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Is it possible to add a dimmer switch to a USB LED lamp?

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John Jones

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I bought a USB desk lamp. It has a power switch + 2 switches to increase/decrease brightness. But these buttons are hard to press, very slow to operate, and even the darkest setting is still very bright.

I'd love to add a true dimmer switch, so I can quickly turn it on and set the brightness in one switch.

Is this possible?
 
Crapshoot whether or not that would work. Depends on whats down stream of the USB
port, the circuit used to drive the LED. Maye take a pic of circuit board inside lamp and
post it so we can see connections to LED,. to USB, A well focused closeup pic.

Regards, Dana.
 
Thanks. The circuit is inside the sealed button unit, which I'd have to smash open to get to. Not sure I want to do that as it would likely make it more difficult to use again!
 
A couple of questions -

1) Are yiou experienced electrically prototype building ? Like simple rewire/solder connections ?

2) Can you do any type of embedded programming ?

3) Do you have to use USB power or can it be AC line source ?


Thought is open base of lamp, disconnect LED driver module, and add a simple LED controller
that uses USB power. But you would have to know LED current allowed and its approximate
V to do this where it starts to turn on. A constant current driver that operates up to LED on full
brightness Voltage.


Regards, Dana.
 
open it up , most likely is only a resistor in there, replace it with a 1k ohm pot.
 
Thanks, guys

3) Do you have to use USB power or can it be AC line source ?
Sorry, it's got to be USB.

1) Are yiou experienced electrically prototype building ? Like simple rewire/solder connections ? 2) Can you do any type of embedded programming ?
No and no! I'm very inexperienced with electronics :-(

I wonder if anyone might be able to take a look at this for me? I could mail it to you with return postage included (in the UK), and will pay you if you're successful?
 
Can you post a link to the same desk lamp on a suppliers website, so we can see how it is constructed?
It sounds quite similar to the controller on my magnifier lamp.
 
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