Hi,
I've received some LED strips and am intending to control them using Arduino, however I'm pretty clueless about MOSFETS but see that I should be using them. So I've made this simulation in the KTechLab software, however it doesn't seem to be working no matter how I reconfigure it.
Where am I going wrong please?
EXTRA:
How to simulate / use the LED strips?
Many thanks
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.
Unfortunately this is not a KTechLab forum.
The fact you have mentioned it in the subject of this thread my attract a member who is familiar with this CAD.
Tom... 
Hi, thanks
The simulator software is sort of irrelevant, its more whether the circuit is correct...
*** I drew it up in Fritzang first before realising it had no simulator, then tried NGSpice, then QUCS, and back to KTechLab which I already had and used to use, so on that note, any recommendations for a British Linux user?
Cheers
Yep, build the circuit in real world. That's the most accurate "simulator" I know and the circuit looks fairly reasonable though 200 Ohms is too low for a normal single LED on 12V.
BTW what MOSFET are you pretending to use? That can make quite a difference.
Steve
grasped:
Hi,I've received some LED strips and am intending to control them using Arduino, however I'm pretty clueless about MOSFETS but see that I should be using them. So I've made this simulation in the KTechLab software, however it doesn't seem to be working no matter how I reconfigure it.
Where am I going wrong please?
You haven't explained what you mean by not working...
Anyway I suspect you've not chosen a logic-level MOSFET part so its not working at 5V gate drive, the
circuit is fine, everything is the right polarity etc.
Thankyou both
200 Ohm resistor, yes, in previous circuits I had put in numerous LED's and resistors, this was for demonstration simplicity.
Not working, the only output here is the LED, even though yes there are numerous reasons why it could be failing overall.
I'd made no selection of MOSFET yet as it'll be coming from some old PC peripheral board, but yes am looking for an L type N channel MOSFET, was also looking for an Enhancement (normally off) type too. From numerous information sources I'm lead to believe that selection ins't too important as long as it can handle the current and preferably a type L.
I'll probably try some real life tests on a simpler circuit before exposing it to the Arduino Nano its intended for, next week...
Many thanks all, please excuse my tardiness, for now I'm just a panicking but interested Aspie
Power MOSFETs these days are always enhancement mode(*). Do you mean "logic level" when you say "L type"?
Selecting a power MOSFET involves: N or P, choosing the max voltage, choosing the on-resistance, choosing the gate drive voltage (logic level or 12V), choosing the package (and thus power dissipation).
You'd never need to look at the current rating if you follow this procedure, the continuous current rating just reflects the power dissipation limit - a pulse current rating however is useful for pulse operation.
(*) ignoring exotic RF devices and the like.
Yes, L for Logic level gate I believe, then the missus turned up...
Only managed time to work through the maths on this video yesterday, but raised confidence levels and understanding of MOSFET datasheets:
I plan to study the following this week as they seem to be mentioned a few times relating to Arduino's:
IRLZ44
IRLZ44N
STP40NF10L
FQP30N06L
Thanks, have a good week!
