why no 2.2A 16.8mm round driver

[awillis2589]

So like the title says, why isn't this a common driver yet? I mean for the most part if you want 2.2A you have to use a rectangular driver and I've got some 9mm lasers I want to build that a round driver would just make much more easier and as heatsinking the IC and such would also be easier then trying to use a contact board and rectangular driver

 

[benmwv]

If its so simple make one yourself

17mm round with positive contact in the middle is a horrible form factor from a driver design standpoint. You have components on only one side, no ground plane under most of the board, big obstructions in the way if any traces you want to make on the bottom, and not very much usable space. Contact board and separate driver is much more practical.

That said, I still agree that from the laser builder standpoint 17mm drivers are great. Maybe I will have to start the open source 17mm buck driver soon...

 

[Pi R Squared]

That's a good question. Maybe not enough people have voiced a demand for them. SL has some but they aren't selling them separately, only in a driver and pill assembly for an expensive $44.99. DIY 2.2A Driver & Pill Module
Someone needs to have a large number of these made and sell them at a reasonable price.

 

[awillis2589]

benmwv I'm not saying it's simple. I know lots of time and research and money goes into building drivers, I'm more or less wondering if anyone was working on something or to possible see if others are interested so maybe a driver guru knows there might be a demand for it.

 

[benmwv]

Hey man, I was just joking around with you :na:

The ax2003 chip is very common in buck led drivers and stuff. It should be pretty cheap and I have a driver schematic made for it somewhere. I might throw together a 17mm round circuit sometime.

 

[IsaacT]

You driver builders are wizards. I am beginning my journey to becoming an electrical engineer, but from the doorstep looking in, I just see a bunch of guys with great beards and cool robes throwing electrical arcs all over the place and chanting traces onto circuit boards. :worthy:

 

[bloompyle]

I only know of 15.8mm 2.1A drivers. Would that work?

 

[benmwv]

You driver builders are wizards. I am beginning my journey to becoming an electrical engineer, but from the doorstep looking in, I just see a bunch of guys with great beards and cool robes throwing electrical arcs all over the place and chanting traces onto circuit boards. :worthy:

I literally laughed out loud when I read that!

My best advice to get started is to learn some eagle by making circuits you already have found a proven working schematic for online. Once you get proficient at eagle and assembling the boards find a chip you like and try to make your own driver. Often times you can make a simple driver from any switching regulator chip by putting in a shunt resistor instead of the voltage divider.

I can't wait to start college! Even though I dont actually have any EE classes first year.

+ rep :beer:

 

[awillis2589]

lol benmwv, I was like I don't know crap about building a efficient working circuit and why should I when the community has guys like you that are really good at it.

I'd be very interested in assembling a few drivers. just got a hot air reflow station and it hasn't got much use Yet!

 

[benmwv]

Hows this for an hours work?

Theoretically it will be capable of >4A output. The set resitors, chip, diode, inductor would get really hot at that current though! Input voltage 3.6v-23v, output voltage 0.25v-input. Based on ax2003 buck regulator. Eagle files attached.

 

[Soulero]

Hows this for an hours work?

Theoretically it will be capable of >4A output. The set resitors, chip, diode, inductor would get really hot at that current though! Input voltage 3.6v-23v, output voltage 0.25v-input. Based on ax2003 buck regulator. Eagle files attached.

If you can get some working units I'd definitely be interested in buying a few

 

[awillis2589]

These are great! So are you going to run a small batch? If these work I might have to buy about a dozen pre-made or assemble them myself. I could grab a bunch of different resistors so i could do different currents.

 

[benmwv]

I think you could make them yourself pretty easy with that hot air station. The only thing remotely hard on the board is two 0603 components. The rest is 1206 or bigger and the so8 chip is super easy to solder.

Ill have to do some testing first and then I might do a small run if you guys are interested. I could do like 20-50 with option kit or assembled. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, they have to be tested first.

 

[awillis2589]

well i'd be very interested! lets so how the testing goes and we can go from there. also with the hot air station I think about everything should be pretty easy! are the components pretty inexpensive?

Also if you need any help I can do my best to help you along.

 

[benmwv]

hmm even though the ax2002/3 chips are very common in chinese led drivers I am having a hard time finding them.

I think I will do a new design with an easier to get chip like tps54332

 

[Wolfman29]

Just saying, the BlitzBuck does this and the soon-to-be-released BlitzBuck V4 will do this too!

Hmm, I noticed the round high-power ones are out of stock. Clif is shutting down his store, so I suppose I can just order some parts and sell them on my own. I'll do that this weekend.