Powering LEDs Using Motor Shield

Other Hardware Motors, Mechanics, Power and CNC
1

Hi guys,

I'm working on a spinoff of the popular Garduino project - basically, I want my Uno to turn on a small water pump and an LED lighting strip to take care of my plants in response to certain inputs. I purchased a strip of 12V, 1A LEDs designed for growing plants (mix of red and blue) and I was wondering whether I could power them using the Arduino Motor Shield. I don't have the shield yet so I can't test it out, but is there any reason why it shouldn't work?

I also have a question about powering the Motor Shield directly from the Uno. I would be running 1A lights and a 0.5A water pump (both at 12V) intermittently - and not necessarily together - from the shield. Would a 12V adapter connected to the Uno be able to cope with this, or do I really need a separate power source for the shield?

Thanks for your help!

2

Using the motor shield to run the Leds should be fine.

Whether your power supply can provide enough current is the question. If it's a wallwart, it may well not be able to provide power for the pump and the arduino - most of mine are sub 1A. Bear in mind that it's preferable to have some overhead so I'd want a supply that could provide at least 2A.