Simple questions about the K8055

Hello, I’m delighted to find this forum here!

I have a project I’m working on and have bought the K8055 USB card to run it. I’d like to control lighting in my living room’s shelf compartments using the card (LED strips). I’m a very competent C# programmer and have already built a lot of the software-side (I was bored). It’s a music player that uses horrendous maths to control the lights to music (think a spectrum analyser but made of shelves).

Whilst I am happy with the programming aspect, it’s the circuitry that is hurting my head.

I understand that I’ll need to use relays as the LEDs will draw far more amps than the card can take on the digital outputs.

This is what I understand I need to do on the K8055 side of the circuit (I’m happy once I’m at the relays) - and forgive me for not using a graphic, I fear I’d confuse myself and everybody else if I attempted to draw a circuit diagram :laughing:

  1. I should connect the + of my power (I plan to use a AC>DC 12v adaptor; will this be okay? I can replace this part with a battery if it’s not) to the PWM1 terminal on the card.

  2. I should connect a relay to, for this example, Out1 (Digital Output).

  3. I should then connect the other end of the relay to the other side of the battery/power source.

Then when I set the port using the software, the circuit should close, the relay should throw.

Is this it? I came here to double check and have looked at about fifteen pages of posts and I’ve seen lots of mentions of resistors and also the GND terminal. What do I do to the GND terminal?

If someone could explain with simple words rather than a diagram, I’d be delighted! All I’m wanting to do is be able to access the Digital Outputs 1-8 to throw a number of relays. After that I understand fine :smiley:

Hope someone can help, and thank you Velleman for making such a fantastic product!

Please see this thread how to connect the relay: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5370

[quote]What do I do to the GND terminal? [/quote]You should connect the negative pole of the battery/power source to the GND terminal.
Connect the positive pole to the CLAMP terminal.
Connect the relay coil between the CLAMP and the digital output of the K8055.

Thank you for your reply!

Just to confirm, on the example you’ve given me - should I be ignoring the LED and Motor? Because in that case it makes perfect sense :smiley:

Yes, you can ignore them.
They are there as reference only.