17mm & 20/26/27mm single-sided DD/FET driver release: A17DD-SO8 / A20DD-SO8 / etc

My 7 yr old just decided the PH-08 is a heat lamp and started singing a song about it. Crazy kid…

I wrapped the copper heat sink with an appropriate ga bare copper solid wire and sealed it at the top (between the star and host) with Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive. The heat goes into the full head now, but while it does ok for the first 30 seconds or so by the time it’s hitting 50 seconds you can feel the heat (head only) really cranking up. At 55 seconds it’s about to leave burns on the hand. (Edit: I guess it’s safe to say that if it were turned on to the highest level and laid down, left alone, it would self destruct in a fairly quick manner)

Serious amount of light coming from a very small source. The 2 domed and 2 de-domed XP-L V6 2C gives a nice neutral/slightly warm tint and is nicer than I expected. :slight_smile:

The driver, with ToyKeepers ramping firmware, will make a bit of song at certain levels but it seems to be more during ramping than when sitting on a level. With 64 levels there’s a decent place to stop it pretty much whatever the need. Really like it, very useful light and easily maintained at decently high levels without getting crazy hot.

Edit II: Further testing (and some assistance from younger ears) proves out that the singing is done just below max level. Silent at max though. Then it quiets down toward medium levels and is silent on the lower levels.

Heh, I have placed on in my cart at FT to “think about.”

Did you build it with fast PWM or phase-correct? It’ll make sound with phase-correct, but shouldn’t be audible with fast PWM.

BTW, the Roche F6 is a nicer-quality host than the PH-08, and with Comfychair’s driver it also provides battery indicator lights. I really really like mine. I don’t think a quad would fit though; IIRC it’s a bit smaller.

Dale - on the PH-08, do you find the button is pretty stiff? Is it a hard rubber? I got two XP-11's from WallBuys that seem to be the same exact light with a hard rubber button cover. Weird brass pill that sort of fits snugly into the body with no threads? I know you replaced the pill though... After some usage and time with them, I prefer the Small Sun's of a comparable size with the e-switch, basically same cost, ZY-T11 or ZY-T29 with the alum reflector.

One of my XP-11's side switch had a short, couldn't see how to get the rubber cover off, so ended up ripping it. I repaired the short on the switch, but now it's switch is exposed - not too water resistant... Tried gluing the button back, seemed to work for a while but didn't hold up with usage.

I used phase correct, knowing it might sing a little but I don’t mind. I wanted the 64 position ramp so went with the phase correct.

Yes, the button is pretty firm on this e-switch…I consider that a good thing because it won’t accidentally turn on very easy. I built a Small Sun ZY-T29 and was using these 2 side by side with single emitters. The build quality is probably a bit nicer on the Small Sun but for some reason I like this PH-08 quite a lot. Gave the Small Sun to my mom with a reversing UI.

If I was buying a light to do a mod like this I might would get the Small Sun ZY-T29, it just happened that I had this one sitting here when I was looking for something that would be a likely candidate for a quad that I could try wights driver out on. :slight_smile: And it also just so happened that I had a 3/4” bar of copper sitting here that I’d gotten months ago for a project I canned. AND it just so happened that the machined sleeved area that the PH-08’s brass pill slides into easily accepted that 3/4” bar with just a light touch from some sandpaper.

I get lucky far more often than I should, I know. Someone upstairs has my back, which is really good, because my front is very faulty…

Thanks ToyKeeper, I’ll have to mull this over.

I’m getting a PH-08 eventually for a project, so I should be able to post comparison pics then. However, shipping from China (and everywhere else) is now in crazy-holiday mode so it might be a long time before anything arrives. Comfychair’s thread on Roche F6 hacking provides lots and lots of details though, if you’re curious.

I followed the thread pretty closely, although I didn’t participate at the time. I’d say that I do not find either flashlight particularly aesthetically pleasing, but it’s easy for me to assume that the Roche is built to a higher standard. $9 extra worth? I’m not sure about that. Also the PH-08 has the advantage of a separate button board.

5 pages of posts and I am still looking for 2S performance :slight_smile:

I guess that with the zener removal, we’re back to 1S solution for this driver too.

The regulator does the job of the Zener with less leakage current. So this is a 2s solution.

Zener performance doesn’t need to be tested. Due to the high gate voltage (which is assured by the high Vcc provided by the Zener) the FET’s performance is already guaranteed. [In 1s applications we do not have a regulated gate voltage, so it’s possible to get a low enough gate voltage to put the FET into a less efficient state. This was never a concern for Zener builds.]

I don’t think I understand the second half of your post. Maybe RBD has answered your question? If you are under the impression that the LDO version is for 1s applications it’s because you haven’t clicked through and read the OP of the thread about it. |(

one thing that I notice in this thread, is that DBCstm talks a lot :D

anyway.. does anyone wants to build these and sell them?

A17DD-SO8 that is

Wight, do I understand correctly that the new design can be used normally for a single cell light without the LDO or as a 2 cell (like a zener but with the LDO instead) with the LDO?

Just making sure the driver works the same without the LDO, I’d like to do this but again my lack of knowledge leaves questions and uncertainties.

Down to 4 of the first version, need to order some of these and make sure I still have LDO’s from my Knucklehead experience. And which ones they are if I do…

what I said

No, not correct. I placed some strike-through where I quoted you for the benefit of those that skim. The LDO version requires the LDO. This thread is really still about the AxxDD-SO8 drivers which do not require an LDO (but are are Zener ready). v024 is the current version of the A17DD-SO8, here it is on OSH Park.

:wink: RMM asked about selling them, I think he’ll be doing that fairly soon.

It’s now known all the way to Japan that I talk too much! :stuck_out_tongue:

And to think, I was about to put together one or two of these for my friends in Japan, pity…

I have the Ver 024 built and installed in an X6 Triple, waiting on emitters…

I am willing to make me these boards, I have the components but not the FET. And Mouser and Digikey are too expensive. I found these on Ebay, will they do the job? :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PSMN9R0-30YL-NXP-MOSFET-N-CH-30V-61A-LFPAK-10PCS-LOT-/281514838554?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item418b978a1a

I think it’s probably OK for most single cell single emitter applications, but none of the specs are really that good compared to the one I specified in the OP. I think that besides being targeted at a different application this is probably an older FET (based on the use of LFPAK instead of LFPAK56?). PM sent.

EDIT: Changed my mind and added strike-through. Rds(on) is just not looking good here, and nothing else is that good either. It might work acceptably or it might not. It’s definitely not a good choice.

Oh goodies are coming, my boards will be delivered sometime this week.

i took the liberty of adding a little personal touch on the silk screen to the insides, while the credits given where its due, Thanks again Alex for making these beautiful pieces.

I have ordered them in 2Oz Copper instead of 1Oz, Immersion gold, 1.6mm FR4, black soldermask. to my liking.

I am also missing the FET , for now the best (economical) option was the aliexpress seller but It still a slightly lower spec’d FET not sure if this would be an exact replacement for the PSMN3R0

Its PSMN6R0-30YLB
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/PSMN6R0-30YLB-115-MOSFET-N-CH-30V-LFPAK-PSMN6R0-30YLB-NEW-Semiconductors-6R0-30Y-PSMN6R0-30Y/32223717242.html