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  • Author Author: kellyhensen
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Making a FET Phase Light -- The Learning Circuit 32

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The Learning Circuit
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Karen shows how capacitors and mosfets work together to create a project with 3 constantly shifting LEDs. Learn how to create a cool LED effect without the use of a microcontroller in this phase light project!

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  • Hi everyone,

    May be it's almost two years since you guys discussed about the FET phase light, but i'm new to the FETs and i definitely need  your help. I tried to create the circuit in Tinkercad but wasn't able to achieve the Shifting effect since all LEDs were lighting together all the time. Don't know what was making  the difference.   

                                               Here is my implementation of the Circuit.

        image

    I would be grateful for all your help.

    - Oscar

  • in reply to oscargrey54

    It's been two years, but I think I know what's happening. So you created the circuit identical to the way I created it, but you're only showing a simulation, not creating the circuit IRL?

    I believe the ideal circuit, with each component manufactured exactly to spec, would, in fact, have all the lights synced. What causes them to be slightly off is the minor imperfections and slight differences between real world components.

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  • in reply to oscargrey54

    It's been two years, but I think I know what's happening. So you created the circuit identical to the way I created it, but you're only showing a simulation, not creating the circuit IRL?

    I believe the ideal circuit, with each component manufactured exactly to spec, would, in fact, have all the lights synced. What causes them to be slightly off is the minor imperfections and slight differences between real world components.

Children
  • in reply to makerkaren

    A big thanks for the reply, Karen. So, basically the Capacitors in the Simulation won't be discharging quickly or at the rate they discharge in real circuits due to which there will  be a positive voltage at the GATE of the MOSFET for most part of the time that allows the current to flow from SOURCE to DRAIN, which allow all the LEDs to glow at the Same time. Am I Correct with these points ?

    - Oscar

  • in reply to oscargrey54

    The capacitors in your simulation are perfect so they would stay synced, all discharging at the same time for the exact same duration. Real capacitors are flawed so each would discharge at a slightly different rate, slightly faster or slower than each other, which is what triggers the offset. (I think)