# New XM-L driver on DX, anyone getting one?



## PapaLumen (Apr 3, 2011)

Just noticed it today - sku 57779. Wonder if its any good, claims to be 3A.


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## alpg88 (Apr 3, 2011)

*Your search "sku 57779" did not match any products。*


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## hellokitty[hk] (Apr 3, 2011)

It's huge...22x22x14, but I guess it's meant to be used in bigger lights.


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## eprom (Apr 3, 2011)

I have ordered 5 to test.


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## ma_sha1 (Apr 3, 2011)

Let us know if this would work on 12V driving 3 XMLs & if it really gets 3 AMP.

This would be better than the old P7 drivers that has 5 modes. 

looks beefy & fits mag C. I looks similar to Der Wichtel driver but cost 5 times less. Hope this works out!


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## Kokopelli (Apr 3, 2011)

I have had one from KD, maybe not the same board but specs were similar. 22mm diameter fits well into a TrustFire TR1200 drop-in, those sold on DX with 52mm reflectors. It makes a good mid range thrower (nothing sniper style but does really illuminate far) with an XML emitter.


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## Essexman (Apr 3, 2011)

eprom said:


> I have ordered 5 to test.


 
Thanks for doing this, and thanks for all the testing you have done before. The results you have shared with us are very useful.


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## PapaLumen (Apr 3, 2011)

eprom said:


> I have ordered 5 to test.


 
Great, very interested to see how they fare.

Yeh, quite large, im thinking of using in a mag.


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## Aepoc (Apr 3, 2011)

I'm very interested! Please keep us posted eprom!




ma_sha1 said:


> Let us know if this would work on 12V driving 3 XMLs & if it really gets 3 AMP.
> 
> This would be better than the old P7 drivers that has 5 modes.
> 
> looks beefy & fits mag C. I looks similar to Der Wichtel driver but cost 5 times less. Hope this works out!


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## kosPap (Apr 5, 2011)

just one question......

since there are 2 boards does the smaller one is the controller that sets the modes?

can it be removed to make a single mode driver?


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## ergotelis (Apr 5, 2011)

Kostas, usually these drivers use PWM most of them have the classic design of the buck circuit and the modes circuit. So, it is possible to get one mode.


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## Hill (Apr 5, 2011)

I know the interest here is to drive the XM-L to spec @ 3amp, but I find the 2.8A AMC 7135 boards from shiningbeam to work flawlessly. Also they are much smaller and fit a wider variety of light sizes, from P60 style all the way up to mag mods. It does not push the XM-L to max output, but I don't think the extra 200 ma will make a noticeable difference to the human eye. They cost about the same as the DX driver, although, it is only rated to max 6V input which limits battery config to either a single rechargable lion, or maximum 5 x NiMh cells.

Either way, I'm always interested in new drivers too, so I look forward to ergotelis's test data.


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## Changchung (Apr 5, 2011)

Waiting too...


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## Throwjunkie (Apr 5, 2011)

Hill can you post a link to the shinningbeam driver please or PM me


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## kosPap (Apr 6, 2011)

indeed on all points made, but you are missing a point...this is compatible with 2x Li-Ion batteries....a rare occurance in cheap drivers


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## Hill (Apr 6, 2011)

kosPap said:


> indeed on all points made, but you are missing a point...this is compatible with 2x Li-Ion batteries....a rare occurance in cheap drivers



Correct, and that is my one gripe about the 2.8a driver from shiningbeam (link here for throwjunkie) and also available from user download which I neglected to mention (sales thread here). However, thanks to download, there is a wiring "trick" that works with 2x li-on or 2x IMR cells here which I used to build my 4 x xpg in a mag 2c here. Similar builds done by tx101 and vestureofblood.


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## ma_sha1 (Apr 6, 2011)

With download method, you can do 2 or 4 but not 3 with 2 Li-ion.
To squeeze out a triple XML on Mag 2C, I had to import a new type of IMR batteries from China.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Yard-Sweeper-Mag-2C-3-mode-with-3x-IMR-22430

If the DX driver can drive 3 XML, it might give a nice new option for Mag 2C?
I just wish it had Hi/Mid/Lo instead of Hi/Lo Strobe. 

