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FREE DIY open source BOOST driver!!! Tested & working!!

I have to jump in on this.. Bigest problem with apple is the software. And that has goten alot better in teh last few years.. But there far far from perfect.. I hear people who get the new apples seem to be happy with them a few friends have switched but I will stay PC.. This i7 970 rig has got to be the best thing I have ever played with (Lasers excluded).. Here is an example of what I can do with it's 12 processors..
I can have fallout 3, assasins creed, call of duty mw3, and civilization 5 all running at the same time and if I get bored with one I can just alt-tab to another and play it for a bit and that is with only 12gig of ram and 1 video card running 1920x1080. and still have a tone of explorer windows and other programs going... It has been an amazing machine. It just goes and goes. Have experienced a few drive problems lately but it was an easy bios fix..


I have been researching tablets and went looking today to find the future shop prety much void of anything decent under 1200$ There running windows 7 on them now some new samsung I looked at. + I allway's hated seting up wireless networks so I have kept them disabled. This rampage has a BT connection for wireless built in too which is nice. Anyone that can help me pick out a tablet feel free to PM me. I just dont really want another monthly fee just because I baught a tablet. :barf: Glad I got that out...

Yes this whole project has been a HUGE learning experience for me too.. Been lots of fun..
 
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I think the biggest problem with Apple is actually complacency.

While Microsoft and Windows users were battling spyware, crapware, adware, malware, viruses, trojans, worms, phishing attacks, etc for years, Apple users (and developers) were relaxing. In fact, many Apple users were initially attracted to Apple because it was safe. It was breezy. They could engage in generally unsafe practices (from a security perspective), secure in the knowledge that the threat landscape was just a lot more barren. Truthfully, I say that they were "secure in this knowledge", but in reality, I think the depth of their analysis of the situation was much more shallow. Apple was marketed as "safe and easy", a perspective that was initially somewhat accurate, and the eager public opened up their wallets to that promise.

The challenge, is that Apple-ites haven't benefited from the last 5 to 10 years of learning information-age best security practices the hard way. They've been conditioned to believe that you can behave poorly, and you'll be safe. Apple themselves haven't had to secure their systems to the degree that someone like Microsoft has (which is one of the reasons that they're now 10 years behind Microsoft in terms of security practices). Apple users, initially attracted to the various Apple platforms by the notion that they don't have to actually "learn anything" in order to use their technology, are like domesticated house pets being tossed out into nature.

I don't have a "grudge" against Apple, but I think their approach is a dangerous one. They're trying to make their products so incredibly simple to use, that anyone can just pick one up and start playing with it. That's a noble intent, but that doesn't mean it's a wise one. It would also be a noble intent to help enable the world to be proficient with self defense. However, that doesn't mean that its wise to start giving people guns without some basic safety training.

I'm stretching the analogy to extremes, and right now that might seem silly. But the reality of Apple's approach is that they are taking incredibly complex computer systems, and trying to retain the power of those systems, without exposing the users to any of the dangers that power brings. It's sort of working now, but it's not a long term strategy that can work. No matter how much you try, at some point, you have to vest some responsibility in your users to "actually think for themselves". Apple is reluctant to do this, because it narrows their market.

How many people do you know who don't understand the difference between a folder, file, or a program, yet they pick up the iPad and start pressing buttons, and decide that they're ready to sign their life over to the platform? I know people who don't understand the difference between a search engine and a web browser, that are suddenly typing financial information into anything that comes up on an iPad screen, while the surf on the unencrypted wifi of their local Starbucks.

Apple is breading more uncritical users than any other platform provider I've seen, and that's going to be a very bad thing in the long run.
 
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I like the flexability of microsoft.. I have been running windows 7 64bit for over a year with few problems. Security is another issue alltogether I didnt realize that apple was claiming they were more secure than another.. That would be a bad thing to say. It would open them up to crackers hackers and bored computer engineers. Hoping for the job of a lifetime... We did suffer in the pre and post XP day's though.. I started on atari omega and apple][+ I miss the omega day's.... Oh yeah TSR-80 with the 10" floppy!! lol
 
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OMG. Talk about irony. Right after I posted my earlier response. I started using my wife's Win 7 laptop to "find" something for her.

Let's just say her Anti-Virus wasn't up to date (She swore it was but I should have known better). Windows pop-up hell, virus infected computer, and a system restore later and I'm back after fully proving RHD's point about apple user's and a false sense of security. UGH!!!!
 
