terahz
1x10^12 Hz
Nope, waiting for PCBs from seeed. I'm hoping sometime next week they'll be here.
DIY LED driver for reef lighting
- Thread starter der_wille_zur_macht
- Start date
Nope, waiting for PCBs from seeed. I'm hoping sometime next week they'll be here.
ndh78
New member
Wow...great read...I got through most of it...lol.
I have a BC14 and want to use it for a test mule before I invest in lights on a larger scale. I would like to try the CAT board but only need 2 to run 18 leds on the little tank.
Does anyone have two I can buy or where can I get them...sorry if this is a dumb question and I should probably know the answer but I'm exhausted from reading. :spin2:
I have a BC14 and want to use it for a test mule before I invest in lights on a larger scale. I would like to try the CAT board but only need 2 to run 18 leds on the little tank.
Does anyone have two I can buy or where can I get them...sorry if this is a dumb question and I should probably know the answer but I'm exhausted from reading. :spin2:
Tesla
New member
DWZM,
Do you have Seeedstudio Gerber files for this new version of the seperate PWM CAT4101 board.
I downloaded Eagle yesterday but the current CAM file on Seeed for some reason has errors in the latest Eagle.
Great board BTW:lol2:
Thanks
-Phillip
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4 channel, PWM controlled driver
4 channel, PWM controlled driver
A friend of mine has been helping me out with my LED build. He built me four boards using info he found here and modified them for his own use. Each board is around $55 to build. You need an external power supply. I'm using 24v/13A Meanwell power supplies.
- Each board has four channels at 1000mA each, independently controlled by PWM.
- Four trim pots to manually set the max current each driver puts out to <1000mA
- PMW override jumper to bypass the PWM in case you don't want a controller. It just sends 5v to the chip for you so they always run full on.
- 12v outputs for your Arduino power so you don't need another adapter.
Here's a picture of the board and the eagle files, parts list, etc. are in the zip folder. There are links to the parts at Digikey in the parts list.
4 channel, PWM controlled driver
A friend of mine has been helping me out with my LED build. He built me four boards using info he found here and modified them for his own use. Each board is around $55 to build. You need an external power supply. I'm using 24v/13A Meanwell power supplies.
- Each board has four channels at 1000mA each, independently controlled by PWM.
- Four trim pots to manually set the max current each driver puts out to <1000mA
- PMW override jumper to bypass the PWM in case you don't want a controller. It just sends 5v to the chip for you so they always run full on.
- 12v outputs for your Arduino power so you don't need another adapter.
Here's a picture of the board and the eagle files, parts list, etc. are in the zip folder. There are links to the parts at Digikey in the parts list.
Attachments
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Names Brucey
New member
Hey guys, still need some help. A couple posts back I mentioned that I moved my fixture and inadvertanly hooked my power supply up backwards (postive going to the negative) to the driver. Now none of my lights work. I used Fishman's boards and he had done the same thing and determined he fried his CAT's. So I ordered all new CAT's, most are on backorder, but I got 13 in and re-soldered them onto my boards and nothing. Same exact thing. Any other ideas where to start. It appears as though I am getting my PWM ok and power is getting to the board OK but no power to the led's. I am at a loss (not an electrical guy). My corals are now about a week without light and I need help quick. I appreciate any thoughts or ideas.
Names Brucey
New member
Already did. All work fine. I did determine that the on-board 5v was not working either. Replaced that on one of the boards (had an extra) and now I get limited strings lighting up (barely) with varying voltage to the strings and some strings nothing. Checked for shorts on the board etc, nothing. The only thing I don't know about is whether I could have fried the potentiometers doing this so that they are screwing with something maybe?
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
Can you isolate one board or one driver for testing? Can you bypass the pot and your pwm source to rule them out?
Where is your pwm coming from? Was that device connected when power was reversed? At one point I had an arduino connected to a driver and reversed power to the driver. The output pin on the 'duino's AVR was fried as a result.
Linear regs are easy to troubleshoot. What are your Vin and Vout?
Where is your pwm coming from? Was that device connected when power was reversed? At one point I had an arduino connected to a driver and reversed power to the driver. The output pin on the 'duino's AVR was fried as a result.