If it can only drive single XML, then it's not as exciting, because I'd rather prefer Mag 1C with single IMR 26650 4000MAH + 2.8A 8x7135, plenty of run time & better modes with H/Mid/lo.


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## eyeeatingfish (Jun 12, 2011)

eprom said:


> I have ordered 5 to test.



Any update?


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## Mattaus (Jun 12, 2011)

I've got these drivers running off a 12V 105Ah DC Battery as per this post. The driver was *not *used in the build at the start of the thread. Towards the end I have a photo of a larger set of lights. I used the new driver in those.

No idea on actual power out but they are definitely brighter than driver used in the small light at the start of the thread (2.4A). They ran well, did not get hot that I could notice. The modes are stupid though. I just want low and high - strobe on the finished flood lights is ridiculous lol.


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## videoman (Jun 13, 2011)

Too bad they don't have them with single mode and provision to put a dimmer pot, better yet with a dimmer pot already soldered and ready to go. Not really for flashlight use but for someone wanting to build a lantern/ lamp or perhaps a video camera light that a dimmer is a must.


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## idlplumb (Jul 2, 2011)

Confirmed: Removing the smaller PCB makes this a single mode (HIGH only) driver.


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## Epsilon (Jul 2, 2011)

I have tested it last week, it starts as 2.8a, but gracefully goes down to 2.7a. Input was 12v @1A. Output 2.7A @3.8v for a P7.


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## steveo_mcg (Aug 2, 2011)

Any idea how much power low draws from the battery? I'm trying to decide on this for a bike light but two XML emitters will only be lucky to get an hour from my battery pack.


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## Techjunkie (Aug 2, 2011)

I'm using one in my 2-piece super bike light. It powers 3-in-series 4p MC-E from 4 D-sized LiFePO4 cells. Those three MC-E have higher Vf than 3 XM-L would at the same drive current, but the principle is exactly the same.


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## moderator007 (Aug 2, 2011)

I considered using this driver. But decide to use the sst-50 driver from dx. Drives the xml to around 3.5 amps.
Very bright in a maglite. Also the modes helps with the usability of the mag as its just too bright up close.
I like H M L modes but the strobe and sos i could do without.


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## sall (Oct 14, 2011)

Any other relatively inexpensive drivers for XM-L with a wide input voltage range >12v for automotive environment? We have tried to the DX driver over at hidplanet.com and they seem to have a high failure rate.


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## moderator007 (Oct 14, 2011)

sall said:


> Any other relatively inexpensive drivers for XM-L with a wide input voltage range >12v for automotive environment? We have tried to the DX driver over at hidplanet.com and they seem to have a high failure rate.


Sku 26110 has been reported to work good from a 12v source. Can be modified to give 2 amps to the led. Not fully driven but will work. Read the reviews at DX for modification for 2 amp output.


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## Justin Case (Oct 15, 2011)

I've tested DX3256, another AX2002 based buck driver, out to 18V with good results (stable operation). I've also mod'ed DX3256 up to 2A. Efficiency seems to suffer, though, at that level (around 78% IIRC). The driver seemed better at around 1.6A, where it was around 82%.


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## finges (Oct 16, 2011)

this driver from dx and 3x 25500 Li-ions should bring one xml to full brightness, am i right? 

can someone please confirm this, then i will sent my order and complete my [email protected] mod. thanks


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## Techjunkie (Oct 16, 2011)

Here's a pic of the driver the OP is about, modded for single-mode with a 1k-ohm pull-up resistor and with the edge filed. It just fits inside the cavity of the OLD style DX 52.8mm MOP MC-E reflector with base (skus 39409 & 17384). They've since changed the base to have a taller and wider cavity, but less brass to draw heat with.







