SOLVED Bitspower X-Station LED Power Hub questions

[skorpien]

I was wondering if anyone could answer a simple question about the Bitspower X-Station LED Power Hub as I couldn't find any specs from the manufacturer or reseller sites. I'm planning on modding 12 fans with 4 UV LEDs each and I purchased this hub to be able to use a single switch to control the LEDs.

This particular hub has 20 terminals for LEDs with a resistor and 20 terminals for LEDs without. I assume this means that the terminals for the LEDs with a resistor are 12V and for the ones without are 3.3V (as that is the most common LED voltage).

So my question is, is it possible to connect 4 LEDs without resistors in parallel to a single terminal from the 3.3V? As it is, the LEDs in the fans alone total 48 and I'm planning on using additional LEDs throughout the case as well.

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

 

[skorpien]

Another question I wanted to ask is in regards to using a switch to control the Bitspower hub. It uses a 4 pin molex connector for power. Would it work if I were to run the 12V line to a switch to turn the hub on and off or is there another way to control it?

 

[Conumdrum]

It's not for any series setup, it's for EACH LCD. So if you have 4 3.3 volt LCDs, you'd have 4 connections, same for 12V.

For series LCD, you need to figure out the math on what sized voltage drop resistor you need to make each 3.3 volt LCD at 3.3 volts. Our BobNova can prolly help. You need to know the resistance of each 3.3 LCD at 3.3V, then it gets easy. You'll need specs on the LCDs you plan you use. There has to be guides out there for this. Google?

 

[skorpien]

I guess I should have included more information, my mistake.

The LEDs I'm using are UV LEDs with a forward voltage drop of 3.2-3.6 and are rated at max 30mA.

I'm not looking to set them up in series, but rather in parallel. That way each light would be getting 3.3V, but the four of them would all add up to 120mA if my Google skills serve me correctly. I guess the question becomes whether the hub can handle 120mA at each terminal.

My other option would be to wire two each in series with a resistor to the 12V terminals but that means not enough terminals :-S

Most of the Google guides only deal with a battery or PSU as the power source and unfortunately the Bitspower hub doesn't include specifications besides the voltages.

I was hoping BobNova would have seen and replied to this thread by now considering he's the resident electrical guru. I just feel like I'm swinging in the dark with my dead end Google searches and limited knowledge.

 

[skorpien]

Just an update. I decided to test my theory and rigged 4 LEDs in parallel (electrical tape works wonders) and connected it to the Bitspower hub. I compared it with a single LED connected to the hub, and I believe there isn't much if any loss of brightness for the 4 LEDs compared to the single LED.

I'm hoping to do a more extensive test once I start making the strings of LEDs for my fans, but that's a while away at this point. I figured I'd share my findings with those that are interested.

 

[Conumdrum]

Ahh yea, parallel. That prolly how the LED power hub is used, you just picked off one 3.5v one and paralled off just one? That'll work, less wires too.

 

[skorpien]

Yup. Figured I'd do one terminal for each fan (4 LEDs), so I reduce the number of terminals needed from 48 to 12. I thought 4 LEDs is a safe number to not overload them And it leaves me with 8 more terminals for additional LEDs.

 

[tripleM1515]

doing the same thing in my rig with the Bitspower X-Station LED Power Hub, 4 uv leds for 9 fans. i tried series first and it looked good but over time maybe a month or 2 the brightness faded alot. right now im rewiring for individual leds. im interested how the 4 in parallel are doing are they still just as bright as a single wired led?

 

[skorpien]

I wish I could let you know but I ran into a snag with painting my fans so I haven't been able to wire them, but from my tests the LEDs in parallel were just as bright as a single LED. Hopefully they'll hold up in time.

The brand of LEDs could also be a factor. I've read that XSPC LEDs can be bad quality. Where did you get them if you don't mind me asking? Mine are off eBay so I'm hoping they're decent quality but I can't be too sure

 

[tripleM1515]

man i bought those LEDs so long ago i don't remember where or what kind they are. their just in a plastic bag. i just decided to do them all single and hopefully see what happens. you should check out my thread its a project log im rebuilding my computer with water cooling. the last post i did are pictures of the Bitspower X-Station LED Power Hub. thread is call "The Green Colossus water cooling build" its in the cases and case modding

 

[skorpien]

Nice! Beautiful build so far. I see you've got the Gigabyte Sniper 3. I've got the Sniper 5 board going into my build and an XSPC Raystorm too You did a great job on the carbon fiber vinyl wrap. You've just gained a new sub.

I usually lurk the watercooling forum so I missed your build log. I have a build log going there too, though it's been forever since I've updated (life got in the way). Project HazMat. You may have to dig back a few pages to find it.

Yeah, my LEDs came in a pack of 100 in a grey see through bag direct from China. I'm hoping to have the fans painted and the LED holes drilled by this weekend so I can get to wiring everything. Let me know how the parallel LEDs work for you if you don't mind. It would be nice to compare.

 

[tripleM1515]

lucky! i really like the sniper 5, like how it has the built in water block for the MB. saw you hazmat build its looking good i can't wait to see it under UV light.

so i didn't do the wire in parallel of 4 i actually ran each led wire to the power hub. lots of wire but i cleaned it up nice and pretty.

 

[skorpien]

Yeah I saw that. You did an amazing job on those wires. They just look so clean.

If you don't mind, would you be able to clarify? Do you have more than one hub? I'm wiring 48 LEDs, and with only 20 terminals for 3.3V LEDs I don't have enough. Unless you mean you crimped four LEDs to one set of connectors?

My apologies if it's something rather basic. It's late and I'm lacking sleep...

And thank you I'm hoping it'll come together, sooner rather than later lol I wouldn't call myself lucky. That sucker set me back a fair bit, and I had to upgrade CPUs as a result. But once I saw that board and the reviews that were released, I had to get it. (Damn my obsessive tendencies.)

 

[tripleM1515]

i have 40 LEDs in the case and i'm using 2 hubs, 20 terminals each, all individual wire runs. i couldn't figure out the whole combining 4 LEDs together to work.

if you do it the way i did you would need 3 hubs to cover 48 LEDs.

 

[skorpien]

Oh... well crap I'm trying not to spend any more money on this project and I only have one hub. I guess I'll be going ahead with my initial plans.

 

[tripleM1515]

good luck

 

[Buehlar]

I was wondering if anyone could answer a simple question about the Bitspower X-Station LED Power Hub as I couldn't find any specs from the manufacturer or reseller sites. I'm planning on modding 12 fans with 4 UV LEDs each and I purchased this hub to be able to use a single switch to control the LEDs.

This particular hub has 20 terminals for LEDs with a resistor and 20 terminals for LEDs without. I assume this means that the terminals for the LEDs with a resistor are 12V and for the ones without are 3.3V (as that is the most common LED voltage).

So my question is, is it possible to connect 4 LEDs without resistors in parallel to a single terminal from the 3.3V? As it is, the LEDs in the fans alone total 48 and I'm planning on using additional LEDs throughout the case as well.

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

Hi,
Found your post via Google and I'm planning a similar project but will be using only 2 LEDs per 3.3v terminal. Curious to know your results using 4 LEDs per term in parallel.

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3.3v terminal | LED | LED
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