DIY Multichip LED Build

[Zeuthen]

That cable i mentioned is 22 gauge, so good for 7 amps. It is the thinnest diam. I could find at about 0.22 inch. I also have stranded core 20 gage cable but it's ~0.46 inches diam. Kinda beefy but ok, still, it saves a lot of hassle and tangles with several separate cables. I think I'll use that.

I see. I think maybe we're better off using dedicated cables/wires for the different purposes (small gauge for signal, large gauge for power) and then managing the cables together using cable sleeve. I did that with some home-made speaker cables with acceptable results. When using dedicated cables, I guess we would be able to keep total diameter small.

You are also right of course regarding size, adding a buck, fan/led relay, Diode and transistor and their related screw terminals to a set of top and bottom boards might just be too much for the small miniature format you had in mind. Would 5 drivers on a larger (but still stackable) single pcb board be more sensible if going this route? Do others think this arrangement would be usefull? Or am I over-thinking the problem.

Well, for my purpose I'd like to keep things simple and small. I think 5 LDD-H's on one larger PCB would be the way to go if you want to stack drivers for different dream chips - if not anything else then to keep down total thickness of the setup.

Actually, I think I'll stick to the RJ-45, because if I need to disconnect my fixture/driver PCB, I won't have to sort where everything goes when I reconnect it. I'll also keep the fan connector off the driver board along with any relays. For me, It's all about reducing the bulk above my tank.

Of course, you should feel free to modify the design for your particular purpose. No credits required - I borrowed most of the ideas myself, anyway .

Best,
Esben

[bobfish4blac]

Originally Posted by bobfish4blac
sorry to change the subject, but I have a question I will be running 2 100 dream chips, running the white on one driver http://www.trcelectronics.com/Meanwe...150h-36b.shtml and the blues on another of the same driver, and for the antinic/UV http://www.trcelectronics.com/Meanwe...-80h-36b.shtml , I will be using a Dim4 contoller http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/dim4-4-po...ntroller-v1-0/ to dim the drivers but is it possible to add inline an 0-100 ohm resister to turn them down before the Dim4 so i have better contol of output.

Sorry if I am derailing the context here.
You do not change the subject! The subject for this thread is DIY DreamChip build and it cover most of the issues.

To your question - I´m not sure that I understand what you mean. Can you explain in more detail?

Sincerely Lasse

What I mean is: with the way i have it configured is that i'll be running about 1000ma per channel, and using the Dim4 sunrise to sunset controller to dim the drivers, what my question is can i put a 0-100 pot resister in the layout between driver and controller, to let my turn down or fine turn the amount of MA's the chips recieve, say like 700ma to 1000ma?

[Lasse]

Originally Posted by bobfish4blac
sorry to change the subject, but I have a question I will be running 2 100 dream chips, running the white on one driver http://www.trcelectronics.com/Meanwe...150h-36b.shtml and the blues on another of the same driver, and for the antinic/UV http://www.trcelectronics.com/Meanwe...-80h-36b.shtml , I will be using a Dim4 contoller http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/dim4-4-po...ntroller-v1-0/ to dim the drivers but is it possible to add inline an 0-100 ohm resister to turn them down before the Dim4 so i have better contol of output.

Sorry if I am derailing the context here.
You do not change the subject! The subject for this thread is DIY DreamChip build and it cover most of the issues.

To your question - I´m not sure that I understand what you mean. Can you explain in more detail?

Sincerely Lasse

What I mean is: with the way i have it configured is that i'll be running about 1000ma per channel, and using the Dim4 sunrise to sunset controller to dim the drivers, what my question is can i put a 0-100 pot resister in the layout between driver and controller, to let my turn down or fine turn the amount of MA's the chips recieve, say like 700ma to 1000ma?

Is it LDD-H you are going to use? LDD-Hs data sheet says: dimable through PWM. I do not know the Dim 4 but it seems to me that it use 1-10V for the dim function. If I have understand right - you can´t use the Dim4 to the LDD-H drivers. I can be wrong - please if I am - someone correct me

Sincerely Lasse

[007Bond]

Yes Lasse, no LDD's on a DIM4. I think his question is regarding Meanwell HLG series.