Current output measured with a clamp meter is 2.7A. I didn't measure output of the various modes before modding for single-mode.


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## finges (Oct 17, 2011)

i just ordered this driver to use it with one xml ... one question remains: does it need a heatsink? if yes, where should the heatsink connect to the driver? thanks!


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## Techjunkie (Oct 17, 2011)

finges said:


> i just ordered this driver to use it with one xml ... one question remains: does it need a heatsink? if yes, where should the heatsink connect to the driver? thanks!


 In my bike light build, I don't have the driver heatsinked at all and I've run it for over an hour on high. However, I'm running 3 MC-E from 4 32600 LiFe batteries, so the difference between Vin and Vout is not that great.


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## VegasF6 (Oct 18, 2011)

sall said:


> Any other relatively inexpensive drivers for XM-L with a wide input voltage range >12v for automotive environment? We have tried to the DX driver over at hidplanet.com and they seem to have a high failure rate.



Here is the testing Sall mentions, it may be of interest.


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## sall (Oct 20, 2011)

Hey Vegas! Fancy meeting you here! haha :twothumbs


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## VegasF6 (Oct 20, 2011)

Yep, you knew I had a flashlight background didn't you? Got 5 more of these drivers in the mail today, though now I am not so sure I want to use them. 

Anyone else in this thread experience any failures with this driver, or leds burning out while using it?


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## Richard_severn (Oct 24, 2011)

Techjunkie said:


> Here's a pic of the driver the OP is about, modded for single-mode with a 1k-ohm pull-up resistor and with the edge filed. It just fits inside the cavity of the OLD style DX 52.8mm MOP MC-E reflector with base (skus 39409 & 17384). They've since changed the base to have a taller and wider cavity, but less brass to draw heat with.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I have ordered 3 of these drivers for 3 xm-LT60 1000LM from dx and their going to be used in a dive light i wanted to rive them at around 2.5 amp so they don't get to warm and they last longer with only a slight drop in output does anyone know what resister i would need to use like above but to get a lower output, thanks [h=1]
[/h]


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## Techjunkie (Oct 26, 2011)

Richard_severn said:


> I have ordered 3 of these drivers for 3 xm-LT60 1000LM from dx and their going to be used in a dive light i wanted to rive them at around 2.5 amp so they don't get to warm and they last longer with only a slight drop in output does anyone know what resister i would need to use like above but to get a lower output, thanks [/SIZE]*
> *



The resistor shown above simply replaces the PWM mode board and forces the driver to the constant on position. The driver's stock setting is for 2.7A out, as measured by myself and a few other posters. If you want to go even lower, you would have to change the value of the stack of sense resistors at R3, viewable through the hole in the inductor. A higher resistance value would yield lower output, and lowering the value would yield higher output. I don't know what the value of each of the SMD sense resistors in the stack is, but if you were to desolder them, perhaps you could just remove the lowest valued one of the three to lower the current output just a little bit.


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## Richard_severn (Oct 26, 2011)

Techjunkie said:


> The resistor shown above simply replaces the PWM mode board and forces the driver to the constant on position. The driver's stock setting is for 2.7A out, as measured by myself and a few other posters. If you want to go even lower, you would have to change the value of the stack of sense resistors at R3, viewable through the hole in the inductor. A higher resistance value would yield lower output, and lowering the value would yield higher output. I don't know what the value of each of the SMD sense resistors in the stack is, but if you were to desolder them, perhaps you could just remove the lowest valued one of the three to lower the current output just a little bit.



Thanks for the quick reply i will try it at 2.7A and see how hot it gets, i may be able to just use them with all modes


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## kenwood96 (Nov 2, 2011)

I'm awaiting this driver right now, I have 4 xml's to put in a spotllight. Think it can drive 4 at once too?

I have a lot of high performance lipo cells to solder in any desired combination... A four cell 5000mah setup gives 16,8 V. should perform nicely or not?


