After playing around with PCB design (Eagle) a bit I though that my UF-T90 and my King could need a new driver. Inspired by texaspyro's custom SRK driver and the "Yupard" driver I designed my own, but for Triple *and* Quad lights, and with as much 7135s I could fit. Also I wanted the LEDs controlled individually, and status LEDs, and maybe support for dual stage buttons... So I chose the ATtiny84 to have enough pins.
The result was a driver (I named it "Quasar") with 4*9 AMC7135, ~13.6A in total (with 380mA ICs). I got the boards a while ago, and now finally had time to assemble one and write a test firmware (it just blinks through the 4 main LEDs and 2 status LEDs) - it works!
For testing I only used 4 ICs per channel and also didn't change the quite thin wires yet.
I made an error though: It doesn't fit into the King because in that light the rim the driver sits on is quite big, and in the current design the ICs are too near to the edge. It fits fine into my UF-T90 though. I'll try to adapt the design and get everything a bit smaller.
I'll also work on the firmware in the next weeks, though it'll have to share my spare time with some other projects (like my RGBW driver :) ).
What a fantastic work of art! Me likes! :bigsmile: If you could make them to fit the SRK and Supfire M6, you’d sell a whole ton of them. I particularly like the individually addressable LED’s and option for 9 x 7135 per channel. An option for status LED’s would be handy, but how would a dual stage button work?
Yes, I also think the board has some aesthetic appeal :)
I have not yet decided on a UI for a dual stage button. I don't really like the NiteCore UI. My first attempt will be to use the first stage just as momentary.
Update: I made a simple firmware now, based on MiniMo, but with with blue (on) and red (low-batt warning) status LED, and everything works fine.
I have not yet redesigned the board for the King. Does anyone have the Kung and can check if it has the same big rim?
Wow, can't believe I missed this thread somehow. I just got the Terminator clone, as yes this driver Dr. Jones created will fit as is! That being said I'm in for 2! One now for the Terminator clone and eventually one of the modded ones to fit my SRK.
Also wondering where I can find one of those micro led push button switches they use in the Blackshadow Terminator that changes different color depending on the battery status, and hook it up to this driver you have created.
A perfect mode to put on this would be to create a default mode that always starts when turning on.
Push power button - Default saved mode - Default saved mode can be locked in by holding power button for 5 seconds. This is always the default from power off to power on.
Push button again - Light ramps up from 1% to 100% output, in 1% increments, duration 5 seconds to ramp from 1% to 100% - At 100% light will blink 3 times within 1.5 seconds to alert user 100% has been reached, and give user chance to select 100%. If no button pushed it reverts to default saved mode. Hold 5 seconds to make current selection the default saved mode
Push button again during ramp up stops ramping and temporarily stores the level the user selected for the duration of the time, until light is turned off. User selected ramp mode is temporary and only for current user session.
Push button again powers off flashlight.
Anytime button is pressed 2x with 0.3 seconds, light goes to 100% turbo mode.
Anytime default saved mode is over 75% there will be 3 minute timer that then defaults back to 75% to prevent overheating and damage.
3 quick pushes anytime within 0.75 second activates hidden flashing modes -
- Beacon mode
- BLF mode (spells out BLF instead of SOS)
- Strobe mode
- Hold button for 5 seconds in flashing mode stores current flashing mode and makes it saved default flashing mode.
Anytime 3 quick pushes pressed within 0.75 second modes always change from default saved user mode to flashing mode and vice versa
This is the way I would create a mode list, if I was Dr. Jones. Seems like the most perfect modes list ever created, well, to me anyways. It's not perfect, but dang close! It could use a little tweaking of course, here and there!
Dr. Jones can you let me know if this is possible?
Lastly, any ETA when these will be available and price?
What about redesigning to use a FET or FETS for some of the channels? That'll make assembly easier, and create space on the board so you can pull the chips away from the edge.
blfdemigod: There is no such thing as a perfect UI for everyone... :)
According to your post, a short click switches off > normal mode > ramping > stop ramping > off ?
Anyway, now that I finished my RGBW driver, I'm working on the firmware of my F6 driver (#181), and I'll probably port much of that into Quasar. Given my current amount of spare time, it'll take quite a while.
Also need to put a blob of solder on the ground ring, the stock SRK/Kung driver thickness is 2MM, the OSHPark boards are 1.6mm and when you screw down the battery section it doesn’t ground properly and wont come on, need to thicken the outer edge of the thinner driver
Awesome build though, how many pins is that…daggum
off > 1. "user saved default mode" > 2. ramping > 3. stop ramping > off
l l l
l l 1. temporary until switched off 2. hold 5 seconds, becomes saved as default on mode.
2x press within 0.3 seconds activates TURBO, with 0.5 second delay before switching (to account for if user wants to make third press to activate strobe.
3x press anytime within 0.75 seconds activates flashing modes
1.beacon (100% every 3 seconds) > 2.BLF mode (in morse code) > 3.Flashing strobe
hold 5 seconds to make current flashing mode the default saved flashing mode. from there, button press defaults to next mode.
3x press within 0.75 seconds switches back to constant light "user saved default mode"
2x press withing 0.3 seconds - TURBO mode activated at any time during flashlight mode or flashing modes
Turbo steps down to 75% after 180 seconds to prevent overheat.
Anytime on TURBO, next selection will always be RAMPING mode (for quick moonlight mode if needed), followed by STOP RAMPING, followed by OFF. Press again to turn back on!
2x press within 0.3 seconds while in TURBO modes, goes instantly to moonlight mode! From moonlight mode, next mode is RAMPING, followed by STOP RAMP, then OFF.
I know there are NO perfect modes for everyone, but this mode is very simple to remember and knocks out everything most people would want in a light, right? But it's gotta be very close to what "MOST" people "WOULD" want! I tried to be very detailed in the modes, as I really think a driver with this type of MODE SELECTION would be the new "staus quo", what all other driver selection modes will be judged by!!! Of course it might need slight tweaking here and there, to polish it.
Need moonlight mode, no problem, click ramping mode and click again to save temporarily.
Need TURBO, 2x press within 0.3 seconds and BAM, TURBO.
Need flashing mode, 3x press within 0.75 seconds and BAM!
Need constant light again, 3x press within 0.75 and BAM, done!
This MODE SELECTION kills alot of "Birds" with only a few stones, very quickly, right?
...
Also, I really, really like that RGBW driver your working on. I ruined my $15 XM-L Color LED trying to MOD that international outdoors driver, and just trashed the whole thing, like literally threw both pieces in the trash, lol. Ruined driver and LED, and lost $25 in the process! Might be time to get another XML Color if you make the driver for sale!
Ah, I forgot to answer that, they are for status LEDs (and their resistors) etc, like in the photo (grey, yellow, enameled wires).
K is supposed for configuration, i.e. setting the driver for using 4 LEDs (open) or 3 LEDs (shorted) or 1 LED (10K resistor) - something like that, but the firmware doesn't implement that yet.
