Thanks to the guys for doing WLED, im really enjoying using it
I started with the usual cheap 10m/100led usb string led
Been designing simple pcb for a while using DipTrace and ordering my PCB from JLCPCB, 5 boards are super cheap and mean i can try lots of ideas out
Anyway, thought i would share some of my latest simple pcbs, designed to go in boxes i have or are very cheap, nothing complicated, all connected to USB and do incorporate a fuse for the LEDS
(the thin blue lines dont appear on the finished boards)
Just be aware that your power traces on those boards are probably rated at less than the fuses you’ve got in series.
Without actual measurements of trace width and copper thickness, I’d guess those traces max out at between 3A and 4A. That’s not necessarily bad, as long as you realize that’s an inherent limitation of your boards.
Personally. if I’m going to do power distribution that’s handling more than 1 or 2A, I prefer to dedicated large trace areas just for power. I try and put them in a separate section of the board from the rest of the digital electronics.
i dont think i will need it, ive not seen any problems with any so far, 200, 500 or 1000 led tests
i do have a board with a level shift chip on but as im staying at 5v i shouldnt think it will be a probem
ive talked to lots of people re this
in real life and with the brightness that is acceptable to meand others, the guesstimates given by wled are so over the top as to be comical
even the 200 (199), 20m length im trying uses less than estimated and lots less than the recomended
i know its based on the brightest white but as its rgb and not likely to use white at all i think its causing confusion with other users
wled suggest 8a for brightest white
wled info during use 700ma
actual measured 426ma
It’s an estimation for convenience, if you want it accurate you need to select the led type correctly / set a custom value based on actual measurements.
IIRC, LED light output is linear in current, but human perception of brightness is square root or less (exponential, < 0.5). So dropping the current on a bright LED doesn’t affect brightness that much, and that’s why peak power reqt is not as important as one might think.
Couldn’t you do what I have seen them do on some smart plugs - Just load the power traces with a ton of solder - has got to raise the current capacity …
at some stage i will take one of my pcbs and destroy it to see what current it will take
if its more than 4 or 5a ill be supprised, but happy it will easily power any number of leds i want to use
