Driver giveaway: Constant current 17mm drivers, winners (finally) announced, post #2.

Oh, sorry, I didn’t understand it well at first!! :person_facepalming: Yup, seems like “bug” as it doesn’t make many sense to jump to FF after turbo on that level.

Anyway, like you say, it doesn’t make much sense to me either. But, as I normally use it with the FC switch, I don’t tend to go to the 4th level and to turbo from there. If I used it with RC switch, I’m sure I would bother more about that, as I like to return to the previous used mode.

Ok then! I will try it in a way to demonstrate those periods more or less accurately! I’ll try the different timing solutions also to check the excess of delay when pressing! I’ll post them tonight :+1:

Another thing worth mentioning… I also see that guppy3drv doesn’t appear to support short or long off taps. It’s either a tap under half a second, or a “cold start” if the the light is off longer than half a second.

I already have a UI in my firmware with the same behavior as you are looking for, but with one exception. Instead of double tap for turbo it’s a single long tap. My firmware has short tap (1/4 second or quicker), and long tap (over 1/4 second to 1 second). Cold start is if the light has been off for more than one second. So short off tap to cycle modes (excluding turbo), and long tap for turbo. Short or long tap from turbo goes back to last used mode. Would this be of interest or do you think you would still prefer double tap?

Although I have “traditional” mode UIs in my firmware I personally don’t use them anymore, at least not with my clicky lights. I use an UI with two modes, normal and turbo. Short tap alternates between the two, long tap in normal mode enables ramping. When ramping is enabled it’s short tap to ramp up, long tap to ramp down. Tap again to stop ramping. After a timeout of no button activity it switches back to initial state.

Anyhow, all these UIs are in the firmware, changing UIs is some what similar to guppy3drv mode group changing. I don’t have pre defined mode groups like guppr3drv. I have a setting for mode count and the possibility to adjust each mode by ramping.

I would like to see double tap to TURBO and a double tap to return to last mode.
And a single tap to resume level changes.

Double tap in , Double tap out.

Hey Mike, here are the videos I made a while ago:

Forward Clicky Switch

Reverse Clicky Switch

Well, while I was trying the light with the Reverse Clicky Switch, I noticed it has a longer press to return to FF mode.
So, lets say I’m on levels 2 or 3 and with double tap I go to Turbo. If in Turbo I do a tap, I’ll return to mode 2 or 3; however, if I press the switch a little longer, I will return to FF mode.

So it supports this, at least in this Mode configuration (10-5-5). I never tried it with other configs :zipper_mouth_face:

I will answer based on my preferences so far, that normally imply having a short shortcut to turbo, like on this light. I’m afraid that a longer tap/press will take the quick access to turbo from OFF, using a FC switch. But, honestly, I guess never tried that kind of option. Would it work well on the FC (like: long tap & maintain press or fully click, to lock the mode) or it will be better on the RC (long tap & release to maintain the Turbo locked)?

One thing I do like is that it goes back to the last used mode, in all modes!!

Hum, I only used ramping on a RC when I used Crescendo FW, by Toykeeper a while ago. I stopped using it cause I didn’t control the ramping as in the UI: it started going up or down by itself and then there are taps to stop or restart, or to take back to lowest or highest levels.

I guess if they are in the FW already it can be interesting to try the different possibilities :wink: Being user configurable is a nice option to have, as different needs may imply different UIs! :sunglasses:

I can do that, it’s just a matter of timing for double tap detection. But, what would a single tap in turbo do?

Thanks! I’m looking at them with frame by frame stepping (I downloaded them). I should be able to get a time limit from them.

That’s what got my started down this road. I have different preferences for different situations, as it is now I have 5 different UIs in my firmware… well, actually it’s 15 because they behave differently depending on switch configuration (E-switch, clicky or dual switch). A few more UIs are coming based in several suggestions in here. It’s great having 16KB to play with, I can have a lot of options without having to go byte hunting for every single addition.