[bobfish4blac]

yes meanwell HLG-150H-36B one each for white channels and HLG-80H-36B for the antinic/UV channels

[bobfish4blac]

sorry i mean

yes meanwell HLG-150H-36B one each for white and blue channels and HLG-80H-36B for the antinic/UV channels (two 100w dream chips)

[Screener]

@Esben, yes I think a cable sleeve is a good idea. Too many cable cores and 20 gauge makes a cable just as stiff as plenum Ethernet cable I was trying to avoid. I have some of that finger trap fish net kinda tube that might do the trick. Great suggestion.

My eagle skills are pretty poor ( read nonexistent) but I'm willing to try to learn. I downloaded the free light version so I'm going to have to try to fit in the free version's small allowable footprint. Thank you for letting me use your ideas and files it will be a great head start. I hope I may send you a PM for advice if I get stuck

[Screener]

Screener,...Thanks for the input. I'm nowhere close to a EE, but I do know some electrical. I'm just learning Arduino, so I usually need to read advice a few times and then use (my friend) Google to further understand the information.
Your last paragraph kind of sums up what I want to do.

what I'm suggesting is have a on/off relay on the driver board at the dreamchip, drive the fans from their local led DC power source I would assume I need to use a dcdc buck regulator as you stated. I'm not sure I will locate the driver board at the dreamchip. I was thinking of using multi-conductor cable also, back to a junction panel.
I'm not sure it matters where it's located
and when the arduino can identify an overheating dreamchip with its addressable temp chips, it could shut down only that dreamchip and it's fans together Yes, I would like the particular dreamchip to go off, but the fan to continue to cool . So you could subvert the jarduino fan relay to controlling the led supply voltage, you would need to send the ldd input power through a solid state relay that could handle the current

Maybe you might want it to also sound an alarm and leave a flaming lightbulb icon on the default screen to warn you the fans or the heatsink of a pendant might need maintenance. If I can have the Arduino stop power to the 5 LDD's of a problem dreamchip when alerted from a DS18B20 that would be sufficient enough of a warning. I had my original HLG thought/plan stuck in my head where I was going to drive all 4 DC with 5 HLG's so I would have needed to shut all 5 drivers off if one cooler was at overheat. This is the reason I was trying to have the DS18 show on the Arduino display which cooler was overheating.
With the LDD's now each DC will have 5 to itself, so only one DC will go off if overheated, which means I would not need to think about a mux relay now, not needing to identify individual DS18's---RICK

Well here I might be confused, you are sharing the Led PWM signals for each channel of the dream chips between all the multiple dream chips (parallel). Im assuming you are thinking of using the Jarduino and maybe I'm wrong about that???? This could be my source of confusion if so disregard my thoughts here.

If jarduino you will use - There are 5 PWM signals, one for each color channel... ( not counting sump and moon). There is on the jarduino one hood fan relay digital out pin and one fan PWM pin which are shared in common to control all the fan speed and on off state in unison(parallel). If you make your circuit so that a relay can cut the 36-48DCV power in to an array of lddxxxh chips that power a dream chip you can certainly turn it off. Your fans could continue to spin if they are powered fron a separately powered 12VDC buck regulator. You can get notification of the DReam chip to cut from the temp sensors because they all have individual adresses. As i see it your issue will be addressing the relays That can turn off individual dream chips by cutting their supply voltage. You want the PWM signals to continue driving the other Dream chips, so you can't just lower the signal to 0. I guess you could program the unused pins on the arduino mega that Jamie hasn't already used. If that's not enough pins you will, I think, have to multiplex to address enough relays to cover one for each dream chip (set of 5 ldd drivers) especially if you plan on have more than a few DC's.

Something I was wondering about is that if you wanted to drive individual fans over their dream chips at a speed related to the dream chips heat load then you would need addressable PWM pins for each of the fans. Otherwise the hottest DC sets the fan speed for all the other DCs.
If you reall wanted ability to address all these fans and chips independently then you would need something like this but in mega board format

I'm not suggesting this approach, just thinking out aloud. For my part if I was wanting to address individual DC's I think I'd try to make a pcb that lets me cut power to a chip and it's fans together, I'm only using 2. There are enough pins left over for that I think. therefore when I attempt to use Esbens advice for a PCB I'll incorporate your idea of a pin to address the pcb individually too, I case it's useful for anyone else.

