Arc4 software beta test

The beta testers for the Arc4 rev3 software have been selected and their lights shipped. The testers are: CM, T_I_N, Sean, Darell, JohnB and GaryH. The lights are production first Arc4s (without the new switch) loaded with the beta software.

The new software revision is not needed to fix anything, the current Arc4 code works well. We have been wanting to add some new features though. So we rewrote the code, freed up some space and added the new functions.

The beta testers are invited to post their comments here if they so choose. Feel free to ask them questions also.

Once this software is tested, it will be prepared for production and will be put in every Arc4 made after that point. It will also be offered to existing Arc4 owners under our upgrade program. Factory first Arc4s have one free upgrade. Factory seconds and Arc4s that have already used their free upgrade are $20 per reprogram. We also recalibrate the light at the same time and perform a basic checkup.

I will post a quick write up on some of the new features.

Peter

Here's the first draft of the new instructions (obviously a lot more to do with this is required):

9-3-2004 Arc4 code notes
Peter Gransee


Simple Mode

When the light is first turned on from the factory, "Simple Mode" is enabled. This mode is designed to ease the user's transition into the many Arc4 functions. Later on the user may choose to switch to "Normal" operating mode which has more functions available.

When the battery is installed, the light does not RFS or in any way come on. We found that RFS confused some new users so the simple mode turns it off. The light is ready to use within a second or two of the power being applied. This is the result of a faster boot up sequence.

Momentary operation is disabled in Simple Mode. From off, button presses of any length will result in latched turn on at last used brightness.

Double click, triple click and press and hold for full power work as before. The factory defaults are 1, 4, 7 and 16.

The options menu is not accessible from Simple Mode.

When full power is activated and held for longer than about 5 seconds, full power will latch. Pressing the button again will shut the light off.

When the light falls back to a lower level as the result of a low battery or high temp, it will now fall in steps of 4 levels instead of 1 level as before. This slows down the rate that the light switches to a lower brightness and should slow down some of the, "wild flashing" observed by some new users when their batteries were failing.

To exit Simple Mode, press the button about 20 times from off. When about 20 clicks have been reached, the light will begin to strobe. Press the button again to enter Normal Mode. Simple Mode can be enabled again in options menu. The setting for Simple Mode vs Normal Mode is saved to flash and therefore survives a battery change or reset.

"Normal" Mode

Normal Mode works pretty much as before with the addition of the new menu options, faster boot, latching full power, etc.

As before, the Option Menu is entered by clicking from off about 10 times (until the light stops flashing).

Menu Items:

1. SOS
2. Button Lock
3. Click number
4. Force Primary
5. "Findme" locator Beacon
6. RFS
7. Tac1
8. Tac2
9. Strobe
10. Simple mode
11. ARS

Most of the modes work as before. Some new modes:

Button Lock

This has replaced the old Button Lock menu item. This new lock combined with the more firm switch should all but obsolete accidental activations.

- Enter button lock sub menu by pressing and holding until light stops flashing hi/lo/hi/lo. You are now in the sub menu.
- This is like the brightness menu; you press once to move forward, double click to reverse and press and hold to select the function.
- The options are:
o Single flash: disable lock
o Double flash: enable lock
o Triple flash: automatic lock
- Press and hold to select the item you want (1-3). Keep pressing until the light stops flashing hi/low/hi/low. The light will then return to Normal Mode.
- This setting is stored through resets

Factory default is enabled lock in normal mode and disabled lock in simple mode.

Click Number (better name?)

This menu allows you to select how many clicks it takes to lock/unlock the light. The default is 2 clicks.

