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FreeTrack Forum > FreeTrack : English Forum > Support : Tracking System > Please help, my IR LED's arn't working

RSS > Please help, my IR LED's arn't working

Nick	#1 09/04/2009 - 06h28 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 18 Registered on : 05/09/2007 Off line	Hi all, I just spent about $30 (NZD) on this freetrack project. I soldered it up today and when I tried to get it going, it isn't working. - I have a VX-1000 webcam, IR modded, light filter applied (IR shows with a remote control) - Wired in parallel - 3x SFH485P LED's - 3x 62 ohm, .6W resistor's - 2x AA batteries, 3V total - Low voltage "hook up" wire (Maybe this is the problem?) After the LED's weren't showing in freetrack, I read about my LED's in the manual. It says the leg closest to the flat side is the -, but when I look at the LED, the largest side, with the semiconductor is opposite to the flat side. When I calculated my resistors I used these values: POWER SUPPLY Voltage value (V) 3 LED Forward Voltage (V) 1.5 Forward Current (mA) 25 It told me to get 62 ohm, 5% .25W, but the only 62 ohm ones (or anything close to that) in the store were 62 ohm, 1%, .6W, 5 band: Blue-Red-Black-Gold-Brown I cut off 1 LED and tried swapping the + and -, but it still doesn't light up in Freetrack. Tried different batteries. Please tell me what I have done wrong, or what I can try to do to get it working. Thanks so much, Nick Edited by Nick on 09/04/2009 at 06h32.
Nick	#2 09/04/2009 - 08h01 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 18 Registered on : 05/09/2007 Off line	Will this splitting do the job? Also, it looks like the plastic may have got melted, could this cut off the flow of electricity? If it got melted into the wire? Edited by Nick on 09/04/2009 at 08h02.
Fanboy1337	#3 09/04/2009 - 12h07 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 22 Registered on : 03/04/2009 Off line	looks ok. the sfh485p's long leg is minus. so all ur LEDs are in parallel? canu give a picture of the whole circuit not just the resistors? Kind regards from Germany. Setting up my Freetrack for www.jumpgateevolution.com
Nick	#4 09/04/2009 - 12h50 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 18 Registered on : 05/09/2007 Off line	In that case I wired the LED's wrong. (Wrired + to the longer leg) But shouldn't the semiconductor be on the - piece of metal, shown here?: I cut off the top LED (shown at the bottom of the image) and turned it around, but it still doesn't show in freetrack
Fanboy1337	#5 09/04/2009 - 14h04 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 22 Registered on : 03/04/2009 Off line	Ya, the cathode thing with the SFH485P is non standard as I have been told. I took the information from the Datasheet and s.o. posted it here somewhere as well the LEDs glow slightly red if active. that freetrack can't detect them might be due to the threshold slider being to high or because 25mA is too low. I run mine at 50mA and when there is too much background light freetrack won't detect but i am looking forward to use my wiimote soon (TM) Kind regards from Germany. Setting up my Freetrack for www.jumpgateevolution.com
Nick	#6 10/04/2009 - 06h24 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 18 Registered on : 05/09/2007 Off line	So will just touching the led's legs with the soldered wire be enough to make a connection and emit IR light? Doesn't seem to be working Maybe I'll buy a few 30 ohm resistors then. What's the difference between carbon film and metal film resistors? Also, if I can only get .6W, and the calculator says get the .25W, will it matter much? Will this affect the LED's life? Will this do? Thanks, Nick Edited by Nick on 10/04/2009 at 06h26.
Fanboy1337	#7 10/04/2009 - 21h33 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 22 Registered on : 03/04/2009 Off line	touching it might not work, just take the wires (LED and power source) between ur fingers to keep the contacts tight. the Watts are the amount of power the resistor can take. if the ´power ur system consumes is higher than the given value the resistor might spent its life, start to burn or melt or whatevver (I actually do not know, but it ought to be bad ;)) .6 is better than .25 but with ur setup u wont reach the limit anyways. carbon film resistors are cheaper than metal film resistors and have lower accuracy (62 ohm with 5% tolerance means 62 +- 3.1 Ohm). I use metal film resistors myself. your link does not show a product in my browser though it says so in the url, sry can't help. Kind regards from Germany. Setting up my Freetrack for www.jumpgateevolution.com
Nick	#8 13/04/2009 - 08h09 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 18 Registered on : 05/09/2007 Off line	Right, I played around with the LED's today and Freetrack now picks up the IR light from the LED's. So I've ordered a soldering iron and solder (used the schools ones last time) and I'll solder it all up when I get the stuff. I'll let you know how I get on. Thanks for your help! Nick
Fanboy1337	#9 13/04/2009 - 16h04 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 22 Registered on : 03/04/2009 Off line	you are welcome! Kind regards from Germany. Setting up my Freetrack for www.jumpgateevolution.com
Nick	#10 19/05/2009 - 11h57 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 18 Registered on : 05/09/2007 Off line	Finished! Actually finished mid April, still trying to get the perfect settings for FSX, but otherwise I've finished and again thanks for your help!
r0tty	#11 31/05/2009 - 13h13 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 10 Registered on : 30/05/2009 Off line	Hello! I think it would be useful to add something to the hardware FAQ. The thing that the long leg in the SFH485P is (-) is very important. My first model did not work, and I just wondered why (maybe the soldering points? The resistors? etc.). But then I read this thread and recognized that the long leg is (-) and not (+) in this SFH485P.
Nick	#12 01/06/2009 - 00h36 Top
Class : Apprenti Posts : 18 Registered on : 05/09/2007 Off line	Yes it's very confusing...and even contradicts itself in its own manual!

FreeTrack Forum > FreeTrack : English Forum > Support : Tracking System > Please help, my IR LED's arn't working

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