Re: How to NEATLY wire to LEDS

I need to show 'time remaining' for an event, and would like to use a

> row of 10 LEDs to do so. All 10 would start out illuminated, and one > LED after another will shut off as the time limit approaches. I'm > using LEDs with a chrome bezel on them (can't resist the sci-fi look > of those things), which will all be mounted in holes drilled in a > piece of plexi. I'm looking for a 'clean' way to wire them all up to > my microcontroller, which will be about 12" away. Like any LEDs, these > just have two thin pieces of wire sticking out of the back. Do I have > any options besides simply soldering stranded wire to them, and > covering the splice with heat-shrink tubing? Is there some product or > plug or component that will provide a less-cumbersome method of wiring > these things up?

Sure. Mount them on a small PCB, with a header connector at one end, and connect to the uC board with ribbon cable, probably with IDC connectors.

Or you could achieve the same thing by just taking 11 conductors of ribbon cable - you can get this from any ol' scrounged ribbon cable, and split it up and form it like this:

bent ribbon wires bussed v v ,----------------------[LED]---+ | ,--------------------[LED]---+ | | ,------------------[LED]---+ | | | ,----------------[LED]---+ | | | | ,--------------[LED]---+ | | | | | ,------------[LED]---+ | | | | | | ,----------[LED]---+ | | | | | | | ,--------[LED]---+ | | | | | | | | ,------[LED]---+ | | | | | | | | | ,----[LED]---+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 VCC active low

You can just tin the stripped ends and wrap them 3/4 turn around the LED leads, like winding them around a post.

Have Fun! Rich

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Rich Grise
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