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## VegasF6 (Nov 2, 2011)

I have only tested up to 3, but I don't see any reason it won't handle 4. Worst case, simply use 2 drivers and drive 2 leds each. Gotta warn you though, it's kind of buggy, and I know several cases where it has burnt leds. Since you are powering 40 something dollars worth of leds, you just may want to consider another driver option. Sounds like space won't be an issue.


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## kenwood96 (Nov 3, 2011)

Looking at efficiency, may be 3 makes more sense... 

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk


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## Foxx510 (Dec 8, 2011)

Since there has been some buggy drivers burning leds, is it possible to load test these on an incan globe first to test current and stability before hooking it up to a led?


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## VegasF6 (Dec 8, 2011)

I tested mine with power resistors, but it's still no guarantee.


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## cmacclel (Jan 2, 2012)

VegasF6 said:


> I tested mine with power resistors, but it's still no guarantee.




Has anyone tried the new buck/boost 18v driver up on kai? I have a couple on the way.

Mac


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## moderator007 (Jan 3, 2012)

Hi Mac,
I would be interested in how the 3-mode driver turns out. When you get them could you possibly post up some findings.


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## simplec6 (Jan 3, 2012)

Which one is that mac?


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## moderator007 (Jan 3, 2012)

simplec6 said:


> Which one is that mac?


KD 3-mode # S020121
KD 5-mode # S020077
I hope he is getting the three mode version. I would like to know how much current to the leds for each mode.


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## simplec6 (Jan 3, 2012)

*The KD 3-mode S020121 lists the following specs (it is pretty pricy at 14.99):*
This circuit comes with low voltage protection at 5.7V, so please use two or more li-ion for best result.
Input Voltage: 3-18V (recommend use of 2-4pcs 4.2V 18650 or 4-6pcs 3V CR123A)
Output current (single LED): 5A
Output current (3 or 4 XM-L LED wired in serial): 3A
Modes: Low - Medium -- Height 


I'd be very interested in the current output in both configurations (buck and boost). This will be great if it does the advertised 5amps.


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## Foxx510 (Mar 7, 2012)

I started testing this DX 57779 driver a few days ago. It works well, but has a couple of issues. It runs really hot at 12v running a single MT-G, almost too hot to touch. It also wipes out FM radio reception in the near vicinity.


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## Techjunkie (Mar 8, 2012)

cmacclel said:


> Has anyone tried the new buck/boost 18v driver up on kai? I have a couple on the way.
> 
> Mac





simplec6 said:


> *The KD 3-mode S020121 lists the following specs (it is pretty pricy at 14.99):*
> This circuit comes with low voltage protection at 5.7V, so please use two or more li-ion for best result.
> Input Voltage: 3-18V (recommend use of 2-4pcs 4.2V 18650 or 4-6pcs 3V CR123A)
> Output current (single LED): 5A
> ...



I've got one of KD sku S020121 on the way to replace DX 57779 in my bike light (3*MCE driven by 4*3.0V LiFePO4 D-cells). The DX driver has been rock solid and I thought that on a bike, strobe mode might have been desirable, but I find myself being annoyed when I have to cycle passed it. Also, there's no low V warning and the mode memory on that one is the worst kind, where it always goes to the next mode at next power on instead of the last mode. (It'd have been better if it always started on high or low - then I'd only see strobe if I wanted to.)

I'll give the KD one a shot and see if it pleases me more than the DX. I'm expecting less runtime, 'cause it'll increase in current drain as Vbatt drops below Vf, whereas the DX driver has no boost, so draw (and brightness) decreases as Vbatt drops below Vf.


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## Garfi99 (Mar 10, 2012)

simplec6 said:


> *The KD 3-mode S020121 lists *



Hi,

I testet this driver in a SkyRay818.
First it seems to be a really nice driver. It really pushes nearly 3A to the XMLs.
In my lamp it works with 2 or 3 18650. If you use only 2 batteries it took 4.5A from the batteries.

