Simple LED driver

cults3d

This model is a means of controlling and adjusting your LED's brightness.\nBy altering (or disabling) the light intensity of the LED in various ways, you can achieve different colors and effects. This is the main secret behind the lamps I have shared this year.\nIt’s the simplest approach I could think of to make this driver/ controller :-).\nBasically it’s just a case with 3 potentiometers and 3 transistors (or FETs like BUZ11) that adjusts the voltage. This is a follow-up part for the adjustable LED base: https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/tool/adjustable-led-base.\nIf you have your LED's and the right resistor (I discussed in https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/tool/adjustable-led-base) you can make this driver case. I included a diagram for connecting the parts. Because it’s so simple, I didn’t even create a PCB, but soldered the parts directly together on the potentiometers themselves. The transistor is only needed to handle the current and it’s cheaper than buying a 5W potentiometer.\nThe 15K resistor is just a limiter so the potentiometer has a better range. If the range does not work for you because the LED is already at max level when the potentiometer shaft is only at 50%, then you can replace this resistor with a 50K potentiometer to “fine tune” it.\nThen you need a case to hold the parts together and I kept it very simple. There is a main housing end 2 different types of baseplates. One has extra mounting options. Also, the one with external mounting option has a built-in cable tie. The basic one without the external mounting options does not have this cable tie option but slots for cable ties. In the photos the white case is the one with built-in cable ties\nI also made a knob. It fits the potentiometers I used. Please see the photo for the dimensions.\nThis controller works on a USB charger, but I also use 12V adapters with an LM7805. This 12V solution has a major disadvantage, because you waste a lot of energy in the form of heat (and an LM7805,100nF &33nF capacitor) :-). So my advice is to buy a cheap 2.1A USB charger.\n\nThe goal of this controller is to make it affordable. Do you have 3 50 potentiometers? Use them then. Do you not have this transistor but an A BUZZ11 or an IRFZ44N? use those. That is what will keep it affordable. The more parts you have to buy, the more expensive it will get :-).\n\nMaybe I will make a PWM driven controller in the future, but only if people ask me