US2.5 Question

[Jedi Jo-Dan]

So the L1 and L2 outputs are 3-4 volts? You don't happen to know the amount of current they'll source safely, do you?

[Kal El Rah]

Most accent leds are 2.5 to 3.3 volts at 30 ma.

[Jedi Jo-Dan]

Thanks, but I wasn't asking about the LED specs, I'm very familiar with those; I was asking about the specs of the UltraSound 2.5 accent LED outputs and how much current they can safely source.

[Kal El Rah]

I'm guessing that the pads just supply what would be needed for the requirements of the accent led's . Ultra should be able to give you a more definite answer.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Eandori]

I'm a little disappointed with the lack of a clear instruction manual for this board. Some basic questions SHOULD BE clearly listed. Like for the accent LEDs, what voltage does it drive them at on those output pads, and how much current can it source.

I happen to know that most PIC Microcontrollers run at 3.3v so I'm guessing he's directly driving LED's right from output pins on the PIC so you don't want to go above 20mA. In fact, I would bias my LED's for 15mA just to be safe until I hear otherwise from Ultrasabers. Just for clarity, 3.3v at 15mA is (3 x 0.015) = 0.045 watts per accent LED.

I also think notes should be added about how you can use the other LED settings to drive current to your desires. From what I know about Ultrasound boards you CAN set a Luxeon V LED for the Luxeon III red (1400mAH) setting. You just need a battery capable of supplying enough voltage to run that Luxeon V at 1.4 Amps. Sure, it's overdriving the heck out of a Luxeon V and should be done at the users own risk... but the point is that it's possible and should be noted in the instructions.

Also, for the Battery Voltage input, it can be listed out more clearly. Here's the rule of thumb for nearly ALL battery packs for all sabers (even CF)... Pick a battery voltage that is 1-2 volts above the required voltage of your LED, but make sure the battery pack is LESS then the maximum voltage a board can accept. That's it. Easy peasy lemon squeezie.

As a side note... when CF says "11v max" that means the ACTUAL voltage not the rated voltage of your cells. So a 9.6v rated pack will actually put out over 13v on a full charge with no load. I'm fairly certain when Ultrasound board says "9.6v max" he means rated not measured voltage. It would be nice if EVERYBODY just referred to the rated cell voltage so it was easy.

Ultrasabers really needs a clearly written instruction manual with a few wiring diagrams. That would immensely compliment their product.

[Kal El Rah]

Endori, you hit the nail on the head perfectly.

[Alcfalath]

I concur

[ronzomi]

I also agree with that. I was hoping for at least a small paper with descriptions on it for the different pads/inputs. Thanks to Eandori for what was said about Voltage inputs and the outputs on the PIC chip. I myself have been in a quandry as to whether I should really use the trustfires I bought to supply voltage to the US2.5 board. Some folks have said it is too much and can shorten the life of the board or potentially fry it, and it is best to stick to a battery pack that outputs 6V. Yet, I have watched the Youtube vid on the net about the board and it looked like they were using two trustfires (?). So... though I am decent at Electronics, I find I still have some concerns, as I don't wish to accidentally destroy a $100 board that I cannot afford to replace anytime soon.
So: stick with 6V using a standard 4 cell batt pack, or go with the dual 4.7V (9.4V out) Trustfires?
BTW.. I do read the forums and search through them, but I rarely post. I am not a complete noob
Thanks!

[Kal El Rah]

The trustfires are 3.7v, not 4.7v and in parallel they are still 3.7v at twice the mah.

[Jedi-Loreen]

In parallel? The 2AA battery packs aren't set up that way. I never heard of anyone using those batteries in parallel. Where did you hear that?

As far as I know, people are using the Trustfires if they are using a Lux V. Otherwise, people are using 6V.
3.7V is only enough to power the P4s or the red or amber LEDs.