Introduction: How to Make Laptop USB Light Mini

About: Mobile applications specialist, open culture enthusiast, software freedom activist


I have an old damaged flash drive that I don't want to throw away, what can I do with it?
Thinking about the nights my girlfriend was bothered when I had to work at bed with lights on, I decided to bring it to life as a Laptop light. Then here is what I did,

How to make a laptop USB Light from reused materials.

Features:

- With LED socket (For easy replacement for any LED)
- Small, very portable
- Custom angle adjustment
- Very cheap, since most materials are reused (it won't cost more than $2)

Links:

Flickr Gallery


Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools:

- Rotary tool
- Hot glue gun
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Cutting pliers
- Wire strippers
- Torch
- Multimeter (for testing voltage and circuit continuity)

Materials:

- Old Memory USB
- Rigid copper wire (12 AWG)
- Heat shrink wrap
- Ethernet wire sheathing
- Wire
- 2-pin connector
- LED
- resistor (220 Ohm)
- Plastic cylinder (optional, you can find it on any old plug)

Step 2: Preparing USB Memory

- Cut leaving a centimeter of the board (Photo1)
- Remove board components (Photo 2)
- Round the edges (Photo 3)

Step 3: Socket Building

- Make a slot at the edge of the board, the same diameter of the copper wire.

Step 4: Checking Connections to Prevent Short Circuit

WARNING : This is the most important step, because this will prevent damages to the laptop.

Confirm that all pins are free and are not connected between them. Please see the diagram and photo below which shows the five pins to test.

Use the multimeter and if test fails, go back to step two.

Step 5: Building the LED Socket

- Insert the LED connector into the ethernet wire sheathing
- Insert the rigid copper wire into the ethernet wire sheathing
- Peel the rigid copper wire at its base


See photos for details


Step 6: Soldering to USB Base

- Fold copper wire as shown on the photos
- Solder copper wire to the USB base as show on photos

Warning: :Confirm that all pins are free and are not connected between them.

Step 7: Connecting LED and Resistor

- Connect LED black wire to resistor (see photos)
- Connect resistor to GND (See diagram in step x)
- Connect LED red wire to VCC (See diagram in step x)

Step 8: Hot Glue Gun

- Cover the base with the hot glue gun
- Cover the resistor  with the hot glue gun
- Insert platic cylinder recovering the LED socket

Step 9: Heat Shrink Wrap

- Insert the heat shrink wrap over ethernet wire sheathing
- Use torch to heat the shrink wrap
- Insert the heat shrink wrap over USB base
- Heat again.

Step 10: Finished


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