I made a short video of my UI #3 off switch ramping. First I’m short tapping to switch between normal and boost a couple of times. Then I do a long tape which enables ramping (some flashing indicates ramping active). Then I short tap to ramp up, long tap to ramp down. Then I leave it inactive for two seconds and ramping times out (short flash indicates and the mode level is written to memory), and then it’s back to switching between normal and boost with short taps…. until a long press for ramp activation.

Turbo is not “rampable”. Both long and short tap in turbo switches to normal mode.

I use very low mode levels for demonstration so I don’t blind out the camera, and I’m only ramping minimal amount, the full range takes longer.

Single tap for this, long press for that, NarsimMLSXXX, CrapduriXXX…

I'll tell you something Mike C, STFU'em all and make it as you like LoL. :-D

Suggestion: Lo/Hi/Strobe (heading for my nice cup :-D of STFU now)

Cheers

Ain’t STFU’ing no one. Got some good suggestions in here which I’ve already implemented for my own usage, things I didn’t think of myself. The fun part is seeing how flexible I can make my firmware to accommodate different usages.

So keep ’em coming! I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t want to know :slight_smile:

About the videos, I just noticed one thing: maybe due to the light already being ON (with the RC switch), the time limit to do the 2nd tap for turbo seems to be longer than on FC switch.
I can’t be sure of that, but looking to it, it seemed to me that I could take longer to make the 2nd tap on the RC than on the FC :expressionless:

Hum, that is quite nice to know! So, you can basically put one of your drivers in different types of flashlights and still having them with the common UI!! Quite smart!! No need to change the “mind setting” whenever you change the light :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks for showing how that UI works Mike! It is different from the one I used before, and I find it interesting!!
I have some questions about it, though :

  1. so, in this UI you can only switch between 2 “levels” at a time, either it is the lowest & turbo, or somewhere in the middle of ramping & turbo, right?
  2. when you turn the light OFF and ON, will it turn ON in the last ramping “level”, or will it be on the lowest output level? Or is the memory configurable for ramping?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the questions :zipper_mouth_face:

Wut duz that mean? Last I checked the BLF Q8 and Sofirn Q8 are Amazon's Choice, and after readings some reviews, my head is now twice it's normal size

I have a fourth switch configuration too: Single switch. Single switch runs E-switch and clicky switch functionality simultaneously. I made it so I didn’t have to change switch configuration when testing clicky and E-switch functionality in my test light with dual switches. You could move it from a clicky switch light to E-switch light and it works without doing anything at all.

Yes, it’s a two mode level UI, where one is fully “rampable”, the other is turbo. I have another UI which uses traditional mode count, but with the option to activate ramping for every mode. Short tap cycles mode up, long tap activates ramping for that mode just like in the video. All modes including turbo are “rampable” in this UI.

Last ramping level, always. The idea behind this UI is just to have a simple two mode light, but make it easy to adjust the normal “non-turbo” mode.

No worries at all!

Wow, that’s a cool feature!! I see there are plenty to chose from :slight_smile: It would be something like on a Klarus G20, where the tail and side switches operate (almost) the same way?

Now you’re talking :smiley: That’s a progressive UI in each mode!!! Love it :heart_eyes:
In this one you can access turbo the same way (“long” tap) or turbo is the highest level in the sequence of the others?

Thanks for clarifying this :wink: It is useful when one wants a specific locked level and doesn’t want to go through the ramping again!
Also, as the ramp is quick it is easy to go back to the lowest! It is indeed very versatile!! Lot of programming work there :student:

I have no idea how the Klarus G20 works, but my single switch config is essentially a clicky switch and E-switch light in one. Switches are totally independent.
In contrast, my dual switch configuration utilizes both switches and isn’t any good at all if you don’t actually have dual switches (a clicky switch and E-switch).

