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FrozenGate by Avery

The E-drive (V3) + PDF

Re: The Elasti-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

UPDATES;

I've completely redesigned the board layout, so the new ones coming in a few weeks will be 100000 percent more awesome. I've kept the same sizes, 11.73 mm by 9 mm (mini) and the micro at a 11.33 mm by 8.69 mm. The inductor will no longer hang off the edges, and the heatsink pad on the back will be correctly laid out so heatsinking will be a snap. No more worrying about shorting stuff out. They also all sport centered output pads as well.

We're also going to introduce 16.6 mm round boards too soon, roughly around the same time the new layout ones will come in. They sport the same new design, plus they have a blank pad on the top for heatsinking, while maintaining the contacts underneath for your battery and ground connections!

Still no changes on the adjustable versions though, unfortunately!

ALSO; I got one of these drivers for sale, a 200 mA one... It's a mini version, but the inductor hangs off the edge a tad. It still fits in an aixiz module no problem but it's something to take into consideration. I'll sell it out for $17 shipped in the CONUS.
 
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Re: The Elasti-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

UPDATES;

I've completely redesigned the board layout, so the new ones coming in a few weeks will be 100000 percent more awesome. I've kept the same sizes, 11.73 mm by 9 mm (mini) and the micro at a 11.33 mm by 8.69 mm. The inductor will no longer hang off the edges, and the heatsink pad on the back will be correctly laid out so heatsinking will be a snap. No more worrying about shorting stuff out. They also all sport centered output pads as well.

We're also going to introduce 16.6 mm round boards too soon, roughly around the same time the new layout ones will come in. They sport the same new design, plus they have a blank pad on the top for heatsinking, while maintaining the contacts underneath for your battery and ground connections!

Still no changes on the adjustable versions though, unfortunately!

ALSO; I got one of these drivers for sale, a 200 mA one... It's a mini version, but the inductor hangs off the edge a tad. It still fits in an aixiz module no problem but it's something to take into consideration. I'll sell it out for $17 shipped in the CONUS.

What actually is the problem of circuit instability when using
a variable resistor instead of variable value fixed resistors for
current limiting this driver as noted in post #101 ??


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website:
J.BAUER Electronics
 
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Re: The Elasti-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

What actually is the problem of circuit instability when using
a variable resistor instead of variable value fixed resistors for
current limiting this driver as noted in post #101 ??


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website:
J.BAUER Electronics

The problem has to do with the way feedback, and the way the current sense op amp works...

When I change the amount the op amp we're using has to amplify (as set by the potentiometer), the circuit starts to become unstable for some reason... it jumps currents, has spikes, it's just not pretty with the potentiometer.

HOWEVER. This does NOT carry over to the fixed versions. I've tested them in every way I know how to test a driver and they are rock solid, no problems.

I'm planning on trying different op amps, to see if maybe that fixes the problems with the adjustable versions.
 
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Re: The Elasti-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

Does this happen while you adjust the current only?
 
Re: The Elasti-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

The problem has to do with the way feedback, and the way the current sense op amp works...

When I change the amount the op amp we're using has to amplify (as set by the potentiometer), the circuit starts to become unstable for some reason... it jumps currents, has spikes, it's just not pretty with the potentiometer.

HOWEVER. This does NOT carry over to the fixed versions. I've tested them in every way I know how to test a driver and they are rock solid, no problems.

I'm planning on trying different op amps, to see if maybe that fixes the problems with the adjustable versions.

Perhaps there is a cap on the op amp input causing a an extra voltage (the dv/dt across the cap) to be amplified by the op amp?
 
Re: The Elasti-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

Perhaps there is a cap on the op amp input causing a an extra voltage (the dv/dt across the cap) to be amplified by the op amp?

I've found without a cap before the sensing resistor the spike gets intensely worse... So it can't be that.

I'll keep trying to figure out what's wrong, regardless. Hopefully I'll fix it.
 
Re: The E-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

you made a believer out of me. i received the driver today and installed it into a phobos host with the 12x diode from dtr. i'm getting 645mw with a 3 element lens. i didn't check the current before i used it but if it's set at 515ma i have one hella diode. i'm off to get a new battery for my laserbee. i'm a bit shocked at the reading.

edit: here's the 12x i built
http://laserpointerforums.com/f38/12x-phobos-host-78000.html
 
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Re: The E-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

Glad to hear it cheech! :)

And it was around 530 mA, just a tad higher than I expected. Regardless that does sound like a really efficient diode!
 
Re: The E-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

you made a believer out of me. i received the driver today and installed it into a phobos host with the 12x diode from dtr. i'm getting 645mw with a 3 element lens. i didn't check the current before i used it but if it's set at 515ma i have one hella diode. i'm off to get a new battery for my laserbee. i'm a bit shocked at the reading.

Outstanding! Glad to hear it. I think 12x's are one of the best scenarios for testing right now. If they are working properly then we are definitely seeing real world reflections of our testing because a 12x at the upper limits of current wouldnt survive any spikes or big ripples.

Thanks for sharing that with us!
 
Re: The E-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

I've updated the OP a bit, to look a little nicer, and added some more details into the driver and what's coming. :)
 
Re: The E-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

Any ETA on the mini and micro drivers. I want some super small boost drivers around the 350mA.
 
Re: The E-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

Yes I'm hanging out on some boost drivers too.

I have a flexdrive which has killed two 12x diodes I want to replace (one went open and one LED'd). It was driven using a single 18650, I checked the current was set right after the first diode went and double checked all the wiring and connections so I'm buggered if I know what's going on with it.

I figure these new drivers can't be any worse..
 
Re: The E-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

These look great :) will wait for the adjustable ones :beer:
 
Re: The E-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

The new layout versions should be here in a week, give or take a few days. The boards I have now (mini's) have a small layout problem, where the inductor on the backside kind of hangs over the edge of the board. However they still fit in aixiz modules!

This has been resolved in the new layout versions.

The adjustable ones may be around the same time, probably plus a few days. It depends on how testing goes. I'm trying a different op amp, so hopefully it'll resolve the problems I had!
 
Re: The E-drive Intro (V1 and V2)

The adjustable ones may be around the same time, probably plus a few days. It depends on how testing goes. I'm trying a different op amp, so hopefully it'll resolve the problems I had!


That's good news! Hope testing goes well :)
 


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