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LED Repeaters...

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gregcampbellusa(at)gmail.
Guest

Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:09 pm Post subject: LED Repeaters...

I have a little alarm control panel with a red LED that indicates

when the system is "Active".  The problem is I need to "see" that

information in places other than where the built in LED is.

 

I'm hoping someone could help me build a circuit that would let me 

add additional LED status indicators in 3 or 4 locations.  I figure there

are at least two ways to approach the problem:

 

1) keep my wires "outside" the alarm box by putting a photo-transistor or

something

over the master "status LED" and have it drive the other LED's to follow

suit.

Clunky - but it avoids voiding their warranty or intruding on their

circuitry.

 

2) go ahead and pop open their box and directly tap into the circuit that

feeds their LED,

as well as swipe some of the 12vdc to power my "LED repeaters".  I'm

thinking this

could also be done with a transistor, or worst case, with a transistor and

small Bosch relay.

 

I suspect that their status LED lights up with a forward voltage around a

volt at 20 or 30mA,

so I can't just tap a 5v or 12v relay coil into it.  I might be able to

figure out how to do this on my own,

but I'm betting that there is some expert out there that will find this a

piece of cake.

 

Any takers out there?

 

Thanks in advance,

Greg Campbell

Lancair ES - flying

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bob(at)bob-white.com
Guest

Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 2:05 pm Post subject: LED Repeaters...

Hi Greg,



If you decide to open the box, look for the series resistor that drives

the LED.  You may be able to use that signal to drive a relay

directly.  LED's usually run about 2V forward voltage, so you can find

out how much current the LED is pulling by dividing the voltage driving

that resistor minus 2 by the resistance.  It may not be as high as 30

mA.  You can get reed relays that will switch .5 A and need about 10 mA

at 5 or 12 V to operate for a couple of bucks.  Even better might be a

solid state relay such as the Claire CP1030N that will turn on with a

current of 2 mA.  You'll need your own series resistor to drive it.



Bob W.  

On Mon, 8 May 2006 17:00:48 -0400

Greg Campbell <gregcampbellusa(at)gmail.com> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 I have a little alarm control panel with a red LED that indicates

 when the system is "Active".  The problem is I need to "see" that

 information in places other than where the built in LED is.

  

 I'm hoping someone could help me build a circuit that would let me 

 add additional LED status indicators in 3 or 4 locations.  I figure there

 are at least two ways to approach the problem:

  

 1) keep my wires "outside" the alarm box by putting a photo-transistor or

 something

 over the master "status LED" and have it drive the other LED's to follow

 suit.

 Clunky - but it avoids voiding their warranty or intruding on their

 circuitry.

  

 2) go ahead and pop open their box and directly tap into the circuit that

 feeds their LED,

 as well as swipe some of the 12vdc to power my "LED repeaters".  I'm

 thinking this

 could also be done with a transistor, or worst case, with a transistor and

 small Bosch relay.

  

 I suspect that their status LED lights up with a forward voltage around a

 volt at 20 or 30mA,

 so I can't just tap a 5v or 12v relay coil into it.  I might be able to

 figure out how to do this on my own,

 but I'm betting that there is some expert out there that will find this a

 piece of cake.

  

 Any takers out there?

  

 Thanks in advance,

 Greg Campbell

 Lancair ES - flying

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

 

 

 


	




-- 

http://www.bob-white.com

N93BD - Rotary Powered BD-4 (first engine start 1/7/06)

Custom Cables for your rotary installation -

http://www.roblinphoto.com/shop/

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rparigor(at)SUFFOLK.LIB.N
Guest

Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 3:00 pm Post subject: LED Repeaters...

Hello Greg



Perhaps you could drive multiple fiber optic indicators with 1 LED?



Perhaps you could talk to an engineer and see how many mAs their circuit

will drive, and use a fair powerful LED??



My take is you are not having as much fun as you can if you still have a

valid warrenty!