Long tap enables ramping, so no, turbo is in regular mode cycle. The idea behind this UI is that if you normally use a traditional mode switching UI without ramping (would be UI-1 in my firmware) you can switch to this UI, adjust the modes to your liking, then switch back to UI-1. Basically just a way to change mode levels without needing to flash firmware with adjusted modes.
I do have an UI without turbo in regular mode circulation, accessed by long tap only. I could add ramp activation with double tap… still testing options… Only concern I have with double tap is that it can interfere with regular mode switching. It could be very annoying for those who are used to UIs without it, so I’ll keep double tap detection limited to one or two UIs.

When ramping with a clicky switch and either lower or upper level is reached it automatically saves mode level and exits ramping (a flash indicates). No ramping that “bounces”, I hate that.

Double tap to turbo and double tap to return from turbo. Single tap to next mode level.

From turbo a single tap goes to next level in cycle . Or you could have it cycle Turbo-Strobe-Sos. Double tap takes you back.

Ok, got it! I guess the G20 doesn’t work like that then!! :person_facepalming: That is a very nice thing specially because most of the lights work in complementary way, normally “enslaving” the clicky switch to just turn ON/OFF.

Thanks for clarifying Mike! It seems logic that it is in the regular cycle! The ramping is like an extra to the “normal” UIs, which is a good option! It seems quite interesting!

Only one question on this one, does it have a pre-set number of levels (ex, 3 or 4), or is it user configurable (ex: chose 5 or 6)?

I guess that “double tap” is the option chadvone is saying “YES”, and I’d say “yes” as well! As long as it doesn’t interfere with the rest!
Although I don’t like Strobe or SOS that much, I, very personally, would like to have a UI usable with both FC and RC that would work with Turbo and single frequency Strobe at the same. Lets say that I would pick the guppy3drv and I would use the option 4 levels + Turbo (double tap) + Strobe ( 3 taps or looong tap or another option).

That would be my ideal UI, to have a Turbo and a hidden Strobe that could be accessed from OFF or from ON without interfering with the regular cycle of modes. Maybe this already exists in any driver currently available, but I’m not aware of it :expressionless: (it does exist, Olight M2R has it, but it is not a driver for mods…)

And I guess I will stop bothering with my questions and this quest for a perfect “UI & driver” :smiley: I can be boring when I start that :stuck_out_tongue:

User configurable up to 5 modes. Personally, I think if you use more modes than that you might as well use the ramping UI.

I’ve started playing around with double tap and I kind of like it. Never thought I would. That’s actually the whole point of this giveway, get’s me testing things I didn’t think if, and if I like it I use it. I’ll use it for something. I have space to play with, and my code as it is now I don’t have to do much to add this kind of stuff.

I do have strobe, beacon and SOS coded. I just haven’t decided on method of accessing them yet. Chad’s suggestion is interesting…

Anything can be done. It’s just a matter of how many times you want to press the darn buttons :slight_smile: Double tap, triple tap, quad tap, it’s all supported in my firmware. All I need to do is just assign functions to them.

My dream(e-switch) UI is heavily based on the double tap.

Ahh, E-switch double tapping is something I already use extensively. It’s the clicky/off switch double tap that is new to me.

What size vias do you use for the flashing connections and what do you use in the vias?

Great!!! More than 5 would be “too much” (if this thing ever exists :smiley: ), so up to 5 is nice!

I guess this “challenge accepted” way of thinking is very nice of you, as it will lead to develop more ideas and UIs! :partying_face:
I wish I had the knowledge and tools to program, I would be stuck to the normal not-so-much-user-friendly-UIs that the lights come with!
I’ll be looking to see what will come from your experiments!!

Well, that’s good to know! It’s almost “UI by design” that can be created! Some of the things I suggest / wish for may not be much “intuitive” but it also depends on the user’s profile. And the type of light we’re dealing with of course :smiley:

chad, I guess I will have to go through your threads on that UI, maybe we’re not that distant in terms of preferences :+1:
Also, Mike, thanks for proposing and accepting the “challenge” to go through these new ideas :wink: