LED strip is becoming a common element in the design of an apartment, public or commercial space. Many ways have been invented to obtain interesting and original effects that can change the usual appearance of a room. Apart from this, there are other, more practical possibilities. These include PC backlighting, which allows you to relieve the human visual organs and reduce fatigue. Let's take a closer look at this issue.

The computer is becoming an increasingly necessary tool for business, communication and leisure. People spend a lot of time in front of the monitor screen, which negatively affects their vision.

The most harmful effects occur when working in a dark room. The sudden transition from a brightly lit screen to a dark background tires the eyes and can cause headaches with prolonged exposure. You can reduce the harmful effects by installing additional lighting in the monitor area.

The best option for a soft transition is to install an LED strip around the perimeter of the back side of the monitor. The light is directed towards the wall, creating an illuminated spot around the screen. This option allows you to smooth out the sharp boundary between light and darkness, does not distract the eye from the main object of attention and reduces the harmful effects of prolonged contemplation of the screen.

Materials and tools required for work

Connecting LED backlighting is not fundamentally difficult and can easily be done with your own hands. To do this, you need to have some skills in working with a soldering iron and minimal knowledge. Tools you will need:

• LED strip for computer;
• 12V power supply;
• soldering iron and solder;
• scissors;
• connecting wires;
• nippers or side cutters.

The most necessary tools are listed, but other equipment may be needed.

Connection diagram for a regular tape

The easiest way to connect the backlight is to the computer itself using a 4 pin Molex connector. It has 4 contacts, of which you will need yellow (+12 V) and black (ground, minus). In the bundle of computer wires connecting the motherboard with component devices, you need to find a free connector and connect it to it.

Read also We select and connect a 12 V power supply for the LED strip with our own hands

Important! The connector consists of two parts - a plug and a socket. It is best to solder the backlight contacts to one of the parts so that you can disconnect the tape if necessary without performing complex work with a soldering iron. The main task - correct connection contacts so as not to confuse the polarity. This lighting method is good for system unit with a transparent side wall, although it is also suitable for decorating a monitor.

RGB strip connection diagram

Multicolor RGB tape allows you to get different lighting effects and diversify the monochromatic backlight mode. To connect, you will need a controller that controls the operation of the LEDs. There is no fundamental difference in connecting multi-color backlighting, only 12 V power must be supplied to the controller input, and the backlight must be connected to its output. RGB strips have 4 power contacts:

• R, red;
• G, green;
• B, blue;
• +12 V.

At the output of the controller there are corresponding contacts that simply need to be connected to the corresponding pads on a piece of tape. The process is simple, but requires attention and accuracy. Multicolor lighting can be controlled remotely using the remote control.

Connection

If connecting to a computer is difficult for some reason, they are usually connected to other power sources. There are several options, all of them are quite affordable. Let's take a closer look at them:

Via power supply

power unit LED backlight converts AC mains voltage 220 V to DC 12 V. Can be used different types BP:

• from a laptop;
• from telephone charging;
• from personal computer(located in the system unit).

Ready-made devices that are sold in stores can be used. The main condition for selection is to ensure sufficient power. It is necessary to examine the power supply, find on the case data on the current strength supplied by the device.

Important! You should only use devices that produce more current than the rated current consumed by the backlight. If 1 m of a lamp usually consumes 0.4 A, then all 5 m require 2 A. When connecting, polarity must be observed.

Without power supply

It is possible to connect the backlight to a 220 V network without a power supply. However, it cannot be turned on directly - in any case, a rectifier (diode bridge) and a smoothing capacitor are required. To connect you will have to perform several operations:

• the tape is cut into pieces - for example, a 5-meter tape should be cut into pieces of 25 cm. It is necessary to cut only along the marked lines, otherwise the tape will not be able to be connected;
• The resulting segments must be connected sequentially according to the “plus to minus” principle. The beginning and end are connected to a diode bridge;
• A smoothing capacitor is soldered parallel to the output of the diode bridge, which eliminates the flickering of the tape with a frequency of 50 Hz. The capacitor rating is 5-10 µF 300 V.

In this article we will look at backlighting the computer system unit as one of the most common types of modding.
In the first part of our article, we will look at installing backlighting in various parts of the system unit. In the second part we will look at options for connecting the backlight.
1. External lighting.
This type of backlight allows you to see all the main external components of the computer in the evening.
1.1. Illumination of the front part of the system unit with LEDs
Diodes used in this paragraph

To begin with, we solder the LEDs to the extreme ends in series, and also solder 2 additional wires of 30 cm each to them.

