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HIVE McG converter used in the Aqua line of lights.
- Thread starter McGizmo
- Start date
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kaichu dento
Flashaholic
Rush, now that talk of putting the HIVE into the Haiku I've got one request that would really be great if you could add it in and that would be auto-shutoff so that accidental activation wouldn't be able to kill my battery. The main light I've been using for the past half year now has been my HDS lights because they're the only ones I can rely on never to have a dead battery due to accidental activation.
PoliceScannerMan
Flashaholic
I would request a lower low, that doesn't use PWM on the Haiku version please!
kaichu dento
Flashaholic
+ 1 on both points, and if PWM still proves to be too difficult to remover, at least get the rate of PWM up to 1,000hz or more, where it's just no longer detectable.
PoliceScannerMan
Flashaholic
I would be fine with that for sure, if PWM is unavoidable...
scout24
Flashaholic
A Haiku (Or I'll be the first to say it... A MULE! 
) with a true moonlight available would be 
) with a true moonlight available would be 
As Don has already announced, a Hive driver for the "E series light engines" is soon to be available, yea!
There will be some similarities to the HiveLD-P in the Aqua lights but differences as well.
- For one the input voltage range goes down lower, to 2V actually. Hence it will also run with CR123 and 2xAA alkalines. The low voltage reduction threshold can be set to match those chemistries through the setup.
- The maximum output current (accessible through the setup) will be 1200 mA, which is quite a lot i. e. for the Haiku
- The lowest output levels still use PWM, but i have increased the PWM frequency to 650 Hz, so it will be less visible
- The lowest possible output current is at about 3 ...6 mA, a real moonlight unfortunately isn't possible with the circuit as it is, maybe in a future version some time
The suggestion of an auto-shutoff is good, i can see that being useful for some. The features are set for now for the new driver but again maybe in a future version this could be added. Please feel free to make suggestions and also to comment on them. If a feature is more widely requested it of course makes more sense to implement it.
There will be some similarities to the HiveLD-P in the Aqua lights but differences as well.
- For one the input voltage range goes down lower, to 2V actually. Hence it will also run with CR123 and 2xAA alkalines. The low voltage reduction threshold can be set to match those chemistries through the setup.
- The maximum output current (accessible through the setup) will be 1200 mA, which is quite a lot i. e. for the Haiku
- The lowest output levels still use PWM, but i have increased the PWM frequency to 650 Hz, so it will be less visible
- The lowest possible output current is at about 3 ...6 mA, a real moonlight unfortunately isn't possible with the circuit as it is, maybe in a future version some time
The suggestion of an auto-shutoff is good, i can see that being useful for some. The features are set for now for the new driver but again maybe in a future version this could be added. Please feel free to make suggestions and also to comment on them. If a feature is more widely requested it of course makes more sense to implement it.
gunga
Flashaholic
Any chance pwm can be increased to beyond 1khz? Is there a limit?
archimedes
Flashaholic
....for a twisty or a McGizmo clicky that operates quite predictably, we could go for the freely cycling interface for both the persistent and volatile mode. Don once mentioned the same as you did by the way.
Anybody else wanting to chime in?
....
I do hope the freely cycling mode "loop" will be available in this version ....
Archimedes and KDM,
the freely cycling level switching mode is implemented indeed and can be configured through the setup. The default is still the memory mode as before.
Gunga,
A higher PWM frequency unfortunately currently isn't possible as this causes the output to be less visually stable. Very low outputs (moon mode) was not a top priority at this point, but maybe for a future redesign of the driver i can drop the PWM and achieve very low output currents. This is however challenging at least.
the freely cycling level switching mode is implemented indeed and can be configured through the setup. The default is still the memory mode as before.
Gunga,
A higher PWM frequency unfortunately currently isn't possible as this causes the output to be less visually stable. Very low outputs (moon mode) was not a top priority at this point, but maybe for a future redesign of the driver i can drop the PWM and achieve very low output currents. This is however challenging at least.
archimedes
Flashaholic
Great, thanks.
PoliceScannerMan
Flashaholic
Nope. My AquaMule Modded by Vinh to a CRI XML2 runs pretty regularly on 2.2A. Of course when it gets hot I'll back off, but there is plenty of mass to let it run awhile. I wouldn't tailstand it for an hour at 2.2A though..
tab665
Flashlight Enthusiast
im curious as to why there wasn't more emphasis place on having better quality low modes on this newer E-series line. from what ive gathered the past year or so researching mcgizmo lights is the lack of a true low mode is the number one gripe of otherwise perfectly happy customers. perhaps its a case of "the vocal minority"? a PWM frequency of 650 Hz is still too slow in my opinion. does anyone know what the PWM frequency currently is on the 3S converters on low?
that criticism aside, it is good to know that a higher output haiku/sundrop/mule is now on the horizon. ive been on the fence with the sundrop for the past year now. the reason i never pulled the trigger is that with the nature of the beam, at 660ma i was concerned that perhaps it wouldnt be enough light in a given time when needed. rush, can you comment what the factory mode settings will be on these?
that criticism aside, it is good to know that a higher output haiku/sundrop/mule is now on the horizon. ive been on the fence with the sundrop for the past year now. the reason i never pulled the trigger is that with the nature of the beam, at 660ma i was concerned that perhaps it wouldnt be enough light in a given time when needed. rush, can you comment what the factory mode settings will be on these?
gunga
Flashaholic
Yep. Very cool converter. I always use low moonlight modes (2 mA, maybe less) and much higher freq pwm. So this is not ideal for my uses. Very good circuit otherwise. Cool features.
Of course I agree that both a lower low output and no PWM or a faster PWM are desirable and have been requested by some. Further improvements will require careful optimizations of the driver hardware and that was out of scope this time unfortunately. I hope to eventually have a revised hardware that can achieve this.
For now the 650Hz PWM on output levels below about 15 mA is a necessary compromise that is admittedly not ideal but still an improvement over the current 3S drivers IMHO.
The default output currents of the new driver are going to be 12 - 114 - 391 - 1000 mA. You can set the maximum to 1200 mA through the setup and set the lowest to about 3 ... 6 mA as i had outlined above.
For now the 650Hz PWM on output levels below about 15 mA is a necessary compromise that is admittedly not ideal but still an improvement over the current 3S drivers IMHO.
The default output currents of the new driver are going to be 12 - 114 - 391 - 1000 mA. You can set the maximum to 1200 mA through the setup and set the lowest to about 3 ... 6 mA as i had outlined above.
KuanR
Flashlight Enthusiast
Will there be any soldering required to activate the programming?
Is there an ETA on when this driver will be available?
Is there an ETA on when this driver will be available?
Yes there is a bridge to close to activate the setup, however it is located on the contact board of the light engine, so less delicate to solder. You can also close it quite reliably with graphite using a pencil.
Don will have to comment on the ETA, but it should be soon.
Don will have to comment on the ETA, but it should be soon.
