A vibrant LED project
Posted by Christina M on
At Canada Robotix, innovation and practical problem-solving are central to our values. When we encountered inadequate lighting at our packing station, our team of engineers developed a functional and efficient solution that has significantly improved the workspace. They addressed the issue by integrating LED light strips powered by an ATX power supply—creating a setup that fits seamlessly into our existing environment.
LED light strips are known for their flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Commonly used in homes and commercial spaces, they offered a practical lighting option for our station. Our engineers selected them to provide the brightness needed for detailed packing tasks, while also contributing to a cleaner and more organized look. The result is a well-lit area that allows our team to work with greater precision and consistency, improving overall efficiency.
Rishi, one of our engineers, led the modification of the ATX power supply. He is currently working on adding a switch and soldering wires of the same color together using the Hakko FX-888D Soldering station.
A voltage diagram of the power supply is shown below. Typically, yellow wires deliver 12V, black wires are ground, red wires supply 5V, and orange wires supply 3.3V.
The green wire, typically thinner than the others, acts as the switch input (turn on/off) on an ATX power supply. The green wire is connected to any black ground wire – this grounds the green wire and turns on the power supply. In the image on the left, the green and black wires are shown side by side. For easier control of the LED light strip, we added an external switch, which is visible in the image on the right.
When connected to a device, the power supply can safely deliver up to 225 watts without overloading or causing damage. Since the strip used is 3m long, a maximum cumulative potential of 3.6 Amps (= 1.2A x 3m) is possible, so, 43.2W (= 12V x 3.6A) is consumed by the strip. Since the power requirements do not exceed the total capacity, it is able to handle the load without any issues.
A close-up image of the waterproof LED strip is included below. These flexible strips easily adhere to the wooden surface of the workstation.
Below are two images showing our packing station before and after the LED lighting installation. The improved lighting has made it easier for our team to identify products in nearby bins and carry out packing tasks more effectively.
