I guess this is a good title. Newer folk here do not understand some
of the words used here in regards to led flashlights. I will define a few.
Please add to the list.
Ramping ?
PWM: pulse width modulation, a fast on/off switching to reduce on time, used to control led current / brightness.
Linear regulator: use of a "controlled" transistor / fet to vary its resistance. This controls current to led.
Buck regulator: Limit / control voltage / current to led. This circuit configuration always lowers voltage. Uses an inductor to trade overvoltage to increase current to led. (a form of switching regulator).
Boost regulator: Used to control voltage / current to led. This circuit configuration used an inductor to raises voltage to led. Circuit draws extra current to raise voltage. Allows using more of the mah from battery from ~3.xv down to ~2.4v where pwm, linear and buck regulator can't use
Buck-Boost regulator: Pure magic, some dispute they exist.
Pill:?
Zoomie:
Thrower:
Flashaholic:
Protected cell:
Moon Light: When you don't need a flashlight? Never let that be! (face added)
What other terms are used here ???
Concerning leds: what are the pros and cons of regulator choice? PWM puts near the full batt voltage on the led, the current during ON is probably over the max continuous current, so the led is essentially strobing so fast your eye does not see it. Led lumens per amp is lowered. Circuit is simple. excess heat is mostly in the led. This seems useable because led voltage is a little lower than the battery voltage.
Linear regulator, Controls current stead state, on current same as avg current. Led and fet both get hot.
- SMO: Smooth reflector (the ones with no texture, which normally provide a more defined hotspot )
- OP: Orange peel reflector (the ones with some kind of texture, that normally make hotspot less defined and the beam floodier)
- DTP-MCPCB: Direct Thermal Path Metal Core Printed Circuit Board (used to better heatsinking and heat dissipation from the led to the host)
- TIR: Total Internal Reflection optic (single, triple, quad, multiple, they are available in different shapes, taking one or several leds)
- Pebbled TIR: a TIR optic in which the surface has “beads” (it is used to produce floodier beams, without hotspot, and it also helps removing tint shifts and artifacts in the beam)
- W1 or white-flat 1: OSRAM KW CSLNM1.TG (1mm2)
- W2 or white-flat 2: OSRAM KW CSLPM1.TG (2mm2)
- Angry Blue (TM by Lightbringer): LEDs with CCT from 6500K to 7000k and beyond
- Tint shift: when a beam isn’t homogeneous and the colours in the center (hotspot) are not the same as on the other parts (corona, spill, outer spill)
Ramping: instead of tstepped levels (like 5 - 100 - 1000 - 2000 lumens), the light in the flashlights smoothly increases and decreases (for example going from 5 lumens all the way to 1000 lumens in the span of a few seconds).
Pill: what contains the LED and the driver.
Zoomie: a flashlight with a lens that can move on its axis, changing the focal point of the focused light
Thrower: a light that focuses light at long ranges, as opposed to a Flood flashlight, which has a beam less focused and ideal for close range.
Protected cell: all li-ion cell by nature have a protection inside, a fuse that trips when the temperature or the current is too high. However what we commonly refer as protected cell, is a cell that has an additional protection system, a circuit that protects against over discharge, over charge and a high flow of current. A protected cell has its advantages (not risk of overchargin or overdischargin it, PCB can be triggered protecting the battery before the fuse blows) and disadvantages (limits current, increased size, cost).
Moon Light: a level with a very low output, that you could compare to the light of the moon hitting the earth.
(face added)
I knew you had coined one of those, just…confused them