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Current Source Plug

€3.50 - €19.00

The Current Source Plug is a small board based on the AP8803 chip to provide a constant current to two independent sets of power LEDs of 350 mA or 700 mA. The two I/O pins can be used to turn the LEDs on or off, and for dimming via PWM. This plug uses a very efficient switching down-convertor ("buck" topology) supply - instead of converting surplus voltage to heat, as simple dropper resistors would do.

Theoretically, each of the two channels can drive up to 5 power LEDs of 3W each @ 700 mA, when powered by the maximum 30V. In practice, this may generate too much heat for this small chip without an extra heat sink. The design goal was to support 1..2 LEDs of up to 3W on each channel from a12V input voltage.
The Pre-assembled version comes with the AP8803's and other tightly-packed SMD components already soldered onto the board, plus a high-power terminal block with individually detachable connectors. The LED power supply is attached to a separate screw terminal on the side of the plug.  Note that no 6-pin headers are included.

The PCB only variant contains just the board for the Current Source Plug. No parts, no headers.

As connectors you can use a Plug Headers set with 10 male and 10 female 6-pin headers, which makes it easy to connect multiple plugs and JeeNodes in a “standard” way. Or you can solder the board directly in place for more permanent use.

The documentation and full design details are freely available.