Hi,
I know Pimoroni have some 5V UV LEDs (https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/led-ultraviolet) but what I’m really looking for is a LED strip, that I can stick on the side of a cabinet.
Like this, except it needs to be UV, and run off a 5V USB cable.
Can only seem to find 12V UV LED strips online, does a 5V version even exist?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Well, the LEDs themselves draw about 3v each - the 12v versions will probably have several blocks of 4 LEDs in series, connected between the blocks in parallel (or something along those lines). Theoretically, a 5v strip is possible (just a bunch of LEDs in parallel with resistor in series with each led, or even just a voltage regulator and LEDs) but I can’t find one as you say on the internet. It’s tempting to design a PCB and make one up, but that’s a story for another day…
So the best option is probably to use a step up voltage converter:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132049205842 - these are really simple to use, connect 5v to the VIN end, adjust the little screw with a multimeter on the output until it shows 12v and connect the 12v strip. Just remember that the 5v in will have an increased current, since V=IR, and V has increased while R has stayed the same. Hope that helps :)
Hmmm, I wonder if that little controller on the end of the led strip pictured is doing just what I described above… So maybe you could hack one of those onto a 12v strip.
Excellent find, I didn’t even know these existed!
I’ll order one up, it will hopefully do the trick - hopefully the current draw will still be pretty low for a strip of LEDs.
Thanks for the link!
They are very useful - also for gadgets that runs off 9v that you want to run off usb you can make up cables to do so