LED Boost Puck Wiring Help

Hamstar · Jul 21, 2012

I'm new to the forum, and after a long and frustrating search, I cannot find the answer that I'm looking for, I hope that maybe someone can help me, I know the answer is out there, it just seems to escape me.

After a search here (most posts I find are very VERY old), I thought maybe my search parameters were off, I even read the "how to search" in the general forum in hopes that I could self navigate to a solution.

I've spent several hours trying to track down a simple picture of what this looks like wired up on google, usually it's people wiring up a fish tank.

I'm at my wits end, I can't believe that something that should be so simple would give me such a headache!

The problem: I bought a LuxDrive 4015 BoostPuck D-I-350 here http://www.ledsupply.com/04015-d-i-350.php ...and the instructions are very simple… there is a + & - to run to the LED, and there is a Vin+ and Vin – that runs to the 12v power source, there is a CTRL & REF that runs to either a push button or dimmer control.

Simple right?

I hooked up the lights and nothing! I can register power into the puck, but past that I can't get juice to the LED.

Can anyone give me a pointer or a lead in the right direction? It would be very much appreciated!

videoman · Jul 21, 2012

Lots of info missing in your question.
1- Is the input voltage smaller than output voltage as it is a BOOST type ? What is your input voltage ? If you are using the 12V DC power input source and you only have 3 leds in series of 3 volt fV( forward voltage )each for a total of 9V fV, it ain't gonna shine.
2- How many leds and how did you wire them up ? Are you using more than 15 leds in series each rated as 3 V .What is the fV or forward voltage of the leds you are using?
3- Have you double checked polarity of the entire setup ?
4- Make sure your power source id DC and not AC

There is also the possibility that the driver itself ( rare ) is defective or perhaps a bad solder somewhere in the circuit.
Just out of curiosity, what leds are you using ?

Hamstar · Jul 22, 2012

It never occurred too me that I have too few LEDs in the tree!! When I get home from work in the morning I'll have to try that! I literally have 1 single LED hooked up to the boost puck, it was just a simple test before I get all crazy go nuts with wiring.

I need a "bang head here" sign on my desk!! I can (but don't want to) believe I over looked that! It makes total sense!

Here is the numbers on the LEDs

· Wavelength: 505nm
· Luminous Intensity: 4000mcd typ. @ 20mA
· Max Forward Current: 30mA
· Pulse Current: 100mA for <= 10ms, duty <= 1/10
· Forward Voltage: 3.5V typ @ 20mA
· Max Reverse Voltage: 5V
· Power Dissipation: 70mW
· Operating Temp: -30 to +85 C
· Soldering Temp: 260 C for 3 secs
· Max Reverse Current: 50uA @ 5V

I bought 100 of these LEDs and 8 boost pucks to push them.

I figure it's around 45.5 VDC, and the puck goes up to 48 VDC

I'll have to check it out and I'll let you know what I find, but at this point I'm convinced that is what I did wrong!

Thank you so much!!

znomit · Jul 22, 2012

Hamstar said:
I

Here is the numbers on the LEDs

· Max Forward Current: 30mA

I bought 100 of these LEDs and 8 boost pucks to push them.

I figure it's around 45.5 VDC, and the puck goes up to 48 VDC

Pucks are usually used with high powered LEDs. What are you trying to achieve with these little guys?

Hamstar · Jul 22, 2012

I hooked up 4 lights into the tree, plugged it into the connection, and no lights… I started quadruple checking the connection and I noticed I could smell electronic smoke coming from the puck itself.

The wires closest to the puck were warm, the puck itself was hot to the touch.

I checked my output to the puck and it's not going past the 12V… it's not a perfect 12V, but it's pretty darn close!

The application I bought all of these LEDs is for a full body vehicle mod that I need to complete out this week… and its been hanging at 30% due to the lights not working.

I have no clue what the heck I'm going to do! This is my first time working with LEDs and it's turning into a gorram disaster!

I'm afraid to hook up another puck because they cost a pretty penny just to burn out due to inexperience, however I don't consider myself to be an electronic noob… I've built and modded electronics most of my life, I'm not sure where the malfunction is on this one, I mean I'm certain I'm doing something wrong, but it's escaping me what that something could be!

Any suggestions for a radio shack based solution?

RoGuE_StreaK · Jul 22, 2012

Hamstar said:
Any suggestions for a radio shack based solution?

Resistors. You could have 33 parallel groups of 3 LEDs, each with an 82 ohm resistor, or 50 parallel groups of 2 LEDs, each with a 270 ohm resistor. Not very elegant, but it should work.
http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz

nickelflipper · Jul 22, 2012

Hamstar said:
I hooked up 4 lights into the tree, plugged it into the connection, and no lights… I started quadruple checking the connection and I noticed I could smell electronic smoke coming from the puck itself.

The wires closest to the puck were warm, the puck itself was hot to the touch.

I checked my output to the puck and it's not going past the 12V… it's not a perfect 12V, but it's pretty darn close!

The application I bought all of these LEDs is for a full body vehicle mod that I need to complete out this week… and its been hanging at 30% due to the lights not working.

I have no clue what the heck I'm going to do! This is my first time working with LEDs and it's turning into a gorram disaster!

I'm afraid to hook up another puck because they cost a pretty penny just to burn out due to inexperience, however I don't consider myself to be an electronic noob… I've built and modded electronics most of my life, I'm not sure where the malfunction is on this one, I mean I'm certain I'm doing something wrong, but it's escaping me what that something could be!

Any suggestions for a radio shack based solution?

From the data sheet, the input voltage needs to be a minimum of 3V under the Vf string of leds. So still will not work with a string of 4 leds as the difference is still not enough (4x3.5) = 13.5Vf VS. 12.7-14.4V input of battery. Try 8 or more leds.

Also as per previous post, this is a 350ma constant current driver. So looking at figure 13 of the data sheet, the fixed current reduction resistor should be set to 270 ohm for %((270/50)/100) x 350ma = 18.9ma for the low current leds.

P.S. double check leds in the test as they may have been smoked

Hamstar · Jul 23, 2012

I went down to Radio Shack and picked up some 270 Ohm resistors and a printed circuit board

I ran it like this

here is the printed side

I used speaker wire to the LEDs because of the gauge, and they are stuck together (I don't like rats nest wires)

Sadly the LEDs are not lighting

I ran a test light to verify power is running down the line, and it is

now this is straight without the puck, or am I supposed to use the resistor on the positive lead to the puck and then run the rest of the tree?

RoGuE_StreaK · Jul 23, 2012

I'm not deciphering those pics very well.

What you want (if using 270 ohm), is

(Power positive +) ---- (resistor) ---- (LED anode [long leg]) -- (LED cathode [short leg]) ---- (LED an) -- (LED cath) ---- (Power negative - [earth])

so positive to resistor, on to first LED, on to second LED, back to earth.

Repeat 50 times.

Hamstar · Jul 24, 2012

I'm going to buy a new meter to make absolutely sure my power source is appropriate…

Based on the last suggestion, I tried to hook them up like this

No joy

Hamstar · Jul 24, 2012

When I got home a few minutes ago I pulled a battery off of the shelf and tried my tree, the lights worked perfectly!

Now I'm wondering what the heck my truck is throwing out for power to do this!

While I'll very openly admit that I've field engineered the heck out the electrical (like converting the dash to digital), I could have sworn that it was running a solid 12V!

Thank you all so much for your help while I tried to root out the problem! It's very much appreciated!

If you want, once I get the first part of the hood dolled up with the LEDs I can post some pics

LED Boost Puck Wiring Help

Hamstar

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