Jinx wrote:
>
> > > Re-attached in case anyone saved it
> >
> > Ahh, that makes more sense now :) thanks.
>
> Sorry about the first one. It was clipped from a larger diagram
> that I did recently. Just one of those little proof-reading bugs


> You didn't say whether these were common anode or common
> cathode. You may find it simpler to use a 7-segment driver like
> the 4511 to drive the LEDs directly. It has a 3-18V supply range.
> and at 8V you might just get away with a 5V logic "1"

They are soldered to a board at the moment and the place is a mess at
the moment.Assuming they are the same as the current jaycar ones its
common cathode. Kinda puts a damper on my other idea of low side driving
them from latches or shift registers to save having to strobe them.

> A fail-safe circuit is desirable so you don't burn out the LEDs in
> a fault. Although 7-segs seem to be quite hardy. One display I
> made accidentally got switched to 12V supply instead of 5V.
> After a couple of minutes I got a whiff of "that smell" and turned
> the power off (spotting the 12V switch position). All of the displays
> and driver chips were stinking hot, but were fine after they cooled
> down

I had a mouse that actually started to melt after I plugged it into a
mis-wired USB port - damn thing still works OK tho.. hehe..

> > they have stopped selling the green ones.
>
> RadioSpares, Active Components and probably Arrow sell
> red, yellow, orange, bicolour and green 7-segment and
> starbursts. Or you could make your own using discrete LEDs.
> AFAIK 7-seg aren't available in white, blue or RGB. If you
> could afford to make your own out of these they would look
> quite something

From somewhere like active components if the stuff isnt in stock on the
site, how long does it take, and how many do they make you buy?

I saw some small blue ones on a kingbright site, and there are some
interesting looking RGB matrix displays at www.ledtronics.com - they
seem to be pushing the LEDs as lighting there.

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