Discussion: Arc4/5 interface design

This threads pulls together various threads talking about the Arc4/Arc5 user interface software but is not designed to replace discussion on the upcoming Arc5 or a simple version of the interface for the Arc4/5. There are threads devoted to those specific topics.

This thread is for any type of usefull interface for regular users of the Arc4/5 series. Currently, the interface being shipped with the Arc4 is the well known 205 revision code. This has the latch/momentary, double click/triple click, full power ("boost"), etc.

Here is what I have so far. Your thoughts are welcomed. Remember, that the version we put in the production lights will be subject to the best usability and space permitting in the flash memory.


1. Settable triple click brightness

2. Smoother level 16 (less flickers and burps unique to this level)

3. Arc recovery system (ARS): if light is unused for 5 minutes, it increments a counter. If that counter accumulates 7 days of non-use, the recovery beacon turns on. It fires at full power at 50% duty cycle in 3 flashes at 10 Hz every 5 minutes. If you loose the light, count the days and then turn off all the lights in your house and sit and wait for 5 minutes. Look for flashes under furniture, etc. If you think it might be lost in the car somewhere, put the car in the garage with the lights off and observe it for 5 minutes. This is intended as a latch ditch effort to find a lost light. I got this idea after I lost my 4x (I think the puppy hid it somewhere). I still haven't found it so the ARS feature would be quite handy.

4. Strobe function: Fixed at 10 Hz, full power. Click to increase speed in steps of 5 Hz. Double click to reduce speed. Another variation: menu option, when first selected brightness is full power and freq is 10Hz. Changing freq (single and double clicking) also changed strobe brightness to primary setting). This provide dual use as a warning device and an industrial tool.

5. Terminal interface. Requires user built serial interface. Accesses same features as button interface (with maybe a few extras).

6. Run time meter. Menu option. List total number of hours of usage since last software upgrade.

7. Last battery usage meter: Menu option. Lists in minutes how long the last battery was used in total. May be usefull for keep tracking of your rechargeable lithium health.

8. Modification to #7 where RFS is replaced with a last battery usage meter indication. Put a new batter in, write down the the number of minutes for the last battery. Refer to log to see how your cells are doing over time.

9. Hold full power longer than 2 seconds locks boost on until button is pressed which reverts to previous level or off.

10. Average power log. Menu option. This is a 2-digit number that shows what percentage of full power the light has been used since the last battery change/reset. If you always use level 1 for example, the log would read 100% ("00"). If you used level 5 part of the time with occasional level 1 and level 16 use, the log may read something like 65%.

11. Less noticable faint blink when off and RFS is toggled on a cold night or with a fresh battery.

12. Electronic Serial number. Not sure how valuable this would be.

13. Software version read out. Menu option.

14. Double or Triple click while off to toggle electronic switch lock out. This may not work because of program timing issues but we are certainly taking a wack at it. One iteration would be: double click from off to turn on the lock, triple click to turn lock off, when lock is first disabled light could either come on at tertiary (triple click setting) or stay off until next press.

15. Reorder the option menu so that more used functions are first in the list.

16. more brightness levels (added to the dim end)

17. Automatic shut off. Selectable in options menu. Default is option off. If light is latched on, it will automatically shut off after 10 minutes. Before shutting off it will provide a warning by flashing the light twice before finishing the last 30 seconds.

18. Full power momentary from off. Selectable in options menu. Default is option off. When selected, momentary from off results in full power momentary. Click from off functions as it normal does and results in last used or primary setting. There are two ways to deal with the "tail": either the light would start out at primary/last used brightness for a 1/2 second and then go to full power for the momentary use or it would flash to full power for 1/4 second before switching to primary/last used brightness when latching function is selected.

Again, these are just random thoughts at this point and are subject to the law of physics, free space on the micro, program order, my sanity, etc.

Peter

I like those ideas Peter, specially 1,2 and 3 but I don't think that number 16 is very necessary...

I think options 1, 2, 4, and 9 would be of great use.

Personally, I don't think I'd find the assorted battery stat. options too handy. Perhaps they could be put into a separate menu - smililar to the current brightness level setting/extended option menu split.

1, 4, 5, 13 appear the most useful to me.

Option 1 absolutely. Aren't the rest just turd polishing?

