Board layout
For reference, the board layout is as shown (viewed from the top):
The connections are:
Connector
Description
POWER
External power should be applied to the board with this connector. Any DC input
source is possible, from 7.5V – 12V. Higher voltages may be possible, but could
cause the digits to flicker if the voltage is too high, and you might have to
provide a heat sink for the the MOSFET and voltage regulator.
The absolute maximum input voltage is 24V. Any higher voltage than this will
damage the board within a few seconds!
The input VIN is protected against the input being connected reversed.
The input current ranges from 300mA to 1A depending on the size of the tubes
and the number of LEDs you are driving.
170V:
Output
of high voltage for driving external neons etc.
GND:
The negative side of the input supply
VIN:
The positive side of the input supply
VCC:
Output
of regulated 5V, which can be used to drive auxiliary circuitry.
FRONT
These are the controls that go on the front panel: The input button and the
Light Dependent Resistor to detect ambient light.
GND:
The “ground”. One lead of the button and one lead of the LDR and one
lead of the button are connected to this.
BTN1:
The other lead of the button is connected to this input
DLS:
“Dimming LDR Sense”: The other lead of the LDR is connected to this
VCC:
Regulated 5V output to drive any LEDs or lighting. Note that you can also
connect the LEDs to the VIN if you want to reduce the load of the regulator.
RTC / WIFI The connection for the RTC (Real Time Clock) or WiFi time provider module.
Connect this to the appropriately marked terminals on the RTC / WIFI module.