Thanks Chris. Your suggestions and RC led me to something similar, a XLR connector. Looks like I'll only be able to get to 8 pin though. I'll probably run 1 for the + side of things, 1 for the - side of the LED's and run a DB probably for the PWM fans and sensor that very low current.

Molex also makes a cannon plug style circular connector (XRC™ sealed, plastic-circular connectors) Not sure of the pricing... will see if I can locate the other type I'm thinking of tonight after work.

Hey Dom,

What current are your LEDs running again? I use XLR connectors for the BC LEDs. I didn't use the typical XLR which are big, bulky and expensive, but rather some smaller 8 pin connectors (I think Lee's in Van call them DMX - which is an XLR) that were cheap and nice and small. I think they can handle up to a couple of amps. When I get home later I can take a pic of them (there might actually be a pic in my biocube thread).

Chris: Those XRC connectors are pretty cool. Looks like mouser sells them for $18 per side - $36 a set. Still pricey as I'll need 6 sets, but they are totally water/moisture proof. I'll have to see if I can source them locally...

Kevin: Most of my LED's are the XT-E's so they can go to 1.5A but the LDD should limit them to just over 900mA. The XM-L's however could be driven to 3A. I doubt I'd ever run them that high (probably boil the water, lol) so I maybe over thinking the whole connector issue anyway. I wish I could find something like the DB25 that could take 1A per pin...

Do you guys know anything about these aviation style connectors?

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...psf7b011f1.jpg

Is that the mounting base that would screw to a dash AND the cable connector that would plug into it?

If looking locally.... try checking with a place, or electrician that does industrial control systems/automation, they might have something.

Yes, looks like the chassis mount with the connector attached, so both parts, complete connector.

I've been watching some similar connectors on eBay, much less money & available in different pin configs. Probably not the same quality, but will likely do the trick.

https://6t23xq.bn1.livefilestore.com...7_1.jpg?psid=1

Do you have a link for those Mike?

Sent you a pm with the goods.

Essentially it's mil spec connector knock off. Here's a link for everyone's info to one of the big players in the connector business, Amphenol. There are a few other big boys, ITT Cannon, Bendix, but all these products will be all very pricey & probably overkill for our intended use.

http://www.amphenol-aerospace.com/pdf/12-090.pdf

So, I'm having an argument with myself about wire sizing. And as the internet would have it, I'm getting conflicting info.
According to this chart 18AWG can take 10A (which I actually find a bit hard to believe):
http://wiki.xtronics.com/index.php/Wire-Gauge_Ampacity

But according to this chart it can take only 2.3A (which is one the other end of the spectrum):
http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

Anyone have any info on sizing wire for 1.5A running 10' while bundled?

Well, I had a good talk with an electrician that I use and he helped me wade through some of the dilemma's I've had. He's not a electronics guy, just a sparky who does house and commercial wiring but his code book pointed us in the direction I think I needed. Turns out a 18AWG wire all by itself in the open air can carry 10A but it's de-rated once it's bundled with a bunch of others. The ratio of decreased carrying capacity depends on how many wires it's run with. But according to our math 18AWG should be fine for what I'm doing. And as it turns out he had a roll of 18/21 sitting in his shop he gave me for $2/ft. It is fire alarm wiring.
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2fcec9cb.jpg

And I also got some other goodies in the mail yesterday. Now all I have to do is figure out how it works :D

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0f742579.jpg

Hey Chris,
I'm finally looking at setting up my PWM fans on my heatsinks and I have a couple questions about that schematic you posted up earlier. In there you have 1K resistors, a 10K resistor, 1N4148 diodes, a BC547 transistor and 2N3904 transistors. How flexible are those? The reason I ask is I don't have most of them, lol. I have what Jamie posted in the instructions. 1N4001 diodes, BC549C transistors and 1K and 10K resistors.

Man, that circuit confused the **** out of me for a few minutes there until I realized what they were doing. Funny enough it's the same way those LDD drivers dim :razz: You think I'd know this one by now...

You should be fine Dom. The BC549c and BC547 are basically direct substitutes. The difference between your diodes and his are his are fast recovery diodes, while yours are general purpose. I'd have to go back and look again I think the diodes are just being used as protection in case there is any inductance from the fans. I think the general purpose should be fine because you aren't doing any high-frequency switching.

daplatapus,

Send me a close up digital picture of the header pins for input.

I just received mine last week but the 4 relay version. The relay modules are opto-iso which will require the pin to be tied to gnd to latch. From what I've found out over the last week, the opto-iso is not compatible with the Jarduino.

Simply put........the relay board latches on GND but eventually becomes inconsistent also latching on 3.3 to 5VDC.

Ya, I was actually just reading something about that on the jarduino thread on UKreefs. But I admit I'm not sure what all that means or what to look for for a proper relay board :D
Give me a sec and I'll post the pic.

One of the input pins:
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...psa7d27687.jpg

One of the actual relay modules:
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...psb67a6f9d.jpg

and one of the jumper pins on the far right of the board:
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0e54381f.jpg

If anyone is interested, I'll probably be making a custom order for the 4-LDD pcb boards with the pull down resistor jumper that rrasco made on the RC thread. PM me if you interested in any of the boards...

