Something good is coming.

[jtice]

wow!

I knew the prices were gonna drop,, but not that much, very nice!

So Wayne, do you think the New BBs will run well off 2C batts? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I am still looking to push 800mA or over with just 2Cs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Thanks for all your hard work Wayne, things are looking great.
I can see I will be spending a crapload at the shoppe tonight. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[kj]

Wayne, are you going to sell the nextgen BB conterter? Or sell it in the sandwich form only?

 

[balrog]

Woohoo! That is excellent news. I've been playing with 2C with BBs and have found that anything more than a BB500 gives barely any regulation. Increased convertor efficiency will help improve this slightly but the real problem is the declining output voltage of alkaline cells.

I'm very keen to purchase some nextgen BB convertor blanks if and when they become available.

 

[dat2zip]

OK, Here's the skinny on the nexgen.

First off. The reason Badboy falls out of regulation is several things. One of the characteristics of the Badboy is the internal Switch is a transistor and not a FET. As such, it has an internal voltage drop of approx .5V.

This subtracts from Vin in the basic equation. So, a fresh 123 at 3V now looks like a battery at 1.5V. Not good.

The badboy drops out when VIn hits 1.6V or it tanks out at 2A whichever comes first.

The internal resistance of a typical 123 has an approximate .5V/Amp drop.

Couple the internal switch drop, the battery voltage sag and the poor efficiency puts the converter demanding close to 2A on a fresh battery. That's because the converter thinks there is 2V at the input. So, this translates to high input current to regulate the output.

ON the nexgen converter, the efficiency is approx 90% over the whole input range or close to it. Also, the internal switch is a good MOSFET and has very little voltage drop. This raises the voltage as seen on the input and the deamnd on the battery is much lower. Still, the input sags 0.5V or so. But, that is significant couple of tenths of a volt makes a world of difference.

The runtime I have done so far was on a early prototype and with a used 123. Output to the LED started at 880mA and drop down to 750mA at the end of the battery life. Still, it ran for almost an hour before slowely dying off.

The prototypes have the connector holes already in place and I've made sandwiches with them. Yes, I will be selling them as bare converter boards and as sandwiches in the near future.

I remind you, that I won't have any this month. Maybe, next month you will see some.

I won't be able to look at the posts till later tonight.

 

[jtice]

Sounds excellent Wayne ! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Cant wait till next month.
Guess I will just have to pick up a few BBs and DBs at your now lower and excellent prices, to tide me over /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Will the nexgen BBs be back to the higher prices?
I would assume so, sense they are the new line.

 

[Phaserburn]

Wayne, will the sandwiches being supplied for Firefly production be nexgen? Can they be?

 

[jtice]

Now THATS a good question /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I am betting the answer is no though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
He wont be able to have them ready in time.

Hey, it gives us an excuse to buy a nexgen BB module later on, right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
The BB650s arent too bad on 1x123, its once you get about 800mA or so when they get bad.

 

[StoneDog]

Wayne, so are you saying that this next generation will drop out of regulation around 1.1v, or is it even lower than that? 90% over the entire range, very nice!

Jon

 

[dat2zip]

IlluminatingBikr, Alledges

While no one hit it dead on, I have choosen two winners.

IlluminatingBikr got close to predicting the drop in prices on the converter boards. Guessing sandwich prices dropping is as close as it comes.

I think there were many that suggested or knew about the nexgen, but, Alledges Hellboy 1000 just sounded too cool.

Congrats to the winners. Please PM me for details.

I'll give you the choice of the following drop in Sandwiches:

MM lite with 1W Lux
$40.00 worth of shoppe credit.

Next up will be for someone to guess when I cut my hair! When will that be? Of course that is predicated on paying off my primary business loan. When?? I hope my hair doesn't make it to the ground... What will come first? My hair reaching the ground or I pay back the business loan?

 

[CM]

Wayne, is this a synchronous converter? Or is there still a schottky rectifier in the output? 90% is pretty high for a non-synchronous boost converter.

 

[dat2zip]

The nexgen is sporting the popular TI TPS51030 with current feedback to make a constant current driver.

It's possible to tweek this design even more and get above 95% efficiency if one wanted to continue work on this. 90% is quite livable given the size and constraint. If one was to use a slightly larger board, the efficiency could go over 95%.

Yes, the TI part is a synchronous converter. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[IlluminatingBikr]

Wow Wayne. I'm flattered. Thanks. PM on the way. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[CM]

Wowie wow wow wayne. Finally, a leading edge converter for us little people. I may have to gut my KL4's, KL1's and KL5's and put in this highly efficient converter /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


EDIT:

DOH! Input voltage is 5.5V max. Durn!

 

[jtice]

LOL,,, Hellboy I love it ! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

PLEASE name it that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Congrates guys.

 

[tvodrd]

Munch /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif Munch /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

Larry

 

[NewBie]

Here is some testing I did on one of these, ran as a voltage regulator about two or three months ago.

**Major** bonuses, much less heat generated by the flashlight, and it is quite significant, and since
you are not wasting the power...you get alot longer
run times. Then, if it utilized with a luxeon, less
heat in flashlight = cooler luxeons = more light
output.

 

[PeterB]

Wayne, do you also plan to design Downboys based on the TI chip?

 

[CM]

Newbie,

Great data. Thanks for sharing with us.

PeterB

I hope the new downboys use a true buck converter so we can get the same kind of efficiencies as this one. Besides, the maximum input voltage for this chip is 5.5V and most people that would use it as a buck will probably want to run it off 2 or 3 123 lithiums.

 

[Klaus]

[ QUOTE ]
CM said:
I may have to gut my KL4's, KL1's and KL5's and put in this highly efficient converter ... DOH! Input voltage is 5.5V max. Durn!

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey wheres the problem - you are running those on 17670 and 18650s Li-Ions anyway - nowhere are those close to 5.5V max.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Klaus

 

[McGizmo]

With the new chip, can Vin be above Vf by any amount? The overhead of the current BadBoy allows for some 1W and Lux III's to be powered by the Li-Ions which do have a Vin above the LED's Vf, in many cases.