[Lasse]

sorry i mean

yes meanwell HLG-150H-36B one each for white and blue channels and HLG-80H-36B for the antinic/UV channels (two 100w dream chips)

As I understand: If you use the 4dim in order to use direct driving of your LED chips (max 500 mA and 12 V as FV) you can put a pot between the 4 dim and the LED string for fine tuning. This method can´t be used with the Dream Chip. In this case you will use the 4dim´s ability to adjust your HLG drivers with a 1-10 V signal. In this case - I do not see the advantage with a 1-100K pot between the 4dim and the driver. However - there could be some advantages to use a pot between the driver and each of the Dream Chips in order to compenaste for different FV.

I´m not an expert in electronics, maybe someone else can come up with a better answer.

Sincerely Lasse

[bobfish4blac]

i wasn't going to use the dim4 to drive the chips but to control the dimming, the chips will be driven at 1000ma, was thinking that on the dimming a pot can be added to be able to drop the 1000ma.

[Lasse]

i wasn't going to use the dim4 to drive the chips but to control the dimming, the chips will be driven at 1000ma, was thinking that on the dimming a pot can be added to be able to drop the 1000ma.

The dim4 put out a dim signal 1-10 V. 10 V will give 100% from the driver - in your case 4200 mA divided with 4 = 1050 mA/channel. Theoretical will 1 V give 0% but with this drivers is not possible to come down to 0 (as I know) - it will stop around 10 - 30% output (100-300 mA/channel). There is no use to put a pot on the 1-10 V signal (between the Dim4 and the driver) as I see it. However it could be of some use to put a pot on each of the four channels just for adjusting if the channels has different FV:s.

Sincerely Lasse

[jsjonesrdh]

Lasse,

I received this info from a rep at jameco regarding the HLN-80-36B for the chip (all 5 channels)



--By the way, if your LED unit is actually 100W, the HLN-80H-36B many be

undersized for your application. If it is, it will shut down, then power up to

check if the condition has changed, if not it will shut down again (hiccup

mode protection).

You shouldn’t limit current to a device by using a too small power supply, it

should be at least 25% more current than needed, 50% is even better. The

load (device being powered) will use the current it needs and no more, so

extra capacity doesn’t harm anything and the power supply will last much

longer.


What do you make of this?

[bobfish4blac]

well got pic from the chip boys, I guess my chips are being sent?

[leedoherty]

Hi guys found the ldd drivers in the UK for £5.55 each if anyone is interested let me know.
Thanks Lee

[Lasse]

Lasse,

I received this info from a rep at jameco regarding the HLN-80-36B for the chip (all 5 channels)



--By the way, if your LED unit is actually 100W, the HLN-80H-36B many be

undersized for your application. If it is, it will shut down, then power up to

check if the condition has changed, if not it will shut down again (hiccup

mode protection).

You shouldn’t limit current to a device by using a too small power supply, it

should be at least 25% more current than needed, 50% is even better. The

load (device being powered) will use the current it needs and no more, so

extra capacity doesn’t harm anything and the power supply will last much

longer.


What do you make of this?

The HLN-80H-36B series is a constant current driver. it means that at 100% it put out the max amperage - 2300 mA - no more - no less. It vary the voltage to the load. The Dream Chip has a FV of 30-36V. The constant current region of the HLN-80H-36B driver is 21,6 - 36V and thus - the Dream Chip is in that region. It will work and for the 100 LED chip you will have a wattage around 70 Watt. For the 50 LED chip it will give you a wattage around 80 Watts (calculated).

I do not remember - Is it a 50 or a 100 LED chip you ordered? If you use the HLN-80H-36B to a 100 LED chip you will under driven it. It will give 100 watt at a current around 3500 mA. The HLN-80H-36B gives 2300 mA. However for the 50 LED chip it will probably work very well.

With all respect I do not understand what he talking about. IMO he is talking about a constant voltage supply an he seems be out at weak ice in this case (or I have got the whole thing wrong ) A constant voltage supply put out a constant volt - and vary the current after the load. For power LEDs this is not a good method because it has not a linear resistance. A low rise of the voltage - (over the Forward Voltage) will rise the current rather much. It much better to use the constant current drivers (as this Meanwell driver) and as long as the chip has its FV is in the constant current region - the current is constant - in this case 2300 mA.

It is very important not to use a driver with higher current than the chip will manage.


Sincerely Lasse