Micro ATL Light

[magellan]

Thanks.

Ha-ha, I had a temporary brain fart and confused lithium polymer with LiFePO4, which I didn't think came in the bag format.

The 240 mAh capacity is similar (actually 60 mAh more at 180 mAh) to the little 10280 cylindrical can batteries I have for lights like my Peak Eiger, TnC, and MBI flashlights, but I bet this battery will last a lot longer between charges because of the XPG, XPG2, and Nichia 219 emitters used and the extreme brightness of those lights in direct drive. Is direct drive used in this light on the brightest setting?

For anyone interested Wikipedia has a good article on LiPo batteries:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_polymer_batteries

Actually the articles on all the different types of lithium and lithium ion batteries are very good and worth reading. I recently read the very interesting article on lithium thionyl chloride batteries, which are a bit different. For example, they can last 25 years in service. Also, they are actually lithium metal and not lithium ion type, a point I had missed before.

Sorry about going OT a bit but this is pretty cool stuff.

 

[sunny_nites]

There several reasons I went with the 240mah lipo to provide power for the Micro ATL;
1 ) The 240mah lipo is the right size and shape. There doesn't appear to be any type of standard for lithium polymer sizes other than the capacity. And even then the dimensions of the batteries shape will vary wildly, with some batteries being longer and thinner and others being shorter and thicker but all having the same capacity. A bit of trivia and the secondary reason I had to stop production on the G3 series was that the 240mah lipo that would fit in the chassis turned out to be difficult to find a reliable source for. There is just enough more space in the G4 to allow me to use a more readily available battery of the same capacity.
2) The 240mah lipo used in the Micro ATL comes with an under/over voltage safety circuit that will protect the battery and keep it from any type of thermal runaway event (industry jargon, not mine).
3) The batteries used in the Micro ATLs are all 10 x charge/discharge. Meaning they could safely output and be charged at up to 2.4 amps. With the three x 5mm LED circuit in the Micro ATL topping out between 60mah and 70mah and the included charger providing a max of 350mah of charge, these batteries are pretty much idling.
4) This has just been my experience but I have found that lipos tend to be more reliable and have a longer life span in general than I have seen with similar capacity cylindrical cells in both the lithium ion, 3.7 volt and LifePo4 3.2 volt types. I have never done any definitive experiments and am just going with practical experiences from using different types of lithium batteries in various equipment.
5) The 3.7 volts provided by the lipo allow the Micro ATL to run without a voltage multiplier for peak efficiency. A 3.2 Volt LifePo4 would be able to run the LEDs without a multiplier after being fully charged but the lights would dim drastically when the battery dropped down to its nominal voltage.

Is direct drive used in this light on the brightest setting

This is a very good question and I'm on the fence about how to answer it. So bear with me as I try to explain.
The microprocessor that controls the Micro ATL uses a PWM (pulse width modulator) to vary the brightness of the LEDs. Some flashlight enthusiasts will say that they don't like PWMs because they can hear a whine emitted from them and or can see a pulsing in the light. The noise would probably never be a factor with the Micro ATL as it does not use a coil and at the low current, wouldn't be likely to make any kind of audible sound. The pulsing of the light in the Micro ATL shouldn't be a factor either as the microprocessor runs at such a high base frequency that it should be above the perception of a persons vision. I verified the PWM operation of the circuit years ago with an oscilloscope and while I don't recall the numbers, I do remember being impressed at the high frequency being used.
When the light is at full brightness, the PWM stops running and in theory the circuit should be in a direct drive mode. Now this is the kicker, even providing direct drive, the circuit drive capacity maxes out at about 70mah. So, there is something limiting the max current but it is not the PWM.
So to answer your question I would have to say; yes, at max brightness, the circuit is in direct drive but with a current limitation being provided by the circuit itself.

 

[magellan]

Wow, thanks for all the great information and taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate it. Also I can see a lot of thought went into the design and manufacturing of this little light. Good things come in small packages!

 

[sunny_nites]

Wow, thanks for all the great information and taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate it.

You are very welcome! As you can probably tell from the long dissertation, I am more than happy to ramble on and on about these lights and how they work.

Also I can see a lot of thought went into the design and manufacturing of this little light. Good things come in small packages!

Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback and hope you enjoy your lights!

 

[sunny_nites]

Thanks for the wiki link! That was an interesting article for sure.

Lots of cool stuff going on with batteries at the moment. Looking forward to the one that takes the crown from the lithium ion/polymer, et all camp. I think it would really have to be something to behold!

 

[magellan]

Yes, lots of really cool stuff going on in battery research. I was a bit surprised to find that the lithium thionyl chloride types were not lithium ion but lithium. I thought lithium metal batteries were too susceptible to fires since the lithium electrode ignites on exposure to air. This was one reason the lithium ion types replaced the lithium metal cells. Maybe one of the experts here will comment since I don't understand it.

And I really appreciate all the info you provided. It really helps me appreciate what a little marvel this light is. I did have one more question but I'll save it for my next post. I need to think a bit about it first.

 

[magellan]

Okay, I had one more question. Hope you don't mind. But I noticed despite the lack of a reflector the light actually has pretty good throw. In fact, it's about the same as my Olight i3s EOS AAA flashlight, which has a much bigger and deeper reflector. I guess the high curvature glass on the front of the LED gives a pretty tight focus.

