General DIY LED thread

[stefanm]

I belive it will be one resistor per driver.

https://www.ultimatereef.net/threads/ldd-meanwell-resistor.705065/
Suppose anywhere along the dim wire is just fine..


As to ganging say 4 driver dim wires suppose one could use one resistor but value ???
Bunch of over my pay grade math dealing with it here:
https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/to...-who-want-to-dim-to-0-using-arduino/#comments
"Seems" fine to use just one 10K per PWM output no matter how many are eventually attached to it in the end.

SOMEONE can verify..I know a non-answer to your exact question but a trail of sorts..

childish diagram but a visual of your question.

The wiring gets confusing if I use one resistor for four drivers, I've got some 4.7k ohm resistors from what I've read is I can use them also, though 10k is preferred, on my old LDD hw board I didn't use resistors on two of the pwm's didn't have an issue as there was no way of rebooting the Arduino device without connecting to a computer. Though now I'm using reef pi on my lights and everything else, I'll be making a pi zero with a PCA 9685 hat to reduce wires going to the lights and keeping the PSU up there too.

 

[amirk48]

hi all,
i want to run 30 (10 X 3-up) RB cree XP-E2 using one driver
can you help me choosing the right driver?
i want to be able to dim all royal blues using one potentiometer

thanks!

 

[stefanm]

hi all,
i want to run 30 (10 X 3-up) RB cree XP-E2 using one driver
can you help me choosing the right driver?
i want to be able to dim all royal blues using one potentiometer

thanks!

I personally wouldn't run that many off a single driver in series and the voltage required will be very high and dangerous especially as it's direct current, https://blueacro.com/acroiq/ this is a dual driver would work but 30 LEDs would be pushing your luck, maybe 28 @ 500ma or less would be ok.

I believe you could go with one of the mean well PSU/drivers, maybe hlg series though I'm not familiar with those.

 

[User1]

I personally wouldn't run that many off a single driver in series and the voltage required will be very high and dangerous especially as it's direct current, https://blueacro.com/acroiq/ this is a dual driver would work but 30 LEDs would be pushing your luck, maybe 28 @ 500ma or less would be ok.

I believe you could go with one of the mean well PSU/drivers, maybe hlg series though I'm not familiar with those.

I use those blue acro drivers. They are great.

 

[amirk48]

I personally wouldn't run that many off a single driver in series and the voltage required will be very high and dangerous especially as it's direct current, https://blueacro.com/acroiq/ this is a dual driver would work but 30 LEDs would be pushing your luck, maybe 28 @ 500ma or less would be ok.

I believe you could go with one of the mean well PSU/drivers, maybe hlg series though I'm not familiar with those.

thanks,
do these blueacro drivers require a controller to dim?
im trying to keep everything as budget friendly as possible.
what if split it to 2 channels? 15 and 15, which driver do you recommend?
im looking for a driver i could dim without needing a controller

 

[oreo54]

z

thanks,
do these blueacro drivers require a controller to dim?
im trying to keep everything as budget friendly as possible.
what if split it to 2 channels? 15 and 15, which driver do you recommend?
im looking for a driver i could dim without needing a controller

Yes ba drivers need a controller
Cheapest short of DIY 5v pwm controller is a modified TC-420. You will need a Windows box to program it though

 

[oreo54]

hi all,
i want to run 30 (10 X 3-up) RB cree XP-E2 using one driver
can you help me choosing the right driver?
i want to be able to dim all royal blues using one potentiometer

thanks!

Meanwell ac/DC driver will work fine.
Most dimmable ones do 10v analog, 10v own, or pot dimming all in one.

What is the V(f) at the current you want to run them at?

 

[oreo54]

hi all,
i want to run 30 (10 X 3-up) RB cree XP-E2 using one driver
can you help me choosing the right driver?
i want to be able to dim all royal blues using one potentiometer

thanks!

HLG 320h-c2100AB (AB is Important) should work . MINIMUM current us 1A though. 76 to 152v out

As long as your string requires greater than 76v @1a and you want to run them at 1 a
Driver needs to be around [email protected] if less than 1a
OK checked the does 3.4v @ 1a. Sorry above driver suggestion I slightly over max 1a.

 

[amirk48]

not sure what is the currant i want to run them at.. i assume it will be determined by the par im getting, no?
i want to be able to run them at close to their max currant if i need to

sounds like im better off splitting them to 2 channels with 15 leds on each

 

[oreo54]

not sure what is the currant i want to run them at.. i assume it will be determined by the par im getting, no?
i want to be able to run them at close to their max currant if i need to

sounds like im better off splitting them to 2 channels with 15 leds on each

If you want to live a little at 1a my driver suggestion ticks all your boxes.

Be aware that the harder you drive them the better the cooling needs to be.

