Trying to make a backlit NES

Uncle MeatUncle Meat
in Help Wanted!
This is probably a silly question to any of you electronics guys but I have a 330ohm resistor running from the ground and then to two blue 3mm 3.3v LEDs. The issue is once I add a third LED into the circuit I get no power going to it... is this because I am exceeding the power supplies output voltage capacity? Can I really only hook up two tiny LEDs?



Edit - If I use brighter 5mm LEDs do they output the same voltage?



Edit #2 - So i used this chart and it is saying that it is possible.... the only difference I see is that there are two connections connecting to each set of (2) LEDs?



Edit #3 - I added the points that I soldered to on the board.

Comments

  • chromableedstudioschromableedstudios
    not really an electronics guy so im guessing a bit but it looks like maybe your voltage drop was just too high to run in series... if you punch 13.5 in as your source volt on that same calc it will design it in series
  • Uncle MeatUncle Meat
    Originally posted by: chromableedstudios



    not really an electronics guy so im guessing a bit but it looks like maybe your voltage drop was just too high to run in series... if you punch 13.5 in as your source volt on that same calc it will design it in series

    I think that is where I am getting lost...... so if I run a parallel circuit I can exceed the voltage output of the power supply by "tricking" it?



     
  • chromableedstudioschromableedstudios
    i think its more reduce the forward voltage drop than exceed the output but thats sorta the idea 'If two or more components are connected in parallel they have the same potential difference (voltage) across their ends. The potential differences across the components are the same in magnitude, and they also have identical polarities. The same voltage is applicable to all circuit components connected in parallel.' - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_and_parallel_circuits To use a silly metaphor, think about it like old VHS tapes... if you have one master tape, each time you copy it the quality degrades right? so if you go



    master>copy>copy>copy>copy



    you lose a bit at each step and by copy 4 it looks garbage right? but if you go

     

    master->

    CopyA>copy

    copyB>copy



    you've only reduced the quality twice not 4 times ... again, not really an electronics guy, I'm sure there's someone smarter on the board that could jump in and provide a bit more accurate info
  • Uncle MeatUncle Meat
    It just seems like I am not getting enough power from the NES when I power them with a 9volt battery they glow like the sun but when I get the power from the NES they are very dim.



    So I found out that when the NES powers it converts the 9v to 5v because of something I don't understand which is probably why I am not getting the brightness I want.



    I really wanna know how people get those really bright lights coming out of their NES?
  • SinNombreSinNombre
    Easiest/best method would be to wire your LEDS in parallel with the regulated voltage of the NES since they are most likely rated for 3-4 volts. If you want them brighter use a smaller resistor. If you wire them in series you will have voltage drop across each LED.
  • Uncle MeatUncle Meat
    Alright guys I got it! Probably the most basic of all LED circuit wiring but the parallel circuit did it I got like 8 LEDs to light up in there!
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