Topic: anyone know about diodes?????

[J.Webster Designs]

Here's what I understand. The black is used by someone that wants to use the rear turn signals as running lights, turn signals, and brake lights. In this case, the original poster is using that box WITH a tail/brake light, so he has to compensate for conditions that the manufacturer of the box didn't intend.

Correct.... The control module was designed for a single filament system... but because I have a dual filament system, I have to join the running light wire and the brake light wire to create a single filament system.... The resistor in the running light system (brown wire) is only there to knock the voltage down so that it causes a distinct difference between the running light and brake light like a single filament system would function....


THE CONTROL MODULE:

The only thing that the control module does is turn your turn signals into running and brake lights.... in order to do that, the red and blue wires have to be installed so that there is an input signal which is then divided into the turn signals. If a diode is installed into either one of these wires, it prevents the input from the running light wire or brake light wire from ever reaching the module......




With that being said...... The placement of the diode is not in question.... the resistor in the system is not in question..... the functioning of the system is PERFRECT.... everything works the way that it should... the ONLY problem that I have is that a regular silicone diode has TOO much forward voltage drop....... I have tried every possible scenario to take the diode out of the brake light wire so that the forward voltage drop is not effecting the brake light.... BUT there is ONLY one way for that diode to be in the system and allow the system to work the way that it should.... and that position is where the diode is at on my wiring diagram.


So... what measurements need to be taken to find out if a 1 amp 20V schottky diode will be fine?  I will try to measure the amperage where the current diode is installed.... will this be the only measurement?

[fishhead]

I'm not an electrical expert, but it seems like this is what needs to be done.

The running light wire should go directly to the tail light. The "module" has a diode built into it and should interupt the brake light current.
 The brake light should be wired so the current would go into the module and the modules diode should keep the current from backfeeding.
 I'm not an electrical expert, but it makes sense to me that it should be wired this way.

[J.Webster Designs]

here is why that does not work......

The wire that hooks into the brake light wire (green/yellow) is an INPUT only wire... it DOES NOT OUTPUT anything.... if i install a diode into that wire, it stops the INPUT from the brake light wire... This stops the brake light function of the run/brake/turn.....


The backfeeding is coming FROM the running light wire(brown) back into and up the brake light wire(green/yellow) it travels backward up the green/yellow wire and into the module. causing the module to THINK that the brakes have been applied....

SO in order to keep the the back feeding from going back up the brake light wire.... and to allow the blue INPUT wire to recieve its INPUT when you apply the brakes, it HAS to go where i already have it


AGAIN!!!!........ THE PLACEMENT OF THE DIODE IS NOT IS QUESTION..... I HAS TO GO WHERE I ALREADY HAVE IT.... if it is placed anywhere else the system does not function properly!!!!!!!

[Laminar]

Yeah, I have no idea why everyone is trying to make this so complicated. Follow the steps I suggested in the first post I made in this thread and you'll have your answer.

[J.Webster Designs]

thank you laminar.... i missed your post somehow....I will run down there this morning and see if i can find out what amps and voltage i am seeing....

[J.Webster Designs]

Running Light: 46 micro-amps
Brake Light: 128 milli-amps

These are the readings that I got with everything hooked up and no diode.

[1080]

If the I had more info on the control module, like a schematic of the module then you would know the limits of the design and how the manufacture intended the module to work. Trying to redesign the black box from the outside without know what's inside is not the way to redesign things.

Has this design worked for someone else?

Sorry for making things more complicated

[J.Webster Designs]

im not trying to redesign the box... im not trying to anything with the box.... I am simply trying to keep current going the wrong way up a wire and getting to the box....

 The setup works... it works good.... if i wanted to... I could use it just the way that it is right now... but I am trying to reduce the forward voltage drop of a diode... thats all...

I am ordering the 1Amp 20Volt schottky diode... with the measurement that i took that laminar helped me get, It will me more than enough.....

[mystic_1]

Out of curiosity, what is the make and model of the run/turn/brake controller you're using?

mystic_1

[J.Webster Designs]

its a controlled made for harleys... not sure what make and year that it is made for exactly.

I will be posting some pictures on my build thread in a little bit.

[Laminar]

im not trying to redesign the box... im not trying to anything with the box.... I am simply trying to keep current going the wrong way up a wire and getting to the box....

 The setup works... it works good.... if i wanted to... I could use it just the way that it is right now... but I am trying to reduce the forward voltage drop of a diode... thats all...

No! Let me redesign your setup for you! You need to cut and change all of your wires! 

[mystic_1]

its a controlled made for harleys... not sure what make and year that it is made for exactly.

I will be posting some pictures on my build thread in a little bit.

I was more curious about the box itself, like who made it etc, as opposed to which bike it's designed for.

mystic_1

[J.Webster Designs]

i am not sure as to who makes it.... there are absolutely no markings on it and it is completely sealed. I bought it off a guy on craigslist that was parting out a harley that was dumped on the highway.... If i had some markings on it i would tell you who makes it. but there isnt even a part number on the whole thing. I can take some pictures of it and you can try and hunt it down that way. I was planning on posting pictures and a video of it working it looks and works pretty cool.

the last thing i have to figure out is how to get the blinkers to blink without the front turn signals installed and without increasing the resistance on the LEDs to trigger the blinker relay..... I think they make LED specific blinker relays that will fire no matter what the load?

[mystic_1]

Yes, an electronic blinker relay should do the trick.  Run a search, that's been talked about here before.

mystic_1

[Laminar]

Are you sure you actually want your blinkers to blink? I just think you don't actually know what you want so I'm going to convince you otherwise.

[J.Webster Designs]

Are you sure you actually want your blinkers to blink? I just think you don't actually know what you want so I'm going to convince you otherwise.

DANG IT!!!! now i REALLY DO have to completely rewire the system.... THANKS ALOT!!!!!