Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. (UPDATE PAGE 2)

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

While we are on the topic of my dead diode, could you briefly say (or link) the differences between the m140 and the H1600? Oupute/efficiency/Vf, etc? I have been getting a bunch of bad search results. It's obvious I have to purchase one of them at this point, reluctantly lol.

I wouldn't have even used this 7135 driver if DX was reasonable on their shipping. They don't even tell you when it's backordered until weeks after you order.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Amc7135 drivers are pretty stable, I use custom ones for 635 builds. I really doubt the driver damaged the diode, especially if it doesn't have a cap that could have discharged it the diode.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Jayls5 said:

While we are on the topic of my dead diode, could you briefly say (or link) the differences between the m140 and the H1600? Oupute/efficiency/Vf, etc? I have been getting a bunch of bad search results. It's obvious I have to purchase one of them at this point, reluctantly lol.

I wouldn't have even used this 7135 driver if DX was reasonable on their shipping. They don't even tell you when it's backordered until weeks after you order.

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I grabbed one because some were thinking that they may be more efficient and wanted to offer them for people to test them out. I have sold a few but have not had any feedback on them yet.:beer:

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

AMC7135s are best for lower Vf diodes, so for a 635nm red and white LEDs they'd be just fine. At 6V, you're really skirting the maximum voltage those things can tolerate, and who knows if it'll really do a good job regulating power. DX suggests only powering up to 4.5V or so.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Bionic-Badger said:

AMC7135s are best for lower Vf diodes, so for a 635nm red and white LEDs they'd be just fine. At 6V, you're really skirting the maximum voltage those things can tolerate, and who knows if it'll really do a good job regulating power. DX suggests only powering up to 4.5V or so.

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Yeah, but DX is known for being terribly inaccurate. This is why I read the datasheet a while back on the chip it used. If you look it up, 7v is the absolute maximum and 6v is totally reasonable.

DTR said:

I grabbed one because some were thinking that they may be more efficient and wanted to offer them for people to test them out. I have sold a few but have not had any feedback on them yet.:beer:

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Yeah, i found the answer after enough checking
Check your paypal. I just ordered another bare m140 diode, and an extra mounted m140 with glass optic just in case murphy's law strikes again.

I think this one I got in this thread was a fluke.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Jayls5 said:

Check your paypal. I just ordered another bare m140 diode, and an extra mounted m140 with glass optic just in case murphy's law strikes again.

I think this one I got in this thread was a fluke.

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I will get it out to you in the morning.:beer:

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

ive used a 5 mode, 3x AMC7135 driver on a 445 diode.
see here: http://laserpointerforums.com/f65/trustfire-tr-801-5-mode-445nm-70109.html

it hit 270mW on high due to the 445 diodes high Vf that the AMC7135 chip cannot reach.
Also you claim 1.05A at the tail cap, mine was 400mA at the tail cap..

So in you telling us it only made 100mW id say it would be at-least 270mW, thus lead to me to belive it is zombified.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Fiddy said:

ive used a 5 mode, 3x AMC7135 driver on a 445 diode.
see here: http://laserpointerforums.com/f65/trustfire-tr-801-5-mode-445nm-70109.html

it hit 270mW on high due to the 445 diodes high Vf that the AMC7135 chip cannot reach.
Also you claim 1.05A at the tail cap, mine was 400mA at the tail cap..

So in you telling us it only made 100mW id say it would be at-least 270mW, thus lead to me to belive it is zombified.

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If you were using a single 18650, I understand why you would be getting those lower current values on a 3x AMC7135 chip. What batts are you using?

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

single 3100mAh 18650 Panasoninc Cell.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Fiddy said:

single 3100mAh 18650 Panasoninc Cell.

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As I expected. I also got a lower amp draw on a single 18650 due to the high Vf of the 445 diode.

If you pop in 2x CR123 (primary) ~3v batteries, you should get the full 1.05A output of the circuit. DO NOT use the rechargeable cobalt lithium ones that charge to 4.2V on this circuit. 8.4v will instantly blow the driver, but the primaries that run a little over 3v (6v in series) will not.

