NES LED controller mod How to-- EASY!-- pic. warning

vb_master · Post by **vb_master** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 12:12 pm

How many volts in an Atari pad?

bioniclebert · Post by **bioniclebert** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 1:29 pm

vb_master wrote:How many volts in an Atari pad?

I would have to say 5v, if any. The power goes through a regulator that knocks it down to 5V so thats my guess

nos_slived · Post by **nos_slived** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:17 am

bioniclebert wrote:
bicostp wrote:http://pinouts.ru/data/playstation_9_pinout.shtml

According to pinouts.ru, the PSX controller uses 9v...
Yeah like im putting in a 7805 regulator and a fan/cooling thing In for a LED....

Use a resistor. It's that easy.

And before it's asked, the N64 is 3.3V.

*o* · Post by ***o*** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:22 am

yay...more things to add leds too

bioniclebert · Post by **bioniclebert** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:02 am

Use a resistor. It's that easy.

Not really. A resistor resists current in miliamps, not volts. resisting volts would also be resisting the current, making a less bright LED
Regulators knock down the voltage very easilly. thats why they appear in most videogame systems.

V = IR
Use that. But your resistor may get hot also, and it would be a weak led.

Edit: I once did this with a portable NES. I hooked up a LED (to 9V) and it almost fried. I hooked up a resistor and the resistors burned. I had to add a Fan, and that was dumb.

nos_slived · Post by **nos_slived** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:37 am

The voltage lowers, based on the draw on your resistor. Example using 5V source, with a 3.6V LED that draws 20mA:

Code: Select all

R = (Vs - Vf)/I
R = (5 - 3.6)/0.02
R = 1.4/0.02
R = 70 ohm

That allows for maximum voltage, at the highest draw allowed for the LED. That is also less than a tenth of a watt, so your resistor won't get hot unless you use a 1/50 watt resistor. A regulator adds heat, and is inefficient for something like this, so a resistor will give you best results.

If your resistor burned up, you either used a low wattage resistor with a high draw LED, or you screwed up and had a short, and you must have used the wrong value resistor, or the LED wouldn't have almost died.

BTW, unless the LEDs you use are 5V, you are over powering, and they are going to die.

bioniclebert · Post by **bioniclebert** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:46 pm

i dont know what your trying to bash me for, im just saying it works

nos_slived · Post by **nos_slived** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:36 pm

I didn't bash you, nor was I trying. I'm just saying that resistors don't burn up unless you screw something up.

Niku-Sama · Post by **Niku-Sama** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:23 am

i have a few computer mods stepping down 12 volts for a single led and they dont really get hot.

a resistor only resists a percent of current not like a regulator, if a resistor got overly hot at its percent of resistance it wouldnt be a very good resistor

bioniclebert · Post by **bioniclebert** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:05 am

Niku-Sama wrote:i have a few computer mods stepping down 12 volts for a single led and they dont really get hot.

a resistor only resists a percent of current not like a regulator, if a resistor got overly hot at its percent of resistance it wouldnt be a very good resistor

yeah dont get bad resistors. those things were pieces of junk. Same thing with those LEDs that you can buy like 10-15 of em for like 2$, any voltage to em above 3v without a resistor, and theyre dead.
I found a clear LED that produces red. It cost a little more, but it didnt need any resistors or anything. But I still think blue LEDs are cooler.