing with an Arduino board, but I'm not 100% what an Arduino board is or that I still wouldn't need a separate controller..

Title: Re: What is necessary to run LED Blinky?
Post by: PL1 on May 17, 2022, 10:29:54 pm

Have you looked in Arzoo's thread here (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,73905.0.html) in the Software sub-forum?
- He's the author of LEDBlinky.

Quote from: Temp123 on May 17, 2022, 03:37:39 pm

Someone said they can do the same thing with an Arduino board, but I'm not 100% what an Arduino board is or that I still wouldn't need a separate controller..

Arduino (https://www.arduino.cc/) makes a variety of small, single-board, open-source computers that can handle a wide range of inputs, outputs, and computing tasks.

(https://www.arduino.cc/wiki/static/2ff70e489e19094e062c441e5f5910e9/41099/leonardo.jpg)  (https://www.arduino.cc/wiki/static/c632d28837856925bee37218ec6b9915/4b190/micro.jpg)

The RGB LEDs you're talking about have 3 channels per LED (red, green, and blue), with a current draw of up to 20mA per channel. ==> 60mA per LED.

Multiply that by the number of LEDs on your control panel and you'll quickly either run out of data pins if you use one pin per channel and/or you'll reach the limit of how much current the Arduino can supply.

To overcome those limits without using a dedicated LED controller board, many Arduino LED projects use addressable LEDs that are wired in series.
- For a project with a large number of these LEDs, you can use an external power supply instead of using 5v from the Arduino's USB to power the LEDs.  The Arduino would still provide the LED data commands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPvGLSuMaLA


Scott