Is this a boost driver?

[Mohrenberg]

So I got this host today and i'm wondering if it uses a boost driver.
it's normally a SSC P7 led powered by an 18650 battery...

I know the light has hi-lo-strobe feature.
Anyone able to tell if it's a boost driver?
and throwing my 445 test load on it should tell me if it is right?

 

[GBD]

I cant tell really with this driver, is there an inductor on the backside? (ferrite chunk with wire coiled around it, post pictures if you can).

But from the sounds of it, its a boost (since its driving that LED and IIRC they typically use higher voltage then 3.7V) there should also be a uC or a PWM driver somewhere on there for those modes (although irrelevant to whether its a buck/boost, just its features, I suppose thats what the unmarked black IC is, but again, a picture of the back would be helpfull).

Although, without an inductor on that board, the liklyhood of it bieng a buck/boost is very little, and is more to be some current source or a cheap linear driver.

 

[Mohrenberg]

this is the entire driver....something on the other side except for the spring in the center and the outter etching for the negative contact.

It would be nice if the stock driver could be used to drive 445nm diodes in this host.....because this host is AWESOME and being able to use the stock driver would be even cooler...

 

[GBD]

Then sorry bud, thats most likly not a boost converter (or a buck for that matter).
both switchmode topologies require an inductor to operate, and almost all of the drivers and driver IC's ive seen require an external inductor.

Im guessing its some regulator (linear, probably current source) with an IC for the modes.
either step down, or just current regulation.

 

[Mohrenberg]

Alright, Thanks for the info!
I guess i'll save the driver with the p7 LED. I love the output of this sucker so i'm definitely gonna have to get one to keep as a flashlight....

I'd love to share some pics of the host but it must wait until tomorrow when I get the sink made

 

[GBD]

Sounds good, do post pics when it does happen, I always like seeing other's builds (regardless if its a laser or not ).

EDIT: Dont count on this bieng correct, but from what I could tell looking at the picture:
The black unmarked IC is probably a pre-programmed uC or some special function IC made for LED drivers for flashlight use, the two smaller devices, (looks like its marked A08I) are probably transistors, one to PWM the output (to accompany the modes you mentioned) and the other is probably part of the regulation. (since I see no more ICs, Id say its probably also controlled by the big IC.)

Looks to be a big diode on the buttom, to prevent reverse connection of the battery, then misc passives like resistors and capacitors for the circuit's use.
Its hard for me to see the traces and see whats really connected to what. without a schematic, or complete part numbers its rather hard to reverse engineer any driver.

More or less, I would not use this as a laser driver of any kind, and leave it alone as an LED driver.

 

[Bionic-Badger]

I think many of those LED drivers often use a current sink topology as well, so they don't even regulate the voltage.

 

[rhd]

For the most part, LED torches that use single li-ions, won't use boost drivers. It's usually the 1xAA, or 1xAAA torches the boosts are found in.

The P7 for example - I believe - is a 4.2 max voltage LED. Something like that. So usually you won't see torches trying to boost a single lithium ion cell, since it's typically going to come in around that mark.

At least, this wisdom seems to hold true to experience for cheap-ish chinese torches. Not sure if the guys over at CPF would say this generalization works across the board, but I'd never drop $100 on a flashlight to find out.