Problem with KD Super Output SSC P7 LED Driver Board

Hello,

I recently purchased the following "Super Output SSC P7" LED Driver board from Kaidomain, along with a CREE XM-L2 LED star.

unfortunately, when I wired the LED Driver board up to the LED and my 8.5V power supply (made of one 32650 3.75V LiPo battery, one D-Cell Alkaline, and one 3V watch battery), I encountered a strange problem. The LED turns on, but it seems to remain "stuck" in Low Power mode. (I measured the current with a multimeter, and it seems to only output ~.2 amps which corresponds to low power mode.) Not only does the LED remain stuck in Low-power mode, but it begins the following blinking routine:

(ON for three seconds) - (blinks OFF twice) - (ON for three seconds) - (blinks OFF once)... Repeat

I can't make heads or tails of it, and I couldn't come up with anything after scouring this forum and other websites. The only explanation I can come up with is that the driver is engaging in the advertised "overheated" mode, but I believe that the blinking routine displayed in "overheated" mode is different than the one I'm seeing, and there's no way my driver could have overheated as it entered the blinking low power mode immediatek

does anybody have any idea why this may be happening? Do I have a faulty board? Am I doing something wrong?

Cheers

MUSICI4N

you are using 3 totally different cell types that just are not going to circuit together for 8.5v it just is not going to happen. Replace cells you are using with either 2x18650 for 8.4v, 5 D cell alkalines for 7.5v, 2x16340/18350 for 8.4v 2 CR123A for 6v. What you have rigged up sounds like a fire hazard. The circuit you have is likely only getting 1.5v from your alkaline source. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and so is a circuit. Straighten out your cell types properly and you should be fine.

Why would you use SSC P7 which is old tech on an XM-L2 board. If you're going for quad die, then use Cree MCE lol. Slightly newer and better beam profile.

Power it with 2 x 18650 quality cells. No Ultrafire etc

MCE? oh man that was the worst emitter ever lol. The permanent black cross in the middle of the beam. I used to think the P7 was the bees knees but just any recent XML2 is better. Whatever though OP what exactly are you trying to build though? A bike light or? Plus 1 on the avoid anything with FIRE in the name...once he gets his cells situation straightened out he should be alright I think

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it

CelticCross74 said:

you are using 3 totally different cell types that just are not going to circuit together for 8.5v it just is not going to happen. Replace cells you are using with either 2x18650 for 8.4v, 5 D cell alkalines for 7.5v, 2x16340/18350 for 8.4v 2 CR123A for 6v. What you have rigged up sounds like a fire hazard. The circuit you have is likely only getting 1.5v from your alkaline source. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and so is a circuit. Straighten out your cell types properly and you should be fine.

Click to expand...

That seems like it may be the problem, which would be a relief. Right now I'm using the Frankenbattery set-up because I mistakenly ordered only one 3.75 V 32650 Battery from Kaidomain instead of two, so I am using the D-Cell Alkaline + the Watch battery to provide the needed voltage boost until my second 32650 Battery arrives.

However, after I wired the batteries up in series I measured around a ~8.5 V output with my multimeter, so do you think that the circuit is still only getting 1.5V?

BLUE LED said:

Why would you use SSC P7 which is old tech on an XM-L2 board. If you're going for quad die, then use Cree MCE lol. Slightly newer and better beam profile.

Power it with 2 x 18650 quality cells. No Ultrafire etc

Click to expand...

Hmmm sorry I'm a little new to the LED/LED Driver world, would there be a better board to use than this? I didn't realize it wouldn't be the best choice, I was just following instructions for driving an XM-L LED I found online :shrug: Will this board still work for the XM-L2?

I didn't realize the MCE Would be a better choice:thinking: I think I'm going to stick with the XM-L2 though, because of its high lumen output. (~1000 I think)

I'm actually using two 3.75 Volt 32650 Batteries I bought on Kaidomain, because of their higher capacity and hopefully longer runtime.

CelticCross74 said:

MCE? oh man that was the worst emitter ever lol. The permanent black cross in the middle of the beam. I used to think the P7 was the bees knees but just any recent XML2 is better. Whatever though OP what exactly are you trying to build though? A bike light or? Plus 1 on the avoid anything with FIRE in the name...once he gets his cells situation straightened out he should be alright I think

Click to expand...

Glad to hear the XM-L2 is a good choice! I'm trying to build a 1000 lumen bike light, I was inspired by this post on this forum

Thanks again for the help guys, hopefully it is just my cells that are the problem. I'll try using the two 32650's when the second one arrives, and I've got my fingers crossed that that will sort everything out.

All the same, what are the odds that I received a faulty driver or that I accidentally shorted it out or something?

Cheers,

MUSICI4N

By the way, here is a video I took of the blinking pattern:

https://streamable.com/aaqr

And I've attached some images of the batteries I'm using, as well as the multimeter reading of the batteries wired in series.

Thanks again

MUSICI4N