Wireless Sensor Bar

[gamechaser001]

I bought and salvaged parts to make a wireless sensor bar (IR LEDs, wire, battery connector, etc), the sensor bar that comes with the Wii is too short for what I need and my cats keep playing with the wire and bbreaking the wire inside it right now I am using my can lights I have in my basement (where my Wii is located most of the time), thing is it's a 50-50 chance that I can click on what I want, given if the hand-cursor thing even shows up

The question is, if I use a 9V battery, do i need a resistor or should it work without one? I think I heard somewhere that if you don't use a resistor, there is a shorter life span on the IR LEDs, is this true? And if it is true, roughly how long is the life span?

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[Oldschool Smasher]

I bought and salvaged parts to make a wireless sensor bar (IR LEDs, wire, battery connector, etc), the sensor bar that comes with the Wii is too short for what I need and my cats keep playing with the wire and bbreaking the wire inside it right now I am using my can lights I have in my basement (where my Wii is located most of the time), thing is it's a 50-50 chance that I can click on what I want, given if the hand-cursor thing even shows up

The question is, if I use a 9V battery, do i need a resistor or should it work without one? I think I heard somewhere that if you don't use a resistor, there is a shorter life span on the IR LEDs, is this true? And if it is true, roughly how long is the life span?

about a year or half a year. And yes you need a resistor in order to get that puppy working. Some resistors have a bit of a longer life span but are amybe too big for what you might need to do. Does the size matter for your project?

[sreg0r]

I wouldn't suggest running the IR LED's a 9V, You'll burn them out instantly.
What current does your circuit require? just use ohm's law. If you don't have a basic electronics knowledge you should probably follow a guide step-by-step from the net to avoid wasting your money on blown electronics.

[gamechaser001]

I wouldn't suggest running the IR LED's a 9V, You'll burn them out instantly.
What current does your circuit require? just use ohm's law. If you don't have a basic electronics knowledge you should probably follow a guide step-by-step from the net to avoid wasting your money on blown electronics.

Well, the options are 9V (which I've seen have been used on other IR sensor/emitter devices), D, AA, or an outlet adapter with the exact required current, I want to lean away from an outlet adapter though, I have quite a bit of knowledge in the electronics field (mostly in the computer field), i'm new on the LED side of things, but i'm sure I could pick it up pretty quick, I was expecting a sheet of specs with the LEDs when I purchased them, but to no avail, I was just wondering what the mainstream requirements were to make one, are there any sites that I can use for pointers?

[registerednerd]

Under a 9V, you'll need a resistor. As for how much, you'll have to use ohm's law to calculate (no, not the stuff with the cabbage), V=IR (V=voltage, 9 in this case; I=current in amps, find this on the packaging of the LED's; and R=resistance, this is what you want to solve for). Just use your basic reading and algebra skills and it should be no problem.

[gamechaser001]

Under a 9V, you'll need a resistor. As for how much, you'll have to use ohm's law to calculate (no, not the stuff with the cabbage), V=IR (V=voltage, 9 in this case; I=current in amps, find this on the packaging of the LED's; and R=resistance, this is what you want to solve for). Just use your basic reading and algebra skills and it should be no problem.

Thanks for the reply, is there a way to test for the amps? The packaging my LEDs came in don't have any documentation

[viperjason]

Thats easy.

Here is a basic circuit for you......but keep in mind that using a 9V battery wont last long.....and without a switch....it will run all day long.
LED's usually operate at 25mA. The max you can push an LED is up to the manufacture but I've seen them go as high as 0.5A (500mA). Until you get the right brightness for your LED, use a potentiometer. Ones you get the brightness right for good communication with wii, then mesure the OHM's of the potentiometer, and use that resistance resistor.

If you dont have a way to mesure ohms, then using basic electronics, get a bunch of 50ohm resistors....Series to add the resistance together....parallel to divide the resistance in half.

----R----R---R (Series)
___R___
---| |---- (Parallel)
---R---
+ battery -> one side resitor
Other side resitor -> Positive side LED (Long end)
Negative side LED -> negative battery

[xstatic]

Keep in mind that a LED is basically a short circuit with a voltage drop across it.

Assuming 1.7V and 25mA for your LED

V=IR
9V-1.7V=25mA*Rohms
7.3/.025=292

So try a 300 Ohm

[tighr]

Whenever I need data sheets for specific parts, I use google. You can get part numbers from digi-key, and then google for that part number plus the phrase "data sheet". The specifications are generally found in those sheets.

If you're not familiar with circuit design, I would reccomend doing some research first or ask someone else.

[r00ntje]

If you are really building your own sensor bar, keep in mind that putting the sensor farther apart will increase the precision. Or you could go without a sensorbar completely...

I heard about some Japanese guy that found out that putting burning candles on both sides of your TV works even better then a sensor bar. Candles also emit infrared, so this could work. I havent heard much about other people trying this yet.

Anyway, theres your basic wireless sensorbar.