Help with understanding how I can incorporate lighting into my project

Projects General Guidance
1

Hi there,
I am looking to create an automated planting system as a way to learn electronics, however as i mentioned i am trying to learn, and i have hit a road block. I was looking at a grow light and i am getting a little confused about how to power it.
The light I am looking at can be found on Aliexpress, and displays the following power requirements

Power - 10 W

Direct voltage - 9-11 V

Direct current - 900mA

Luminous flow - 200-300LM

How is this read? and can i just attach this to my Arduino Uno and go? Or do i need to look into something else to help power this? Ideally I would like a single power cable for this project, is this possible?

Thanks for reading

2

Mechdude:
Power - 10 W

Direct voltage - 9-11 V

Direct current - 900mA

Luminous flow - 200-300LM

How is this read? and can i just attach this to my Arduino Uno and go? Or do i need to look into something else to help power this?

You need a separate DC power supply capable of supplying 9-12 volts to the load. It must also maintain that voltage when the load is drawing 900ma. Get one with some headroom. That is, do not get a power supply that only provides the bare minimum 900ma. Many recommend 20% more than the given load will take.

Mechdude:
and can i just attach this to my Arduino Uno and go?

Absolute max. current on an Arduino I/O pin is 40ma and 200ma total for the chip so, no, you cannot power your project with the Arduino. The Arduino can switch other high current devices, like relays or MOSFETs which in turn will operate the load. Power = voltage x current.

Mechdude:
Ideally I would like a single power cable for this project, is this possible?

Yes. A [url=http://

Mechdude:
buck converter[/url] can take a small part of the main DC supply and step it down to power the Arduino. Done this way the converter becomes part of the load on the power supply.

3

Hi,
Thanks for reply!
As mentioned i am using this as an exercise to learn, is this quite a simple thing to do? Or am i going to burn my house down lol?

Thanks again

4

I was wondering if it would be possible to power it using the Vin connector or something like that?

Thanks again

5

Mechdude:
I was wondering if it would be possible to power it using the Vin connector or something like that?

Only on a short term basis. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

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6

the Arduino is a microCONTROLer. it specializes in control. it uses 5VDC to do this.

your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to interface that which you need controlled to that which controls. you need to find a power switching device that converts 5 VDC inputs to switch contacts that can handle your load

search terms: SSR ( Solid State Relay ); relay, MOSFET ( for big loads )

7

Thanks so much for the advice! Like I said, I am a trying to learn and so I was wondering if it would be possible to get some advice?

So I am looking to power both the Arduino and this LED (Full spectrum one)

With this power supply

I guess I would split the power and ground, pass through a regulator (down to 5v) and into the Arduino, and then onto the LED.

I would then be able to control the LED using a MOSFET connected to an Arduino pin?

Thanks for any advice

8

MOSFET for big current draw. motors, heaters

for that, an SSR or an NPN transistor should be fine

look in the Project Hub for similar projects.