Customer:
I received several LED Dice soldering kits. When they arrived, there were no directions included, and the directions on the website are for a slightly different board design. One of my students completed the project, but only 4 of the 7 LEDs light up. I checked that the components are installed correctly. Can you provide help with figuring out what is wrong?
Originally submitted via email support on 13 May 2025. Migrated to the forum for community visibility.
Soldered Support:
Here are the assembly instructions for this kit:
Resistors - The kit includes eight resistors—seven 330 Ω and one 10 kΩ. Identify the 10 kΩ resistor by its color bands and solder it to the R1 pads. Solder the remaining 330 Ω resistors to the other R pads.
LEDs - Install the LEDs on pads L1 through L7. Ensure the shorter lead (cathode) faces the minus (–) silkscreen.
Switch - Position the switch on the S1 pads; its orientation is not critical.
Vibration Sensor - Solder the cylindrical vibration sensor to the S2 pads.
Battery Holder - Flip the PCB over, align the battery holder with the silkscreen outline, and solder it in place. Insert the provided battery, verifying that the smaller terminal faces upward.
The sensor will show a different number once you strongly shake it, like a dice.
For reference, see the product page: LED Dice Soldering Kit - Learn Electronics With a Fun Project – Soldered Electronics
Customer:
All of those steps were followed, but the circuit is not working. I will have some other students look at it and see if they notice anything.
Soldered Support:
Was it only one of the kits that didn’t work completely? If it’s only one of the kits, there could be something wrong with the installation job. If you want, please send detailed pictures of the front and back and we’ll review it (maybe a short happened underneath the LED).
Could you try changing the LEDs for different ones? Some of the LEDs in the package might be broken.
Let me know what you find.