- Each time this menu item is selected (press and hold until flashing stops); the click number will toggle between 3 and 2 clicks.
- This is stored through resets

How the Button Lock Works

- Once you enable the locking function, you can toggle the lock from off by double/triple clicking
- For most people, a double click will keep the light from accidental activation. For those who find their light still coming on by accident, the triple click is recommended
- A reset will unlock the light but not override the lock settings (enabled, disabled, auto, 2 click, 3 click)
- Automatic lock will lock the light after 3 minutes of non-use, resetting unlocks and resets the 3 minutes timer
- With automatic lock enabled, you can still manually lock the light by double/triple clicking

Here's an example of locking the light…

First, enable the lock capability:

1. Enter the options menu
2. single click to the lock menu
3. press and hold to select lock menu
4. in the lock menu, single click to select lock mode "ON"
5. press and hold until light shuts off to save setting

Turn on the lock:

1. From off, double click, the light will double flash and then shut off

Pressing the button once or pressing and holding will not cause the light to activate.

If you have not first enabled the lock capability, double clicking will simple turn the light on and off as before without locking it.

To turn off the lock:

1. From off, double click, the light will come on at the second press at the last used brightness

The light will now work as before. It will stay unlocked until either the light is double clicked from off or the automatic lock activates.

Strobe

- Enter Strobe function by pressing and holding button until light starts to strobe
- Single clicks speed strobe up (max speed is about 80hz)
- Double click reverses direction (min speed is about 5 hz)
- Long press returns to normal mode
- Default speed is 10hz
- Strobe starts at last used speed (not remember through reset)
- Strobe power is last used level (primary, secondary or tertiary)

Min and Max speeds are limited by hardware/software limitations.

Simple Mode

This enables Simple Mode. Press and hold until flashing stops to activate.

You can set the primary/secondary/tertiary levels and then enable the simple mode for example if you were giving the light as a gift and wanted to customize the levels.

ARS (Arc Recovery System)

Press and hold until flashing stops to toggle. Default is enabled.

How ARS works:

If the light is unused for about 1 week, it begins to flash brightly every 5 minutes. This is designed to help you find the light if it is lost. Pressing the button when you find it resets the timer.

It is thought that if you were to loose your Arc4, and after you had exhausted conventional means to find it, you could wait for a week and then turn the lights out in the house. This would provide another chance to locate the light.

Other New Items:

- 2 more dim brightness levels added for a total of 18 levels
- The lowest levels now flicker less
- The RFS flash on standby is eliminated



Peter

Hi Peter,

What's the schedule for the new software as well as the Rev3 switch? No point sending it twice when once will do for both upgrades.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanks.gif

Still on schedule for October for the switch and before that for the software. Most people will send the light in for both upgrades.

Peter

Sounds Great Peter.Thanks for the updates.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Great news peter!

Just a simpel Q. How dose the light tell the time(3 min autolock etc.)?

Regards - Thomas

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/goodjob.gif

I can't wait to try this out! Finally a way to lock-out the light easily and even the option for automatic lock-out! The strobe function sounds like a lot of fun too.

Very well put together Peter, now we'll see how well it works. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/goodjob.gif

As a result of feedback from this beta test period, we may change the intervals of the autolock out, default levels, etc. We don't plan on adding any other features at this point (then we would have to test them all over again). But if there is something we left out that you think it a big omission, let me know. I tried to include just about everything you really asked for in the software discussion threads.

In coding, I figure it is best to build your framework with a full feature set in mind rather than keep bolting things on as you think of them. This methodology has helped us to design a more flexible and clean framework. Some of these features are trivial but they introduced usefull concepts like submenus. Even though the new code adds all these new features, it is less than half the size of the original code!

I hope the beta testers have as much fun with this new revision as I am.

Peter

Will Rev 3 be the final Rev? Will there be more software upgrades or this will be the final one?

[ QUOTE ]
Gransee said:Click Number (better name?)

[/ QUOTE ]
<ul type="square"> [*]Clicks to unlock [*]Unlock count [*]Unlock code selection [/list]

Don't forget the Easter Egg this time! At least have it send the universal distress code for "Help, I'm out of batteries!" -.-. .--. ..-. (CPF)

hi Peter, you said that when we send in the light for the software upgrade, you will also recalibrate the light. what do you mean? will it change brightness, runtime?
i'm really looking forward to the strobe setting!

