Aurora Constant Voltage 'LED Driver' outputs

[JohnW2]

Hi,

Following my recent demonstration that they produce a surprisingly clean output, I am about to use some Aurora 12V Constant Voltage 'LED Drivers' (which terminology I don't wish to discuss!) for 'other purposes' (before anyone asks ... because I have several of them 'on my shelf').

All such Aurora products appear to have three separate 12V output pairs. To avoid my having to dissect one to find the answer, does anyone know whether these three outputs are simply in parallel (just for wiring convenience), such that I can draw the device's full rated load out of one of those outputs, or are they in some senses 'separate'?

Kind Regards, John

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Have you thought of using an ohmmeter to find out?

 

[JohnW2]

Have you thought of using an ohmmeter to find out?

An Ohm meter suggests that they are simply 'in parallel', but I don't think that is foolproof confirmation that they are literally in parallel....

... for example, although I know this isn't the case with these things, it's far from impossible that one would design such a device, designed to supply its total output capacity roughly equally across three 'outputs', which had a fuse (rated at about a third of the total capacity) for each output. An Ohm meter would suggest that they were literally in parallel, suggesting that one could draw the device's total load through one output.

I'm currently conducting an experiment by drawing almost the devices rated maximum capacity from just one output. So far, so good.

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

I dont know the answer , but wondered that myself , I do recall the early days of 150va or more single output transformers, where you purchased a fused splitter unit, to feed your lights, one store in romford, ignored this and used 0.75 mill flex to feed each 50W light direct, things were fine till a lampholder shorted out, the whole run of cable melted, causing the fire brigade to evacuate the store, this became superseded by transformers, with multiple outputs, which i assumed monitor each output.
If you can find instructions for a Halotronic mouse, i know its not a Driver, but that has 2 outputs and it states about what 1 to use for what, so i assume the outlets on that are different somehow, as said, for Drivers i have no idea.

 

[JohnW2]

I dont know the answer , but wondered that myself ....

Well, I'm about 4 hours into running one of them with a load of about 90% of its rated 'total' being drawn from one of the three outputs - and nothing untoward has happened yet, so I suspect that's OK!

If you can find instructions for a Halotronic mouse, i know its not a Driver, but that has 2 outputs and it states about what 1 to use for what, so i assume the outlets on that are different somehow, as said, for Drivers i have no idea.

Needless to say, the Aurora instructions say nothing about the 'three outputs' (otherwise I wouldn't be having to ask here!) - but, on reflection, and in line with what you say about the "Halotroic mouse", if there were something special about how one should/could distribute loads across the three outputs, the Aurora instructions would surely say something about that (particularly given that one of the things their instructions do show is a diagram of a string of LEDs in parallel fed by just two conductors from the 'driver' - hence obviously all using the same 'output').

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

"There are three output terminals. A maximum of 25W can be connected to one output. The 25W output can also be shared in any way over the three outputs terminals."

http://assets1.auroralighting.com/web/sku/352/general/instructions.pdf

 

[JohnW2]

"There are three output terminals. A maximum of 25W can be connected to one output. The 25W output can also be shared in any way over the three outputs terminals." http://assets1.auroralighting.com/web/sku/352/general/instructions.pdf

Many thanks.

There are clearly multiple versions of these instruction sheets. I've looked at the instructions which come with all of the Aurora 'drivers' on my shelf, and have found two versions, neither of which is identical to the one you've linked to.

Looking at the "INSTRUCTION INSTRUCTIONS" section (with points numbered 1 to 5) version you linked to, most of the instructions I've got have only points (2) and (5) (identical wording and diagram to the linked one), obviously numbered just 1` and 2 - and two of those I've got (which I hadn't previously looked at), have just points (2), (4) & (5) (numbered 1 to 3). In other words, only two of those I have (the latter two) include point (4), the one which refers to the three outputs and the available output from each/all.

All potentially confusing - but many thanks for bringing my attention to the versions of this leaflet which do provide the answer to my question!

Kind Regards, John