Simple LED driver

thingiverse

This model is a means of controlling and adjusting your LED's brightness.\nBy changing the light intensity of the LED in different ways, you achieve various colors and effects. This is the main secret behind the lamps I've posted this year.\nIt’s the simplest way to create a driver/dimmer system.\nBasically it’s just a case with 3 potentiometers and 3 transistors (or FETs like a BUZ11) that adjusts the voltage level.\nThis is a follow-up project for the adjustable LED base: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2660485.\nIf you have your LED's and the right resistor (I've discussed in https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2660485), you can build this driver case. I included a schematic for connecting the components. Since it’s so straightforward, I didn’t create a PCB, but soldered the parts directly to the potentiometers themselves.\nThe transistor is only necessary to handle the current and it's more cost-effective than purchasing a 5W potentiometer.\nA 15K resistor serves as a limiter to provide a better range for the potentiometer. If the range doesn’t meet your needs because the LED reaches maximum brightness when the potentiometer shaft is only at 50%, you can replace this resistor with a 50K potentiometer to fine-tune it.\nYou'll need a case to hold the components together, and I kept it simple. There are two types of baseplates: one has extra mounting options, while the other has an integrated cable tie. The latter also features slots for cable ties. In the photos, the white case is the one with built-in cable ties.\nI've also designed a knob that fits the potentiometers I used. Please refer to the photo for the dimensions.\nThis driver works on a USB charger, but I’ve also tested it using 12V adapters with an LM7805. The 12V solution has a significant disadvantage: it generates excessive heat (along with a LM7805,100nF &33nF capacitor) :-). Therefore, my advice is to purchase a cheap 2.1A USB charger.\nThe goal of this driver is to make it affordable. If you have three 50K potentiometers, use them instead of buying new ones. Similarly, if you don’t have the required transistor but have an IRFZ44N or a BUZZ11, utilize those components as well. This will help keep costs down.\nThe more parts you need to purchase, the more expensive it will become :-).\nMaybe I'll create a PWM-driven driver in the future, but only if people request it from me