Okay, I like most of simple mode (except that momentary mode doesn't work from off anymore). Its also not clear in the post if holding for several seconds when on locks full power on as was discussed in the past? If so, that would be handy.

Normal mode, at least from the writing above, looks exceptionally more complex (I still don't understand most of the options menu from my Rev-1 Arc 4s). Can ARS be turned OFF by the menu? There are periods when I don't use my Arc 4s for weeks, and it seems like wasted battery to have it flash every five minutes.

I'll definitely buy the new Arc 4s when they come out, I just think that 75% of the functions I'll never use (the only menu functions I'd even consider using are SOS and strobe). I guess if at least one person likes all this extra WOW stuff, its worth it though.

Ok, I've spent some time testing the new software and have found one apparent bug in the software and one apparent error in the instructions.

First, the instructions:

[ QUOTE ]
Menu Items:

1. SOS
2. Button Lock
3. Click number
4. Force Primary
5. RFS
6. Tac1
7. Tac2
8. Strobe
9. Simple mode
10. ARS


[/ QUOTE ]

Should read:

Menu Items:

1. SOS
2. Button Lock
3. Click number
4. Force Primary
5. RFS ON
6. RFS OFF
7. Tac1
8. Tac2
9. Strobe
10. Simple mode
11. ARS

Second, the (button lock) automatic lock feature is suppose to work like this:

"Automatic lock will lock the light after 3 minutes of non-use, resetting unlocks and resets the 3 minutes timer"

In the sample I have, the automatic lock turns on after 3 seconds. The problem is you can't enter programming if you start more than 3 seconds after turning off the light because it's locked out. So, you've gotta start immediately after turning the light off to get into programming mode.

Everything else seems to work fine.

Now, for the good news. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Simple mode works very well. I think this is definately the way these should ship. Turn on is much easier since it doesn't matter how long you hold the button, it turns on.

I also like the ability to latch full power by holding the button down for 5-6 seconds. This feature works well. I'm glad it's longer than just 3 seconds to latch, 5-6 seconds works well.

The new lock out feature works great. You can set it so that after you turn off the light, you can lock it out by double clicking (or triple clicking, optional setting in the menu). Unlock by double (or triple) clicking. This works well and is implemented very well.

I also like the stroble feature, it's fun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wow.gif

That's all I got for now.

I received the new light with beta software this morning. I'm now just starting to play with it. Simple mode is fine. Put a cell in, then start using the light. Although it works as advertised, I personally don't like the "When full power is activated and held for longer than about 5 seconds, full power will latch. Pressing the button again will shut the light off." feature. This is going to be a big issue in the way I use my full-power on my Arc4 lights. Think about it... your walking at night using Level 4 or whatever, you hear a sound. The natural reaction is to press for full-power and scan the area. If a threat is not seen, you release the button and continue on your walk. This is how the existing software works. In this new configuration, you can't get back to your previous level without turning the light off and back on again. Not good in a totally dark area, even though it only takes a second or so to turn off and on.

I'm in the process of testing the lock-out feature(s).

^It doesn't work to double click after full power is locked to change settings?

That is true that once you latch full power, the only way to un-latch is to turn off the light.

Also, when I opened up the light it was flashing. I'm guessing it was ARS? Anyway, after having it in my pocket for an hour or two it began blinking again. ARS again? It strobes 3 times, pauses, strobes 3 times etc. Not sure what's up.

Sean, it sounds like your clock is running *really* fast. When we get the unit back, we can test an alternate calibration on it to see if the clock on that unit can be adjusted back to normal time.

That's why we beta test. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Peter

The latching full power was a CPF suggestion. We could do the following:

1. remove it back to normal
2. increase the time for it to set
3. make it return back to last used
4. make it a settable option

I would rather find a solution that works for most cases instead adding yet another menu option.

Peter

I'm really NOT liking this ARS feature (I don't want my lights turning on by themselves for locations just because I don't use them in a while), especially if "fast clocks" can happen. Is their a way to turn OFF ARS in the options menu?

In terms of the full power latching on, I like option 3 (make it return to the last setting when disengaged).