Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: shawnzilla on April 25, 2003, 02:53:39 pm

Title: Are the LEDS that plug right into a power supply?
Post by: shawnzilla on April 25, 2003, 02:53:39 pm

Forgive me if this question has been asked 1000 times, but are there LEDs that plug directly into a computer power supply? If so, are they long enough to reach from my computer to the inside of my control panel? (assuming I'm using a LUSID clone)?

Title: Re:Are the LEDS that plug right into a power supply?
Post by: BobA on April 25, 2003, 03:37:56 pm

Most LED's need a series dropping resistor when connected to a power supply.  The value of the resistor depends on the voltage drop of the LED and the power supply voltage.  There have been a couple of threads that give links to calculators to figure this out. The LED and dropping resistor can be place anywhere on your cabinet as long as you provide enough wire.  You can get wired LEDs with dropping resistors already installed but these are usually alot more expensive then fabricating your own wire leads and usually dont the proper length of wire anyway.

All Electronics has alot of surplus LED stuff that might be of interest to you.

http://www.allcorp.com (http://www.allcorp.com)
BobA

Title: Re:Are the LEDS that plug right into a power supply?
Post by: aj6500 on April 25, 2003, 04:10:08 pm

Led's need 5 volts.  I believe the power supply puts out 5 volts throught the red wires going to the HD's.  Double check w/a voltometer.

Title: Re:Are the LEDS that plug right into a power supply?
Post by: rampy on April 25, 2003, 04:25:50 pm

I bet if you poked aoround the case modding stores you'd find lots of glowy flashey things that plug into the standard ide power plug thingie *shrug*

just a hint.. I have no specific link for you =P

rampy

Title: Re:Are the LEDS that plug right into a power supply?
Post by: BobA on April 25, 2003, 04:37:08 pm

Plug a regular red LED into a 5 V supply and you will get a very bright LED for a very short time.  A red LED has about a 1.7 to 2V drop so an additional dropping resistor is needed. A 10 ma red LED requires 300ohms or A 20 ma red LED requires 150 ohms.  This must be calculated for proper operation unless the LED has a built in resistor or voltage regulator.

The LEDs that plug into your HD indicator and Power indicator pins on the mother board are probably already limited at the motherboard.

Here is the LED calculator thread.
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=5669;start=0 (http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=5669;start=0)

BobA