Diy Ring light. Help?

dannyf

Joined Sep 13, 2015
2,197
I ran the leds off ...
What does that mean? did you run them individually (aka one at a time) or you ran them together? if you ran them together, did you run them in parallel or in serial? what other parts did you use when you ran them? ...

The quality of help you get is proportional to the quality of information you can provide.
 

Thread Starter

Austin Shelton

Joined Aug 3, 2016
26
I ran them in parallel my friend.
I did not use any other parts besides the original controller that ran the leds before. I have them running in parallel.
 

dannyf

Joined Sep 13, 2015
2,197
Then you should expect them to work, as that's exactly how they worked previously. All you did is to re-arrange them physically but electronically (to the controller) it is identical.

The controller likely was pwm the power applied to the leds to control the brightness.

What this shows is something I have been saying for a long time: you don't have to use resistors with leds, as long as you know what you are doing.
 

Thread Starter

Austin Shelton

Joined Aug 3, 2016
26
Yeah it's a big weight off my shoulders though

I'm very new to electronics. I have messed around when i was younger but this project is kind my first real attempt at something serious with the potential that it could go VERY wrong. I learned a few things. Like for instance. NOT every led in my other projects will work as smooth as this one will.

Then you should expect them to work, as that's exactly how they worked previously. All you did is to re-arrange them physically but electronically (to the controller) it is identical.

The controller likely was pwm the power applied to the leds to control the brightness.

What this shows is something I have been saying for a long time: you don't have to use resistors with leds, as long as you know what you are doing.

There is a slight problem now. If you look at this. I redone the drawing but this time providing insight to the bridge in the middle.
 

Attachments

Last edited by a moderator:

dannyf

Joined Sep 13, 2015
2,197
NOT every led in my other projects will work as smooth as this one will.
well, you have one under your belt now.

So go experimenting more.

I redone the drawing but this time providing insight to the bridge in the middle.
that's a parallel / serial connection. The LEDs are divided into two groups, in serial with each other. Within a group, the leds are in parallel.

It increases the forward voltage needed to turn on the leds.

That means that you will need to replicate that same structure with your new circular arrangement.
 

Thread Starter

Austin Shelton

Joined Aug 3, 2016
26
Ok one of the other users mentioned that.
well, you have one under your belt now.

So go experimenting more.



that's a parallel / serial connection. The LEDs are divided into two groups, in serial with each other. Within a group, the leds are in parallel.

It increases the forward voltage needed to turn on the leds.

That means that you will need to replicate that same structure with your new circular arrangement.

ok like this then?
 

Attachments

dannyf

Joined Sep 13, 2015
2,197
The led controller looks to be a mcu-controlled smps. you can confirm that with some digging. If properly designed, it can work with different kind of leds (reasonably matched).
 

Thread Starter

Austin Shelton

Joined Aug 3, 2016
26
Ok one more drawing. I uploaded the underside of the leds like it looks on my project. this is exactly what it's looking like atm.

Report.

I just tested a two leds in series and my 3v cell wont light up either of them. So i assume that because of the series it takes the 3v and spreads it across the two leds and now 3v is no longer strong enough to light the leds

Ok it seems 6v wont even turn the leds on in series. What am i doing wrong? i bridged positive to neg and kept the other positive and neg free

They work on their own but not together... weird.

ok after researching putting leds in series causes the voltage required to increase. So 3v to test won't work anymore. Not even 6v. Maybe i don't have it connected right. i have this as follow - Middle/bridge + i connect the 3v batterys positive to the positive and the neg to the neg of the group just to TEST if they light up as a single group. Nope nothing. I then get ANOther Button cell of 3v. Make that in series. Do the same thing. Nothing. But it works perfectly if i just hook up as single led or in parallel.

there must be something i'm not understanding. I have yet to go through and hook up all in a parallel/series fashion as i want to make SURE

nvm i figured it out
 

Attachments

Last edited by a moderator:

Thread Starter

Austin Shelton

Joined Aug 3, 2016
26
hey guys i finished the project :D

Thanks for all the help guys.

It works perfectly. The only thing left that i wish to do is take this LED light strip (12 volts dc) and add that to the circuit. It has a positive and neg wire. What would i have to do to make it work with the control board? Sense it has a voltage controller i think i wont need something else right?
 
Top