Hello! This is my first post on the forums and I need help finding an "Electronic Switch".
Here's a video of my project set-up for those who are more visually inclined:
As I said in the video, I have 4 LEDs each with a 100 Ohm resistor on their negative ends. They are being powered by two 3.7v, 5000maH batteries wired in parallel (the LEDs are also wired in parallel) that is then attached to a 5v step-up. The positive wire of the 5v step-up is attached to the LEDs and the negative is attached to an alligator clip. Another alligator clip is connected to the negative ends of the LEDs with the 100 Ohm resistors. When I connect the two alligator clips the LEDs light up. Then I have my Arduino Uno outputting power to pin 11. I connected a 1k Ohm resistor to pin 11 and then connected the resistor's other end to the base of a general transistor. Then I connected the two alligator clips to the other ends of the transistor. I thought that by sending a small signal through the base of the transistor it would let a signal flow through the two other ends.
Transistor:
Battery:
Maybe I'm just using the equipment I have wrong, or I need something else entirely. Any solutions to this problem are helpful! Thank you for taking the time to read/watch this!
[Solved]:
Grumpy_Mike:
That is not how you use a transistor.
The emitter needs to go to ground and the collector is connected to the negitave side of the load the positave side of the load is connected to your power source. Then the power source negitave is connected to the arduino ground.