Linear regs are easy to troubleshoot. What are your Vin and Vout?
Names Brucey
New member
Don't know if I can bypass POT. My PWM is from the typhoon board. Output from that is a little low. Shows something like 4.8 to 4.93 volts. I guess I could take my 5v output on the driver and just wire it to the PWM to make sure that isn't it. Input voltage is somewhere around 15 something which is where I need it but when I check voltage at the LED's connections to the board it is all over the place, from 10 something down to 9 something.
Shouldn't the pots to control the current be 5k instead of 10k. According to the datasheet Rset ohms is 5K for 100ma.
Cheers
TheFishMan65
New member
Brucey,
See PM, but you can bypass the trimpot. Jumper the 2 out pins of the pot together with a short wire (you can take it out later). Use the 5 volt output to supply the PWM (this is my standard test configuration). Does this light the LEDs at about 900 ma?
See PM, but you can bypass the trimpot. Jumper the 2 out pins of the pot together with a short wire (you can take it out later). Use the 5 volt output to supply the PWM (this is my standard test configuration). Does this light the LEDs at about 900 ma?
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
Anything on the board getting hot?
Names Brucey
New member
Nothing getting hot. Fishman, when you say jumper the 2 outpins you have me a little confused. Do you want me to remove the pot from the board and then jumper? Which 2 are the out pins?
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
The two outer pins of the three pins on the pot. That will effectively remove the pot from the circuit.
I really don't see how the pots could be damaged though. Do you have any bare PCBs to build a new driver from scratch? That would eliminate the driver, vs. there being a problem in the LED array or wiring.
I really don't see how the pots could be damaged though. Do you have any bare PCBs to build a new driver from scratch? That would eliminate the driver, vs. there being a problem in the LED array or wiring.
Names Brucey
New member
I don't right now. I have 5 drivers in total. One of which was alreay inopperable because I broke a trace inadvertantly so I was only running 4. I will try jumping the two outer pins as you suggest to make sure. I presume I can just do that with a wire from the bottom of the thru-hole? I will also try taking the 5v from the on-board tonight as well. Does the slightly less than 5v from the Typhoon seem OK though? It has always been like that and never gave me a problem. The only other odd thing that I shared with Fishman was that I did replace one of the on-board 5v regulators with a 5v regulator from my typhoon builds and suddenly was getting 10v output on the board. Not sure how that could even happen?
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
10v output on the board - from the 5v reg?
You said you have another PCB with a broken trace - any chance you can fix the trace? Scrape the solder mask off around the trace, and solder bridge the break. Or just don't populate that particular driver. Do you have spares for other components on the board? caps, resistors, etc.?
You said you have another PCB with a broken trace - any chance you can fix the trace? Scrape the solder mask off around the trace, and solder bridge the break. Or just don't populate that particular driver. Do you have spares for other components on the board? caps, resistors, etc.?
Names Brucey
New member
Yeah, 10v dead on from the 5v regulator. I checked the numbers on the regulator and they are correct as well. I though at first that maybe I grabbed a 10v one but it is definately a 5v. I ended up taking the 5v off of the scrapped board that wasn't attached when I screwed everything else up and put it on and 5v right on. Not sure. The only difference between to the two regulators is one is rated at 1a and the other 1.5.
I have tried solder bridging that dumb trace 20 times and can't seem to do it. I know it should be simple but for the life of me I can't do it. Any tips?
I do have caps and resistors but no more pots but that apparently is a non issue.
I have tried solder bridging that dumb trace 20 times and can't seem to do it. I know it should be simple but for the life of me I can't do it. Any tips?
I do have caps and resistors but no more pots but that apparently is a non issue.
TheFishMan65
New member
Which trace is it?
Names Brucey
New member
Now I have two. One is the lead coming from the 5v regulator to CAP. The other is the PWM A through hole.
TheFishMan65
New member
OK, those shouldn't be to bad. What size wire are you using? Wire wrap wire (real small) will work the best for those. Lets get the board working and then we can come back to those. I may need to send you care package anyway.