Thanks man, I've blown a couple things up already, thankfully they were cheap, but waiting the 6-8 weeks for new stuff from China sucks. I didn't want to fry anything else. :razz:

Sign me up for 4! I'm glad to see he added the pull-down after I suggested he do it... Unfortunately he did it after I build this tank :twised:

New LEDs for the main tank coming it the summer! Whoooo!

VCC - positive 5VDC
GND - ground
IN1 to IN8 - Arduino outputs

Take a jumper, connect to GND and to any of the IN1 to IN8 inputs. You should hear the relay latch.

You will need to modify the Jardiuno code to latch on logic low instead of high.

These changes will work. Low = on and high = off.

Intermittently, this logic used to turn the relay on & off will work backwards because of the opto-iso.

Jamie does have a SSR (solid state relay) setup which is installed & wired directly behind the outlet. This setup is the most stable and the quietest - SSR don't make the mechanical latching sounds.

I hope this helps!

Did you order them from eBay?

Mine took about 2-1/2 weeks to arrive. I do suggest ordering than what you need simply because they're so cheap!!!

Ya, I was thinking of just ordering some more. I think I paid like $6 shipping included for this one. Maybe I'll find another use for it :D
Starting shoving stuff in a box over the last couple days. Geeze you run out of room quick! Got my hands on an old ADT panel box and thought I could use it. It may get too small. Still have to make up my fan circuit board and get it in here too.
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...psb121c9af.jpg

What's the model number on the Meanwells your using to drive the LEDs?

There's a mix of LDD 1000's and 700's then those 2 HLG drivers

How much do the LDD boards sell for?

I think it's somewhere around $5-$6 per board after shipping

Just test fired my 12 - 3W 3000mA XM-L's.... HOLY COW BATMAN! Thought I'd ignited a supernova on my work bench. Don't think these suckers will be running very high, lol.

Ugh, wire, wire, wire.
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...psf84ee753.jpg

I've e-mailed the manufacturer and looked through all available literature on these but still can't figure out what wire is for what. Anyone tell me which wire is +, -, ground and PWM?

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...psdc40865c.jpg

Is anyone have LDD-350H drivers spare? Would be nice if I could have three.

Thanks,
Kevin

Fairly confident it's:

Blk - grnd
Red - +
Yellow - Tach
Blue - PWM

I've had a number of fans with a similar set up.

I have spare 700's and 1000's, that's it.


Scubasteve: Sweet, thanks!

Ya, I have the same things (700 & 1000).

Well again another very early morning thanks to the ever so diligent crows and robins :frusty:
Oh, well, might as well do something constructive. This is what my office now looks like, lol

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3da7edba.jpg

And I got everything hooked up and it seems to be running, yaaaaaaay

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...psd69fd163.jpg

The Arduino up and running the code:

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...ps177843f5.jpg

And a shot of the panel box everything is mounted in temporarily:

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...psa3c8038a.jpg


I'm still waiting for my amphenol connectors that's why everything is only temporarily connected. I couldn't think of another way to test fire everything at once to make sure it all worked together. I also want to get this thing over my 77 gal and see if it has a positive effect on the coral and algae I just can't seem to kick. I do have MH bulbs that are 8 months old or so and at this point I'm not buying bulbs with this thing so close to operational.
I also have not finished my fan circuitry so right now the fans are not running on my heatsinks so that's next on the priority list.
I also have to fine tune the Arduino code because I have a couple channels used that the original code was using for sump lights and such that I'm not using. So I have to figure that out.

Anyway, that's an update for now. Hope ya'll enjoy. It appears to be getting lots of views but it's so quite in here :D

Got a question for all you wiring guru's. I want all my components housed by my arduino, I really don't want anything sitting on a heatsink. For ease of replacement/service, I also didn't want to link the LED's to each other. I want to be able to remove a fixture and not have it affect the other 2. So I have thus far gone to fairly great lengths in planning to accomplish that. BUT, turns out I'm 1 wire short to my fixtures, DU'OH!!!!!!
I have 8 strings of lights = 16 wires. My fan requires 3 wires for power and PWM and the heat sensor for the heatsinks require 3 wires. For a total of 22 needed wires. But the wire I have only has 21 :frusty:
Is there any way I can share a wire in the fan/sensor circuitry? Or am I going to have to run 1 single wire for my sensor or fan?

What kind of heat sensor are you using? I imagine that the sensor and the fan could share a common ground.

I'm was going to be using the DS18B20. It's got 3 legs on it 1 of which is a ground that goes to the Arduino's ground plane. I though maybe I could share that ground too but by Chris' schematic the fan grounds all go through either a 10K resistor or through a 2N3904 transistor and I wasn't sure if that would work...

Which actually brought me to another question about that 10K resistor. All I have here is a huge 3W10K resistor, will that still work in that fan circuit?

tagging along, this is really cool :pop2:

OOOOoooohhhh, look what I got today :D

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...ps000f5639.jpg