Dear tsteele93. Pc are more common and that goes for their viruses . Ipad are getting common too with my friends bur so far they have not had any attack.

I think what the editor wrote I agree with. The internet has a lot of good as well as the bad. You are building Drivers , that is good .Why don't you be the first to buy and test.

Tony1
 
I think this thread went way off course :D

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tony1 said:
Dear tsteele93. Pc are more common and that goes for their viruses . Ipad are getting common too with my friends bur so far they have not had any attack.

I think what the editor wrote I agree with. The internet has a lot of good as well as the bad. You are building Drivers , that is good .Why don't you be the first to buy and test.

Tony1
Click to expand...

Tony, I have 40+ Ben boost pcbs (left) and parts to build them. If you search back in this thread you can see my oscilloscope tests on them. It would be impossible to be the first to buy and test as they have been built and sold by the hundreds, maybe thousands at this point and time. :beer:

As for iPads, it isn't just their newness and (relative to pc) smaller number of users, but also the sandboxed design, apple app store approval and limiting of things like flash, java and such that all add up to make me quite secure in using my iPad as a safe browsing platform and allow me to poke t things (metaphorically speaking) that I would never touch with my pcs.

No one has shown any examples of un-jail broken iPads being infected with viruses. Even if someone were to find an anecdotal case it still wouldn't mean there was any real reason to be concerned right now.

Will it happen? Probably. Is it a valid concern right now? No, not practically.

Besides, even if I were to TRY to infect my iPad, a reset and restore from cloud and a few hours later I would be exactly where I was before the infection.

That is another advantage, with its limited storage the iPad is easily backed up and easily restored.
 
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Dear tsteele93,

You are right, but if you are happy with ipad's limitation carry on using. The hackers are not so interested in ipads now. With cloud restoration they might attack cloud servers.For now we are save. I am using windows on 3 PCs all lined up .If one crashes there are 2 more to connect to. For transaction I use a Very secure Laptop. Pay a lot for it's security.
 
And now back to the driver... I am still reading through this thread but noticed that the Original post was not updated with this "fork": http://laserpointerforums.com/f67/f...iver-tested-working-71433-44.html#post1094840

From what I understand the reason behind this layout is to reduce the current ripple? There were rumors that benboost might be responsible for killing 405nm diodes. With the new layout the problem should be assuaged? Did I misunderstand?
 
gillza said:
And now back to the driver... I am still reading through this thread but noticed that the Original post was not updated with this "fork": http://laserpointerforums.com/f67/f...iver-tested-working-71433-44.html#post1094840

From what I understand the reason behind this layout is to reduce the current ripple? There were rumors that benboost might be responsible for killing 405nm diodes. With the new layout the problem should be assuaged? Did I misunderstand?
Click to expand...

Haven't added that to the OP yet because it is entirely untested. I have the boards in hand, and the parts will be here in a day or two then I will give an update.

The reason I made that version is to improve heatsinking. The IC in that design has a thermal pad that is soldered to the board. On the other side of the board directly beneath the IC (and connected by a bunch of vias) is a large pad where a piece of copper will be soldered. The piece of copped will then be heatsinked to the host. Now all of the heatsinking from the host to the IC is through metal instead of heatsinking the top of the plastic package. This should allow it to be cooled much more effectively and we will be able to run higher loads.

There was a problem with some oscillations, but that has been fixed now. I updated the OP about it.
 
I've got a couple of the old V1 benboosts that I haven't used because of the oscillation issue. Just to make sure before I hook these up to a 50$ diode, all I have to do is replace C1 and C2 with 22uf caps and remove C3 to fix the oscillation problem?
 
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Ben, RHD you guys are awesome!!! Are you planning any other open source drivers in the future? Buck, buck/boost?
Perhaps we could chip in some funds to reimburse parts and PCB ordering and etc for the future projects?
 
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ARGLaser said:
I've got a couple of the old V1 benboosts that I haven't used because of the oscillation issue. Just to make sure before I hook these up to a 50$ diode, all I have to do is replace C1 and C2 with 22uf caps and remove C3 to fix the oscillation problem?
Click to expand...

Just replace the output cap with 22uF X5R and remove the one between LD+ and LD-.

10uF for the input is enough :)
 
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