Hello,
I just want to say I am a complete noob and have no idea what I am doing. A few years ago I purchased some LED halo rings for my car headlights. After a few years of having them, some of the leds are turned off. I am in love with the halos that I have and want to learn how they were created. I downloaded KiCad and just watched a few Youtube videos. I was able to recreate the first one by manually placing the 5050 LEDs exactly how the first halo looks in person. Now as far as wiring it together and connecting it, that is where I am stuck. I am not looking for a handout. I generally want to learn how to create this. If there is anyone who can teach me what I am looking for I would much appreciate it. Or just any tips in general. I am also willing to compensate you if we manage to work something out. Thank you again.
You need to know the LED current and forward voltage Vf.
If you have 12 volts and the Vf = 3 volts, and you have 4 x LEDs in serires, then the LEDs may not light. So you would need 3 x LEDs in series + a current limiting resistor to keep the LED current to a safe level.
I expect that the original halo had both series + parallel LED strings.
You will find many results if you Google LED series parallel
You need to know that KiCad works that way that you first should tell it what you want to connect with what (you are doing it by drawing a schematic) and then program helps you to do connections from schematic protecting you from connecting things that should not be connected.
If you want just to do connections at PCB (without schematic) than you are working against KiCad so don’t be surprised it will be not helpfull.
There are quite a few designs for ‘halo’ ring lights for photography out in the web. They might be a good place to start - for example https://www.instructables.com/DIY-LED-Ring-Light-PCB-for-Microscopes-1/?amp_page=true
KiCad is very much designed to work schematic -> pcb so @Piotr advice is important. Draw a schematic first and then layout the components. Working backwards will likely not end so happily.
I would also look at the pricing of this - is this going around a car headlight? So maybe 25-30cm diameter? Even a cheap pcb supplier might charge you quite a bit for a large ring like that- so you might think about splitting it into smaller segments and mounting them on a carrier ring.
I really like the idea of making a circular ring into separate segments and the mount them as needed.
Cost savings would, I asume be significant.
Similar savings would accrure making rectangles and joining them to make panels of light.
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