We select the location of the LEDs and mark it with dots.
In our case, this is the place next to the DVDRom, where all the inputs are located. Therefore, I had to remove the DVDRom, as well as the protective shell.

We drill holes. We insert a chain of LEDs into these holes

1.2.External lighting of the lower part of the system unit.
This type of lighting requires the presence of legs on your system unit, so it is suitable for experienced modders.
The best way to do this is to use LED strip

The tape is easily cut with ordinary scissors into pieces that are multiples of 5 cm. The pieces are easily connected to each other with wires. In this article we will cut the tape into several pieces for clarity, but you can use 4 pieces around the perimeter of the system unit.

We attach our structure to the body using a self-adhesive layer of tape and connect

The tape from this section was used. full range with all kinds of colors.

2. Illumination of the inside of the system unit
This can be done in several ways.
2. 1. Using LEDs().
We solder the LEDs in series. We solder the long leg (+) of the first LED to the short leg (-) of the other LED.

We solder the wires to the remaining two free legs.

We place the LEDs in the system unit. It is best to place them on the bottom and back wall.

2. Using pieces of LED strips.
With LED clusters, you don't have to solder each diode separately.

LED clusters are connected to each other by two wires 5 cm long, so they can be placed either closely or at some distance. They are inserted into the holder and placed around the perimeter of the inside of the system unit using double-sided tape.

Clusters must be placed so that they do not interfere with the installation of expansion cards, disk drives and other mods. If there are not enough wires between the clusters, you can extend them yourself.

After installing the clusters in place, all that remains is to connect the power.

Clusters can be quite expensive and in most cases there is no point in using them. You can take it and cut it into 5 cm pieces. In the end you will get the same thing, only for a smaller amount.

3. Illumination using LED strip.

The installation principle is similar to the installation of LED clusters, but significantly. The tape has 2 terminals on each side for connecting wires, and is also equipped with a self-adhesive surface, thanks to which you can install the backlight without the use of additional devices. Before fixing the tape, it is better to degrease the surface.

4. Cooler lighting
This is the only type of backlight where we will use wires powered by the cooler itself as an energy source in order to do without unnecessary wiring.
To begin with, we take 2 LEDs and solder them according to the standard circuit.

We glue the LEDs on the inside of the cooler. We take food directly next to the cooler.

Now you just need to connect the cooler and the LEDs will work simultaneously with it.

Connecting the backlight.
1. To 4-pin molex connector
The 4-pin molex is the most common power connector in a computer. This connector contains four contacts: +12 V (most often the yellow wire), +5 V (red wire), as well as two ground contacts (black). When connecting the backlight to a 4-pin molex, you can choose where exactly to connect the LEDs, to 12 or 5 volts.

In our case, you need to connect to a 12 volt source.

Before connecting, you must first check the correspondence of the selected contacts with a multimeter and determine the polarity. After this, you need to solder a 120 ohm resistor to the positive contact, from which, in turn, we draw another wire and connect it to the “plus” of our backlight. The “minus” is soldered to the ground contact of the molex connector. After this, carefully insulate the wires and cover them with heat shrink tubing.

For example, let's connect a single LED.

2. To the 3-pin connector
The 3-pin connector is a standard connector for connecting fans in a computer, and similar connectors are most often superfluous. Therefore, it is reasonable to use them to connect the backlight. The 3-pin connector has 3 pins: +12 V, ground, and a third pin, which is used by the fan speed sensor.

The connection principle is identical to connecting to a 4-pin connector. We also use a 12 volt pin and a ground pin. However, it is important to remember that 3-pin connectors are intended for connecting fans and. therefore, they cannot withstand the load of a 4-pin connector. But it is still suitable for connecting LED backlighting. Also, here we need a resistor with a resistance of 220 ohms. Otherwise there are no differences. We carry out the same operations as in the first case.

3. To the USB connector.
USB is a data connector and is generally used for this purpose, however, in addition to data, the USB connector also transmits voltage and can be used for power different devices. The USB connector has four contacts: two of them are responsible for data transfer and two more are responsible for voltage transfer. The USB connector has a 5 V voltage source with a current of up to 500 mA. There are 2 types of USB connectors: 4 x 12 mm and 7 x 8 mm.

The differences between them are only in form. To connect the backlight there is no difference between them. In our example, the first version of the USB connector is used.

This type of connector requires an 82 ohm resistor. As in the first two cases, we determine the polarity and solder a resistor to the “plus”. “Minus” is also attached to the “ground” contact. We close all connections with heat shrink tubing.

