LED light strip

Other Hardware General Electronics
1

Hello. I will be using 5V from my Arduino Uno to the power a Nexlux led light strip. Will I need a resistor for the light strip or can I just use it without one. Thank you

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I - and most others - do not wish to spend time figuring out what that light strip actually, is, what connections it requires and what power is required.

Suffice to say that an Arduino UNO does not "power" anything with 5 V.

3

A "standard" RGB strip requires a power supply and 3 [u]MOSFET[/u] or transistor drivers.

The power supply should be rated for the required voltage and at-least the required current (amps/milliamps). The MOSFETs (or transistors) must also be able to handle the current (any transistor or MOSFET can handle 5V or 12V).

Neopixel LED strips have drivers built-in so you only need a power supply.

4

Hi,
Welcome to the forum.

Please read the first post in any forum entitled how to use this forum.
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,148850.0.html .

Thanks.. Tom... :slight_smile:

5

DVDdoug:
A "standard" RGB strip requires a power supply and 3 [u]MOSFET[/u] or transistor drivers.

Logic level MOSFET is required - the on-resistance should be low enough for the load current.

6

imnewhere:
Hello. I will be using 5V from my Arduino Uno to the power a Nexlux led light strip.

Not in this Universe. Neither the Uno, nor any other Arduino flavor I'm aware of, can power an LED strip like the one in your photo. Even if the RGB LED strip in your possession was designed to run at 5V -- very unlikely {unless it comprises a set of addressable LED chips}-- the Arduino would only have enough power to run one RGB triplet [and perhaps even two], unless it sports some form of addressable LED, in which case it might do 8 triplets -- but that will come very close to triggering the 500mA polyfuse. Most likely that LED strip requires either 12V or 24V. In each of those cases, you will need something more elaborate to drive even one triplet -- like a MOSFET, for instance.

But, notice how I'm having to guess at that you got, over there? Read the following to get more insight into how you can save us from such histrionics: http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,148850.0.html#msg_1118324

imnewhere:
Will I need a resistor for the light strip or can I just use it without one. Thank you

More than likely the resistors are already installed on the strip -- unless its populated with addressable LEDs, in which case, it goes way beyond mere "resistors"! Muhahahahahahaha!!! <<>>

But, even in the case of mere resistors [already installed...], that's pretty much moot, since more than likely, a voltage higher than the measly 5V, available from the UNO, is involved.