cathode interface

can someone check this and make sure i've done this correctly? thanks!

and after


thanks to all in advance

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Don't use BMP's...

Here ya go...

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I think you've got the right idea - as long as your smudges (sorry LEDs ) have series resistors.

wow, umm, I think that's correct? Really I'm just guessing it is. How many tubes are you hooking up? I haven't tested to see how much current the Sunbeam Interfaces can handle (if that's what you're using)... so be careful.

just 2 8'' streetglow tubes, 2 12''streetglow tubes, and a totall of 40 LED

see? They are not smudges...those all the LEDs put together...

DragonJeep wrote:

see? They are not smudges...those all the LEDs put together...

thnx

The cathode music interface from this page is rated to only hold 2 sets of cathodes. I'd be careful with that much stuff. I'd get 2 different ones, one for cathodes, and one for LED's.

munozsblazer wrote:

just 2 8'' streetglow tubes, 2 12''streetglow tubes, and a totall of 40 LED

Yeah that's a fair bit of current. Even if you put pairs of LED's in series with the appropriate resistor to limit the current to 0.02A in each pair, then you would still have 0.4A for the LEDs alone. The tubes are already over the limit.

so i should get another interface, one for leds, one for my tubes?

What's the spec. on your sound activated control box? If I were designing one of those I'd use a protected Mosfet high-side driver that would handle at least 8 Amps and not die on a short-circuit

How much do these no-brainer gadgets sell for anyway?

phils site>>> http://www.oznium.com/product_info.php/products_id/91

sunbeamtech's site>>>> http://sunbeamtech.com/new/products/ccfl/CCFL%2...ies-Sound%20Activated%20CCFL.htm

they say they can hook up 4 cathodes only because that's all the connectors they supplied. It never says a max output. You can use a relay or transistors to be safe on the current

sorry brandon, and everyone else, but what is a relay or transistor, and how i install/hook up these? sorry for my n00bish question

Jeez - no current rating! That's like the most important piece of information

Don't sweat it about not knowing about relays or transistors - it can get a bit deep. I wouldn't think a relay would be too good in this application, it would clank on and off noisily and probably not last too long with all that inductive load from the cathode transformers. Transitor is the way to go (and is probably already in there - we just don't know what current it will handle).

Anyone got a nice hi-res photo of the insides? Do they switch the live or the ground or both? If I knew the part no. of the switching transistor I could look-up the current.

munozsblazer wrote:

sorry brandon, and everyone else, but what is a relay or transistor, and how i install/hook up these? sorry for my n00bish question

Relay - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=define%3A+relay

Transistor - http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&...e=off&q=define%3A+transistor

Adrian wrote:

Jeez - no current rating! That's like the most important piece of information Don't sweat it about not knowing about relays or transistors - it can get a bit deep. I wouldn't think a relay would be too good in this application, it would clank on and off noisily and probably not last too long with all that inductive load from the cathode transformers. Transitor is the way to go (and is probably already in there - we just don't know what current it will handle). Anyone got a nice hi-res photo of the insides? Do they switch the live or the ground or both? If I knew the part no. of the switching transistor I could look-up the current.

The pics I have: http://www.oznium.com/gallery/index.php/brandon-mazda-mx-3/gid/98/cid/563

I'll get a nice picture of the board in a second and link a high res.

And the (-) is what switches.


EDIT: I couldn't get it in focus, my camera doesn't do close ups I guess.

Even seeing it all fuzzy it doesn't look like there's any transistors with any muscle in there. If you look at where the black output wire goes onto the PCB it should track to one leg of a transistor - ID that part & we'll know how much juice it can sink.