dr lava drivers   V2 vs. V3

hello i would like to ask about DR.LAVA[ch8217]s flexdriver.... i have found some info about dr lava drive - flexdrive ''V3'' in buy sel section.. this driver  looks like the greatest one ever...
i have gathered some info about it and now i know how it is working, how many V i will need for red or BR, which batteries i can use etc..

but i am interested in  flexdrive ''V2'' becausei would like to buy BR modul and there are 2 options...  
1st  is with rkcstr driver  
2nd is with flexdrive V2

i havent found info about V2 driver...

so, by following  an info which i found about V3 driver i have decided that  lavadrive could be better for me than rkcstr driver, but i have got any knowledges about V2..... so i could be wrong..

hence my question is    does V2 and V3 works similarly???? Or other question is there any diferences betwen them???
I am thinking exactly at volage, reverse polarity protection etc... could i use with this V2 driver  cr2 battery or 2x1,5V battery  for BR like with V3 driver??? Is V2 driver same [ch8216][ch8217]boost[ch8217][ch8217] circuit like V3????

And one final question...  how many mW max it could be set for BR for??? Because by my knowledges there is not so wide range in current like with  rkcstr driver...

Cheers and sorry for my english.. hope that everybody can understant what i am thinking

I thought they were basically the same thing just small changes cause its a different version but then again I am not too sure    


start here

http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1209418066
DAVE ?

The only difference is gold plated contacts.

The main difference for our application is that the current ranges are different.

Version 2 = low; 64-115mA --- high; 120-500mA

Version 3 = low; 91-151mA --- high; 175-700mA

The voltage input range is the same 2.5-5.5 volts

Peace,
dave

guys thank you so much... it really helped me

cheers

few more questions guys....
is there a possitive or negative patch or polarity in modul case with using lavadriver ????
is there any linearity betwen mA and mW.. i mean how many mA is needed to get .xxxx. mW's????
i would like to set it for 115mW..

yes and i have one remark....  everywhere i can read that if i want to set desired mA on driver i need to use dummy load.. i can understand that it could be dangerous not use a dummy by rckstr driver as there is really wide current range in mA's, but what about V3????  if low range V3 is 91-151 mA, then is there a dummy necessary??? i think that even if 151ma is not entirely safe for continuous running that for few second till you turn it down to get your desired output could be fine, or am i wrong???

oh and finaly one more question.. if i will set desired current for example with cr2 battery and then i will use 2x1,5 or any other type will be there still same current..???  i think that answer could be YES, but i just want make sure and hear it from you guys... from real experts  

its more dangerous to not use a dummy load with a flexdrive. because it is a boost driver, with no load it will keep upping the voltage infinitely until it ultimately fries itself from the intense heat produced. also the driver could run at 151mA in excess of 2 minutes easy. its the laser diode you should worry about. also theres really no way to tell what mA will get u a certain mW. the BR diodes vary greatly. though if u use a meredith glass lens the ratio is usually 1:1 or better

I think DrLava added a zener to the output to prevent damage upon no load with his latest or more recent version (though, it's probably still a good idea to avoid doing it).

As for a test load, you don't NEED to get mine (though, I don't mind ), you basically can just use a resistor or number of standard diodes (like the 1N00x series) in series with resistor (typically 1 ohm, so 1mV = 1mA).  Doing the resistor alone presents a load to the driver (make it low ohm, like <10ohm), while using the diodes will allow you to closely simulate the output voltage of a laser diode (typically 3 for a red or 6 for a blu-ray).  What mine does is makes it basically fool-proof and simple for you... plus it discharges any output caps on the driver after you remove power to prevent you from blowing your diode if you forget to discharge it yourself.

I can confirm the presence of the zener diode - I noticed him while taking some macro shots during my blu-ray build last Thursday night. He's in the upper right, above the positive output lead.

rkcstr said:

As for a test load, you don't NEED to get mine (though, I don't mind )

Click to expand...

Oh, and I did buy yours thru StoneTek as a kit - it was fun to build!