Can the mobo header supply enough current and voltage? I just picked an EL wire up a couple days ago and the back specs say it has an input current range of 45-70mA. Is that what the transformer/ballast draws from its source to power the wire? Or is that what the transformer/ballast output to the wire?
Hmmm. I know a single HDD led doesn't draw hardly any current. And if you can power a fan off a mobo header, you would assume...
I haven't checked the header voltage, but that's a real pretty small current draw.
If the header puts out 3.3v's, like I'm thinking it does, I could probably use a small relay, powered by the header, to trigger the el wire on/off, which would draw it's power from the ps.
What you guys think? Think it's possible? I can't find ANYTHING anywhere on the net about how much a header can supply. I'm afraid to find out the hard way.
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GUN'S KILL PEOPLE LIKE SPOONS MADE ROSIE O'DONNELL FAT
If you mean the fan headers, AMD desktop boards are supposed to support 12W fan headers, thast iof the board maker follows the specs. My old AMD 1.2GHz board had 6W fan headers.
mtrupi Senior Member
Posts: 638
Joined: 07/10/2004
quote: Originally posted by: Zagnut Can the mobo header supply enough current and voltage? I just picked an EL wire up a couple days ago and the back specs say it has an input current range of 45-70mA. Is that what the transformer/ballast draws from its source to power the wire? Or is that what the transformer/ballast output to the wire?
Hmmm. I know a single HDD led doesn't draw hardly any current. And if you can power a fan off a mobo header, you would assume...
I haven't checked the header voltage, but that's a real pretty small current draw.
If the header puts out 3.3v's, like I'm thinking it does, I could probably use a small relay, powered by the header, to trigger the el wire on/off, which would draw it's power from the ps.
What you guys think? Think it's possible? I can't find ANYTHING anywhere on the net about how much a header can supply. I'm afraid to find out the hard way.
It should work, but a relay might be too much current or require too much voltage. Consider an opto-isolator or transistor circuit. The header might be +5V but I don't recall.
quote: Originally posted by: Zagnut I know the fan headers would work, but the header that blinks the HDD LED is what I'm wondering about. Thanks though.
That header is low current, LEDs only eat up around 20mA. Most LEDs use around 2V, I think it's 4V for those blue and white ones.
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02/11/2007 11:14 PM
My old AMD 1.2GHz board had 6W fan headers.