I'm very pleased to see the strobe function make the list. I'd like to see it implemented a bit differently than suggested, however. The 5 Hz increment is too coarse for some applications I imagine using it for. I would prefer a 1 Hz increment. I see why you would choose a coarser increment - to make it easier / faster to make large changes in pulse frequency. I would suggest that clicking make 1 Hz adjustments, while click-holding would cause the frequency to adjust continuously as long as the button were held. This way it would be fairly quick and easy to get within the ballpark of the requisite frequency, then make small adjustments to get exactly the desired frequency. Also, I would hope that the strobe would be capable of flashing as slowly as 1Hz. It is unclear to me if your suggestion is that its lowest frequency is 10 Hz or just that that is the rate at which it always starts off.

If your keeping track I like:
-#4 strobe as long as speed of flashes is adjustable
-#9 full power latch!!!!
-#14 electronic switch lock out!!!!

all the other stuff seems a bit gadgity to me but hey what do I know.

cheers,

I am a soldier and find ARC4 PERFECT, except the lowest level of light is too bright.
When the eyes are adjusted to the dark (don't know the paraphrase), the lowest level is too bright and remove the "night vision" when e.g. reading map.

This is the only "bad spot" in the ARC 4 in my humble opinion.

<font color="blue"> My vote goes to nr. 16! </font>

Thanks for listening Peter /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Regards
Thomas

I like #3 and #4.


Although, for the beacon function it would be nice to program in our own times for it to operate. 7 days may not necessary work for everyone.

I really like 9 & 14 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I also like 1, 2, 4 & 6!

1,2,9,14,16 would be great !
4,5 would be good.

I mastered the option menu when I got the Arc4+, and I didn't used it ever since. Yesterday I wanted to engage the lockout because I had a different type of pants, causing the light to turn on when I seated down.
Guess... I had to watch the Arc4 movie to refresh my memory...
...to make a long story short, I would like to hook the Arc to my PocketPC. Bluetooth would be nice, but I understand that there are added difficulties for this type of connection, so serial is fine. With a photodiode added to the optics, IR serial connection would be achieved, allowing wireless communication with a standard PC/PocketPC IR port.
BTW, I like all of the new options... I may add a software only option, with a password, to convert the Arc4 light in a "dumb" one: 1. Off, 2. Low brightness, 3. High brightness, à la SL Twintask.
Think of why. Have you ever lend the Arc 4 to somebody?

Anthony

yes, to my wife, was funny: dear,tell me how your toy works, wow, can I take it in my bag for a while? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gifmmmm, well, get this one...

#3, 9, 14 & 15 please.
And perhaps a way to remove unused options from the menu.

I am impressed with most of those add-ons. Seem handy. But I am confused, is this specifically for the Arc5, or an upgrade we can have done to our Arc4 in the someday future?
Cameron

Am I the only one who would like to see a simple on and off? I think once the novelty of the multi function switch wears off, the majority will only use on and off.

nonbox, see the simple interface thread.

Anyone have suggestions for any other new modes for functions?


Peter

To use the simple on and off I have my Ls, I've bought the Arc 4+ Premium because for me the brightness settings is what I need and I am happy with this light, like all of us I am giving my suggestion here to upgrade the features of this flashlight as much as P.Gransee can do in the future and I appreciate that.

A small touchscreen in which the options can be activated
using a stylus like on your PDA... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif ...just kidding!

I don't know if it's possible but the light could measure
the "environment light level" and store records: which brightness
levels are most used in the current outside light. For example
one could prefer really dim light if it's absolutely dark
(wandering around in the house at night) and another
person probably uses the brightest setting in absolute
darkness to do some searching...

But OTOH that would make using the light more complicated for
those people who switch brightness levels very often so
one should be able to switch this "auto brightness"
off...

Well, well that seems to be a bit too high-tech...

Hmmm. Lots of good stuff. Other than having the most used functions first (or, at least the rarely used functions last), how 'bout:
<ul type="square">[*]A "maximum duration" mode. Dim, but useful light for as long as possible. No tint control, may flicker some, but will give a small amount of light for a long time. I don't mean "moon mode"... I mean a "super dim". Something you'd use if you knew it was going to be a long time until the next battery change.

[*]Record mode. I have no idea what I'd do with this that would be "serious", but it would be kind of cool to have a mode that would let me record a series of inputs and have the light play 'em back with a quad-click or something.

[*]Demo mode. Might be useful to have a function to put the light through it's paces automatically. Then you could talk about the light while the light does it's thing.
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