- Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:54 am
#197947
For the sparkfun project: Addressable RGB LED Music and Sound Visualizer.
I would like to build this project to see how it works, get my hands dirty and get into this kind of stuff. It's a simple 1 meter visualizer. Cool but not what I truly want.
My ultimate goal is to create a floor lamp style music visualizer. It will output white (or white-ish) light when I want to use it as a lamp and then do it's thing to the music when I want it to. To do this, I will need to power and control at least 5 meters of addressable LEDs. Unfortunately my knowledge of power and how it relates is what is holding me back. Component layout, soldering, programming, I have a handle on all of that, what I want it to DO is not the problem, how to power it properly is.
But first things first, this project lacks a power supply in the tutorial, or the add to cart list of items. It states on the red board page that you can "Check out the related items below for a compatible wall-wart power supply.". However, the only power supply I see is a 9V 650ma. The projects red board specs says any power supply in the range of 7-15VDC. Does this mean the board takes in 7-15 but outputs 5V? I assume yes. I know this may seem like a silly question but I am a power newb.
Is that the appropriate power supply? Is it that "easy"? Just calculate?
I checked online calculators and it seems like one meter strips can be powered by anything pretty much, the 9V at 650ma puts out 5.85 watts so enough to power the suggested 1 meter 60 led strip they provide in the project (yes?). I also checked amazon for cheaper addressable strips (because the 5 meter here is really expensive) and many comment say you need 10 or more watts to power that many LEDs. This is where I am stuck for the floor lamp idea. I am not sure how to calculate what I need and I am also not sure if simply changing the power supply would be "enough". Is it plug and play in that sense?
So two questions:
1. If I buy and build this specific project step by step, do I also buy that particular power supply, the 9V 650ma?
2. If I swap the 1 meter strip for the 5 meter, can I simply use a different power supply?
I am completely lost when it comes to power and its kind of embarrassing, I pride myself on being at least average in the smarts department, any help would be appreciated.
I would like to build this project to see how it works, get my hands dirty and get into this kind of stuff. It's a simple 1 meter visualizer. Cool but not what I truly want.
My ultimate goal is to create a floor lamp style music visualizer. It will output white (or white-ish) light when I want to use it as a lamp and then do it's thing to the music when I want it to. To do this, I will need to power and control at least 5 meters of addressable LEDs. Unfortunately my knowledge of power and how it relates is what is holding me back. Component layout, soldering, programming, I have a handle on all of that, what I want it to DO is not the problem, how to power it properly is.
But first things first, this project lacks a power supply in the tutorial, or the add to cart list of items. It states on the red board page that you can "Check out the related items below for a compatible wall-wart power supply.". However, the only power supply I see is a 9V 650ma. The projects red board specs says any power supply in the range of 7-15VDC. Does this mean the board takes in 7-15 but outputs 5V? I assume yes. I know this may seem like a silly question but I am a power newb.
Is that the appropriate power supply? Is it that "easy"? Just calculate?
I checked online calculators and it seems like one meter strips can be powered by anything pretty much, the 9V at 650ma puts out 5.85 watts so enough to power the suggested 1 meter 60 led strip they provide in the project (yes?). I also checked amazon for cheaper addressable strips (because the 5 meter here is really expensive) and many comment say you need 10 or more watts to power that many LEDs. This is where I am stuck for the floor lamp idea. I am not sure how to calculate what I need and I am also not sure if simply changing the power supply would be "enough". Is it plug and play in that sense?
So two questions:
1. If I buy and build this specific project step by step, do I also buy that particular power supply, the 9V 650ma?
2. If I swap the 1 meter strip for the 5 meter, can I simply use a different power supply?
I am completely lost when it comes to power and its kind of embarrassing, I pride myself on being at least average in the smarts department, any help would be appreciated.