I just picked up about 150 cr123 primary batts from a friend that were barely used and still have ~3.1V on them. I'll send you 4 of them for the cost of shipping and maybe a dollar for the effort lol. I will even test them momentarily to see if they get the 1.05A output from my zombie laser.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Jayls5 said:

Yeah, but DX is known for being terribly inaccurate. This is why I read the datasheet a while back on the chip it used. If you look it up, 7v is the absolute maximum and 6v is totally reasonable.

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I don't think DX's assessment is based on their own testing rather what they've gathered from the net. Otherwise they would've put the datasheet maximum because it would sound better.

The 6V is reasonable for lower valued Vf diodes, and even then not recommended.

I'm not sure what to make of the statements about keeping diodes in regulation. For the LEDs, the power needs to be about 4.2V to stay in regulation for Cree diodes (2.7V Vf I believe?). There's also talk that the drivers work fine as long as you ensure that the chip is well cooled.

In the end, I don't really know really how these things stack up with a 445nm.

One last thing, have you tried hooking up your 445nm laser diode to a traditional DDL current regulator? That way you can see if it is truly dead.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Bionic-Badger said:

I don't think DX's assessment is based on their own testing rather what they've gathered from the net. Otherwise they would've put the datasheet maximum because it would sound better.

The 6V is reasonable for lower valued Vf diodes, and even then not recommended.

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Nice link. I always love when people take the time to make objective tests of products. I must point out that the efficiency of the chip is directly related to the amount of voltage it must drop. Supplying 6v to a buck regulator to run a 3.7 Vf diode will be inefficient and necessarily heat up the regulator in the process. Notice that the closer the supply voltage gets to the forward voltage, the efficiency dramatically rises.

Since the Vf is far higher on the 445nm diode, by deduction, efficiency would be much higher at 6v with the laser than the Q5 LED. All I am saying: you are concerned about efficiency, don't use those charts for this laser.

Bionic-Badger said:

I'm not sure what to make of the statements about keeping diodes in regulation. For the LEDs, the power needs to be about 4.2V to stay in regulation for Cree diodes (2.7V Vf I believe?). There's also talk that the drivers work fine as long as you ensure that the chip is well cooled.

In the end, I don't really know really how these things stack up with a 445nm.

One last thing, have you tried hooking up your 445nm laser diode to a traditional DDL current regulator? That way you can see if it is truly dead.

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The voltage (not power) does not need to be 4.2 to stay in regulation. It just needs to be above the Vf + the internal voltage stepdown of the chip. I found the DATASHEET. It doesn't state a set drop-out, but I haven't been able to examine it completely yet. On the bright side, it is thermally protected and will turn off at 150 C.

When my replacement arrives, I wil surely be testing my "zombie" diode on my filtered power supply.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Interesting, although the AMC chip can handle the 6V supply, can the rest of the chip?
Im not very fussed on primary cell's tho.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Fiddy said:

Interesting, although the AMC chip can handle the 6V supply, can the rest of the chip?
Im not very fussed on primary cell's tho.

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You and me both. It's why from the beginning I said I was avoiding this driver, but DX would have me wait like 3 months get what I really need. I may as well build my own driver from parts express with DX's wait time. Once I found out I would have access to hundreds of free CR123's, I figured I could tolerate this driver as a temporary measure.

To answer your question, I would have to see your driver up close to see what components are on it. If it is "reverse polarity protected" for accidental reversed battery installation, that typically only means it has a small silicon diode added in series with the circuit. That's fine. As for the mode hopping drivers, all I can say is that I have used mode hopping drivers at 6v before that use the AMC7135. I obviously can't tell you if they are the same mode chips though.

Re: Low M140 output @ 1.05A output. Anyone good at troubleshooting?

Fair enough, these drivers are very good for case isolated, low Vf diodes tho, ive got a 16 mode 1050mA version driving a Mitsubishi 300mW 635nm diode and it performs well!

The new diodes came in. Used the exact same setup, same batteries. Output: 1296 mW at 1.05A.