Gransee
Flashlight Enthusiast
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
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