January 2018 – Mechatronics Workshop

Learn a little about a 5050 SMD (Surface Mount Device) LED. See my test bed and how I test warm white and cool white 5050’s.

They’re called 5050 because their dimensions are 5.0 x 5.0 mm. They operate at 60mA, 3V to 3.2 Volts. In my video I show that there are actually 3 LEDs in each 5050 package. So you could just light one or two of those and only use 20 or 40 mA if you want to reduce the current used.

I get the 5050 LEDs from Amazon here

Here’s a link to the copper tape

Digital Calipers

I get my alligator clip test leads locally, but these look pretty good if you need to order online

I have several of the battery holders with a built-in current-limiting resistor and on/off switch. Let me know if you’d like to purchase one for $3.95 and free shipping.

A short video showing how to extend a simple circuit out from the Arduino.

Here’s a source for breadboards on Amazon: http://Amazon: http://amzn.to/2CHpeLK

You can get a set of 3 Arduino Nanos here: http://amzn.to/2mbrbsG . You can’t beat the price of these Chinese clones, but know that you will need to solder the headers on, and you may need to download a driver for these Chinese clone boards. See how I do that in my video here: http://mechatronicsworkshop.com/index.php/2017/12/14/arduino-nano-prep/

You can purchase clones with the headers already soldered on if you search for them. Be careful buying clones — these appear to come from a warehouse in the U.S. so shipping is quite fast to the U.S. But be careful that you don’t buy them from a supplier who ships from China unless you or ok waiting for three to four weeks to get them delivered.

If you want to pay more and have the headers soldered on and no need to download a driver, go to the Arduino.cc site and purchase the original boards there.

Elenco is a great company to find larger breadboards, and all sorts of fun electronic stuff: http://amzn.to/2maSIun

Month: January 2018

5050 SMD (Surface Mount Device) LED Demo

Basic Arduino LED Circuit