 

[sunny_nites]

Okay, I had one more question. Hope you don't mind.

Not at all, I'm more than happy to share whatever I can.

But I noticed despite the lack of a reflector the light actually has pretty good throw. In fact, it's about the same as my Olight i3s EOS AAA flashlight, which has a much bigger and deeper reflector. I guess the high curvature glass on the front of the LED gives a pretty tight focus.

It is surprising how well these 5mm LEDs can put out light. The Micro ATLs seem to generally run between the mid and hi settings on the AAA XP-E and XP-G lights I've compared them to. Admittedly much closer to the mid than the high but still pretty impressive.

The way I understand it, and anyone feel free to correct me if I misspeak, you are correct in that the tall dome on the 5mm LEDs acts like a focusing device to give the lights throw, similar to how a reflector would act on a single high power LED.

I know there are a lot of viewing angles available in the 5mm LED format and while I haven't compared a lot of them, the 15 degree LEDs the Micro ATLs use have a dome that is about twice as tall as a batch of 50 degree LEDs that I have. Not sure if it is just coincidence but it would lead me to believe that the viewing angle on 5MM is at least somewhat dependent on the height of the dome or maybe the distance between the light producing portion of the LED and the tip of the dome.

Again the way I understand it, manufacturers cant use a focusing dome on high power LEDs because it would trap heat and shorten the LEDs lifespan. So, you have to add a reflector or some external optic to focus the high power LEDs beam and make it useful for something like a flashlight.

 

[nfetterly]

Looking forward to mine. I will probably be back up in Toronto area close to end of July and last time up I met with some other cpf members. These would be good to share.

of course then I get the security questioning why I have ~10 flashlights in my bag......

 

[magellan]

Thanks, sunny_nites, great info. I really appreciate it.

Not sure anyone else would be interested in this, but if you ever decided to make an even wider one with four or five LEDs I'd be interested. You could alternate the neutral and warm LEDs.

 

[sunny_nites]

why I have ~10 flashlights in my bag......

Glad I'm not the only one!

if you ever decided to make an even wider one with four or five LEDs

That would be pretty cool and the more 5mm LEDs you can pack into a light, the brighter it would be!

 

[magellan]

Glad I'm not the only one!


That would be pretty cool and the more 5mm LEDs you can pack into a light, the brighter it would be!

If you ever decide to make one, I'm in. And I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one.

 

[Str8stroke]

Make one round, with various color leds all around it. With a button in the center, So we can cycle through the leds, That way we just spin it in our hand if we want Nichia, or cool white, or say red, maybe blue, you get the idea.

Then the final mode, they all come on, Then you name it Micro UFO Light.

 

[magellan]

Ha-ha, that sounds great. The ATL-UFO light! I'm in!

 

[magellan]

I just got my copper and brass versions. Wow, noticeably heavier than my aluminum model. Despite the small size, gives a solid feel in the hand. Also noticeably brighter than my aluminum one which has two warm and one neutral LED. These are just great little lights. I had to have one of each.

 

[sunny_nites]

These are just great little lights. I had to have one of each.

Thanks and hope you enjoy them!

I do enjoy the look of my brass and copper lights and always have one or the other on my keychain to show but I typically find myself carrying the aluminum in my pocket. That metal is just so light, it really disappears in a pocket.

noticeably brighter than my aluminum one which has two warm and one neutral LED.

I don't have a light meter so I can't verify this but it appears to my eyes that the cooler temps appear brighter at the same power consumption. Not sure if that is a perception of brightness or if the cooler LEDs are really putting out more lumens. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a comparison of just that sort of thing on this website somewhere.

 

[more_vampires]

I don't have a light meter so I can't verify this but it appears to my eyes that the cooler temps appear brighter at the same power consumption. Not sure if that is a perception of brightness or if the cooler LEDs are really putting out more lumens. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a comparison of just that sort of thing on this website somewhere.

Yeah, this gets said a lot here on CPF. Also, checking LED emitter spec sheets pretty much confirms it.

XML-U3 is really bright, but cold. Nichia 219 series isn't cold, but not as bright. I hear XML-U4 is super cold and has poor color rendition. Guess that's why we're not really seeing people screaming to have it.

 

[magellan]

Thanks and hope you enjoy them!

I do enjoy the look of my brass and copper lights and always have one or the other on my keychain to show but I typically find myself carrying the aluminum in my pocket. That metal is just so light, it really disappears in a pocket.



I don't have a light meter so I can't verify this but it appears to my eyes that the cooler temps appear brighter at the same power consumption. Not sure if that is a perception of brightness or if the cooler LEDs are really putting out more lumens. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a comparison of just that sort of thing on this website somewhere.

You're welcome!

This little light is truly something different and possibly unique. Not an easy thing to do anymore with flashlights.

 

[sunny_nites]

This little light is truly something different and possibly unique. Not an easy thing to do anymore with flashlights.

magellan - Thank you very much and I really appreciate your support!!

Now, just wait till you see the G5!!

 

[SA Condor]

magellan - Thank you very much and I really appreciate your support!!

Now, just wait till you see the G5!!

How soon till you share the details for G5? I was just checking out your G3/G4 sales thread, but if there's a G5 I might hang on and wait for G5!