Thanks! There are currently no plans for a group run though, but we'll see..
In this case, the RGB channels are driven directly from the MCU and are only meant for dim aux lighting; again the original intent was based on the use case presented in ToyKeeper's Anduril and similar firmwares. It's not difficult to use those pins to control something else (small fet and resistor, or it's own 7135 etc), but this will probably not be the main focus of the lume driver boards. Design will be open sourced and you will be free to modify it to your own purposes, though you will need to adapt your own firmware too :).
Thanks, but there are no plans to add a jumper for this specific board, since this board was optimized for the FW3x, and may not fit many other flashlights. Other E-switch hosts will do well with a different board design, perhaps in the future. Design will be open sourced, and anyone will be able to design their own for their custom use :).
Thanks! However, Buck-boost here is no more complicated than a buck, does not use any additional components in this case, and in the targeted operating parameters, only very slightly less efficient for a buck with similar resources (but more efficient than cheaper non-synchronous bucks for example, or cheaper synchronous bucks). Buck-boost is a necessary however, and should always be done in this case as good engineering design. In most scenarios, this BB will be operating in Buck mode, but take for example the scenario when temperatures are sub freezing, battery is a little old, and isn't completely full - this is a use case for me such as when I'm camping... boost mode operation is required then.
It is true that there are many more dedicated buck regulators with small footprint on the market with high current capabilities, however it's still a little bit of a conundrum, as the higher the input current increases, the lower the battery voltage will be, necessitating the need for a boost even more. For higher power requirements, I'll refer to the GXB series of drivers. Finally, there are also many inefficiencies in flashlight systems, especially as flashlights get older (contact resistance being very significant), which Buck-Boost operation will hopefully help mitigate.