Feeler: 4 Mode 445 driver

Hello everybody, I have been working with an international business for manufacturing custom laser drivers. The one that I will be offering now is a 4 mode boost driver.

The modes go as follows,
Low: 440mA
Medium: 960mA
High: 1700mA
Strobe: 1700mA strobe

It will use a normal on-off switch and mode cycle will go as follows.
Low-Off-Medium-Off-High-Off-Stobe-Off and then repeat.

I am asking for a list of people and the quantities they would like.

They will be around $20

Please only list if you are interested in 10+ drivers.

The input range is 2-5.5V

I will not take any payments before I have tested these. I should have a few samples here soon.

It is still unknown how many of these we will need to make the group buy happen, but I plan to buy hundreds.

If you would like to buy more then 10 please list so and please only use increments of 10.

I don't know if I left anything out, please tell me if I did. Im very tired and its way past my bed time :tired:

Stay tuned for all updates on this thread.

Thanks for looking guys. :beer:

I might be interested if the high mode was closer to 1.3A. 1.7A is too high, IMO.
Maybe I'm just not as power hungry.

Maybe Ill see if they can make a second driver that is lower yet still uses the same board.

RA_pierce said:

I might be interested if the high mode was closer to 1.3A. 1.7A is too high, IMO.
Maybe I'm just not as power hungry.

Click to expand...

Hey -

Will it have memory? IE, if it's on high, and you turn it off, will it start back up on high the next time you turn it on? Or will it increment to low?

If you're going to do modes, I would suggest using the quick "off on" approach that flashlight drivers employ to push through to the next mode. That way you can turn it back on without having to cycle through 8 clicks again.

I think there are a few things people may want to know before committing:
- What's the size? This is probably the biggest deal killer / impediment to getting a lot of commitment. The size largely determines the usefulness.
- Will this be a "battery spring on driver" setup? Or a flexdrive-like small PCB? Or a flashlight-like circular circuit?
- Will this also be a buck driver? (not AS important for 445s-only, but still matters)
- Will it need heatsinking?

And re power - I think your approach is the right one.

For around the 1W mark we've got a number of other options. The NJG-18 for example, does boosted to a bit above the 1W mark more than competently. No need to duplicate. But the 1.7W mark is a mark that is tougher to hit with currently existing alternatives

Unknown if it will have memory. My guess is that if it is on high, then you turn it off, when you turn it on again it will be on strobe.

The on off approach is what I am using.

Size is unknown but he said it will be less then 20mm by 20mm
I believe it will have the 4 wires coming out of it instead of a spring.
I believe it will be a pcb and not circular.
Whats a buck driver? All I know is it will work with 2-5.5V input
I don't think it will need heatsinking.

rhd said:

Hey -

Will it have memory? IE, if it's on high, and you turn it off, will it start back up on high the next time you turn it on? Or will it increment to low?

If you're going to do modes, I would suggest using the quick "off on" approach that flashlight drivers employ to push through to the next mode. That way you can turn it back on without having to cycle through 8 clicks again.

I think there are a few things people may want to know before committing:
- What's the size? This is probably the biggest deal killer / impediment to getting a lot of commitment. The size largely determines the usefulness.
- Will this be a "battery spring on driver" setup? Or a flexdrive-like small PCB? Or a flashlight-like circular circuit?
- Will this also be a buck driver? (not AS important for 445s-only, but still matters)
- Will it need heatsinking?

Click to expand...

rhd said:

For around the 1W mark we've got a number of other options. The NJG-18 for example, does boosted to a bit above the 1W mark more than competently.

Click to expand...

I'll look into that.
I was under the impression that the NJG-18 gave ~1.5A.

If it's 20mm by 20mm (or close to that) and a square PCB, that might be bad size for most pointer builds. You might want to clarify sizing. I think also - you might want to consider the on/off method. If merely turning the laser off switches its mode for the next power-up, that will get annoying. It did with some of the early flashlights that worked that way.

rhd, I do not understand what you mean by the memory method. Would you need to use a certain switch for it?

No. It's just that if you turn off the laser in one mode, an IC (I think) on the board remembers what mode it was in, so when you turn it on it stays in that mode and doesn't reset to low.

How will I change modes then?

Prototype said:

No. It's just that if you turn off the laser in one mode, an IC (I think) on the board remembers what mode it was in, so when you turn it on it stays in that mode and doesn't reset to low.

Click to expand...

As rhd said, using fast clicking rather than simply clicking.

So what your saying is say the laser is on high, I want to change to strobe, press the switch off and on quickly, then it will be in strobe, but if i turn if off and leave it off for longer then, lets say 3 seconds, it will still be in the same mode as when you turned it off?

Prototype said:

As rhd said, using fast clicking rather than simply clicking.

Click to expand...

yes.. and you switch modes by lightly "tapping" the clicky

Ah, as if it were a reverse momentary?

bluuray said:

yes.. and you switch modes by lightly "tapping" the clicky

Click to expand...