Video

Description

LEDs add magic to every electronics project.  Often not understand is what else you need to make that LED work correctly.  Learn what current limiting resistors do for LEDs and watch what happens when you don’t use one.  

For this video we go the lab and run so much current through a LED, it destroys itself!

Episode Notes

Components Shown

Here are some of the devices and products shown in the video.  There's no connection between the vendors and me, it's just where I found (or bought) the stuff from originally.  I'm sure there are others who sell the same.

• Avago Blue LED
  • PDF:  http://www.avagotech.com/docs/AV02-0339EN
• TI TL5940 PWM Constant Current Driver 
  • Product Page:  http://www.ti.com/product/tlc5940
• Rigol Multimeter
  • Product Page:  http://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-multimeters/dm3000/dm3058/

Engineering Resources

Here's some resources to learn more about resistors, LEDs, Ohm's Law, and an easy tool for calculating current limiting resistors.

• Ohm's Law Tutorial:  
  • http://www.baldengineer.com/blog/2013/12/31/unlike-speed-limits-ohms-law-isnt-a-suggestion/
• Tutorial on LEDs:
  • http://www.baldengineer.com/tutorials/led-basics/
• LED Calculator Wizard:
  • http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz

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