Hello.
I need some help, I am new in electronics and MCs, but i am trying my best to get this proyect out. I will tell you about it.
I am trying to drive 16 LED lamps.
These are, 5volts-3amps each led lamp.
A lot of light, each one is 1,800,000 mcd aprox.
I will make them blink in a lot of patterns that include one by one like knightrider and all at the same time.
To do this i have an ATMEGA8 that gives away in the i/o pins 5.0~volts and 20mA.
So the thing is that I have been looking all around the web and find that I can drive the led lamps with transistors or relays. The problem of relays is that the lights will be switching constantly and the life of relays in that way is kind of short compared with the transistors (or such i have read) and the problem of transistors (as far as i know) is that they can´t handle a lot of current.
So the question is this, can anybody help me please to choose between the two options? and recomend a model of the selected one to do the job, something really tough.
And dont think i am just trying to get someone else to do my homework, thats not the point in learning. I am a real newbie in electronics and i still dont have many things water clear, and information on the "www" is a little bit overwhelming when nobody points at you in the right direction.
So i hope you can help me and point me in the right direction.
Thanks for your time.
(Don´t hesitate in correcting me if I am wrong in anything of the just posted thread, remember I am very new to this
)
I need some help, I am new in electronics and MCs, but i am trying my best to get this proyect out. I will tell you about it.
I am trying to drive 16 LED lamps.
These are, 5volts-3amps each led lamp.
A lot of light, each one is 1,800,000 mcd aprox.
I will make them blink in a lot of patterns that include one by one like knightrider and all at the same time.
To do this i have an ATMEGA8 that gives away in the i/o pins 5.0~volts and 20mA.
So the thing is that I have been looking all around the web and find that I can drive the led lamps with transistors or relays. The problem of relays is that the lights will be switching constantly and the life of relays in that way is kind of short compared with the transistors (or such i have read) and the problem of transistors (as far as i know) is that they can´t handle a lot of current.
So the question is this, can anybody help me please to choose between the two options? and recomend a model of the selected one to do the job, something really tough.
And dont think i am just trying to get someone else to do my homework, thats not the point in learning. I am a real newbie in electronics and i still dont have many things water clear, and information on the "www" is a little bit overwhelming when nobody points at you in the right direction.
So i hope you can help me and point me in the right direction.
Thanks for your time.
(Don´t hesitate in correcting me if I am wrong in anything of the just posted thread, remember I am very new to this