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| Thread ID: 90270 | 2008-05-28 11:50:00 | Powering IrLEDs and the Minority Report UI | Chilling_Silence (9) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 673428 | 2008-05-28 11:50:00 | Hi all, Have been sold some infrared LEDs: downloads.solarbotics.com To do something like this: www.cs.cmu.edu For a Uni project based around the Minority Report GUI. Had to do a presentation, thought it'd be a cool touch to have it shown as part of it.. Have got the software side working and it *partially* works when I try and reflect the light from the Wii Sensor Bar... but I wanna build something a lil stronger similar to what he has in the first Video. Basically I was recommended a bread-board, a 4x AA Battery Pack, and Ive purchased 28 of the LEDs. So far no joy :( Unfortunately for me, Im soley a computer geek, wiring up stuff (Unless its assembling bits to a motherboard) is *not* my cup of tea.. How should they be wired up? Do I need to buy a different battery pack that'll hold 2x AA's instead of 4? Do I need some resistors or something in there? Im testing it by viewing it with a Camera. Tested and the camera can "see" the lights in the Wii Sensor Bar and on the end of a TV Remote, but not when I wire up the IrLEDs... Any comments / suggestions / recommendations would be greatly appreciated. The presentations due Tuesday so I have a lil time, although Monday stores are closed due to Queens Bday, so yeah.. :-/ Thanks Chill. |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 673429 | 2008-05-28 11:58:00 | The 2nd link is dead | Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
| 673430 | 2008-05-28 12:24:00 | Right you are, which is odd, its his homepage... Here's the direct YouTube link to Johnny Lee's video: youtube.com |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 673431 | 2008-05-28 12:25:00 | LEDs do have a certian way they need to go before they work, also they will need a current limit resistor so they dont burn out. the large electrode inside the LED body is the negative lead (the side with a flat in the case or on a new one the shorter of the two leads) i also assume you are trying to reproduce the transmitter codes of something |
williamF (115) | ||
| 673432 | 2008-05-28 12:39:00 | Post some pics of what you've done so far. Make sure, as williamF has said, that the LEDs are all the right way, arrange them in a giant series circuit, and just connect the battery pack up. Should be all go. May be worth your while just trying one led too. |
roddy_boy (4115) | ||
| 673433 | 2008-05-28 13:27:00 | Have tried just one / two and no joy :( Hence, the post... ;) And no, not trying to send morse code or anything with them, just want a solid glow. See the video :D |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 673434 | 2008-05-28 14:12:00 | as rody sez post a pic of the bread board/prototype board you may be wiring it incorrectly or your missing a few links, are the batteries OK? try it with a visible colour LED too |
williamF (115) | ||
| 673435 | 2008-05-28 23:09:00 | Havent actually been using the breadboard yet, just wiring it by hand on the table really. Batteries are brand new, un-used, tested them in an old remote, work fine. Dont need a visible color LED, I look at it through a Camera which shows all other IrLEDs just fine.. Should I need any type of resistor or should it be fine to just wire it straight to the positive / negative of the battery pack? |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 673436 | 2008-05-28 23:28:00 | try about 100 - 220 ohms, if the batteries supply enough current without the resistor it'll blow any LED, it takes bout 30 mA or more to kill an LED. look up ohms law on google. if you dont like math lets say your using 3 volts on a 20mA LED you would use a 150ohm resistor, 4.5 volts would need a 225 ohm (220 is the closest common value) |
williamF (115) | ||
| 673437 | 2008-05-29 00:13:00 | The 2nd link is dead It works fine for me... Connect Anode (long lead) to +ve and cathode (short lead and flat face) to -ve If you're not having fun designing it yourself you can try some kind of LED Array generating wizard like this: led.linear1.org |
Agent_24 (57) | ||
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