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RSS >  Why dont make a serie circuit?
rurikvan #1 06/03/2008 - 01h12

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I was working on the 3 dot system and then see that its an parallel circuit so all the leds (the osram's one) will have the same voltage (for me it was 3 v) and then it cross my mind that meaby with another AAA batery and in a serie circuit i will not need resistor, so here is my question:

Why dont build up a serie circuit better than a parallel one???

Dont know if i'm saying some kind of impossible just because i dont know to much electronic but what i use  was the next formula:

R= [Vps- (Nº leds * Vleds)]/Iled=[4.5-(3*1.5)]/.1=0
So in this way i will not need any resistor, did i?

PD---> Maybe i forget a lot of english's grammar and spelling, but it's even worse with my french
Edited by rurikvan on 06/03/2008 at 01h16.
vranac #2 06/03/2008 - 01h56

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That could work w/o resistor but its better to put 1 small value
to protect leds)
tristan68 #3 07/03/2008 - 17h43

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Hello rurikvan

As already told in some places in this forum  :dry:  ,

it's dangerous to operate leds without resistors   :angry: .

Leds are basically diodes, not light bulbs (which are basically resistors).

A led doesn't have a linear voltage/current ratio, so you can't just "guess" the current in your led from the voltage you put on its leads.

You need to use a voltage/current graph, and :
- it's specific to each diode model
- it has a rather steep curve

So a small voltage variation can lead to a big current variation, if current isn't limited by something.

This something is your resistor  :dry:

Since the resistor will drop your voltage value, seen from the led side, you need to have a power supply voltage a bit higher than the total led voltage drop of your setting.


BTW : don't worry and use the led wizard, its easy and works well. You'll find it on the website front page.


Cya
usr #4 09/03/2008 - 13h02

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Even if your power source seems to supply the perfect voltage: add a small resistor for limiting current, the voltage drop on your LEDs will be small.

and about serial vs. parallel: serial should be better if possible, even if it is just because you don't have to convert as much power into heat in your resistors as in a parallel setup.

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