Ron Parigoris

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klehman(at)albedo.net
Guest

Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 6:57 pm Post subject: LED Repeaters...

I've not had success with that method. It works but too dim to be 

useful. Might work with a lens at the LED end but I didn't have a lens. 

I just ran the wires out and moved the LED for my situation.

Ken



rparigor(at)SUFFOLK.LIB.NY.US wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  



Hello Greg



Perhaps you could drive multiple fiber optic indicators with 1 LED?

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gregcampbellusa(at)gmail.
Guest

Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 4:32 am Post subject: LED Repeaters...

Thanks Bob White,

 

The solid state relay seems like a perfect fit.

DigiKey sells the Clare LCA110 for about $2.30 each.

 

Here's the Spec Sheet and catalog links:

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T062/1557.pdf 

http://rocky.digikey.com/WebLib/Clare%20Web%20Data/LCA110.pdf 

http://rocky.digikey.com/scripts/ProductInfo.dll?Site=US

<http://rocky.digikey.com/scripts/ProductInfo.dll?Site=US&V=212&M=LCA110>

&V=212&M=LCA110 

 

I'm guessing they call it an "Opto Relay" because it uses 

an internal LED to activate another circuit that acts as the relay contacts.



So naturally the "coil" side of the relay is driven by LED input levels.

This stirs vague memories of "Opto Isolators" and position sensors.

 

The output is rated up to 350vAC or DC and up to 0.12A

 - more than enough for my little job!  (12vdc (at) .08A)

 

The fiber optic solution was creative, but not practical for the 

distances &  involved - some LED's are 30' away and need to be bright.

 

Note that this relay manufacturer is spelled Clare, not Clair.

Apparently Omron and others sell the same gizmo.

That slowed my Google search down by a few nano-seconds.

I'm heading over to the local electronics monger to see what he has.

 

Thanks again Bob for pointing me to the solution!

Greg Campbell

Lancair ES - flying in primer

- The Matronics AeroElectric-List Email Forum -

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bob(at)bob-white.com
Guest

Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 5:26 pm Post subject: LED Repeaters...

On Thu, 11 May 2006 08:25:47 -0400

Greg Campbell <gregcampbellusa(at)gmail.com> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 Thanks Bob White,

  

 The solid state relay seems like a perfect fit.

 DigiKey sells the Clare LCA110 for about $2.30 each.

  

 Here's the Spec Sheet and catalog links:

 http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T062/1557.pdf 

 http://rocky.digikey.com/WebLib/Clare%20Web%20Data/LCA110.pdf 

 http://rocky.digikey.com/scripts/ProductInfo.dll?Site=US

 <http://rocky.digikey.com/scripts/ProductInfo.dll?Site=US&V=212&M=LCA110>

 &V=212&M=LCA110 

  

 I'm guessing they call it an "Opto Relay" because it uses 

 an internal LED to activate another circuit that acts as the relay contacts.

 

 So naturally the "coil" side of the relay is driven by LED input levels.

 This stirs vague memories of "Opto Isolators" and position sensors.

  

 The output is rated up to 350vAC or DC and up to 0.12A

  - more than enough for my little job!  (12vdc (at) .08A)

  

 The fiber optic solution was creative, but not practical for the 

 distances &  involved - some LED's are 30' away and need to be bright.

  

 Note that this relay manufacturer is spelled Clare, not Clair.

 Apparently Omron and others sell the same gizmo.

 That slowed my Google search down by a few nano-seconds.

 I'm heading over to the local electronics monger to see what he has.

  

 Thanks again Bob for pointing me to the solution!

 Greg Campbell

 Lancair ES - flying in primer

 


	


You're welcome.



Bob W.



DO NOT ARCHIVE



-- 

http://www.bob-white.com

N93BD - Rotary Powered BD-4 (first engine start 1/7/06)

Custom Cables for your rotary installation -

http://www.roblinphoto.com/shop/

- The Matronics AeroElectric-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

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