prototype: mid-grade MR-Daughter Luxeon CONTROLLER.

**DACOTA** · 03-02-2008, 04:53 PM

I want that board!

Great work man, I love it.

**Marsupial** · 03-07-2008, 08:37 PM

Hello Guys.

I'm back from the country, where I spent a relax week, and also ground tested my prototype. (its so much fun, what do you want?

)

all to say that I like the long-term usage it currently gives. I have some tweaks I want to make, but on the long run its behaviour is good.

I am starting to look at PCB design. I'm wondering exactly how to aproach it to be the best possible... I'd like to be compatible with most people's needs. Should I make it narrow and long, or almost square?
What is the sizing problems you generally have when including electronics boards in your hilts??

my current PCB design would be around 1.5inch x 1inch. (I keep on changing it... lol)

**Atomic** · 03-07-2008, 09:06 PM

A hair under 1" would be great, then it would fit in 1" ID stunt sabers, PVC and other generic tubing. The bonus to a CF or US is that it's one board for everything, but that's why they are so expensive. Corbin's + Hasbro is currently the cheapest solution out there for decent performance.

**Marsupial** · 03-11-2008, 10:24 PM

the current PCB design is about 25mm x 40mm - somewhere between 3/4 and 1" wide by a tad over 1.5"

The design is made to be flexible so I can reuse it on other projects such as an hasbro version or change internal programing without having to remake the whole PCB.

I *think* this is the "final" PCB design that I'll ship to PCB makers for quotations on a small run.

**Novastar** · 03-11-2008, 10:55 PM

I would be more than happy to support this small run by purchasing at LEAST one board.

Normally, I'd say sure, 2 or 3, but I don't even know what the heck MRs I have left.

I *DO* know that you are helping me out GREATLY with one board, Mars, as I am looking to completely revamp the Flange I (original saber from BOP I), and get it to run 7.2v *without* a voltage regulator... and it seems your board would be a great resource to do it in style.

**tullfan81** · 03-12-2008, 05:01 AM

Count me in for at least two of these. i've got parts for 3 projects en route from Tim as i type this and i would have loved to get my hands on CF...but we all know how that ended. I've got 4 SW-616's laying around so i can gut those, and i have an MR Mace that I'm going to use for my own...this would be a big help.

**Marsupial** · 03-13-2008, 02:28 PM

Nova, I am currently undecided about changing one of the core component from my prototypes.

To run a luxV with the current design I have, we're running out of the "normal" specs of the PWM train IC. I tried up to 9V and up to 2A with one of my Cree, the IC didn't get damaged. The cree didn't neither, but we could "hear" the PWM switching on/off in the LED when overpowered. Was kinda fun.
The IC has an external fault protection that can protect it against overheating when enabled, but still, it was getting warm under abnormally high conditions. I'd like to try with a luxV to proove it would work. I suspect it would but without trying, we never know.

The component I currently use has some advantages: the fault protection against overheat, and a current limit can be set to protect the LED.

However, another IC I have in mind might run cooler on bigger wattage LEDs - ment to run up to 40V and up to 1.5A, our needs would be "easy" on it.

This being said, I am still uncertain: I think for most sabermaker, the one I currently have would be better: ability to set a protection value for the current can't be bad... Maybe for luxV we'd require a separate board?

I am looking at getting some of that IC, I'd run some tests next week. Other then that, all other components have been selected, and I can manage to have the board within 7/8 x 1.5 inch.

I think I might go with my current IC for the big runs, and see about 5-watters later.

**Marsupial** · 03-17-2008, 09:11 PM

For those who knew I had in mind of maybe changing the PWM train chip on my circuitery, well I did order a bunch of the new chip candidate (50) and I am not all that happy with the results. It works great on good power, but battery operation proves to be less then desirable. It might be something to consider if I end up making a board exclusively for lux V - if the current venue fails.

Therefore, I think I'm pretty much on the final design for the first run of boards. I don't want to wait for further testing with luxeon V before having the first run go, as it works wonderfully with "normal battery operation" and with "normal LEDs".
I believe the board will have ennough versatility for most people.

Here's some results from my experimentations...
I tested sucessfully up to 6W higest peeks on my cree - powered at 9V with 6AAs and supplying around 3.2V, 1.9A. The shimering was more pronounced, but the circuitery held up good. I strongly suggest not to try: its overdriving both the chips and LED, anything could have fried!
I also tried with 4 almost dead AAs. Its not a constant current driver, the LED becomes dimmer, and at some point you will loose shimering, but the circuit will get you a better result then the old "resistor" way.

4AA seems to be great with a cree.

The design I have at the moment has a feature that makes it possible to limit the current sent to the LED. It will come hardwired to a preset, but those with various needs will be able to change it. I will supply documentation for that.

**Novastar** · 03-17-2008, 09:29 PM

Your electronics experience is mostly WAAY over my head (because I'm just a "basic" guy, not expert like you or uber-expert Erv!)...

...but I certainly understand what you are saying OVERALL. I agree that what you're doing is a very good idea to make it best for *MOST* people doing a saber. You don't really need to make it get every single possible "extreme" setup correct.

For people trying wildly extreme battery situations + Lux V (or latest "super-top lumens" LED, lol)... they should understand what it means to push the limits of any and all components they are using.

BUT... for the "average homme joe-jedi" (pardon the MRFX pun)... something handling Lux IIIs and currents of 700-1500ma on batteries of say 3.7v to 9v will usually suffice. Safe to go to 11v or 12v, but... I can count on one hand how many people I know using 11v or more for Luxeon-style.

As I said--I will not reverse what I said... I'm happy to support it for at least a board, and with any luck, maybe I buy one for Brian (Gundamaniac) because he has been so helpful with BOP III... uh... well, prior to the rest of the team abandoning the project, hahahah!

MERCI, MARS!! C'est tres bien idee', est je "appreciate" ton travaille...