UPDATE: After posting this review, _the_ informed me that memory should work with hidden modes as well as with the normal modes. He sent me version 0.41 to see if that would fix the problem, but the driver then behaved as a next mode driver. Inspection of the the driver disclosed that the 1uF cap for Off-Time memory was damaged. Replacement of the capacitor fixed the issue. So it was a hardware issue that was keeping the FW's from functioning as designed.
BLF Member _the_ asked me to test out his latest off-time version of his TheStar firmware. I used it in Nanjg 105C with 8 amc7135 chips and a 1uF cap for the off-time memory. The driver was pushing an XM-L2 in a Ultrafire C12. Here are my thoughts on it:
It works wonderfully. Modes change very nicely. Really a joy to use.
It has 3 main modes that are spaced perfectly. Current readings were .04, .52, 2.74 (laptop pull and thick, but stock DMM leads).
It's also very nice to have a moonlight mode and a nice selection of flashy modes available by entering into the hidden mode. Here is an improvement I would like:
It seemed the moonlight mode could not be "saved" to pull up first from Off. It seemed that the light would start in normal low mode whenever I tried this. This is something that it important to moonlight lovers.
Moonlight mode is just a tad low. Maybe up the PWM by 1 would make it just right.
I timed turbo time out as best I could with just 2 hands. So I wasn't totally accurate at I had to start the timer and then connect the DMM. It ramped down in a beautiful way sometime between 1 minute and 1 minute 10 seconds. It ramped down to somewhere over 2 amps (didn't record it). Very excellent.
The low voltage protection is excellent. The light steps down to progressively lower modes with low battery. There is a blink as it steps down. You can half click to go back to the mode you were in. The output it goes down to when the cell is around 3 volts is quite low. The light is supposed to go to sleep at about 2.9 volts, but I never tested that because the light will stay on at the firefly level for a very long time before getting to 2.9 volts. I think you are able turn it back on if needed. To me this is very excellent execution of low voltage protection.
Here is how to operate a light with this FW:
To turn on or off the light depress the tail switch a full click.
There are 3 main modes: Low, Medium, and Turbo (2%, 25%, 100%).
Change modes by lightly pressing the tail switch ("half clicking")
There are hidden modes that accessed every 7 mode switches (L, M, T, L, M, T, Hidden modes)
You can progress through the hidden modes with half clicks, but only within about 3 seconds from going into a hidden mode. After about 3 seconds, a half click will take you to the normal Low mode.
The program memorizes the mode you turn the light off in and will turn on back in that mode after 1 seconds. If the light is turned on within 1 second, it will go to the next mode.
To help prevent the light from overheating, it has a safety feature that will step down the output from Turbo to High after being in Turbo for about 60 seconds. The drop is slight enough that it will not probably be noticed.
You can go back into Turbo by half clicking
To help prevent over discharge of the Li-ion cell, the light will automatically step down output when the voltage gets low. There will be a blink between step downs. When the cell gets down to about 2.9 volts the light will go to sleep.
The light can be turned back on or taken back up to higher output levels by half clicking. The light will continue to step down and go to the sleep over about 30 seconds.
NOTE: It is extremely important to not allow Li-ion cells to over discharge. They can become an explosion hazard if over discharged too many times. So only do this in an emergency situation.
Conclusion:
This FW is a true winner. This is now my favorite off-time FW.
A summary of this FW's features is located here. New summary is being built here.
The light just went to sleep. Cell voltage was at 2.875 and you can turn the light back on. It will step down continuously and then turn off in about 30 seconds each time, but that is should be good enough to get out of a dark situation. Digging that.
Thanks for the mini review! Glad you like the FW. :)
The ability to memorize lowlow (just like any other hidden mode) is there as standard functionality, but I might have sent you a wrong/corrupted version or something. Sorry about that!
New hex file which stores & remembers the lowlow (tested with two different lights) is already in your inbox. :)
This is one of the things I want to get a dc power supply for. That should make driver testing a lot easier, and HKJ even posted some tips on how to deal with drivers that have pwm or blinkie modes.
That would be a nice tool to have. It's hard to know what's going on when you have to keep pulling out the cell to see what voltage it's at. Plus, its not an accurate method.
I'll try the new file out and report back on moon mode memory.
Thanks for the review. Interesting firmware. If I may add everyone should have a power supply. You will wonder how you ever got along without one when you get it.
OP updated with new information based on discovery of a damaged Off-Time Memory Capacitor on my test driver. Additions are in bold and deletions are in strikeout.
I wish I remember where I got mine from. I believe the 16volt version is what members are using. There is a product link here, but it was early in the Off-Time memory development.
I don't think there is an up to date description of this FW anywhere.. I'll try to update it here:
- Three main modes: Low-Med-Turbo (2%, 25%, 100%) - Turbo timer (ramp down to about 2.1A after 60s to prevent over heating) - High enough PWM @ ~19kHz => totally unnoticeable & silent - Requires 1uF capacitor in star #4 -> Memory kicks in after <1s off - Low voltage protection (step down in multiple steps + finally put the light to sleep mode) - Ability to choose mode order: Low to High by default, or High to Low with star #3 soldered - Ability to disable mode memory by soldering star #2 (starts then always on 1st mode: Low or Turbo, depending on the other settings) - Hidden lowlow + many hidden blinky modes - Access to hidden modes by looping through the main modes twice without pause (hidden modes start after the last mode) - Hidden mode "preview" makes it easier to select hidden modes: - less than 3s on + half click => next hidden mode - more than 3s on + half click => first mode (skip the rest hidden modes) - Hidden modes are memorized just like normal modes. For example: turn off the light on lowlow, wait >1s, turn the light on again => lowlow
List of hidden modes: 1. LowLow 2. Disorienting strobe (randomly alternating 13-19.5Hz 60-40% duty cycle) 3. Motion stopping strobe (8Hz, 2% duty cycle) 4. Beacon with background (1Hz - 50ms Turbo / 950ms Med mode) 5. Slower beacon with background (0.4Hz - 50ms Turbo / 2450ms Low mode) 6. Beacon (1Hz - 50ms Turbo / 950ms Off) 7. Alpine distress beacon (50ms Turbo / 9950ms Off, repeat 6 times, 60s Off, repeat 6 times, 60s Off, ...) 8. SOS 9. Turbo that stays on (no timer)
Thank you _the_. I really didn't have the time to use all the modes in the FW enough to create a description of all the features.
It really is that loaded folks. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating. It hard to believe so many features could be built into an Attiny13a program. The great thing is that it works so smoothly and reliably. Even my wife who is not patient with modes likes this FW.
EDIT: Instructions on how to operate a light with this FW has been added to the OP.
OK so I’ve just started this flashlight addiction thing, it’s growing along nicely, and got pointed here.
The goal for me would be to have a firmware for reverse clicky with no additional buttons, that enables me to advance through modes with short click, and go back by longer press.
Can this firmware with the capacitor added be used or modified to accomplish this? I’m new to microcontrollers but I can solder and code.