*But:
*The driver is getting hot really fast. I found no special part on the driver which is getting hot especcially. The whole driver seems to warm up.
So the driver is going to reduce its power an the current to the leds will be reduced to nearly the half.

So you have to cool this driver.
Up to now I found no realley good way to do this in my SkyRay.
I filled up the space between the 2 pcp with conductive paste and tried to get a good contact to the case.
But this does not work really good.

If you find a way to cool the driver it might be really good.
But without this, it will reduce its power after 30seconds.

Nice evening.


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## Techjunkie (Mar 31, 2012)

Garfi99 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I testet this driver in a SkyRay818.
> First it seems to be a really nice driver. It really pushes nearly 3A to the XMLs.
> ...



Was just about to post with the exact same findings. I replaced the DX sku 57779 driver in my bike light with KD sku S020121 tonight and I have to say, I'm thoroughly unimpressed with the KD driver. I'm using a 12V LiFePO4 pack that at worst sags to 9V under load. To push the 2.5A to 3 MC-E in my light (as measured by clamp meter between driver and LEDS), the driver only has to maintain 10.2V to the LEDs. That's not asking the driver to do much at all. Nonetheless, after less than a minute of holding the leads at the tailcap, I can see the power consumption slowly fall from 3A to ~1.5A, and the light is visibly dimmer than another 3x MCE light that I have for side by side comparison.

At least the DX, buck only driver would maintain current as high as the pack would allow for the entire discharge, which is more than I can say for this driver, which is throttling back to less than what direct drive would provide. It would be far better if it could just switch into a bypass / direct drive mode when pack voltage is below Vf at the target current and the driver is overheating. The only good that's come from this is I now have 4 hours of runtime on high, but the medium mode would have provided at least that anyway.

I'd like to think that with my light being air-cooled by the ride and heatsunk directly to the handlebars, and the gummy heatsink sponge things conducting heat from the driver to the host, that driver might be kept cool enough to not have to throttle back as long as my bike is moving, but the truth is, I'm just being too lazy to switch the drivers again and the mode memory on the DX driver is a bit of an annoyance. If I switch back at all, it will be because I'll want the strobe mode back as a safety feature.

Long story short - the KD driver's specs are too ambitious, at least for 3 LEDs. It's only pushing 2.5A and short of being liquid cooled, can only do that for about a minute.


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## Quest4fire (Apr 2, 2012)

> Long story short - the KD driver's specs are too ambitious, at least for 3 LEDs. It's only pushing 2.5A and short of being liquid cooled, can only do that for about a minute.


 :sigh: the search continues...


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## bshanahan14rulz (Apr 2, 2012)

VegasF6 said:


> I tested mine with power resistors, but it's still no guarantee.



In the laser hobby, we use power rectifiers to drop the voltage, and a low ohm accurate power resistor to measure voltage drop across and calculate current. Diodes are great at simulating diodes ;-) 

Also, VegasF6, thought I recognized you from somewhere else too...


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## Techjunkie (Apr 2, 2012)

In regard to KD sku S020121 overheating, I am advised that potting the driver will allow it to overcome. I'll try the fujik silicone glue first, as I'd like to be able to chip it out of the light if it need be. If that doesn't cut it, I might move on to potting it in an aluminum sheet sleeve with a mixture of epoxy and aluminum oxide. I just don't want to cement it permanently into the light, and getting the sleeve to exactly the right diameter will be a challenge. I'll report back with findings afterward, but it will be a few weeks at the least.


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## Quest4fire (Apr 3, 2012)

Techjunkie said:


> In regard to KD sku S020121 overheating, I am advised that potting the driver will allow it to overcome. I'll try the fujik silicone glue first, as I'd like to be able to chip it out of the light if it need be. If that doesn't cut it, I might move on to potting it in an aluminum sheet sleeve with a mixture of epoxy and aluminum oxide. I just don't want to cement it permanently into the light, and getting the sleeve to exactly the right diameter will be a challenge. I'll report back with findings afterward, but it will be a few weeks at the least.



