Topic: Building a Better Flashlight (Read 731 times)
Any further updates to report sidehack?
Wow, I'd like to see a sketch of it, if you don't mind. About 3-4 years ago I also used to build different electric tools/toys, it was like a hobby to me. But a self made flashlight sounds really amazing. My grandma always used to ask me to buy her little flashlights, about every month, I couldn't understand what was she doing to them that they always got broken. But this summer I decided to find a great one for her, so here it is https://www.amazon.com/Vont-Flashlight-Flashlights-Water-resistant-Accessories/dp/B089T8HDBV. Its price is really reasonable for its quality.
Hey, Homer! Long time no whatever!
I have test boards in hand, but I'm basically completely booked up for the next two weeks juggling both work and some volunteer duties for a local nonprofit so while I may be close to final version on my three different flashlight models, I may not have working prototypes to demo until week after next. It depends largely on how much I gotta do this weekend, and then I'm basically out from next Wednesday through the Monday after.
I'll try and get something together but the next several days will be a lot of prep work for next week's even I gotta manage. Maybe I can post some teaser pics or something, since I have PCBs and sample housings.
I have test boards in hand, but I'm basically completely booked up for the next two weeks juggling both work and some volunteer duties for a local nonprofit so while I may be close to final version on my three different flashlight models, I may not have working prototypes to demo until week after next. It depends largely on how much I gotta do this weekend, and then I'm basically out from next Wednesday through the Monday after.
I'll try and get something together but the next several days will be a lot of prep work for next week's even I gotta manage. Maybe I can post some teaser pics or something, since I have PCBs and sample housings.
Yeah I've been hanging out mostly in the Wall Observer thread but I still check up on you occasionally.
Sounds like you're as busy as ever and doing volunteer work as well?! That's amazing. I should take a lesson
I would love to have one of these flashlights whenever they're ready. No rush until after the equinox and then it gets more urgent by the day.
Hey, Homer! Long time no whatever!
I have test boards in hand, but I'm basically completely booked up for the next two weeks juggling both work and some volunteer duties for a local nonprofit so while I may be close to final version on my three different flashlight models, I may not have working prototypes to demo until week after next. It depends largely on how much I gotta do this weekend, and then I'm basically out from next Wednesday through the Monday after.
I'll try and get something together but the next several days will be a lot of prep work for next week's even I gotta manage. Maybe I can post some teaser pics or something, since I have PCBs and sample housings.
I have test boards in hand, but I'm basically completely booked up for the next two weeks juggling both work and some volunteer duties for a local nonprofit so while I may be close to final version on my three different flashlight models, I may not have working prototypes to demo until week after next. It depends largely on how much I gotta do this weekend, and then I'm basically out from next Wednesday through the Monday after.
I'll try and get something together but the next several days will be a lot of prep work for next week's even I gotta manage. Maybe I can post some teaser pics or something, since I have PCBs and sample housings.
When flashlight? 
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In support of local talent this signature is free for anyone to use.
edit: changed font to monospace for better compatibility.
Sounds like these will be quite nice!
Also expanded on earlier reply
Right, I knew your technology had a hand in it. Glad to see you're getting due credit. Been saying it for years but one of these days I'm gonna get up there and visit your shop.
Also my prototype boards should be landing in the US tonight, so I'll probably have them in hand first of next week. Depending how business does in the near term, I may end up taking them to Kickstarter for initial batch funding.
Also my prototype boards should be landing in the US tonight, so I'll probably have them in hand first of next week. Depending how business does in the near term, I may end up taking them to Kickstarter for initial batch funding.
Heh heh!
Actually no, quite the opposite. The substrates (heat spreading ceramic parts of them under the emitters) of around 90% of all high power LED's produced in the world are produced in Taiwan under our patents on the laser drilling process used to put vias in them.
My company SLI introduced the process to the world in late 2007. In 2006 I was in Taiwan at THEIL (Tong Hsing Electronics Ltd.) installing some new equipment when Management requested I sit in on a strategy meeting with one of their customers (LumiLEDS). LL wanted to know if there was a way to make smaller vias in ceramic to increase emitter density on the chips. I though for a couple seconds then answered with a qualified, "yeeesssss, but I need to do some testing on an idea for doing it..."
You could almost hear the wallets snapping open....
