Very tall SMD LEDs?

[jayeye]

I need to mount indicator LEDs 30mm above the PCB. I'm making fewer than ten pieces of this, so having light pipes manufactured is not an option. I *could* solder some wire to ordinary T-1 (3mm) LED to lengthen the pins, and even twist it so they become surface-mount, but that's way too ugly, and in any case the leads are not stiff enough to keep the LEDs properly positioned. I looked through LED accessories on Digikey, but I can't find anything suitable. Suggestions?

/ji

[djacobow]

I wonder if you could "manufacture" a few light pipes using some plexiglass and some careful sawing.

[sokoloff]

For fewer than 10, I'd probably just use a tiny daughter board with pin headers and Dupont F-F jumpers to join the main board.

[fossil]

I need to mount indicator LEDs 30mm above the PCB. I'm making fewer than ten pieces of this, so having light pipes manufactured is not an option. I *could* solder some wire to ordinary T-1 (3mm) LED to lengthen the pins, and even twist it so they become surface-mount, but that's way too ugly, and in any case the leads are not stiff enough to keep the LEDs properly positioned. I looked through LED accessories on Digikey, but I can't find anything suitable. Suggestions?

/ji

Checkout out Light Pipes at https://lcsc.com/products/LED-Light-Pipes_977.html

[Kasper]

Search DK for 'light pipe'.

[georges80]

If you have a place that sells plastic around where you live (I do...) you can source some small diameter acrylic rod easily. Cut to length and then just sand the ends with some wet/dry fine paper. Instant light pipe. Simple.

cheers,
george.

[jayeye]

Search DK for 'light pipe'.

Success! https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/LPV2-1250DP/492-2426-ND/8595199 and https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/VLP2-D-6/RPC5350-ND/3819305

I have no clue why I didn't find them earlier; I think I was looking just in the LED section of the catalog. Now on to figure out what LED of the several thousand options to use

It still amazes me that a piece of molded plastic is so much more expensive than a microcontroller with a billion transistors, but that's supply and demand for you!)


Thanks!

/ji

[Kasper]

Now to choose from the plethora of LEDs and pipes.

Some light pipes have a bunch of similar models with different heights and angles that all fit the same footprint. I recommend one of those so its less of a pain when your mech dimensions change.