Have you ever tried mixing AL powder with the fujik? It would still be removable but might add enough to the silicone's thermal properties to avoid the epoxy/heat sink route.


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## Techjunkie (Apr 3, 2012)

Quest4fire said:


> Have you ever tried mixing AL powder with the fujik? It would still be removable but might add enough to the silicone's thermal properties to avoid the epoxy/heat sink route.


I've never tried the Al powder at all before - was too afraid of breathing it in / absorbing it through skin. I've decided to just go with the stronger solution and skip the fujik this time. On a less expensive driver that's easier to get to, I'll try the fujik next time.


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## Techjunkie (Apr 5, 2012)

The jury has deliberated and the verdict is in. KD sku S020121 flat out sucks. I potted it today, using Alumina powder and Devcon 2-ton epoxy, and I don't think I or anyone else could have done a better job. Here's the procedure, followed by test results:

Procedure

cut a sleeve of Aluminum sheet the exact circumference of the interior of the Mag D neck
with driver already wired very closely to top of Mag switch, seal all areas on top of the switch with kapton tape where epoxy could drip down
mix equal parts of the epoxy with so much Alumina powder that it couldn't possibly pick up any more
while rotating the driver on its side, pour the toothpasty concoction into the space between the two boards of the driver and paint its bottom for good measure
wrap the Aluminum sheet around the top of the Mag switch and seal around the joint with kapton tape
coat the inside of the Mag neck and the outside of the Al sheet liberally with thermal paste
force the switch, driver, and Al sheet collar into the neck with the heatsink
pour in the homemade AAA concoction until the driver is completely submerged
push the heatsink down the rest of the way until the switch is in position
turn the switch on and test the + and - in contacts with a DMM for a short before the epoxy cures
if a short is found, pull the HS up a bit to stop the inductor coil from shorting on the bottom of the HS and tone test again
wait several hours for the epoxy to cure and test the much improved heatsinking

Test Results

With gummy sponge things provided by KD:
0-1 min, 3.1A draw at the tailcap
1-1.5min draw at tailcap quickly plummets to ~1.1A

Fully potted with homemade AAA:
0-2 min, 3.1A draw at tailcap
2-3 min, slow descent from 3.1A down to 1.8A draw at tailcap
test ended at 3 min. neck was warm to the touch, but not hot


Conclusion

Potting helped somewhat, but still did not keep the driver from throttling back after a very short period of time. Combined with metal to metal contact of the host to the hose clamps to the bicycle handlebars and all components air cooled by the ride, it might have been enough to keep the driver from throttling back to less than direct drive, however...

Potting was expensive. It cost $8 for 4oz of Alumina powder and $5 for Devcon 2-ton. Granted, that's enough to do this about 5 times.
It is very likely that I might never get all the components out of the host undamaged. Certainly it won't be easy. It's almost certain that I'll have to dremel cut the potted driver from the switch housing.
NONE OF THIS SHOULD BE NECESSARY! Even if the results were that it worked perfectly, it's crazy to have to go through this trouble to get the driver to work as it should in the first place.

Not convinced that the potted sleeve was making the best possbile contact with the neck, and also to prove to myself that I could swap the DX 57779 driver back in, I removed it, wrapped the sleeve in foil and did some more testing. The results enough of an improvement for me to keep the driver, but in my estimation, not worth the effort.

Full details posted in the bike light build thread here.


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## Quest4fire (Apr 9, 2012)

Wow! I wonder if you got a quirky driver TJ, or if they are all equally worthless. It will be interesting to see if others have similar experiences. Thanks for your exhaustive efforts with this driver and for sharing the results with the rest of us.


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## dinac (Apr 14, 2012)

I just got new version of this driver : 




it hasnt got that secon circular PCB on top like old drivers...

maybe someone has found solution where to tap resistor for full power ?
old PCB vs. new are different....


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## DmitryCat (Apr 14, 2012)

i have new version too
anyone know, what a PWM controller(small chip with 6 pins) on this board?


