Connecting RGB LEDs & Voltage Regulators to an ADXL335 Accelerometer

Other Hardware LEDs and Multiplexing
1

I'm a complete beginner to circuitry & programming and have watched but not fully understood a fair few tutorials, so I'm hoping for a little patience for my inexperience..

I'm trying to connect two RGB LEDs to an arduino uno but am unsure which ports to connect them to.

I'm using an ADXL335 accelerometer which I want to connect to the 3.3v port to detect movement (e.g. someone picking it up) and light up the LEDs

I have 6 pin full colour RGB LEDs and really need to know the soldering technique used to connect them to a TS 317 voltage regulator and how that connects to the power supply which will be a 9 V battery pack.

I'm also wondering if anybody knows how to correctly solder the ADXL335 accelerometer to yellow bell wire?

Any info would be much appreciated,

Isaac

2

Do you have a spec for the RGB LED?
Do you have your circuit diagram to share with us?
Which package is your regulator?

3

Specs for RGB: http://www.maplin.co.uk/rgb-full-colour-led-35893

Specs For regulator: HTTP 301 This page has been moved

As for circuit diagram I need one drawn up for me as I don't understand them at all, I'm sure you can understand what I'm trying to do from the description?

4

I assume you're not planning on driving the red LED to its maximum (or anywhere near it) - are you de-rating the other colours in proportion?

Yes, I found the regulator datasheet too, which is why I asked which (of the four) package you were using.

5

I'd like the LED to work at full capacity as long as it does not require ventilation i.e. a fan

I also wanted the LEDs to go slowly through the colour gradients when they are turned on.

The resistor I'm using is the standard T0-220 package; first one on the left.

6

The LEDs won't need a fan, but they will require a transistor to get the red ones running at 50mA.

7

There are no red LED's.. It might not show it on the diagram in the link but there are colourless.

Really I think I have all I need but I'm apprehensive about the circuitry. I was told by a tutor the process was more or less straight forward and people on this site would be on point with the circuitry side of things.

Is there a particular part of the forum I should be posting this to as, apart from your response, I've tried a few areas of the forum to no avail.

I've started soldering the accelerometer to the bell wire as I couldn't wait for or find any real info.. One question though, how important is it if the solder from one connection touches solder from another connection on the underside of the breadboard?

8

There are no red LED's.. It might not show it on the diagram in the link but there are colourless

The link was for a Kingbright RGB (Red Green Blue) LED.
The face is clear (the body white, IIRC), but be assured that there is a red LED, a green LED and a blue LED.
Pin pitch is a rather awkward 2mm.

One question though, how important is it if the solder from one connection touches solder from another connection on the underside of the breadboard?

That's what we call a "short-circuit".
Sometimes, this is what you want.
Sometimes, not.

9

The face is clear (the body white, IIRC), but be assured that there is a red LED, a green LED and a blue LED

Okay.. So this means its primarily one colour?

That's what we call a "short-circuit".
Sometimes, this is what you want.
Sometimes, not.

So, with regards to this project.. Is a short circuit necessary?

10

Okay.. So this means its primarily one colour?

No, quite the opposite.

So, with regards to this project.. Is a short circuit necessary?

Without a circuit diagram?
Can't say.

11

Without a circuit diagram?
Can't say.

Is it not possible to infer from my project description, specs and whether I need a short circuit or not? I was told this was more than possible?

That's what we call a "short-circuit".
Sometimes, this is what you want.
Sometimes, not.

I'd just like a few educated suggestions from someone who has experience as I was repeatedly told by my tutor (who is unfortunately unavailable for the next three weeks) that none of this would be too protracted for people in this forum to understand or extrapolate on if necessary?

Don't really feel like I've gotten anywhere since last week despite laying out out all the specs of the project, its purpose etc.

Thanks for your time though.

12

lol....
You want that someone teachs you something that I still dont understand what is the doubt..
Is how you solder?
Well to solder you grab a soldering iron some flux, some solder and what you want to solder.
If you want to use that V-reg you will need to solder it to some board?
Will it be a custom pcb or will you use a proto-board/breadboard/whatever you call them?
As you should already know you will not solder the V-reg directly to the leds, I hope at least.

13

I'd just like a few educated suggestions from someone who has experience as I was repeatedly told by my tutor (who is unfortunately unavailable for the next three weeks) that none of this would be too protracted for people in this forum to understand or extrapolate on if necessary?

It wouldn't be so protracted if getting answers out of you wasn't like pulling teeth.

Wire the cathodes of the blue and green LEDs via 68 ohm resistors to ground.
Wire the cathode of the red LED via a 100 ohm resistor to ground.
Wire each of the LED anodes to a separate PWM pin.

Wire the supply of the accelerometer to the 3.3V pin, and the ground of the accelerometer to one of the grounds on the Arduino.
Connect X/Y/Z to analogue inputs 0, 1 and 2.

Load software, and debug.

Chuck the regulators in the parts bin.

Have your tutor post his response when s/he gets back.