Tedfs, don't worry about derailing my thread, I'm done here. :)
So, where’s da boards?
super looking board PPTK !!!
if using it as a single mode current regulated board/ driver, how does that work and how would you wire it?
For single mode you'd connect VDD to battery positive and LED positive, connect GND to battery negative and connect OUT to the LED negative.
If you wanted to slave this board to an existing driver (NANJG etc), then you'd connect everything as above except VDD would go to PWM out on the master board.
I wish I had seen this thread earlier. I have recently become quite adept at using Eagle and could have helped you out scaru; though as usual Pilot and Texas came through with the goods 
I've managed to fit 13x7135 chips, an 8-pin MCU and a voltage divider circuit onto a single 20mm PCB, complete with a 7mm in diameter battery contact, a ground ring, and through-hole LED- and LED+ solder points. I was gunning for 14 chips, and now that I look back at the board I think I could have fit the 14th...but the boards are ordered so screw it lol. At 5A, an extra 380mA only adds 75 lumen to the total output anyway.
If you want any tips on using Eagle, or even quick design work feel free to PM me. I'm not sure what Pilot uses...I have a friend who uses Altium. I'd love to be able to use that - it produces nifty 3D renders of the final design!
- Matt
EDIT: Oh, and for sending stuff into Seeed Studio - don't get too hung up on what the DRC returns. Only pay attention to the errors relating to distances between component footprints, trace widths and drill sizes. I find the DRC whinges something chronic about things that Seeed wouldn't even know ever existed once the Gerber files are produced. I highly recommend reviewing your Gerber files (including the drill file) before submission as well. Just to be obvious haha.
MATTAUS
thanks for the above connection info on single mode use.
I want to use a simple switch with this board as the battery pack is separate
on which wire above is it best to put the switch?
since this is a high amp use, is their an option where to put the switch so it does not carry the full 6 amps?
thanks
Someone may need to correct me on this but you could do this several ways. The traditional method is to place the switch in such a manner as to break the power circuit - so between OUT and battery- or between battery+ and LED+. These would both require a switch capable of carrying the current.
However! I'm wondering if a switch can be placed between battery+ and VDD? After all, the VDD pin is used to control the regulators - no input on VDD disables the regulators, and a voltage on VDD enables them. The trick however will be how it enables/disables. If this works then a low power switch could easily be used.
If you leave the VDD pin floating, there is no telling what may happen. You would need a pull-down resistor on VDD to guarantee that the regulator is off.
Excellent point and something I need to start remembering to do.
So in regards to the question asked of me - stick with a switch between the battery terminals and their respective board connections. Just make sure it can comfortably handle the 10A+ required of it.
bowunter, I’ll set up your board so you can wire the switch to the Vdd pin, including a pull-down just in case.
Note there will be a small amount of parasitic drain (I’ll measure it) when the driver is switched off and still powered.
This can be a real problem with AMC7135’s. They are not spec’ed how they behave when the VDD pin is driven low and there is a load connected to the VOUT pin. They spec a maximum 100 uA standby current, but is usually less than 1 uA.
BUT… and this a a BIG BUT… I have seen some that draw a couple of milliamps when connected to a LED with the VDD pin held low. It is enough to light the LED. Don’t you just hate those kind of big buts…
Seems to work fine on NANJG 105C drivers (no LED leakage when Vdd is held low, take a look during the SOS off cycles), so I think it will be OK.
relic38
thanks for offering to install the pull down for me on that board so I can use a lower amp switch on the wire to the vdd pin.
will the pull down make any difference should I decide to slave this board to a kd v2 driver??
and thanks for checking it all over before shipping it to me.
I’m not familiar with the KD V2 driver. If it can handle a slave board, the addition of the pulldown should have no effect.
Oh, and the boards are here. Looks good. Thsnks PPtk!
Will try to get it done and shipped this weekend.
I believe that the kd v2 boards can be slaved in about the same manner as the N105C boards, although have been unable to find a diagram for the V2.
I thought I would pull off all but one of the 7135s from the V2 board to keep the heat out of it (Pilotptk board will be 5.6amp) and run it on 2 modes , med and high.
since this is in a stand alone light using a battery pack and a toggle switch I am hoping that I can change the modes by flicking the toggle??
Yeah, that should do then. I think your switch will have to carry the full current in that case though. I will wire it for normal slave operation then?
Relic38
please just send diagrams for the various wiring/usage options , I will put the wires on for however I decide to use it
also, I am curious to know at what voltage these 7135s actually do fall out of regulation when used as a single mode driver
are you able to check that also???
thanks
The technical spec of a 7135 is to fall out of regulation when the voltage in is less than 100mV above the emitter Vf. I cannot test in your case since I do not have a red SST90. The wiring and switch will affect headroom as much or more than the chips.
I didn’t means wires, I was referring to the Vcc wiring. Since it will now be switched on the main power, I do not need the special Vcc handling.
Relic38 - I got the boards you sent me and all looks great Thanks. - is it okay to drill the vdd,gnd and out vias holes a little bigger?
Drilling out the holes will remove the plating that runs through them. You will not get good contact after doing that, probably no contact at all.
Better off using smaller wire that will fit in the hole.
Edit: Those holes should accept a 20ga even 18ga wire, which is adequate for Gnd and Out at your current (~7A). Vcc can use small wire, 26ga or 28ga will do.