These 5mm clear tri-color LEDs house separate red, green, and blue LED chips. They're excellent as bright indicators or illuminators and offer a fun color - swirling effect. With an 80 - degree viewing angle, you can easily plug them diagonally into a breadboard. They're of the Common - Anode type. Connect one pin to around 5V and tie the other three legs to ground via a resistor. We prefer and use CA more than CC because many multi - LED driver chips like the TLC5940/TLC5941 are designed for CA and not for Common - Cathode. They are square, 0.3'/7.6mm on each side, sometimes called 'Super flux' or 'Piranha'. The clear lens provides an 80 - degree viewing angle. The red has a 630 nm wavelength, green 525 nm, and blue 470 nm. The forward voltage for red is 2.1 - 2.5V at 20mA current, 3.8 - 4.5V for green and blue. The typical brightness is 400 mcd for red, 1200 mcd for green, 400 mcd for blue (2000 mcd total). Check the BL - FL7680RGBC Datasheet. If you need LED usage help, read our 'Introduction to using LEDs' tutorial for electronics projects.
Using these LEDs is quite straightforward. First, since they're Common - Anode type, connect one pin to about 5V. Then, use resistors to connect the other three legs to the ground. You can plug them diagonally into a breadboard for easy setup. When it comes to power, remember the forward voltage requirements for each color. Red needs 2.1 - 2.5V at 20mA current, while green and blue require 3.8 - 4.5V. For maintenance, keep them in a dry and cool place to avoid damage. And don't forget to check the BL - FL7680RGBC Datasheet for more detailed information. If you're new to using LEDs, take a look at our 'Introduction to using LEDs' tutorial for extra help.
