Lume1-FW3X: Constant Current Buck-Boost & FET Driver with Anduril1/2 + RGB Aux

Hi loneoceans,

This is what we are waiting for... for the continued enhancement of FW3A, FW1a or even FW21. We are following the progress of your work. Thank you.

loneoceans. First of all awesome update on the project! Second, did you happen to see the PM I sent you?

I think D’AVerk is referring to variable CCT output. The IF25 is a two-channel quad that has WW and CW emitters. This would require duplication of the hardware I would imagine, and not a simple task on this size PCB. 4 layers and double sided architecture would be a requirement then I’d think. Unless there was a way to split the output via a PWM / duty cycle ratio between the two CCTs. In other words, boost circuit provides (e.g.) 3A total output. That current then flows into two linked FETs, where one is on while the other is off.

I could be way off base here, and likely am. I’d love to here your thoughts…

EDIT: :person_facepalming: I replied before realizing the thread had another page… Sorry folks

D'AVerk and JaredM, thanks for the clarification. Short answer - yes that's not a problem. I can definitely make a diver with multiple constant current regulated channels for tint mixing. I didn't know of any other common host which had a MCPCB for multi-temperature LEDs other than the BLF lantern, but the lume design is easily adapted for this purpose. It's also supported in Anduril. In fact, I reached out to the BLF lantern team if they were interested in such a design since I thought it would be ideal for both the large BLF lantern LT1, as well as the upcoming mini lantern. I got some positive feedback but no request to design one for it yet, so I guess we'll see how it goes. I would imagine that any sort of switching regulation would be ideal for a lantern, as opposed to using a linear driver, since long run-times and relatively low brightness is the typical desired scenario.

Thanks for your message, I did receive it and have replied. Thanks!

Ha yes a mistake while soldering the wires which I didn't really care about, since I was planning to swap out the green LEDs with some warm white ones later on. Nonetheless, good catch!

Agro, what do you mean the choice of single colour LEDs? Do you mean why I used single LEDs for the RGB array as opposed to using a single compact RGB LED? If that's your question, most RGB LEDs are common anode and would not fit the architecture on the board (as designed, without adding some small FETs for example, though this would remove the 'dim' mode for the AUX LEDs), and I had some other fun-colour LEDs I wanted to use such as pink and cyan, so I thought going for 18 individual LEDs would allow more flexibility. At the moment LEDs are arranged in 3 banks of 6 so you can only use 3 colors. Perhaps in a future design I can add series resistors for each, but it makes the board a little congested, as opposed to right now where it's quite symmetric and easy on the eye :).

Finally, I still have one question I'd like to ask BLF which I haven't found a solution for - anyone knows what spring Lumintop uses for the FW3A driver battery spring? I can't find one as nice as the one they have. The closest I can find is the gold plated qlite/105C 4.9x5mm springs but those are still a little too tall and don't compress as nicely as the conical FW3A spring (which also look to be silver plated?). Alternatively, any other good replacements you know of to recommend? Thanks!

I think the curiosity about the aux LEDs is because the current RGB aux Anduril flashlights like the D4v2 or FM1 can blend colors. For instance, the D4v2 can do yellow or magenta.

With single LEDs you could not do that; from many angles you would very clearly see R+G or R+B.

Yes, that’s what I meant.
But I fail to understand the answer…the first part of it :blush:
I see that your board has fields R,G,B,C which I read as Red, Green, Blue, Cathode.
So by going with separate LEDs you switch from common anode to common cathode, right?
Now…what is the reason for this switch? :slight_smile:

Very interested in this driver.

I see your point treellama and Agro... the reason for this choice was due to the lack of cheap common K RGB LEDs on non-aliexpress sources (I had ordered some previously on Aliexpress but it's been a few weeks and they haven't arrived yet), so I decided to go with individual LEDs with the benefit of more fun colours (which I already had on hand). In addition, the MCU VCC voltage is 2.5V for this board so we should not use common A LEDs, not to mention, we also want to take advantage of LED dimming in Anduril (which uses the internal 10k pullup), common cathode LEDs need to be used as opposed to common anode. Changing the design to fit RGB LEDs is very straightforward.

Is this something that people would prefer over individual LEDs? If so, I'll release both boards, one with individual LEDs and one with RGB LEDs so anyone can build their own :). They will provide a different look, which I guess is a matter of preference. In order to reduce standby current, Anduril does not PWM the AUX LEDs though, so just something to keep in mind (otherwise we can do a lot of nice effects like blendy RGB modes). Finally, a thing to note about the lowish 2.5V drive voltage - this does have some limitation if you want really bright AUX LEDs - this is just about possible with very small series resistors for the blue LED, but will affect overall look when using the 'dim mode'. This depends on the specific LED used though, and their associated V_fwd. Otherwise, it works ok.

Cheers

Really great design loneoceans.
3Amps for regulated mode is perfect in my opinion. It is usually enough to keep around 1000 lumen beam.
I saw there was already question for schematics, but I think I missed answer. Anyway I think that if you would like to see this design in more lights it could be good idea to share schematic together with component list as some of us here are able to adapt it to different pcb layouts for other flashlights.

Nice work there dude!