You will need to dial down the driver ma (remember the AB thing) out and that is best done using a voltohm meter on the 10a (or any greater than 1a)
setting.

If you split the string do you plan 1 driver per string or the more unfavorable way of 2 series strings in parallel?

 

[User1]

On the ba driver to dim. I needed one, yes. I'm using the AcroStar Mega4Z 20k Pro Blue (48W) and to control / dim them I needed to use his converter module. It is pretty straight forward and aligns rj45 pin directly to the apex. The only draw back with his module is the pins on the rj45 jack are a bit wonky on his board. use a riser so it doesn't short on your heat sink and it is fine.

I went with his dimmer / pwm converter module rather than trying to make my own. Easier for me.

 

[stefanm]

On the ba driver to dim. I needed one, yes. I'm using the AcroStar Mega4Z 20k Pro Blue (48W) and to control / dim them I needed to use his converter module. It is pretty straight forward and aligns rj45 pin directly to the apex. The only draw back with his module is the pins on the rj45 jack are a bit wonky on his board. use a riser so it doesn't short on your heat sink and it is fine.

I went with his dimmer / pwm converter module rather than trying to make my own. Easier for me.

But the easiest thing is a pi zero w, micro SD card and a PCA 9685 hat module, run either reef-pi or jayfish software and done, this is for 0-5vdc dimming, for 0-10vdc I have no Idea

 

[oreo54]

for 0-10vdc I have no Idea

that's what the converter module is for... ;) if you want to dim 5V pwm drivers w/ APEX.
If one has the APEX might as well use it.

 

[User1]

But the easiest thing is a pi zero w, micro SD card and a PCA 9685 hat module, run either reef-pi or jayfish software and done, this is for 0-5vdc dimming, for 0-10vdc I have no Idea

I don't know if that is or isn't to be honest. I just wanted it all to work within the controller ecosystem I was using which is Apex. So in my use case I had the blue acro chips, the drivers, wired to the pwm / dimming module, and that was it for me. I guess if I was still using my reef angel I wouldn't need the module or possible a pi based system as you mention.

Honestly - maybe it wasn't the easiest route but I'll leave that to you all more advanced DIY folks :) I was able to connect the chips, drivers, etc easy enough. Start talking about hybrid mixing with resisters and what not I left that a long time ago back when I had electronics in high school sadly. It was fun though building it.

I'm actually taking the 8 chips off respected heat sink and putting them on a cleaner one and working to clean up my wire management. They will complement my Kessil a360x's. At least that is my intent.

 

[oreo54]

A better fit really
HLG-80H-C700B

84-129v 700mA
https://www.ledsupply.com/led-drivers/mean-well-hlg-c
https://www.trcelectronics.com/View/Mean-Well/HLG-80H-C700AB.shtml

 

[stefanm]

Today I knocked up a point to point LDD driver board, nothing exciting in that, but now I realise that I can squeeze another 3 LDD's on the board... But not only that I can drop a pi zero and a PCA 9685 hat on there too! This will be awesome but take quite a few months to achieve but will allow an all in one for my set up, less wires too as I'm using morsun PSU's 2 to Be exact and they can be mounted vertically unlike the mean well lrs which I had one blow up a few weeks ago, I managed to send it back to the local mean well office after a huge fight, still waiting on news from that..

 

[Matt Carden]

Is there a benefit to using LDD's versus an AC/DC like the hlg-320h-c2100b? I am going to build a fixture with 260 - 3 watt on 20mm star boards.

 

[oreo54]

Is there a benefit to using LDD's versus an AC/DC like the hlg-320h-c2100b? I am going to build a fixture with 260 - 3 watt on 20mm star boards.

Trick queation.
1) Depends on your choice of a controller really or how plug and play you want to make it.
2) Depends if you like troubleshooting a misbehaving string of 40 series diodes.
I've seen people surrender trying to set up large long strings of diodes vs the 12-14 size LDD strings.
3) It WAS cheaper if you wanted to tweak your drivr output by swapping sizes of LDD's. This is now sort
of obsolete with the "AB" series drivers.
4) If you want to risk the series/parallel thing and current sharing.


Cost is relatively equal using equal grade parts.
There is some controversy of working with say.. 48V DC vs 200V DC

I suppose space wise it could be a wash but you have the bulk of redundant AC/DC conversions vs one power supply.

Ect..ect..

 

[Matt Carden]

I am going to be controlling with reef-pi.
I planned to use zener diodes across each led.

LDD would allow access to more color control. I have 14 different wavelength diodes so a little more color control could be helpful.

 

[theatrus]

I planned to use zener diodes across each led.

Just from a still-lights-up with a dead-LED perspective? You still need to sink the heat from the Zener when its conducting, and multi-watt zeners aren't exactly free.