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Thread: Crystal Focus 4.x and beyond Bug list & Fix

  1. #91
    Council Member Novastar's Avatar
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    Phil--I told you: the way some ports + plugs behave can be finicky.

    As to the way the "low batt" indicator behaves from one version of CF to the next... well, that can depend on the "lowbatt" (or is it lbatt) configuration parameter... the LED's fwd voltage... other components that draw energy during usage... and the battery cell setup in general.

    Now keep in mind--I NEVER bother with the lowbatt indicator and parameter--some people understand from many of my previous posts that I feel it is completely irrelevant and pointless (although my perspective is of the MINORITY in this regard).

    Still... CF is generally using the lowbatt parameter to get an idea of "when to go off". Obviously, if you have a 9.6v setup with an LED that only requires ~4v... you may never reach a point where the light is able to go off--the saber will simply "go dead" or start behaving in a berserk fashion BEFORE the voltage is able to drop down to a point which makes CF think the cells are low.

    That's one very generalized example.

    Then you have a Li-Ion setup. Oh joy, yet ANOTHER factor coming into play. Here, we have the Li-Ions under control of the PCB. A 7.4v pack will NEVER fall below 6v and continue to allow current draw. The PCB will trip, and the juice will be cut off.

    Additionally with Li-Ion cells... you have your "flat" discharge curve. In other words, Li-Ions tend to maintain voltage throughout a discharge cycle... and only drop in voltage "significantly" near maybe the very very last minutes of the charge. Which means--if you set the parameter correctly with config.txt--you MIGHT see the battery low indicator start flashing like 5 minutes before the thing croaks, lol.

    In the past, it's been pretty tough to get CF to "behave properly" with the low battery indicator when you're using Li-Ion cells. I don't remember what Erv did to newer versions of the code (v3.x?? v4), but I think he made some alterations.

    Ultimately--I'll just say what I've always said... you know you're outta battery juice... .... when it's gone. When the saber stops working... it's over. If you're using Alkalines or Ni-Mh and the saber starts dimming really badly... it's over.

    WHY people need to know if their saber is *about* to die... I'll never know. Even if you have precognition with it... you STILL have to take the time to recharge the cells (which is rarely <2 hours minimum)... and even if you have alkaline cells to swap out--what difference does it make if you swap them out NOW... or 3-5 minutes later when you "start seeing signs" that the cells are losing charge?

    To me... ALL devices have a built-in "low battery indicator"... THEY STOP WORKING. LOL
    ~~ GREYTALE NOVASTAR (Writer, Director, Choreographer, Sound Designer, Actor, Saber Designer, Vocal Artist)
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  2. #92

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    from what I read in your previous post, if you have some pops and clicks sounds when you plug the charger, then it means that the board is *powered* when you charge.
    So again, it's because you have an isolation problem somewhere, possibly the led backplate, the led soldering joints touching the blade mount.

    The fact the board doesn't boot properly is normal in this case : it's partially powered by the charger, so when you remove the charger plug, it doesn't reboot properly, and will crash.

    so, something is not properly wired in the saber. Maybe you answered that before but do you have the luxeon backplate isolated from the rest of the saber ?
    Props Electronics
    http://www.plecterlabs.com

  3. #93
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    Rhyen Skytracker's Avatar
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    One reason I can see to use the power level indicator is if you are doing a demonstration and you see the batteries are getting low then you will need to rush the demo to finish before the saber dies or at least prepare the audience to take a break while you change the batteries out. Having that extra 3 - 5 minutes could make you look more professional by not having a saber die on you. That is the main reason I can think of that would make the PLI very useful.
    Last edited by Rhyen Skytracker; 12-01-2009 at 11:35 AM.

    Live long and...I mean May the force be with you. http://saberconcepts.50.forumer.com/index.php

  4. #94

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    If it's not wired on my hilt, I double check using my keychain PLI

    http://www.plecterlabs.com/catalog/a...73&language=en

    one of my customer also uses the low battery LED on some sabers in which he installed non protected li-ion cells (that was long ago), the begining of the blinking indicates when he should stop using the saber.
    Props Electronics
    http://www.plecterlabs.com

  5. #95
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    Very nice Erv. I like it.

    Santa, can I have one of Erv's keychain PLI's? hint.....hint.....hehe

    Live long and...I mean May the force be with you. http://saberconcepts.50.forumer.com/index.php

  6. #96

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    I'm planning to redesign the PLI and make more next year
    Props Electronics
    http://www.plecterlabs.com

  7. #97
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    They ARE very nice

    If you're new, please take the time we all consider just as precious as you and READ!

    GET LATHED!

    Official BMF and LORD OF THE STRINGS

  8. #98

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    Quote Originally Posted by erv View Post
    from what I read in your previous post, if you have some pops and clicks sounds when you plug the charger, then it means that the board is *powered* when you charge.
    So again, it's because you have an isolation problem somewhere, possibly the led backplate, the led soldering joints touching the blade mount.

    The fact the board doesn't boot properly is normal in this case : it's partially powered by the charger, so when you remove the charger plug, it doesn't reboot properly, and will crash.

    so, something is not properly wired in the saber. Maybe you answered that before but do you have the luxeon backplate isolated from the rest of the saber ?
    I'm not sure what you mean by LED backplate. Is it the underside of the star that is mounted to the heatsink?

    All yo0ur assesment has been correct. Many times, the saber continued to function while it was plugged into the recharger.

    Though, like I mentioned in my 3rd edit, after completing the procedures I listed above, I was able to charge the saber completely normally, and was even able to top it off later in the night at the rate you'd expect it to charge (both for the initial charge *3-4 hours* and the top off charge *around an hour or so*).

    @ Nova, This time I purposefully used a matching port and plug. Not mis-matched at all. Also, I'm using a 4.8 2700 NiMH pack, not a Li-Ion. Sorry for not mentioning that.

    @ Rhyen, The low batt ind is usefull regardess of it's use. It's just a good reminder that you need to charge your saber.

  9. #99

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    yes the luxeon backplate is behind the led star PCB. Is it isolated with cooltape ? Not talking of thermal grease / compound.

    if the saber continues to work with the charger plugged, you have a ground path somewhere, or the recharge port isn't properly wired (batt negative and board negative inverted). Or the speaker is touching somewhere.

    On another note, if you power the board at the same time you charge the battery pack, the charger probably won't see the delta peak and will never end charging the batteries, hence destroying the pack, especially ni-mh which are not like li-ion with pcb protection.

    what's the led color ?
    Erv'
    Props Electronics
    http://www.plecterlabs.com

  10. #100

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    It's a green luxeon Rebel mounted on a star.

    I have never attempted to power the board while charging it. It remained powered on it's own. I only repowered it when I removed the charging plug and I got no boot sound. Only a flashing idle LED. When I hit the power button (charger plug removed at this point), then the saber kills for a few seconds and reboots like normal....

    ..Though, it is behaving normally since I fixed it last night, though I can't really say how or why it was fixed.
    Just kind of happened...

    By speaker touching, you mean the solder joints on the speaker, correct?

    I have the speaker completely isolated from any groundings.

    I believe that the back of the star has a thermal paste. No tape.

    My sabers have been running on this setup for about a year and a half now with no issues, until now or course. My red saber has never had this issue, and I've owned it longer than this green one.

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