How to Create a 12V Breathing/Fading LED Circuit with My Current Components?

StrayDoggo · Oct 25, 2024

Hi everyone,

I'm working on a project to make an LED that fades in and out (breathing effect) and operates on a 12V power source. I have the following components:

12v strip led
3x 3.7v batteries connected in series = 12v (with added extra voltage when fully charged resulting in 12v)

BC547 NPN Transistor
NE555 Timer
C817 Optocoupler
330uF 50V Capacitor
330uF 25V Capacitor
1000uF 25V Capacitor
1000uF 50V Capacitor
100k Potentiometer
15K Ohm 1/4W Resistor
10K Ohm 2W Resistor
100K Ohm 1/4W Resistor
1K Ohm 1W Resistor
4.7K Ohm 1/4W Resistor

Could someone guide me on how to wire these components to achieve the breathing effect? If any additional components or specific values are needed, I'd love some advice. I’d also appreciate any example circuits or explanations on how to calculate the timing for smooth fading.

Thanks in advance for any help!

I am not very good with circuit diagrams I am a visual learner, I also checked youtube but it didn't help me much and it was over complicated.

stefanodel · Oct 27, 2024

To better understand what you ask, you have only one piece of NE555, only one piece of BC547 and so on. Or for example can you use more than one NE555 or BC547?
Do you have any possibility to use components other than those listed?

Lightium · Oct 27, 2024

What make you think it is possible with the components you have?

StrayDoggo · Oct 27, 2024

stefanodel said:
To better understand what you ask, you have only one piece of NE555, only one piece of BC547 and so on. Or for example can you use more than one NE555 or BC547?
Do you have any possibility to use components other than those listed?

I only have 1 piece of NE555. But plenty of BC547 and resistors.

I just have those.

I need a working circuits that is easy and not too complicated. If I need to add new components it's not a problem.

danadak · Oct 27, 2024

Easy with a simple micro -

https://support.makeblock.com/hc/en-us/articles/6291523166487-Case-6-Breathing-LEDs

Block programming if you have no C background.

You can do this with a $3 Nano board or use 8 pin ATTINY85 and program it
with a Nano board.

Regards, Dana.

StrayDoggo · Oct 27, 2024

Lightium said:
What make you think it is possible with the components you have?

I saw few videos on youtube and bough the components they used.

StrayDoggo · Oct 27, 2024

danadak said:
Easy with a simple micro -

https://support.makeblock.com/hc/en-us/articles/6291523166487-Case-6-Breathing-LEDs

Block programming if you have no C background.

You can do this with a $3 Nano board or use 8 pin ATTINY85 and program it
with a Nano board.

Regards, Dana.

Sorry but I don't think I can buy those things where I am right now. And I also have no understanding of C or other programming languages.

Lightium · Oct 27, 2024

StrayDoggo said:
I saw few videos on youtube and bough the components they used.

A quick search of "led fade circuit" turns up a few possibilities.

danadak · Oct 27, 2024

StrayDoggo said:
Sorry but I don't think I can buy those things where I am right now. And I also have no understanding of C or other programming languages.

That was why I showed link to block languages. 6'th graders are using it to program robots.

Its visual. If you know how to use a simple calculator you are already a programmer. You
understand temporary/intermediate variables, how to add/sub/mul/div, your head modifies
program flow based on data......you get results -like "omg I am bankrupt ".....lots of videos on
web starting folks out.

Go down the path you are familiar with but when you get a chance watch a couple of videos and
try it out, lots of fun and enjoyable to work with. Then if that works out you can think about tackling
C or python or.....When you program in block you can look at the C/C++ it generates and start to see
basic language typing and constructs.......

Regards, Dana.

ChrisP58 · Oct 28, 2024

StrayDoggo said:
I saw few videos on youtube and bough the components they used.

Soooo-- the video showed the parts list, but not the schematic? ???

Please post links to the videos.

StrayDoggo · Oct 29, 2024

ChrisP58 said:
Soooo-- the video showed the parts list, but not the schematic? ???

Please post links to the videos.

even if they did, wouldn't have helped me much. I can't understand schematic

AnalogKid · Oct 29, 2024

StrayDoggo said:
even if they did, wouldn't have helped me much. I can't understand schematic

But we can.

