Choosing an LED Series Resistor for 5V and 12V Circuits
A guide explains why LED circuits often fail in early builds, such as treating forward voltage as fixed or ignoring resistor heating. Because LEDs have a nonlinear current-voltage curve, a series resistor is needed to limit current from a voltage source. The article gives the basic formula for a single LED and for a series string, using the difference between supply and forward voltage divided by the chosen current. Worked examples show a 300 ohm (rounded to 330 ohm) resistor for a 5 V supply with a red LED, and a 470 ohm resistor for a blue LED on 12 V. The examples also compute resistor power dissipation and note that resistor power differs from LED power.
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