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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Daniel B. on February 15, 2008, 11:23:34 am

Title: How to wire GGG ButtonBlaster LED's?
Post by: Daniel B. on February 15, 2008, 11:23:34 am
I just got 15 in from Randy yesterday. They came with the proper resistors for connection to a 5v line. I put the resistor on the longer "positive" leg, the annode...correct?

Will I then daisy chain the leds all to one continuous set of wire back to my hacked usb cable? This is where it gets really confusing to me. I don't have any experience with this kind of stuff.


I've seen alot of led tutorials but none on these type of leds.

Thanks all!
Title: Re: How to wire GGG ButtonBlaster LED's?
Post by: Fozzy The Bear on February 15, 2008, 11:41:42 am
Nope!!!  You should connect them in parallel. See attached quick sketch.

It doesn't matter which leg you put the resistor onto, as long as it's there.

You should also not try to connect that many LED's to a USB cable! Too much load! they should be connected to your power supply not to USB.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)
Title: Re: How to wire GGG ButtonBlaster LED's?
Post by: Daniel B. on February 15, 2008, 11:57:51 am
Fozzy, thank you! is the -5v the ground?

also, any sure fire way to know which one on my powersupply is 5v. I have a digital multimeter.

Again, thank you!
Title: Re: How to wire GGG ButtonBlaster LED's?
Post by: Fozzy The Bear on February 15, 2008, 12:11:59 pm
Quote from: Daniel B. on February 15, 2008, 11:57:51 am
also, any sure fire way to know which one on my powersupply is 5v. I have a digital multimeter.

The standard wire colours on an ATX PSU are: 

ORANGE +3.3 V 
YELLOW +12 V 
BLUE -12 V 
RED +5 V 
WHITE -5 V     (May not be present on recently manufactured supplies) 
BLACK GND 
GREEN POWER-ON    (Active high -- must be shorted to ground to force power up) 
GRAY POWER-OK     
PURPLE +5 V STANDBY 
BROWN +3.3 V REMOTE SENSING 

But check them with your meter anyway. Set your meter to DC VOLTS.... and connect it to a red wire and a black wire on the PSU. It should read more or less 5V. Whatever you do don't short the wires or you'll be repacing the fuses and could damage the supply as well.

Yes.... you can connect to +5V and Ground.

-5V and Ground are not quite the same thing... But for your purpose it's fine.

Technically Ground is actually just a PSU line at 0V pottential and not actually ground at all. But you don't need to wory about any of that. You'll learn this stuff as you go. Getting a good beginners book on basic electronics is not a bad idea, if you're going to do more of this stuff. 

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)
Title: Re: How to wire GGG ButtonBlaster LED's?
Post by: Daniel B. on February 15, 2008, 12:27:52 pm
Perfect!

Thanks yet again, Julian!  :cheers:
Title: Re: How to wire GGG ButtonBlaster LED's?
Post by: Fozzy The Bear on February 15, 2008, 12:52:46 pm
Quote from: Daniel B. on February 15, 2008, 12:27:52 pm
Perfect!
Thanks yet again, Julian!  :cheers:

No Problemo!! always pleased to help!  :cheers:

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)