Given the amount of fake / false information out there, you might be chasing something that won't / can't work. That's where we come in.

ak

StrayDoggo · Oct 30, 2024

AnalogKid said:
But we can.

Given the amount of fake / false information out there, you might be chasing something that won't / can't work. That's where we come in.

ak

Okay thank you very much. can you help me with the circuit? I would appreciate if it's simple and requires only basic components which is available world wide.
Since I am not in the west, it's harder to get complicated parts and they will cost a lot.

I can get all the basic components like capacitors. transistors and etc. I hope you can help me and I can finish this project.

stefanodel · Oct 30, 2024

The two circuits on youtube could be defined as junk, they use the sawtooth voltage across the capacitor of the astable oscillator realized with a NE555. This voltage, that varies from 4 to 8 volts with the NE555 powered at 12 V, is sent to the base of a transistor in common collector configuration so at the emitter output the voltage varies between about 4.3 and 7.3 V. To correctly drive two white LEDs in series even without a limiting resistor you have to hope for a miracle.
So straydoggo you can't drive a 12 V LED strip it with those circuits.
If you want to drive a 12 V led strip you have to use a pwm circuit that can be made with a NE555 and other components but it's not so trivial.

ZipZapOuch · Oct 30, 2024

stefanodel said:
If you want to drive a 12 V led strip you have to use a pwm circuit that can be made with a NE555 and other components but it's not so trivial.

Pretty trivial once you think about it.

StrayDoggo · Oct 31, 2024

stefanodel said:
The two circuits on youtube could be defined as junk, they use the sawtooth voltage across the capacitor of the astable oscillator realized with a NE555. This voltage, that varies from 4 to 8 volts with the NE555 powered at 12 V, is sent to the base of a transistor in common collector configuration so at the emitter output the voltage varies between about 4.3 and 7.3 V. To correctly drive two white LEDs in series even without a limiting resistor you have to hope for a miracle.
So straydoggo you can't drive a 12 V LED strip it with those circuits.
If you want to drive a 12 V led strip you have to use a pwm circuit that can be made with a NE555 and other components but it's not so trivial.

So can you give a circuit and list of the components?

StrayDoggo · Oct 31, 2024

ZipZapOuch said:
Pretty trivial once you think about it.

View attachment 147606

As I said I suck at understanding schematics. I am more of a visual learner. Like this

ZipZapOuch · Oct 31, 2024

StrayDoggo said:
So can you give a circuit and list of the components?

I did. See my post.

StrayDoggo said:
As I said I suck at understanding schematics. I am more of a visual learner. Like this
View attachment 147608

View graphic in my post. If that is not visual enough, you'll have to bring someone else into the loop to translate it to another format.

Note, the circuit performs well in simulation but remains untested in real life.
The LEDs go from 15% duty cycle to 85% duty cycle as shown. Lower the value of the resistor by the output of the lower 555-timer to get more range (ex, 150 ohm will get close to 5-95% duty cycle range) but the transition becomes faster (from full-on to full-off))

StrayDoggo · Nov 1, 2024

ZipZapOuch said:
I did. See my post.

View graphic in my post. If that is not visual enough, you'll have to bring someone else into the loop to translate it to another format.

Note, the circuit performs well in simulation but remains untested in real life.
The LEDs go from 15% duty cycle to 85% duty cycle as shown. Lower the value of the resistor by the output of the lower 555-timer to get more range (ex, 150 ohm will get close to 5-95% duty cycle range) but the transition becomes faster (from full-on to full-off))

Hi so I what are the components that I need to buy? and where do I add the power? I only see two +12v. Where do I add the negative power source?
My led requires 12v to glow so I hope it will output 12v at max.

Also what other parts or resistors I should buy for the (ex, 150 ohm will get close to 5-95% duty cycle range) part. I mean if I want to make the fading faster or slower?

StrayDoggo · Nov 1, 2024

I also home someone is kind enough to translate this for me into something super simple and basic. I don't even know what some of the signs means.

How to Create a 12V Breathing/Fading LED Circuit with My Current Components?

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