I have small gadget which has led.

I plan to put top of this led some kind of light sensor. When led goes on, it connects 20 wires and when led goes off, it un-connects all 20 wires.

I don't have any other electronics skills other than basic soldering skill. How i can do this?

Entire project uses 5V USB-power.

Thanks

 

OK, so you have a "separate LED(I will call it as Flashlight here)" which will shine light on the LDR(Light Dependent Resistor). When the flashlight is on, all the twenty LED will turn on. When it is off, all the 20 LED will turn off. Am I right?

Now, put all the LEDs in parallel(if they are White or blue;if they are red, make two rows and put 10 Led in parrel for each row, then connect the two rows in series.) Use the diagram below. The Transistors can be BC108, BC547 or 2N2222A. The Preset resistor is a Resistor which will control The LDRs sensitivity and the Electricity flowing to the LED. As you are connecting so many LEDsin Parallel, you wont need the resistor connected to the Anode of the LED. I hope It helps

 

OK, so you have a "separate LED(I will call it as Flashlight here)" which will shine light on the LDR(Light Dependent Resistor). When the flashlight is on, all the twenty LED will turn on. When it is off, all the 20 LED will turn off. Am I right?

Now, put all the LEDs in parallel(if they are White or blue;if they are red, make two rows and put 10 Led in parrel for each row, then connect the two rows in series.) Use the diagram below. The Transistors can be BC108, BC547 or 2N2222A. The Preset resistor is a Resistor which will control The LDRs sensitivity and the Electricity flowing to the LED. As you are connecting so many LEDsin Parallel, you wont need the resistor connected to the Anode of the LED. I hope It helps

Thanks.

I'm not sure if we are speaking about same thing???

There is one led in one gadget i got as gift.

Now i try to create separate circuit, which will be outside of that gadget, which have one LDR and when LDR gets light from that led, it connects 20 wires and when there is no light, it kind of un-plugs those 20 wires. So it kind of plugs/unplugs cable.

I hope this makes more sense.

 

Thanks.

I'm not sure if we are speaking about same thing???

There is one led in one gadget i got as gift.

Now i try to create separate circuit, which will be outside of that gadget, which have one LDR and when LDR gets light from that led, it connects 20 wires and when there is no light, it kind of un-plugs those 20 wires. So it kind of plugs/unplugs cable.

I hope this makes more sense.

Oh so use want to "plug and unplug" cables using an LDR?? That will be a bit too complicated for you I guess. But never mind. You will need a BIG electromagnet, and many other things, I will advice you to forget about plugging and unplugging (Literally) and make a circuit that will shine the LEDs when Light is detected by the LDR. If your main aim is to Turn ON the LEDs When light (from ANY source) is detected by the LDR and turn them Off when The light source is removed, the circuit I mentioned will be the simplest one and quite ideal( if you dont want it to perform any other tasks). Hope It helps.

 

Oh so use want to "plug and unplug" cables using an LDR?? That will be a bit too complicated for you I guess. But never mind. You will need a BIG electromagnet, and many other things, I will advice you to forget about plugging and unplugging (Literally) and make a circuit that will shine the LEDs when Light is detected by the LDR. If your main aim is to Turn ON the LEDs When light (from ANY source) is detected by the LDR and turn them Off when The light source is removed, the circuit I mentioned will be the simplest one and quite ideal( if you dont want it to perform any other tasks). Hope It helps.

Thanks.

These wires are actually usb2 and usb3 cables. I need to automate physical plug and unplug. I need to do this to 2-4 usb-cables.

I really need simple circuit diagram picture like you gave earlier. Thanks again

 

Glad to Help.

 

You've got quite a creeping spec going on there. Saying that you want to "connect 20 wires together" implies you have 20 wires that you want to connect all together and brings to mind trying to power a bunch of different things that can't be connected together when unpowered. Probably the simplest way to do it is with relays.

When you refine it and say that you are wanting to connect and disconnect USB3 cables, now you are talking about getting involved with GHz scale differential signaling. I suspect that designing such a device would be a bit challenging, but doable. I don't know if such devices are available on the market or not. I did a quick search but my search terms brought up lots of other things that aren't the same.

 

WBahn,

I have a feeling that the OP wants to physically move real/phsical USB plugs into and out of the sockets.

Susanna,

Please confirm what you are trying to do. Also, any information WHY you are trying to do this will help. People on the site may have other (easier) ways to complete your goal.

 

I agree confirmation/clarification is needed. The reason I think she only wants to electrically connect/disconnect them is because she said "it kind of un-plugs those 20 wires. So it kind of plugs/unplugs cable."

 

I can clearly imagine a lego contraption mechanically plugging and unplugging the cables

 

Get it to act like the guy in Airplane that unplugs the runway lights.

 

When you refine it and say that you are wanting to connect and disconnect USB3 cables, now you are talking about getting involved with GHz scale differential signaling. I suspect that designing such a device would be a bit challenging, but doable. I don't know if such devices are available on the market or not. I did a quick search but my search terms brought up lots of other things that aren't the same.

Thanks guys.

So basically i have computer in remote location and it has all kinds of usb2/usb3 devices connected to usb3-hub. Currently 2 devices.

I really need to plug/unplug these without visiting that place. It cannot be done by simply sending unmount etc command to that computer, the cable really need to be physically unplugged, by pulling out of sockets or "electrically".

I have figured out script which turns this led on/off when needed in that remote location, now i try to do the plug/unplug part.

Plug don't need to be physically pulled out of the sockets but i was thinking i would cut usb-cord and put some kind of circuit between the ends of the cables, which "electrically" connects cables when needed.

 

I'd start with simply disconnecting the +5V wire and seeing if that is enoug, it probably will.

 

I'd start with simply disconnecting the +5V wire and seeing if that is enoug, it probably will.

I don't dare to test this myself because others in this thread think it's really hard to do.

BTW, all those usb-devises are unmounted and safe to unplug when i want to do this unplugging.

 

Perhaps something like this...?

 

I don't dare to test this myself because others in this thread think it's really hard to do.

BTW, all those usb-devises are unmounted and safe to unplug when i want to do this unplugging.

There isn't much danger in damaging anything by trying something out. It just may not work or may not work reliably. Trying to effectively disconnect them by just switching the 5V lone is a good idea to try. If it works, then you might get a USB HUB and do a smidgeon of surgery on it so that you can break the 5V line to the upstream port and effectively disconnect most or all of the devices at once. Although that brings another question to mind -- will the system respond correctly if a whole bunch of devices are plugged in simulteneously?