LED Wiring Harness

Here is a picture of the quick connector that each LED is wired to.

All three LEDs are run to the backbox as part of one harness.

LED Rom Flasher Test

Here is a shot of the flashers in action. Running the Addams Family game in this picture, LEDs throw a lot of light and create nice patterns with the flasher caps.

LEDs aren't properly mounted in this pic, but now that everything is working I can properly install them.

Another picture with Pin Bot running. I'll post a video shortly so you can see the full effect, but you get quite a few different colors during game play. LEDs are running on 5 volts.

LEDs Installed with Resistors

Here is an image of the LED properly mounted to the heat sink now with the appropriate resistors. In order to maximize the current for each different colored LED I am running a different resistor based on my LED findings listed on this site. The actual measures were a far cry from the theoretical or calculated ones.

I'll hot glue the resistors and then drill holes in the back of the backbox for these to be installed. They are wired to connectors for easy removal.

CREE LEDs by Different Color at Various Voltages

LED current / voltage comparision test using 5 volt source
results R val
Red 2.01/450 5.6 ohm Red 2.05 /320 7.2 ohm
Green 3.7 /305 4.5 ohm Green 3.0 /220 7.2 ohm
White 3.4 /275 4.5 ohm White 3.27/195 7.2 ohm
Blue 3.2 / 3.25 4.5 ohm Blue 3.0/225 7.2 ohm

Red 2.06/360 6.6 ohm Red 3.2/300 8.2 ohm
Green 3.2 /240 6.6 ohm Green 3.0/200 8.2 ohm
White 2.2 /314 6.6 ohm White 3.25/180 8.2 ohm
Blue 3.0 /240 6.6 ohm Blue 3.0/205 8.2 ohm


LED spec at 350ma

Red 2.1 /350 ma
Green 3.4 / 350ma
Blue 3.2 / 350ma
White 3.2 / 350ma

Testing LEDs

Installed a couple of multimeters inline with the LEDs. One was set to measure the voltage, and the other the current or amperage.

Found that the Red LED drew the most current, was typically double what the other LEDs drew.

At 3 Volts I'm not getting much intensity out of the LEDs, only see about 110 mA out of the white LED. Still very bright, but will try and run this one using a 5 Volt power supply and resistor.

LED Heat Sinks

Ordered the heat sinks for the LEDs, here is a picture of them. Experimented with various currents, at 3 volts the CREE LEDs are not drawing a lot of current, I am only seeing about 120 mA for the GBW, and about 300 for the Red.

Red is currently much brighter. Tomorrow I'll experiment with 5 volts although even at only 150 or so mA they are still quite bright.

They can handle up to 700 mA though, so can probably squeeze some more brightness out of them.

Flasher LED Holders

Was looking into how to mount my flasher LEDs, here is a really cool setup. http://ca.mouser.com/Tyco_StarBoard/

Basically allows you to take your star LED boards and mount them without the need for any thermal adhesive, and no soldering.

I like this option as it would be a very clean look, and I hate hard wiring anything incase it breaks down the road. with this you can just unscrew the cover and remove the LED, you can even install different diffuser lenses if you like. Other great thing is the wires just clip on to the sides, so even the wires aren't hard mounted to the heat sink or the LED.

Unfortunately I couldn't find this setup for RGBW or four color LEDs, they seem to only make it for 3. On my next cab I am definately just going to go with RGB LEDs and these mounts, and if I feel the need for white light maybe get a strobe.