It would be great to bring high-efficiency drivers to a wider audience. At the moment, the more complex switching drivers are generally limited to those who can design ones themselves, or who can do the SMD soldering etc required to have a version of an existing design. (With a few exceptions e.g. buy one from Lexel)

If there could be an interest list to get a better economy of scale, it seems from community feedback that this would prove quite popular.

I think quite a significant proportion of FW3A owners would be interested, especially as that light is already an enthusiast-level design that anyone can buy.

I’m very interested in helping beta testing, I’ve sent you a PM.

Has anyone had any luck finding a spring for the driver? The closest one I found was at Kaidomain and required cutting down.

Maybe Bluesword short BeCu springs might work

They are too long and will be too stiff if cut down.

Not sure if I ever answered this - might have missed. it. I'm 100% in on Anduril now, was easy to port to Windows Atmel Studio, for me that is, and since adding a couple features like calibrating the voltage reading and tweaking up the max temp regulation setting, it's working out well for me. Also it's got decent flexibility re-configuring I/O pins, which Narsil used to have the advantage of. So a laundry list of features I wanted to add to Narsil are already there in Anduril:

  • wanted to dump the fixed modes, and make the UI more like ramping -- already done in Anduril
  • my had-to-have feature was calibrating temp and voltage,and Anduril had the temp calib and was easier to mod Anduril to cal the batt voltage
  • better support for AUX/switch LED's - already there in Anduril
  • add support for the 16 KB MCU's like the 1634 - again already there in Anduril

Other things I'd like to do/have:

  • support for 2 e-switches (got a couple lights to mod, waiting for that), but need a "smart" usage UI to take advantage of them
  • better multi-channel output support. I got a SD Mini II working with special version of Narsil, where the side LED gets a 7135 and the main LED gets the FET. The UI could be done better though, and again, I think Anduril would be the better option, specially with a 16 KB MCU. I hacked up a FET+1 driver to separate the output of the 7135 from the FET.

[quote=WTF] Has anyone had any luck finding a spring for the driver? The closest one I found was at Kaidomain and required cutting down. [/quote]

Does this mean you have one of these, or are making one? Wondering if "loneoceans" is far enough along to release it in some form? I'm definitely interested buying a couple, either parts or assembled.

Ohh, one more thing - loneoceans, have you tried the flex PCB's? I saw what tterev3 did with one, using it for LED's overlaid on an MCPCB. I'm not sure if that's what you did for the AUX LED's or not, but it seems to be a great application. I was thinking of ordering a set of driver boards in flex just to see/feel what they are like!

Some details here: https://docs.oshpark.com/services/flex/

I’m not making on of these drivers although I did build a GXB172 today. He was looking for a driver spring and asked us if we knew where to find one. It would be a waste of his time that could be better spent proofing out the driver. It’s no fun for him and just slows things down, someone here must know were to find one.

Anduril is a great user interface until it needs to be modified by someone like me with poor programming skills. Everything is scattered in different bits of C and H programs, Narsil I can look at and muddle my way through it most of the time. There are times I want to use one channel to run a cob and then a high power emitter on a separate channel, I can’t do that with Anduril. There are also times all I want is three modes, no off, temperature regulation and low voltage protection. Lone oceans firmware is easier for me since it normally doesn’t have ramping.

Looks like the FW3A spring…

Try Victor at Lumintop abbie@lumintop.com

I conversed with him last week, he answers to this e-mail.

Tom E, I’m using your branch of Anduril with Atmel Studio. Thanks for making that available.

I’m considering switching over to the 1634 for all future drivers; I’ve been following TK’s FW thread quite closely.

And now this Lume1 driver is using the 1634, it seems like it’s worth making the switch.

I’m not sure how to integrate it into new drivers though. The D4v2 uses it, so can take the pinout from that, but that light doesn’t use ADC for battery voltage or temp sensing for example. I have at least two different driver designs sitting idle, because I’m not sure what pins people are already using (or planning to use).

Oh, and then there are at least three different programming pogo-pin standards… :slight_smile:

I can see the flexible PCBs being used for some interesting things… maybe a driver curved around the ID of the battery cylinder to shave a few mm off an EDC light.

I’ve been thinking about a driver wrapped around a reflector / TIR…could be wrapped 2 times even. With a part folded to cover the top of MCPCB.

Good to hear you are using my special Anduril! I've been getting very frustrated tweaking voltage and temp cal's for each light I do with Narsil. Yep, I'm definitely looking for 1634 drivers, although the newer, better MCU's are out but no Anduril support yet. Mike C is supporting them though.

The D4V2 doesn't use ADC for the readings? Do you know what it does then? That's weird, I haven't researched the 1634 support thoroughly, just a peak or two. I got Hank's programming pogo pin adapter, but haven't used it yet. I got 2 compatible lights - the K1 and D4SV2. Supporting that layout would be great.

The good thing about copying Hank's layouts would be we know TK actively supports them - no special mods to Anduril needed. She has all the I-O lights and I'mm sure is on the hook to support them. Of course the ramping tables, etc., may be needed, but that's more to follow the LED output design, like 2 channels, 3 channels, how many 7135's in the bank, etc.