New Linear driver! ST-DRIVE

kiyoukan said:

RHD yay the drivers are still here i cant seem to locate a box i got from digi key atm with the reverse protection diodes. i know i ordered them a long time ago.

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Ok cool.

Don't worry about sending them in my direction, someone else can grab them.

I'll reiterate what I said previously - these are good drivers.

Cheers

who was it that was building the version with the stcs1a chip? someone sent me an email about it. im going to see if i cant dig up the notes the applications engineer gave me.

It might have been me - or it might have been Ben. We've both been playing around with it a bunch (and the DFN8 version).

Are there notes beyond what the datasheet reveals?

EDIT: Crap, I'm realizing that the DFN8 version I just ordered a bunch of from Digikey is the STCS1A, instead of the STCS1. I wonder if I can just leave the SLOPE pin as NC (the way my STCS1 circuit is designed)

yes but only minor advised changes but if you left everything the same it will still work. i had a folder im going to see if i cant find it.
Are you running the stcs1a or stcs1? and you know the difference right?

kiyoukan said:

class 5 lasers.

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kiyoukan said:

Kinda a bit of irony i was helping drlava with servicing his customers and answering there questions and was unable to do the same for mine.

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Just thought I'd mention that there are a couple discrepancies in your explanation.

1) There are no class 5 lasers.. but I'll give the benefit of the doubt here and assume that was a typo.

2) Why on earth would you (or anyone for that matter) voluntarily act to help someone manage their business while neglecting your own. Doesn't make sense to me..

I suspect you're taking lessons from drlava on customer service. Based on his current customer service record that doesn't seem to me to be a very good idea. In light of the rather large number of occurrences, from now on every time a person from PL comes here to post excuses about why they just HAD to shaft our community because they were so busy or because life is so shitty etc.. I'm going to mark the occasion with a post of my own. So here ya go, nothing personal of course..

Sorry to hear about your friend.. assuming that's a legit story you told. Sorry to seem cold-hearted.. but I am EF after all lol. I've heard a whole bunch of sob stories in my day.. and I've been around long enough to smell 'em coming a mile away.

yea that was a typo
And the second was before this happened i was helping and talking alot with dr lava and others with their setups and was making a video tutorial for lsx.

kiyoukan said:

yes but only minor advised changes but if you left everything the same it will still work. i had a folder im going to see if i cant find it.
Are you running the stcs1a or stcs1? and you know the difference right?

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The STCS1A has slope control for the PWM feature. I'm not using the PWM in my designs, so I'm unclear as to whether the addition of a slip control matters.

The reason I'm concerned is the comment that:
"When CSLOPE is left floating, the internal switch is turned on at maximum speed, in this condition an overshoot can be present on the LED current before the system goes into regulation."

If this only applies to applications using the PWM feature, then I don't care. But if an overshoot is possible when PWM is not being used, then I have some concerns with a straight swap-of the STCS1A for he STCS1

kiyoukan said:

yea that was a typo
And the second was before this happened i was helping and talking alot with dr lava and others with their setups and was making a video tutorial for lsx.

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Cool.. All I'm interested in is keeping records. If you continue to treat your customers well you won't hear another peep out of me on the subject. So far their responses here seem positive..

EF we do love you for being a hard ass sometimes it is deeply needed.
Places can get out of control very fast if they went missing.

Hmm thought i was editing sry for the double post.
So are you leaving PWM floating or just giving it constant power?
I decided to make a new pcb for my drivers that have pads for both the shutdown pin and pwm.
As i use my pwn as TTL in my projectors.
But the shutdown/engage pin is nice to if you wanted to make a side clicky button to have a second on switch.

You can see the pads for them.
To use them all you have to do is cut the trace.
Also as i was explained there is some over shoot but its small without the slope.
But when it first starts up it helps control current and keep it from going over what you set it.
These are great little chips.
I wish i remembered more of the conversations i had with the stc1a about driving it to 1.5A i know it can do it but i dont remember how long and how nice it was.
I do like the stcs1a due to their small size. if the 2a was a bit smaller it could fit inside an aixiz housing.

Kiyoukan - I know that I didn't shoot you a PM because I wasn't that worried about the $7.50 or so and other people got screwed more than me. But I'm just reminding you, you still owe me a 1.6A driver with a heatsink

Right yours broke in shipping right?
PM me your details again with shipping info.
I will have to try to get out to the shop to machine the 1/2in stock down to 12mm and cut it.

Yup - mine broke in shipping. I'll PM you my address.

kiyoukan said:

Hmm thought i was editing sry for the double post.
So are you leaving PWM floating or just giving it constant power?

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I've been tying it to V+ (I think, I don't have my schematic on this computer). I certainly haven't been keeping it floating. I'm not 100% on whether I tied it to V+ or to the V+ after the resistor.

i did it after the diode cap and resistor. that way it was a clean signal and no reverse connections going to it.
Got any pics of the boards?

kiyoukan said:

i did it after the diode cap and resistor. that way it was a clean signal and no reverse connections going to it.
Got any pics of the boards?

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Just what was in this thread:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f67/introducing-femtoflex-8x8mm-0-5v-dropout-driver-70175.html

Though Ben and I have had some fun with the design since then, and are a half a dozen iterations further along than what's posted. (He got a board down to 5x6mm - that guy is a PCB savant!).

Look at some notes (though still not at my schematic), I think I connected PWM to V+ after the 100 ohm resistor. Which capacitor are you calling the "diode cap" ?

I didn't deviate far from the spec-sheet schematic.