Can be connected to a computer.

There is also an elegant solution - using flexible neon! In this case, a neon cord of different colors is pulled along the cables and connected to the inverter.

In this article, we will introduce you to the various components and accessories that are used to bring new colors to life. gaming system. At the same time, all its components will work as a single ensemble, giving it a magnificent appearance.

MSI Mystic Light Sync app

This is exactly the kind of control that the MSI Mystic Light app puts in your hands. With its help, all backlighting, from the motherboard to LED strips, is adjusted intuitively clear interface allows you to customize even very complex visual effects without the slightest effort.

*The Mystic Light 3 app can be downloaded from the following link:

Addressable RGB and non-addressable ARGB headers

A non-addressable connector (usually a 4-pin 12V connector) significantly limits your color management capabilities. For example, it is impossible to make different sections of an LED strip connected to such a connector glow in different shades.

In contrast, addressable connectors (usually 3-pin with a current of 5 V) are equipped with a control circuit (microchip), thanks to which they offer much more flexible adjustment.
As a result, you can, for example, make an LED strip glow in several colors simultaneously, including synchronously with other similar strips connected to addressable connectors.

Next: selecting the main components

Motherboard:

*Note: Devices with addressable backlighting must be connected to the JRAINBOW connectors, otherwise they will act as non-addressable (light one color).

Housing: MPG GUNGNIR 100

There is a button on its front panel that allows you to instantly change the visual effect of the backlight, as well as control its brightness. A pre-installed fan with addressable lighting is already connected to it and ready to obey your commands.

In addition, the package includes a special hub to which you can connect up to eight addressable LED strips. Thus, you get ample opportunities to illuminate your computer at your discretion, both right now and in the future.

5 Best Backlit PC Components and Accessories!

Memory modules: RAM

▼HYPERX PREDATOR DDR4 RGB

Case fans and CPU cooler

The illumination of these components will immediately catch the eye. Therefore, a modern processor cooler with full-color backlighting is an integral part of any gaming computer.

When choosing case fans, in pursuit of beauty, do not forget about the actual cooling. For our build, we recommend a fan with addressable lighting. It will be an excellent addition to a similar fan already pre-installed in the case we have chosen. In addition, it will be able to work in sync with other components, creating unified visual effects.

▼COOLER MASTER MASTERLIQUID ML240R RGB

Graphics Card Bracket: ATLAS MYSTIC ARGB

So, this accessory is protection for components plus additional colors for the appearance of your computer.

RGB LED strips

There are many ways to place ribbons, and it all depends on your personal preferences. To create atmospheric lighting, make sure they are not directly visible. Place the ribbons facing various surfaces so that the light from them becomes diffused.

If the LED strips are visible directly through the transparent sidebar case, it looks too pretentious, so this option will not be ideal.

RGB peripherals

• Gaming Headset: The headset features full-color lighting that can be controlled via the MSI Mystic Light app and is Hi-Res Audio certified for fantastic sound quality. In addition, it can create a mesmerizing surround sound effect in 7.1 format.
• Game Mouse: Using the PMW-3330 optical sensor, the mouse has excellent positioning accuracy of up to 7200 dpi, making it an ideal choice for fast-paced games where every action needs to be precise. It has an ergonomic shape, perfect for displays high resolution and is equipped with colorful lighting.
• Gaming keyboard: – this is reliable mechanical keyboard with Cherry switches, which feature faster actuation and reduced keystroke force. It is equipped with full-color backlighting, which perfectly complements the colorful computer controlled by the MSI Mystic Light Sync application.

All is ready! It's time to let your imagination run wild!

If you need ideas about choosing colors and visual effects backlight, just look for pictures on the Internet. If you need something more inspiration, then go to our website, dedicated to all those who like to personalize their PC with the help of colorful illumination. There you can find ideas for PC design, recommendations for selecting components and much more. Filters on the left side of the page will help you quickly find the information you need.

Don't forget about us when you finish building your most beautiful PC yet. Tell us about it at Twitter networks, use the hashtag #MysticLight and show everyone your favorite visual effect!

LED light sources are gaining more and more popularity, and there is no doubt that they will soon almost completely replace their “competitors” - incandescent and gas-discharge lamps. LED strips are especially convenient - they are compact, flexible, provide a sufficient amount of light, and are easy to place discreetly by pointing them at the illuminated surface.