When I got back home we got dev money from THEIL and the rest is history
https://www.synchronlaser.com/processing-ceramic-substrates-2/
https://www.synchronlaser.com/fiber-lasers-scribing-of-ceramic-wafers/
Just so happens that industrial fiber lasers were starting to enter the market with enough power and near perfect Gaussian beam shape that could do the trick provided there was a way around the problem of the fiber laser wavelength (same as YAG) having very poor absorption in Al2O3 and AlN. As in over 85% of the energy just passing through with little to no effect on the materials. I solved that and pattern density increased 3-6x, SLI got the patent on it, in return for their funding development we gave THEIL exclusive rights to use it for 2 years with systems we built for them (to-date now over 45 systems at THEIL alone). Since they also provide services for Cree and all the other major LED mfgrs in the world within a year HP LED's were popping up everywhere with prices dropping like a stone.
Actually no, quite the opposite. The substrates (heat spreading ceramic parts of them under the emitters) of around 90% of all high power LED's produced in the world are produced in Taiwan under our patents on the laser drilling process used to put vias in them.
My company SLI introduced the process to the world in late 2007. In 2006 I was in Taiwan at THEIL (Tong Hsing Electronics Ltd.) installing some new equipment when Management requested I sit in on a strategy meeting with one of their customers (LumiLEDS). LL wanted to know if there was a way to make smaller vias in ceramic to increase emitter density on the chips. I though for a couple seconds then answered with a qualified, "yeeesssss, but I need to do some testing on an idea for doing it..."
You could almost hear the wallets snapping open....
When I got back home we got dev money from THEIL and the rest is history
https://www.synchronlaser.com/processing-ceramic-substrates-2/
https://www.synchronlaser.com/fiber-lasers-scribing-of-ceramic-wafers/
Just so happens that industrial fiber lasers were starting to enter the market with enough power and near perfect Gaussian beam shape that could do the trick provided there was a way around the problem of the fiber laser wavelength (same as YAG) having very poor absorption in Al2O3 and AlN. As in over 85% of the energy just passing through with little to no effect on the materials. I solved that and pattern density increased 3-6x, SLI got the patent on it, in return for their funding development we gave THEIL exclusive rights to use it for 2 years with systems we built for them (to-date now over 45 systems at THEIL alone). Since they also provide services for Cree and all the other major LED mfgrs in the world within a year HP LED's were popping up everywhere with prices dropping like a stone.
Just playing with CREE so far. Why, did one of 'em steal your patents?
Query: Who's LED's are you going to use? Cree? LumiLEDs? Osram? Nichia?
Got some prototype PCBs on order should be here in a couple weeks. I'll need to do a bit more firmware dev to integrate heat sensors on a couple of them.
3A buck-boost, 3V LED, Lithium-Ion, zoom-lense housing
5A boost, 6V LED, Lithium-Ion, fixed reflector housing
400mA buck-boost, 2xAAA alkaline, penlight housing
I started with plain buck regulators but the main problem with them is when your battery bottoms out so does your light, since the bottom end of the battery's charge curve is below the forward voltage of the LED. With a buck-boost you don't get that, because it can take a high voltage down or a low voltage up. The boost driver into a 6V LED also doesn't have this problem, and if it works as expected it's gonna be a hot beast.
3A buck-boost, 3V LED, Lithium-Ion, zoom-lense housing
5A boost, 6V LED, Lithium-Ion, fixed reflector housing
400mA buck-boost, 2xAAA alkaline, penlight housing
I started with plain buck regulators but the main problem with them is when your battery bottoms out so does your light, since the bottom end of the battery's charge curve is below the forward voltage of the LED. With a buck-boost you don't get that, because it can take a high voltage down or a low voltage up. The boost driver into a 6V LED also doesn't have this problem, and if it works as expected it's gonna be a hot beast.
sounds good to me. i would want at least one.
I'm about to finally catch up on manufacturing tasks so next week will have plenty of time for design. Maybe I'll get ahead a bit on this and a couple other projects.
Got a boost driver that'll put up about 30 watts, and I need to test the buck-boost because I like the idea of the light not getting dimmer as the battery goes down. Got a zoom housing that's pretty nice, and I have samples of a fixed reflector housing that should be good for handling heat but I haven't put a light into it yet. Been too hot here to do more than the bare minimum of work lately but I finally got AC in my workroom yesterday so progress should pick up.
