@profezzorn - Do you perhaps know how one would wire up their own DIY three-strip blade? I’ve scoured the internet and only found a PCB chip (Tri-star) that would seem to do the job:
Would this be the only type of connector that would work in this scenario? If there was a way of just using a 7 or 11 pin connector instead that would be awesome.
As you can see from the kit:
You need a core. A long tube or dowel with a triangular shape. Then the strips are adhered to the core and all of the pads should line up with the pcb. Looks like it’s SpaceWindu’s design, who is known for his blades and years of custom saber work.
Not sure about pins and current.
I’m specifically referring to the quantum strip and/or KR strip V2 where they can be soldered directly to a specialized blade PCB
TCSS and SaberBay sell kits for the blades that are discounted compared to buying the parts separately, but the tube is cut to the proper length for a strip that is directly soldered to the PCB…connecting it with wires would be too long to fit in the tube. So, I was wondering if anyone had used the direct-soldered PCBs.
It seems to me that it would be fragile compared to wire.
Any blade PCB will work. And the blade PCB doesn’t have any pins, the pins go on the hilt side.
This blade PCB might make it easier since you can just solder the strips to the pads 1:1.
For any other blade PCB, you just need to solder three wires to each pad on the PCB and then solder those to your pixel strips… assuming that you want your pixel strips in parallel. You could also solder them in zig-zag configuration. (This is where the data travels up one strip, down the other and then up again.)
Thanks Prof. I’m gonna order some cheap strips and do a test.
Sorry, I was meaning to ask about the pin connector count on the hilt end. Are 7 pins sufficient to carry the load?
The answer is a resounding maybe.
The pins are usually rated for 3A each, so 3 pins for + and 3 pins for - means it should handle 9A, which should be around what a three-strip blade will draw. Unless you make it white, in that case it will draw more.
However, it also depends on the blade PCB, and a bunch of other factors. I think it will work, but I cannot guarantee it. The thing to look out for is heat. If the pins or the blade PCB get hot, then you probably need a pogo pin PCB with more pins on it.
Awesome man, thanks again.
I have a few spare pogos attached to some SNV4 cores which I can repurpose.
