Broken voltage switch — what is the default?

The MagWLED-1 has a small slide switch that selects between 5V and 12V for the LED power output from the board’s terminal block.

If the switch is broken or disconnected

If the switch is physically broken or the solder joint is lifted, the board defaults to the OFF state — no voltage is routed to the LED output at all. Your LEDs won’t receive power from the board’s supply regardless of which voltage your strip needs.

Options:

• Resolder the switch — the cleanest fix
• Bridge the pads with a solder blob — if you know which position you want (5V or 12V), you can permanently bridge the relevant pads
• Use an external power supply — power the LEDs from an external DC supply via the terminal block; the voltage switch only affects the board’s onboard supply, not the external input

Can I re-solder it?

Yes — the switch is a standard 3-pin slide switch. You can carefully re-solder the connection or bridge the appropriate pads with a wire/solder jumper. The two positions correspond to connecting the middle pad to either the 5V or 12V rail.

If you’re unsure which pads to bridge, use a multimeter to check continuity between the switch pads and the terminal block pins to identify which is which.

Safe to run without the switch?

Yes, running with the switch in the 5V position (or defaulting to 5V) is perfectly safe. Just make sure your LED strip is powered at the correct voltage — if you need more than what the board can supply, use an external power supply.