Moving the USB LED out from arduino board

Other Hardware General Electronics
1

Hi guys, I need some advice.

I have been designing a case for my arduino project. The arduino will be always connected to the computer sending and receiving data and I would like to see the usb led blinking when communication is occurring, but with the arduino inside the case this is not possible. I was thinking to remove the usb led from the arduino board and then soldering wires to the respective pads, so I could connect external led that would be installed in the frontal panel of the case.

Is there something that I should take care of to perform this mod ?

Regards.

Angelo

2

RX or TX LEDs or both?
Arduino UNO Rev 3?

Suggest you use wire wrap wire (30 AWG).

What soldering experience do you have?

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You could try to connect LEDs to D1 and D2, use high value series resistors, 1K - 2K.

3

RX and TX pins (pin 0 and 1) are normally HIGH.

So if you want to connect LEDs (with current limiting resistors) to those pins, you must connect the LED between 5volt and pin (not between pin and ground).
Leo..

4

I'd glue a bit of 1mm thick plastic fiber optic to the LED, and bring it to the surface of your case.

5

Is there something that I should take care of to perform this mod ?

You need good soldering skills and a good pair of tweezers to remove the LEDs. Don't even think about using them on the end of long wires but use leaded LEDs. No need to add any current limiting resistors as you left them behind on the board. You need very thin wire for the connection to the surface mount solder pads and don't leave the iron on too long or you will lift the pads.

6

ChrisTenone:
I'd glue a bit of 1mm thick plastic fiber optic to the LED, and bring it to the surface of your case.

Great idea, use that method with some mining control boxes, light pipes.
Tom... :slight_smile:

7

You could write something in your sketch to detect when serial activity is occurring and switch a digital output when this is so . Use that output to power a led .

Or just try connecting leds with resistors to the RX /TX pins

8

Hi guys, thank you all for the replies.

Well, I have good soldering skills, but the smd leds on arduino board will be always a challenge to work with. I think I can remove the USB led and solder thin wires on the pads. About the RX-TX question, the USB led does blink for both directions or are you talking about the RX-TX serial pins ?

The POF (plastic optic fiber) method seems to be reasonable option, but I did not find any for sale here, but at the end I would need to think about how to do a better design at the frontal plate of the case.

In my opinion the best choice is to use a led as this one and have a square hole for it

9

Do you not answer questions put to you?

10

no at all, as the question was about to take care of.

As no one post something about not to do it or not to use the type of led I intend to, so it seems to be Ok to make this mod.

I will make this mod today and I post the results here.

Thank you all.

11

Hi guys.

Here is the "mod". I had a chinese arduino board and just soldered a 1.8K ohm resistor and an old led.

In this small clip you can see the led working. it is pretty easy to extend.

My question now, is where are the tx and rx in this board. I will have to find them, but I think the chinese just ignored these leds to cut costs.