My new headlamp (driver challenge...)

I’m not sure, but the little LED goes green when it’s fully charged.
Good question though.
I’ll have to (finally !) replace the fuse in my DMM and test this.

I really don’t know that…
Those LEDs are rated 0.5 Watts and 47 Lumen, but maybe it’s lower because these are high CRI.
But then again i’m using them on lower power than 0.5 Watts each, so they probably work a little more efficient, especially on the low mode (which seems to be without PWM).

No, just very green… :slight_smile:
Just your average old school green GITD switch boot.

OP updated, not good news…
No current regulation, so the driver sucks…
I did finish the thing by putting in a lens, maybe i’ll show you later.

Maybe i can replace the driver, didn’t get that part open yet…

EDIT:
I got it open.
It seems the driver and charging circuit are not on the same PCB so there’s hope… :stuck_out_tongue:
(No pics yet, camera battery is charging)

bummer dude but still I learned a new rick with the pcb. Hope u can change out the driver (and if u can, well u know u will have a decent light)

I’m not giving up (yet…).

First the good news :person_facepalming: :

I found a useless double convex PMMA (i think) lens that i made to fit in the opening.
I sanded one side flat in one direction so that it spreads the light a little horizontally.
I thought i’d try that and it works rather well. :slight_smile:
Yeah, i painted the bare aluminum circumference black again too.
It got damaged when i took out the original LED board so i sanded it.
Looks neat huh?

And then the bad news… :partying_face:

I enhanced some things in the picture.

On the right, the charging PCB.
I’ll just leave that as is.
Maybe someone can tell what kind of circuit it is and if it shuts off when fully charged or if it ‘floats’ on 4.2 Volts.

On the left, the driver board, the e-switch and some peripheral parts (2 Rs and 1 C) are on the other side.
So basically the unmarked IC does the UI and regulates the 2 tiny “00A8C” FETs.
Their output goes to 3 x R680 in parallel (0.23 Ohm) to the LEDs.
So there’s no current regulation….
….so i took the FETs and the resistors off.
I want to replace those parts with those 3 chips there, those are CN5611 current regulators, like variable 7135s.

Bought a bunch some time ago, and i think i can drive them with the IC output (connect to pin 4 “ISET” via a yet to be determined resistor), instead of the FETs.
They can do 30 to 800 mA each, but there’s a considerable voltage drop above 400 mA, so i plan to use 3 of them in parallel, and 1200 mA total would be quite enough.
The CN5611 has a Voltage drop of around 0.2 Volts at 400mA.

The challenge is getting them on the board with some sort of thermal path and working within the desired range.
It would be 90 to 1200 mA when all works out well.
1200mA is not much, but it’s enough for its purposes and otherwise it will get hot and it’s around the maximum rated power of the Osram LEDs.

I love the new look you came up with.

The charge circuit is a AP5056 and has the capabilities to indicate " charge" and "termination charge " states Find below a data sheet link :

www.led-ics.com - AP5056_datasheet.pdf

You don't stop amazing me with your imagination !... So many gifted people , forced to do something else to make a living...

Hey, thanks Adrian.
So at least the charging board is okay… :smiley:

I know it’s a mule, but could you post a beamshot of this beauty? I found this as I’m contemplating a host for an Optisolis mule…

This light is currently not working…
Ran into some problems, i’ll fix things in a while.
So no beam shots…

But, you should know i use Osram LEDs that happen to have virtually no tint shift.
So unlike most LEDs there is no diference in color temperature between the centre and the outer perimeter of the “beam” (flood).

I think i linked to the seller in a previous post.

…by the way, i was using a simple AK47 driver in it now, and a reverse clicky switch.
I also ditched the plano convex lens, which protruded and llighted my nose, which is very annoying for a head lamp…