All sounding like its going well. Its hot here but no where near as hot as it is for you I imagine. Looking forward to seeing a prototype
Got a boost driver that'll put up about 30 watts, and I need to test the buck-boost because I like the idea of the light not getting dimmer as the battery goes down. Got a zoom housing that's pretty nice, and I have samples of a fixed reflector housing that should be good for handling heat but I haven't put a light into it yet. Been too hot here to do more than the bare minimum of work lately but I finally got AC in my workroom yesterday so progress should pick up.
Any updates?
interest is piqued...please reserve some for me!!!
Oh uh, hey guys. So I finally got some test PCBs in today. Took 2 days to get from China to the depot and 5 days to get from the depot to me. Not impressed.
Anyway, technically, with this I have completed the original scope of the project. I have working right now a zoomable flashlight with a 2A buck driver, meaning it can put up around 720 lumen on max. Prototypes of the driver were tested stable down to 0.5% output, which means around 5 lumen. I have programmed it for 3 brightness modes though the hardware will support anywhere from 1 to 128. It blinks at you when battery voltage goes below 2.8 and turns off below 2.7 so it won't drain your cell. There are no strobe modes though I suppose they're technically still possible.
I have a test board for a 3A version (1000 lumen) that I'll be assembling tomorrow, and I'll also be working on a temperature sensor to make sure that it doesn't overheat the LED or driver while on max. The hardware's in place for testing this, but no code yet.
The scope of the project has grown and I'm also working on some other drivers, high-current buck, buck-boost and boost. Turns out there are multi-die LEDs which run 6V or 12V nominal instead of 3V, and they kick many butts. Additionally even in the hobby/enthusiast space there aren't a lot of decent buck-boost drivers (which have the benefit of maintaining constant brightness even under low battery conditions) with good current handling. Also my cousin and his mechanic friends want a better penlight. So now instead of making one flashlight it turns out I'm making like 8.
All I got right now is black aluminum shells to work with. Nothing rubberized, sorry.
Nothing's quite ready to be mass-produced yet but I'll keep you guys posted. I want to get some of these in local hands for field-testing in the next couple days if I can, but I haven't even started coding the temp sensor checks yet.
Anyway, technically, with this I have completed the original scope of the project. I have working right now a zoomable flashlight with a 2A buck driver, meaning it can put up around 720 lumen on max. Prototypes of the driver were tested stable down to 0.5% output, which means around 5 lumen. I have programmed it for 3 brightness modes though the hardware will support anywhere from 1 to 128. It blinks at you when battery voltage goes below 2.8 and turns off below 2.7 so it won't drain your cell. There are no strobe modes though I suppose they're technically still possible.
I have a test board for a 3A version (1000 lumen) that I'll be assembling tomorrow, and I'll also be working on a temperature sensor to make sure that it doesn't overheat the LED or driver while on max. The hardware's in place for testing this, but no code yet.
The scope of the project has grown and I'm also working on some other drivers, high-current buck, buck-boost and boost. Turns out there are multi-die LEDs which run 6V or 12V nominal instead of 3V, and they kick many butts. Additionally even in the hobby/enthusiast space there aren't a lot of decent buck-boost drivers (which have the benefit of maintaining constant brightness even under low battery conditions) with good current handling. Also my cousin and his mechanic friends want a better penlight. So now instead of making one flashlight it turns out I'm making like 8.
All I got right now is black aluminum shells to work with. Nothing rubberized, sorry.
Nothing's quite ready to be mass-produced yet but I'll keep you guys posted. I want to get some of these in local hands for field-testing in the next couple days if I can, but I haven't even started coding the temp sensor checks yet.
Well. We have Bud Light. Why not Flash Light.
Sidehack,
I'm interested. I'm especially interested if there's a rubberized back end for dental safety. I often end up with a torch in mouth while I need both hands for a job (when it's quick enough not to justify running for the light-bar.) I absolutely know I'm not alone in this. I have been known to dunk my torches in plastic "tool dip" or paint them with liquid electrical "tape." And I've emptied containers of each when allowing my co-workers to do the same with their torches.
I'm interested. I'm especially interested if there's a rubberized back end for dental safety. I often end up with a torch in mouth while I need both hands for a job (when it's quick enough not to justify running for the light-bar.) I absolutely know I'm not alone in this. I have been known to dunk my torches in plastic "tool dip" or paint them with liquid electrical "tape." And I've emptied containers of each when allowing my co-workers to do the same with their torches.
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