RGB LEDs flashing at arduino clock speed

Development Tools IDE 1.x
1

Hello,
I recently have been working on a project that uses the arduino microcontroller to control a large number of RGB LED strips to synchronize them to music from an audio jack, I am using IRFZ44N MOSFET N-Channel transistors to use the arduino digital pins/pwm pins as the output on the gate.

The LEDs must be supplied by their own power supply because they require 10 amps of power, therefore the barrel jack on the arduino will not work as the board will heat up and melt. I have my own patch cable that uses a series of resistors to drop the voltage down to a safe level for the arduino to use.

But the biggest issues are:

  1. LEDs are dimly lit
  2. LEDs do not respond to music, rather they flash at 16.0Mhz(the arduino frequency)
  3. PWM nor Digital Pins seem to work

How do I go about doing a low power signal into a high power signal for the LEDs and better yet, how can I use arduino properly to drive RGB LED strips at high amperage and voltage(with schematics please)?

My project can be found among the URLs below, however do note that many of the schematics are wrong as the resistor on the transistors goes from gate to ground, instead of drain to ground.

URLs:

2

For a start you need a logic level gate MOSFET. These are fully turned on at 5V whereas yours will not be on fully.

How have you determined the LEDs are flashing at 16Mhz?

Weedpharma

3

The LEDs do not randomly flash on or off, but at a constant rate, much more constant than my eyes can keep up with, it is enough of a flicker that you only notice it when the LEDs are very dimly lit and it is not random, no flash is brighter than any other. As for Logic level transistors, do you know of any that you would recommend?

4

AOI514

I use 32 of them on this board for heavy current sinking application, like an amp each.
http://www.crossroadsfencing.com/BobuinoRev17/

1000×906 171 KB

5

I see on the datasheet that the AOI514 is rated for 20A but only 10V, are there any that support 12v and 10A?

6

Drain-source is 30V.
Gate max is 10V - but you only 5V to turn it full on.

Drain to Source Voltage (Vdss)
30V

Current - Continuous Drain (Id) @ 25°C
17A (Ta), 46A (Tc)

Rds On (Max) @ Id, Vgs
5.9 mOhm @ 20A, 10V

7

Awesome! I have the IRFZ44N and TIP33C transistors, both of which work beautifully on a fade, but as soon as I switch and start integrating my MSGEQ7 circuit, the lights flicker when there is no sound being played. How do I make it so that when there is no audio, or when the cord is unplugged, the lights are not even on?