Project: RGB LED Mouse Mod

[lamborgini8]

Im in the process of upgrading my laptop parts and I came across a mini mouse with blue LED mounted inside... Perfect! I thought as it will be great on the move instead of using the pad all the time.

Then I had the idea to swap the blue LED over for a RGB 'rainbow' LED and give the mouse a sort of slow fading mood light effect. Similar to this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw7ed4gXSEY just without the flashing effect.

Anyway, I got the mouse today for £3 and just took it apart to measure the voltage and its around the normal 3.4V. Off to ebay to order a RGB LED now I think!

Here's how it is at the moment anyway... I will get a video when it is done.

 

[richy22]

Ive got a rainbow led somewhere around here.....

infact i found my youtube vid...

[youtube]WaF80M0ig0Q[/youtube]

Want one??

 

[lamborgini8]

Awesome, would work perfect.

You have PM.

 

[sn00p]

Make sure you buy a rainbow LED like richy posted and not a normal RGB led they'll have 4 connections and would need a PWM to control them.

Here's one of my recent led projects (388 leds!) [youtube]E7huEauTA2o[/youtube]

Btw, it's also an illusion as there are only ever a few LEDs on at any given time otherwise it'd use way too much power.

 

[richy22]

Oooo I see an agilent logger there 34970A??

I miss using them

Some kind of speed warning?? Is it just running hex values as it doesn't run in sequence??

OP I cant find the LED I had...missus must of thrown it thinking it was s**t! so 0.19p on Rapid but 4.95 postage

 

[sn00p]

Oooo I see an agilent logger there 34970A??

I miss using them

Some kind of speed warning?? Is it just running hex values as it doesn't run in sequence??

OP I cant find the LED I had...missus must of thrown it thinking it was s**t! so 0.19p on Rapid but 4.95 postage

It's an Aligent DMM, excellent piece of equipment. My tektronix scope is balancing precariously on the bench PSU behind too.

Yep, it's a speed warning sign, it's running a text sequence as we didn't have the radar head connected at that point, and to be honest, you look a bit of tit swinging your arms in front of it to trigger it.

Those are all surface mount leds and they're ridiculously bright, so much so that on full brightness, the sign is blinding! If that doesn't slow you down....lol

 

[richy22]

You dont wanna see what my bench looks like sometimes!!

PS I had a look at your website and noticed a few spelling errors under the shop section if you were bothered??? (not being arsy etc just noticed them and thought id mention!)

 

[ForceIndia]

Computer guys, the master race of geeks.

 

[sn00p]

You dont wanna see what my bench looks like sometimes!!

PS I had a look at your website and noticed a few spelling errors under the shop section if you were bothered??? (not being arsy etc just noticed them and thought id mention!)

That's my boss. I've noticed them too!

 

[richy22]

Nowt wrong with being a geek

 

[lamborgini8]

Make sure you buy a rainbow LED like richy posted and not a normal RGB led they'll have 4 connections and would need a PWM to control them.

Yep, its the two pin ones im looking for.

 

[AhmedRSi]

Make sure you buy a rainbow LED like richy posted and not a normal RGB led they'll have 4 connections and would need a PWM to control them.

Here's one of my recent led projects (388 leds!) [youtube]E7huEauTA2o[/youtube]

Btw, it's also an illusion as there are only ever a few LEDs on at any given time otherwise it'd use way too much power.

Lowercase b? schoolboy mistake tbh

 

[sn00p]

Lowercase b? schoolboy mistake tbh

It's how you draw a b on a dot matrix display because it can't be misconstrued as anything else.

But thanks for your input.

 

[lamborgini8]

Ok, just bought this.
1 off 3mm Rainbow LED Clear on eBay (end time 07-Mar-10 22:01:42 GMT)

Voltage is maximum of 4.5V so im hopeful it will work off 3.4V.

 

[richy22]

Eah should be fine...they look like the same ones from rapid electronics to be honest.

 

[lamborgini8]

Eah should be fine...they look like the same ones from rapid electronics to be honest.

Yep, that's my thoughts exactly.

I will connect it up parallel with the blue one before I remove it just to check it does work.

Just noticed something... If my laptop is on standby and the mouse is plugged into the usb then the blue light still stays on and the red light turns off. Laptop powered USB mood light without turning on the laptop

 

[lamborgini8]

LED arrived today and just swapped the LEDs over! I think it looks awesome, especially in a dark room

...and the video

[youtube]EQtHZFoycq4[/youtube]