Thanks for sharing your ideas Lux-Perpetua. I’ve been interested in a colorful light recently, even more so since I found out that Clemence has phosphor converted color E17A’s available. Those are potentially able to mix to better whites than the standard colored emitters, and might appear less “harsh” (but also less saturated).
I’ve had many ideas about this, some more ambitious than others. Here’s my thoughts, which hopefully aren’t too far-ranging for the purposes of your thread:
- Optics
I have read in reviews of existing Cree XM-L Color lights that even quad dies sharing a substrate can produce beams that are slightly off-center, with each color offset in a different direction. This should not be a big deal for one color at a time, but is less desireable for mixing, unless perhaps using a very floody optic.
So pending some potential bench testing, my thought is individual die emitters, each with their own optic (such as a Carclo quad), it likely to provide the best results unless throw is a priority.
- Emitters
Individual emitters give users the most options for modding. For example, my current interest less towards RGBW, but rather RGBA.
I know of at least 3 families of XP-compatible color emitters: Cree XP-E/XP-E2, Luminus SST-10, and Nichia 219B.
The Nichia E17A have a different footprint, but there are a couple MCPCB’s available, and I think Clemence has plans for more.
- Driver and Firmware
This is the ticket to an interesting light. Most multi-color drivers are simple. The Skilhunt H03c, for example, has 4 modes for the main (white in the stock light) channel, and all the color channels are at a single output with no mixing. Neat, but more is possible.
I know of a handful of more sophisticated drivers that could provide some inspiration, if not be outright useful as they are, except none of them are really available:
- tterev3’s MELD-X: a very complex driver and firmware package supporting up to 5 channels (eg - RGBW + UV), with white output ramping, and a variety of RGB channel mixing options. Includes an e-switch and a simplified mechanical switch version.
- Dr. Jones RGBW Driver: also quite sophisticated with white channel output ramping, and color output cycling, plus the ability to ramp each color channel individually to mix any possible color.
- Flashy Mike’s RGBW D4: A 1-off production, as I understand it. 5 channels (RGB and 1+FET on the white channel). I don’t know much about this one, but he described the UI as “similar to Narsil.”
- Toykeeper and Texas Ace’s Synthesaber - a sophisticated lightsaber driver and UI with 4 channels, each powered by 3x 7135 chips. The UI is designed for color mixing cool lightsaber effects, not running a flashlight.
I have a separate idea that may or may not be viable (due in part to layout space for a reconfigurable RGBW / RGBA driver), but I’m not an electrical engineer, and haven’t taken a stab at trying to learn the full details of BLF-style linear drivers.
It would involve 8 x 7135 chips, with 4 connected by default, so each channel is initially 350mA. Two sets of solder bridges could be chosen to add the other 4. One of the bridges at each chip would connect it to channel 1. The other bridges would serve to add one more chip to channel 2, 3, or 4 respectively.
That way you can have an RGB+W optimized driver, with the color channels each maxing out at 350mA and the white channel maxing out at your choice of 350mA to 1.75A. Or you could be optimized for RGB+A or RGB+UV or orange+red+photo red+deep red, or whatever other combo strikes your fancy, with each channel maxing out at 350mA or 700mA.
My thoughts on firmware are cycling through the rainbow, as well as Dr. Jone’s style individual channel control both seem like really interesting things to do with color emitters, and have been previously demonstrated. Hypothetically, there could be some sophisticated RGB-based adjustable white mixing possible, too.