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## dinac (Apr 14, 2012)

2 VEGASf6 : is this tested in parallel or series connection ?

Or better qestion. it it better to connect 2pcs XML t6 in series or parallel ?


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## moderator007 (Apr 15, 2012)

dinac said:


> Or better qestion. it it better to connect 2pcs XML t6 in series or parallel ?


Series, they both get the same current and voltage divides.


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## dinac (Apr 15, 2012)

In case of connecting 3 xml-t6 in series will be more or less heat disipation from driver ? Like in case of this driver : http://www.simple-electronics.com/2011/09/high-current-led-driver-using-fet.html


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## Techjunkie (Apr 17, 2012)

dinac said:


> I just got new version of this driver :
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Any spec change with the new PCB? It'd be nice if the driver memory function were improved on the new boards.


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## dinac (Apr 17, 2012)

no it is same ....

does anybody know where to tap resistor for full power pleaseee


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## Packhorse (May 9, 2012)

I think ( only think) that the chip that does the PWM for current control also does the modes. As such I doubt it can be modified to single more.
I hope that I am wrong.




dinac said:


> no it is same ....
> 
> does anybody know where to tap resistor for full power pleaseee


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## Packhorse (Jun 14, 2012)

pic removed due to size.

As per the thread on the DX review....

Cut the pin from the IC marked in green. Solder a 1K resistor from the IC pad ( not the IC pin) to V+.

(This part is untested. Once the green pin has been cut you could put the resistor from the red pin to V+)

Thanks to Bitloader for the info!

I tried it at 10V and a single XML It drew 1 amp. 2 XML's and current went up to 2-2.2 amp


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## VegasF6 (Jun 14, 2012)

Packhorse said:


> I tried it at 10V and a single XML It drew 1 amp. 2 XML's and current went up to 2-2.2 amp




That doesn't sound as though it is operating at a constant current. Have your tried at any other input voltages to see if the output remained the same?


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## Packhorse (Jun 14, 2012)

To get more power out you must put more power in!

I never measured output current. Just input current. Always seemed to be about 10watt for a single LED and 20 watt for 2 in serial.
Based on this I would say its very efficient or not putting out 3amp. My guess its probably a little of both.

EDIT: Driver seems to be 2.7 amp not 3 amp according to previous posts.


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## VegasF6 (Jun 14, 2012)

I see. You can look at my measurements in post 33 for efficiency numbers from my testing of the prior model.


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## Packhorse (Jun 15, 2012)

Ah yeah thats where I got the 2.7amp from.:laughing: Thanks for that, Its a great chart!
On my current build I have decided to use one driver per LED so I can switch them individually.

In the pipe line is programming a ( arduino?) chip and have it switch 2 PWM outputs via one piezo switch.


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## Thr3Evo (Jun 17, 2012)

wondering what wattage resistor is recommended for the mod


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## Thr3Evo (Jun 17, 2012)

and also does said resistor go to V out+ or V in+


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## Packhorse (Jun 18, 2012)

I used a 1/4watt to V+in. But I guess what you really meant was what impedance. 1Kohm


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## Thr3Evo (Jun 18, 2012)

no I really meant wattage just to make sure I have everything covered. Thanks


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## Packhorse (Jun 18, 2012)

There is next to no power travelling through that resistor. Any wattage rated resistor will work fine.


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## Thr3Evo (Jun 19, 2012)

Cool, I was looking into driving other projects by resistor only and had to make sure I kept the power dissipation in mind there so I had to ask here as well. Btw the way I read it, the "untested" part is an alternative right?


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## Techjunkie (Jun 27, 2012)

Packhorse, in your tests, did you solder a 1k ohm resistor from the red pin to the pad of the cut green pin? Or did you get V+ directly from Batt+? And is that mod to give single mode? Thanks.


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## Packhorse (Jun 28, 2012)

As per the above post. Cut the IC pin. 
Then the resistor goes from green pad (where the IC pin was) to V+
From what I understand the red pad is leads back to the green pad but I have not tested this.


