The t1616 is a newer series altogether (uses UPDI, only needs 3 pins to flash and flashing is much faster, significantly harder to accidentally brick, thermal calibrated from the factory), the naming scheme is just kind of confusing and arcane.
I guess it depends on how long a particular driver has been in development, but I do hope he’ll at least move to the 1616 for newer ones. Eventually if there start to be more powerful RGB lights, that’s going to increase code size, then the t3216 can be used as a drop in replacement, which has 32kb instead of 16, and there’s also the 1617/3217 which is are the same but with more I/O pins.
(Edit: Fixed a couple of wrong model numbers. Terrible naming scheme, lol)
I checked and you’re right! I thought you might be pulling my leg, but a little searching brought up this [1], which states that the T1634 and T1616 were launched during 2011 and 2018 respectively. Stupid of me to presuppose larger numbers meant newer products…
Anyway, the D22 has just been launched (so 2023, 7 years since the T1616 became available) and it still uses the R1634?! Come on, @Hank_Wang, catch up with the times!
Seriously, I want the D22 and a few other Hanklights real bad, but not with 12-year-old obsolete T1634 technology, specially since I can get lights from Wurkkos and Sofirn with the T1616 for less money (albeit with less quality and, as you pointed out, still mostly without dual channel).
I was focusing on the flashlights and wanted to see feedback on the mics they use.
I do not look at the year of manufacture in my designs, I only see what I need.
The 34 has less ADC than the 16 are they used in flashlights?
Because both have 4 PWN ports,I see two in the pinout.
What you say about flashing it easier, any micro can be flashed without problem, both have UART and i2c ports.
The 16 reaches 20 and the 34 is slower at 12 but the 16 will go to 20 from 4.5v to 5.5v
With this I say that it will not be better to have/use this year’s if not to use the one you have, what is needed.
I don’t look at the manufacturing date on my motherboards (these are not PCs or iMacs ) they are for home automations and I use the one with the least consumption, fast, memories and I/O for the code or use that I will give it.
But I don’t choose the newest one with 10 PWM/ADC ports if I’m not going to use any, if it includes it, well, they will be useless.
What I want to say is that if the flashlight uses a PWM output, any atiny is worth it, whatever the year, then it depends on the code for the memory if you need 1k or less or more than 2K or whatever.
Look at the technical sheet if you are electronic, do not look at the year, you will see the differences.
Although without knowing what it is, you see the value and you get an idea.
I forgot to say that both are 16K flash, the difference is in the 1k vs 2k sram and it will depend on the programming.
I have used a translator, maybe I am not understood.
Just for temperature and voltage. No other need for them AFAIK. If rotary switch support was ever implemented that would use one.
Checking the pinouts, I see 6 PWM pins on each? Probably more of a question for TK/gchart.
The point is that UPDI is a better protocol, it has better data rates, fewer pins needed (which can also be larger for comparable PCB space overall), and in general less that can go wrong.
It makes sense to use the newer, more capable hardware, we’re talking about a cost difference of cents if there even is one. More MCUs to support means more dev and testing effort, and maintaining backwards compatibility can be a contstraint on future development - e.g. anduril is right on the edge of being incompatible with the t85, it’s already difficult to get it to fit into the available space on one, I’ve made a few custom builds for people modding lights who wanted to get the newer features, because other features have to be disabled to make room. Future changes will likely continue to add more size overall, and especially as more channels become possible, e.g. RGB lights.
The 1616 has a direct upgrade path to the 3216 which has 32kb flash instead of 16kb, and the same code can be run on both, e.g. on a single or dual channel light, a 1616 might be enough while a full spectrum RGB light might need the 3216.
It’s older, but I wouldn’t call it obsolete for 12 years. It’s been relevant through all that time, just isn’t the latest hotness. It’s not a super fast moving industry, which makes sense since the focus is on reliability and ability to deliver massive quantities with a low defect rate rather than being at the bleeding edge of performance.
Think for people like me or like you I see what you understand about electronics.
In my field the initial programming is by hard and the following ones via OTA but I have never had problems with any micro in that sense.
But back to the flashlights maybe if people like to change the firm is easier but I see no need perhaps a change every year or two maybe more seeing the versions that come out are minimal, I saw it in a link in this thread the newest of two years ago.
If that is true it makes almost no difference.
But we go back to what we said before if there is no rgb or no other channel or not… in the end you choose the one that suits your needs.
Personally I think that these micros are very cheap manufacturers should use the same even if I do not need and thus use free software and as Simon not having to create or modify an existing one or adapt it.
With these lights, you have to hold pogo pins steady on some contact pads during the flashing process, so only 3 pins and a faster data rate is a big advantage.
Emisar/Noctigon lights. Hank is their designer/maker.
It’s a contraction of “Hank flashlights”, which are amazingly designed and manufactured flashlights that have a great and deserved reputation for featureness and quality. To top it off, they all have Anduril (yay!) and its owner @Hank_Wang works in collaboration with Anduril’s main developer, our queen @ToyKeeper, so you can be sure the firmware is as great as the hardware.
Their only con is that they use an outdated MCU, the T1634, which complicates flashing somewhat. But if their other characteristics appeal to you, that’s not an impeditive until and if you decide to reflash the light (which many people never do).
) they are for home automations and I use the one with the least consumption, fast, memories and I/O for the code or use that I will give it.