SEED07 3-Output Power Functions Power Supply

  • 7 yrs ago

This post describes our SEED07 3-output Power Functions power source in detail.

Our First Generation Power Functions Power Supply, was an "always on" supply (meaning that if your PF battery pack was on, the lights were on-- you could not control lights using a LEGO PF remote or an SBrick).

With this new version, there are three outputs, and it is possible to control lights using a LEGO remote control or SBrick.  The three outputs are:

  1. Always on: like in the original version of our PF power supply, when your PF battery is on, the lights connected to this port are on
  2. "On When in Reverse/Left": lights and effects connected to this port are turned on when the PF channel the power supply is connected to is put in reverse or turned to the left (for example, on the LEGO IR remote, when the orange wheel is turned to the left)
  3. "On When Forward/Right": lights and effects connected to this port are turned on when the PF channel is put in forward or turned to the right (for example, when the orange wheel on the LEGO IR remote is turned to the right)

The photo below shows the ports as they are located on the power supply circuit board.

   Using this power supply, it is now possible to create a number of new lighting and effect setups, including:

  • Directional headlights on trains
  • Automatic reverse lights on vehicles
  • Individual control of building or other lighting using a LEGO remote

There are some important points to keep in mind about this power supply:

  • It will not operate with LEGO 9V transformers or trains.
  • Outputs are not dimmable-- they are either on or off.
  • When using with an SBrick connected to the same channel as a motor, both the forward and reverse outputs will be activated when the motor is moving slowly.  When the motor is operated at high speed in either direction, this problem goes away and only the correct port is activated.  This is an issue with the way in which SBrick controls motors, and it not related to the Brickstuff power supply.  When used with a LEGO infrared control system, this issue does not occur.
  • During use, it is normal for the power source to heat up.  Depending on the number of lights and effects connected to all ports, the circuit board may become very hot to the touch.  Not hot enough to melt LEGO bricks, but make sure you mount the power source where it can have some free airflow.

The power supply has three red indicator lights as shown in the photo above.  These indicate when a given output channel is activated.

The following illustrations show several configurations for the power supply.  All configurations work with SBrick ports as well (though note the SBrick behavior above when connected to the same channel as a motor).

 

1. Dedicated Connection to One Power Functions Channel

 (as you can see in the above illustration, Brickstuff lights and effect controllers can be connected to any of the outputs on the power source.  This allows lighting effects to be triggered by a LEGO or SBrick remote)

 

2. Connection to Channel With Motor

 (in the illustration above, directional headlights are created by connecting the power source to the same Power Functions channel as a motor)

 

3. Connection to Channel with Servo

 (in the illustration above, a the power source is connected to the same Power Functions channel as a servo-- when used with Brickstuff's Flashing Pico LEDs, you can create automatic turn signals for vehicles.

 

The scenarios above are meant as a starting point-- the power source is flexible enough to be used with almost any Power Functions configuration.

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  • 7 yrs agoLast active
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