new B&M headlight...

Savvas

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Hi Folks,

B&M feature a new dynamo headlight in their 2016 English catalogue (and on the German language web site). It's called the IQ-X. Stunning (IMHO) beam pic!

See: http://www.bumm.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Katalog/B_M__Catalogue_2015_16__English.pdf

Some specs quoted from catalogue:
- Casing: aluminium
- LED IQ-TEC: 100 Lux
- Extensive light field
- Light at close range
- Daytime running light with lateral light emission
- Standlight
- Sensor automatic
- Screw-on front reflector.

I have no doubt it will be expensive! I wonder if it will resolve some of the switch/mechanical issues reported with the Cyo? I am very happy using Philips Saferide, older Edelux lights and some homemade creations (but my needs are modest). However it's great to see designs go forward. Is SWHS still on the forum? I wonder if he has seen this yet...

Savvas.
 

Savvas

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Bit more info from Activ Rad:

"Busch und Müller IQ-X with 100 Lux08/14/2015
Busch and Müller Lumotec IQ-X.
Busch and Müller Lumotec IQ-X.

The absolute highlight among the many innovations is certainly the high-end LED Dynamo headlight IQ-X. It is a design headlights in an aluminum housing, which brings up to 100 lux and an extremely broad, wide and homogeneous illumination offers.


Also included are a front daytime running lights and additional LEDs with lateral light emission. The back button for On / Off is backlit in blue. The changeover sensor and the sidelights there are standard. For this headlight has a special multi-joint holder with integrated cable duct for mounting with screw-fork front reflector. RRP: 139,90 Euro."

Savvas
 

Savvas

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deNaranja

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Steve K

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thanks for all of the links! I enjoyed the photos of the circuit board. Too bad that the part numbers on some of the IC's aren't visible. It would be fun to know how the different modes of operation are being controlled.
 

deNaranja

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I had a closer look on my pictures. The main controller has the following code on it: 430G2232. I think its a Texas Instruments Controller.
 

Steve K

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The part number does show up on the TI.com web site....
http://www.ti.com/product/MSP430G2232

looks like a nice little controller. 16MHz, a 16 bit timer, a 10 bit A/D, and it only costs about $0.50 in quantity.
I wonder how hard it is to reverse engineer the software. :)
 

Steve K

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but the question that haunts me is... how do I get a dead B&M light (one of the good ones) to use as a host for mods???

or do I have to wait for people to unload their old light when they decide to buy a IQ-X?? :)

Still, nice to see B&M improving their designs, both in terms of optics and electronics. I'd love for someone in my area to buy one so I could compare it to my homemade lights. I have absolutely no idea how bright 100 lux is.
 

The_Driver

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The 100 lux refers to the most intense part of the beam measured in a distance of 10m from the light. This equates to 100 * 10 * 10 = 10,000cd = 10,000lux@1m. For a floody light (compared to flashlights) that is rather good!
 

Savvas

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but the question that haunts me is... how do I get a dead B&M light (one of the good ones) to use as a host for mods???...

Steve,

I'd get one of these for experimenting with. Pretty cheap and I imagine there'd be some nondestructive way of opening. They are lower power than the Philips and B&M but seem to get quite good reviews. I've ordered one to try out - it's going to replace an older Dosun I have (sort of a metal copy of the B&M Cyo).

Savvas.
 

Steve K

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that's a possibility. It's going to be a while till I get ready to work on a light... i.e. get familiar with the little Atmel processors, try out some algorithms, etc. In the meantime... I'm hoping that B&M has some problems at the factory that cause circuit board failures and I can get a dead one easily. :)
 

znomit

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I now have a spare original Cyo which I will likely batteryify and mount to the cross bike. Might be a fun project. I still have a few drivers from my light building days.
 

Steve K

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Steve,

I'd get one of these for experimenting with. Pretty cheap and I imagine there'd be some nondestructive way of opening. They are lower power than the Philips and B&M but seem to get quite good reviews. I've ordered one to try out - it's going to replace an older Dosun I have (sort of a metal copy of the B&M Cyo).

Savvas.

your comment about "lower power" made me think about one detail of my anticipated project... I want to be able to put at least 6 watts through the LED. My guess is that none of the commercial lights will tolerate 6 watts being shoved through the LED, so part of the challenge is dropping in a larger(?) LED and providing adequate heatsinking. It's possible that changing the LED will mess up the well designed B&M beam, so it's hard to say how critical it is that I start with a good beam.
 

The_Driver

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A LED with a bigger DIE will make the cut-off more fuzzy. I would focus an using higher binned LEDs of the same size.
 

Steve K

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A LED with a bigger DIE will make the cut-off more fuzzy. I would focus an using higher binned LEDs of the same size.

well, my goal isn't getting more light out of a LED. I'm interested in being able to put 2 amperes through a LED in a light that is probably designed to put 1 ampere (or less) through the LED. My intent is to completely change the electronics in the light in order to achieve the 2 amperes.

It's been a while since I've reviewed what LEDs are designed for 2A, but I notice that the Cree XM-L and XM-L2 can handle 3A. They use a package with a 5mm square footprint. LEDs like the Cree XP-E are rated for 1A and use a 3.45mm square footprint.
There is a chance that some careful mods of the board would allow the XM-L to be soldered to pads designed for the XP-E, but it would impact the thermal conductivity somewhat, and as noted, the larger die would degrade the beam quality somewhat.

Is anyone building a good dynamo light with a LED with the 5mm square footprint?
 

The_Driver

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You can overdrive the LEDs to much more than that if you use a (cheap) copper pcb (made by Sinkpad, Noctigon etc.). The values in the datasheet are for when you have a bad (standard) thermal path. Copper PCBs allow for double to triple the maximum rated current. If you search the forum a bit you will find lots of modded flashlights with overdriven emitters. Even Thrunite, a well known manufaturer, produces a light with a factory overdriven emitter (TN-32). The copper direct-thermal-path PCB has been one of the two biggest innovations in LED technology in the past few years. The other is "de-doming", i.e. the removal of the silicon dome on Cree LEDs. De-Doming doubles a LEDs luminance ("surface brightness") which is what determines throw with a given optic. Cree now offers some LEDs without a dome because of this (CREE XP-L HI etc.).

Cree XP-E2 LEDs get brighter until about 2,6A.
Cree XP-G2 LEDs get brighter until about 5 to 5.5A.
Cree XM-L2, XP-L HD and XP-L HI LEDs get brighter until about 7A.

Real world tests can be found here:
http://budgetlightforum.com/node/19331
http://budgetlightforum.com/node/32522

I would not recommend modding older B&M lights. They have plastic housings which are unsuited for multi Watt LEDs (this is one of the main reasons why they were never very efficient). I would only use the reflector and put it in a suitable aluminium housing.

The special optics of these lights are developed for use with specific LEDs with a specific DIE-size. Larger LEDs will make the cut-off of the beam less sharp and the light will be more likely to blind oncoming traffic.

I would start by trying out an XP-G2 LED. The highest BIN is currently S4. At a current of 2A a XM-L2 LED will have a rather low luminance. You would get more of a flood beam.
 
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