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The "IRON 4D" Driver - Ultra Low Profile 1A Red Driver

rhd

rhd

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The "IRON 4D" driver:
(The "I've Run Out of Names for Drivers" driver)

I designed this driver almost exclusively for the purpose of unlocking really tiny AAA host 635nm builds. Long story short, it adds zero bulk to the diode itself, and in fact those leads you see coming out the other side of the driver, are the diode's own leads, with wires attached directly to them.

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This driver will run a Mitsubishi 635 at 1A from a single lithium ion cell from fully charged to the lowest a lithium-ion can safely go. It creates almost no heat. Even with a fully charged cell, the AMC ICs will only dissipate about 300mW of heat each, and even then, the driver design allows for them to be thermally epoxied straight up against the Aixiz module.

There's also a solder pad on the rear of the driver. You can snip off the diode leads, add a spring for the battery (+) feed, and take the battery (-) from the host via the Aixiz module's case.

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wow thats nice and tiny.
you could build a micro laser with that just make the bottom side a pad and case ground the thing.

Question got a pic of it on a scope?
 
kiyoukan said:
wow thats nice and tiny.
you could build a micro laser with that just make the bottom side a pad and case ground the thing.

Question got a pic of it on a scope?
Click to expand...

Once I get some time to learn my DSD Nano, I could snap a screenshot of that, if that counts ;)

But it should be solid. I know a lot of AMC-based drivers skip this, but I actually include input and output caps on all of mine (even this small one).
 
I don't know how you managed to fit all 3 of those on there, including caps, on one side. What is the diameter of the boards?

I like the name! Lol
 
benmwv said:
I don't know how you managed to fit all 3 of those on there, including caps, on one side. What is the diameter of the boards?

I like the name! Lol
Click to expand...

11mm. You have to violate board edge rules, but in practice everything actually fits when you put it all together (mostly because the SOT-89 packages in Eagle are generous with their outline dimensions).

We're also given some leeway by the fact that the outward facing tab of the SOT-89 ICs happens to be the GND feed that you'd be getting from the case wall anyway - so if they happened to touch the inner edge of the heatsink (which they don't when the drivers are reflowed properly), there is still no issue with shorts.

It's a very very compact driver layout, but it all fits.
 
That's awesome! I'm sure you are fine on stability too, I have a 635 running from two amcs on a similar board but with no caps and it does fine.

I always violate the board edge rules :eg:

I have noticed that the eagle sot-89 packages have a much larger pad for the tab than needed.
 
Love.
smitten.gif

I'm such a sucker for tiny builds. Don't be shy if you stumble upon more pics. ;)

rhd said:
But it should be solid. I know a lot of AMC-based drivers skip this, but I actually include input and output caps on all of mine (even this small one).
Click to expand...
Will you be selling these little guys? :D
 
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Nice driver, and name!

I actually think thermally connecting the driver to your aixiz module will ADD heat to the AMC chip. There is going to be more heat coming from the diode than the AMC chips.
 
The name is EPIC :crackup:
Very good job man, you help
the forum a lot !

Jim
 
HaloBlu said:
Will you be selling these little guys? :D
Click to expand...

A few people have offered to sell my drivers at various points. It really depends on whether I could find someone (or a few people) interested in grabbing maybe like a total of 100 of them. That way I could order some boards, and then components in bulk(ish), and spend a day reflowing efficiently.

I'm not setup for efficiently selling 1 or 2 small items at a time. So for that time being, no. But maybe that will change :)
 
We can make a button cell burner too.. If we find some cells!!!!!!
man this driver is like ..epic! wish that i could buy 100 of them i would take one day off your life rhd.. :eg:
 
:gj:Hello Rhd you done it again great work,how much do you figure it would cost to make 100 boards .With all the components to assemble it.

Postive rep if i can.:worthy:

Postive rep has been awarded
 
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Dave934 said:
:gj:Hello Rhd you done it again great work,how much do you figure it would cost to make 100 boards .With all the components to assemble it.

Postive rep if i can.:worthy:

Postive rep has been awarded
Click to expand...

That really depends a lot on who is putting them together, and how much they value their time at. These are more labor intensive than they are part cost intensive. You've got to be very *perfect* in your positioning of the components because everything is truly spaced right at the 6 mil limit from adjacent components. Getting these as small as they are took a number of revisions, and they take a heck of a lot of reflowing patience.
 
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