To connect most LED strips you need low voltage supply direct current. Under normal conditions, special power supplies are used for this, which are purchased separately, taking into account the power of the backlight being created. But LED strips are very often used to arrange a work (or play) place equipped with a computer. Is it possible in this case to do without purchasing a power supply, since there seems to be a DC source with the required output voltage at hand? Yes, it's quite possible. In this article we will look at how to connect an LED strip to a computer.

What is an LED strip and why is it connected to a computer?

For those who are going to deal with LED strips for the first time, just a few words about their design, purpose, and connection principle.

So, the LED itself is a compact semiconductor device. The concept of “diode” already implies that it is capable of passing current only in one direction. But the structure of the semiconductor crystal is such that when current is passed, light energy is released in the form of photon radiation. In a word, the LED begins to emit a luminous flux. In this case, thermal energy is partially generated, that is, it is necessary to take certain measures for adequate heat removal.

• The widespread use of these elements began with DIP-type LEDs. They can still be often found, for example, in the display systems of many household appliances, in garlands, and in low-power lamps of old designs.

• The development of LED lighting was literally revolutionized by the appearance of SMD-type LEDs. Such devices are already equipped with their own heat removal system (this role is played by a housing made of a special material). The emitted luminous flux has become higher, and this is against the backdrop of a significant reduction in the dimensions of the LED itself. The elements may have a lens or simply be coated with a layer of phosphor, which sets the light temperature of the glow and eliminates the ultraviolet component. It is SMD LEDs that are currently the most in demand, and most tapes are produced using them.

LEDs, depending on the crystals and phosphor coating used, come with a single-color white glow of various shades, and with a colored one (RGB).

• A new stage in the development of LED technology was the emergence of COB (chip-on-board) COG (chip-on-glass) devices. Essentially, these are dozens of unarmed crystals placed on an aluminum (through a dielectric layer, of course) base board or glass rod, which are then covered with a continuous layer of phosphor. The result is a powerful light source with a large emitting surface. The luminous flux is emitted evenly from the entire area of ​​such a matrix or rod.

So, for the production of most modern ones, SMD elements of one size or another are used. The tape itself is, in fact, a flexible narrow circuit board on which, in addition to LEDs, other necessary components are soldered. normal operation elements. LEDs are arranged on the strip in one or two rows with a certain pitch, which determines the density of their placement - from 30 to 240 pieces per linear meter. The tape is sold by the meter - it can be cut into pieces of the required length, but only according to the applied marks located at a certain pitch (usually from 100 to 300 mm).

The back side of the LED strip is most often equipped with a self-adhesive layer, which simplifies its installation at the location where the backlight is installed. This adhesive layer in the “stowed” position is covered with a protective backing, which is removed immediately before installation.

We will not dwell in detail on the structure of LED strips and their classification - there is already enough information about this on our portal.

LED strips are an excellent “tool” for creating decorative or local lighting

With a creative approach, these lighting fixtures can almost completely transform the design of a room. Read about classification, order and schemes in a special publication on our portal.

Why might you need to connect an LED strip to a computer? Here we can divide the question into pragmatic and decorative components.

Let's start with pragmatics.

• For most users, the computer workplace is a kind of individual zone in an apartment or house in which most of their free time is spent. And for many, as they say in government circles, “self-employed citizens” - this is the main thing workplace. The working day for such people often imperceptibly flows into the night hours. And partly in order not to disturb the rest of the family, but also not to lose a comfortable environment, you have to think through the equipment of such a zone. This is a dim background illumination of the monitor area, since its operation in complete darkness inevitably causes rapid eye fatigue and can generally negatively affect the user’s vision.

Apparently, sufficient illumination of the desktop area is necessary if you have to make certain handwritten notes or use printed literature. An excellent addition is the LED strip located under the tabletop above the retractable keyboard tray.

• If we talk about decorative lighting, then everything depends on the preferences of the owner. Thus, a fashionable trend (in the author’s personal opinion, quite senseless) is the internal illumination of the system unit, the installation of moldings or other luminous elements on it (inside it). Contour finishing (often with a light-music effect) with LED strips across the entire worktop, monitor, speakers, etc. is practiced. - everything that comes to mind for the “manager” of this area of ​​the room.

No matter what you plan, LED fixtures require connection to a power source. And if, as they say, there is a computer nearby, then it is quite possible to use the existing capacity.

1 – computer power supply;

2 – Molex connector;

3 – dimmer, which allows you to smoothly adjust the brightness of the tape;

4 – LED strip.

