Build a better RGB LED controller.

Step 14 Wiring up LEDs to the controller.

In most instances you will use a 12V supply for your LED arrays and wire the LEDs in series groups of three with a suitable resistor in series. If you use existing LED strips designed for 12V or the modules I sell on my website at http://www.bigclive.com then they will either already have the LEDs and resistors built in, or will have suitable circuitry present to accommodate the LEDs and resistors.

The power supply is connected with it's positive and negative going to the "+" and "-" connections as shown. The two "+" connections are already commoned on the PCB, and the top one is the common for your LEDs. It;s best to use a regulated supply to help ensure that the LEDs don't get over-driven. A cheap and readily available plug-in regulated 12V power supply is ideal.

If you're hard wiring LEDs or making your own RGB panels then they are connected as shown in the image. The resistors are chosen to suit the forward voltage of the LEDs, but in most cases an average value can be used. Typically this would be:-

150 ohms for green or blue LEDs.
270 ohms for red LEDs.

For premade panels you just connect the common positive to the top positive connection and the switched RGB connections to R,G & B respectively.