Arduino DUE + RGB LED Strip

Other Hardware General Electronics
1

Hi i'm a newbie in both arduino and programming, I'm trying out this example in the net Usage | RGB LED Strips | Adafruit Learning System and have the necessary materials, however i'm currently using Arduino Due which does not have the 12V to supply the LED's. My question are the following:

  1. Can I use a 12V battery (A23) to power the LED Strip?
  2. Will the Negative (gnd) of the battery be connected to any gnd in the arduino due board?
  3. Will the collectors (transistors pin 3) connected to the battery's gnd?

Hope you can help me as i'm afraid that i might fry my board. Thank you.

2
  1. Can I use a 12V battery (A23) to power the LED Strip?
    yes
  2. Will the Negative (gnd) of the battery be connected to any gnd in the arduino due board?
    yes
  3. Will the collectors (transistors pin 3) connected to the battery's gnd?
    maybe, it depends on the transistor type : npn or pnp, it depends on if the circuit has emitter follower configuration. If it is a pnp in the emitter follower circuit then yes. If not , then you are out of your depth.
3

I'm using the TIP120 NPN Epitaxial Darlington Transistor. Can I configure the circuit like this? I'm just concerned if my due won't be fried after the supply been attached.


sorry for the photo quality

4

Your wiring is good. go ahead and power it up. The pin 3 is grounded and it is called the emitter. Good work.

5

Thanks AmbiLobe, will try it and hoping it works

6

So i've tried hooking it up like in the diagram however upon uploading the sketch and placing the battery (A23) to power the Analog RGB LED strip, it doesn't turn on :frowning: i have tried changing the pin output but nothing happens.

7

The A23 battery is weak. The load is normally 20 k ohms.

Use a stronger 12 volt battery.

Measure the batter voltage when running the LEDs.
How much current do you need for the LED strip?

If 3 LEDs draw 15mA each, the ohms law is

12 v = .045 Amp x R

R = 12/.045 = 266 ohms ...much less than the 20,000 ohms recommended for the battery.

8

However I had used the same battery (brand) to power a RGB Led strip controller and the strip do light up. same with single color strip, i power it with a single A23 battery (more or less 30 bulbs).

I need to find another battery or can I use a 9V battery? anyway for sure i'll try this hihi just have to buy one first :smiley:

9

I would have thought the problem is that those FETs will not turn on with the 3V3 signal the Due can provide. They were designed for the 5V signal froma UNO.
You first need to boost the signal to 5V with a transistor before they will switch on.