In fact, the dimmer is connected to the 12 volt power line, that is, nothing particularly complicated is expected.

Prices for LED strip DEEPCOOL

LED strip DEEPCOOL

The situation is somewhat different with connecting an RGB strip, which, in principle, cannot work normally without a special controller unit. But also, the scheme is not particularly complicated.

The difference is obvious. An RGB controller (pos. 3.1) is connected to the computer's power supply via the same Molex connector. And from it to the RGB LED strip (item 4.1) there are four wires - common +12 volts and a separate wire for each of their color channels.

Video: Option for connecting the LED backlight of a computer system unit using a connectorMolex

Connecting several tapes to one source is also quite acceptable if certain rules on the length of the tapes and the size of the total load are followed. This is described in more detail in the article that was already recommended above with the corresponding link attached.

By the way, if the reader has a power supply from an old computer at home and it’s lying around idle, it can be easily adapted for LED backlighting. Moreover, as we have seen, each such block has several outputs with Molex connectors.

A jumper that allows you to start a standard computer power supply without connecting to motherboard

The only thing that will need to be provided for. This power supply itself will not start until it is connected to the motherboard. But this can be solved very simply - by installing a jumper on the MV connector. The contacts between which such a jumper must be placed are shown in the diagram above. And in words - between the PS ON contact (most often the green wire goes to it) and ground (black wire, GND).

Find out which one in a special article on our portal.

Connecting the LED strip to the connectorUSB

This method can be used by those who, for one reason or another, do not risk climbing inside the system unit of a desktop computer on their own. In addition, this is the only option for connecting LED backlighting if the workplace only requires a laptop.

Let’s make a reservation right away - the method is not very convenient, if only simply because there is only 5 volts on the USB connector.

Soldering a USB connector yourself for subsequent use in a lighting system is not such a difficult task. To do this, it is best to purchase a collapsible plug - they are presented in considerable variety in radio parts stores. And its pinout is clearly shown in the diagram above.

But for normal operation of the LED strip, five volts is not enough. This means that it is necessary to install some kind of converter that increases the voltage. In addition, there is also a limitation on the current load - no more than 500 mA. And this, in turn, means that if we raise the voltage from 5 to 12 volts, that is, almost 2.5 times, the permissible current will decrease by the same amount. And it will be possible to seriously consider the possibility of connecting a tape with a maximum current load of only 150÷200 mA. As can be seen from the table above, no more than one meter of the lowest-power LED strip is obtained - SMD 3528 with a density of LEDs of 30 pieces per linear meter. For other types of tapes, generally very short lengths are allowed. However, to illuminate a small area of ​​the table, this is often quite enough.

The converter block can be purchased ready-made. Anyone who has at least a little knowledge of electronics can be advised to assemble such a device themselves, guided by the diagram attached below.

The main element of the circuit in this case is a microcircuit - PWM controller LM2577. The general list of remaining elements, as you can see, is small, and the circuit itself is not very branchy or highly complex.

The scheme, in principle, is highly versatile. And fine tuning of the output voltage is done by selecting the values ​​of resistors R1 and R2. You can use the following formula:

Uout = 1.23 × (1 + R1 / R2)

Electrolytic capacitors at the input and output are responsible for smoothing out possible voltage fluctuations (ripples). Their capacity may be slightly higher than the specified rating - this is not critical. Their operating voltage is at least 20 volts.

The capacitor and resistor in output circuit No. 1 of the microcircuit set the operating frequency, and varying the indicated values ​​is not allowed. Equally stringent requirements for the rating of the inductive coil between terminals No. 4 and No. 5.

Only a high-frequency Schottky diode of the specified rating should be used as a diode.

Complete circuit mounted on a self-made printed circuit board, will not take up much space. As an option, a converter of this type is shown in a ready-made form.

A ready-made voltage converter that just needs to come up with some kind of protective housing

Well, then everything is simple. A piece of cable with a soldered USB plug is connected to the input terminals of the converter. And at the output, where 12 volts are removed, wires connected to the LED strip are connected.

All that remains is to insert the plug into the USB socket of the computer (laptop, desktop hub) - and the backlight will light up.

* * * * * * *

So, the most convenient ways to connect an LED strip to a computer’s power system were considered.

And one more important tip! When using any of the circuits, before performing a test run, do not be lazy to once again carefully check the quality of installation, the absence of short circuits and the correct polarity of the connection. A mistake can lead to dire consequences. It's not particularly scary to lose a piece of burnt tape. It will be much worse if negligence leads to failure of the power supply or other computer devices.