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## Breikin (Jun 29, 2012)

finges said:


> i just ordered this driver to use it with one xml ... one question remains: does it need a heatsink? if yes, where should the heatsink connect to the driver? thanks!



I also wondering where do you guys attach the heatsink ?


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## Packhorse (Jun 30, 2012)

Breikin said:


> I also wondering where do you guys attach the heatsink ?




I have yet to use a heat sink or have heat related issues with this driver.


Another thing I have yet to do is connect to in parallel and run them at double current....yet


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## langham (Jul 27, 2012)

Thanks for all of the information on this post it has really helped me out. I have had trouble finding a good 8.4+V driver that will drive at 2.7-3.0A consistently, but this one seems to work. I have planned a project that will use this driver and 2*18650 host with only a single mode. Do any of you know if this will eliminate the low voltage shut off? Does the 1kohm resistor act as a termination point in the circuit? I was also wondering if I could take let's say a SKU: 127684 from DX and add a transistor to it and use it as a 7.2-8.4V driver, and if so can one of you with a little more experience explain how this works (not only a picture saying solder from here to here but what it does to the circuit). I have one of these and like that the pwm is at a high enough frequency that you can not tell that it is pulsating, and it has many options including a high100% and low 5%.


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## Techjunkie (Jul 29, 2012)

I'm not aware that 57779 has a low voltage warning, although if it did, I assume you'd have bypassed it when bypassing the modes.

On a side note, I needed to replace the driver in a two cell, single XML light that didn't have room for the height of 57779 or the width of 20330. I tried 106805, which was the only high current (2A) two cell driver I could find that was short enough and narrow enough. To my surprise, out of the envelope it put out 2.3A on high (unusual that anything from DX operates over spec) , measured with a clamp meter. After adding a 0.47 ohm sense resistor, it now puts out 2.7A on high and draws 1.33A from two IMR cells. I haven't run it on high for more than a few minutes yet, so buyer beware. My only complaint is the mode order: Mid-Low-High-Strobe-SOS, and the mode memory: if off less than 60sec, it will turn on in the next mode. I haven't tried it with more that 8.4V in or with more than one LED.


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## langham (Aug 1, 2012)

I am having trouble with this mod. I did what the first picture showed and I wound up getting battery voltage to the led. Any reason the voltage regulation wouldn't work?


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## Techjunkie (Aug 1, 2012)

langham said:


> I am having trouble with this mod. I did what the first picture showed and I wound up getting battery voltage to the led. Any reason the voltage regulation wouldn't work?



Make sure the windings of the coil aren't shorting out on any other components or the host and make sure the negative LED lead isn't shorting to ground.


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## magudaman (Aug 6, 2012)

I recently got this driver to try to run my mag mod 4x xm-l units but the thing is heating up way to fast. I see around 2.5 amps going to my LEDs. I am thinking about changing the diodes out with one I can heat sink off. Any idea if the two diodes are just in parallel or serve a separate purpose?


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## langham (Aug 8, 2012)

If you look further up in this thread you will notice that the efficiency does not really allow for 4*XML, instead you should use a different driver or use 2. I am having difficulty with mine still. Maybe it is explained on the picture which was removed due to size, would anyone mind posting that picture or a similar one up again, thanks.


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## recycledelectrons (Aug 8, 2012)

alpg88 said:


> *Your search "sku 57779" did not match any products。*



But, searching for "57779" will return exactly one result.


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## magudaman (Aug 10, 2012)

langham said:


> If you look further up in this thread you will notice that the efficiency does not really allow for 4*XML, instead you should use a different driver or use 2. I am having difficulty with mine still. Maybe it is explained on the picture which was removed due to size, would anyone mind posting that picture or a similar one up again, thanks.




Well according to my testing the only thing on the board that was overheating was the two diodes and that was causing the board to reach crazy temperatures causing problems, my two diodes should show up today and hopefully I'll test it out and have it running to give an update. According to that chart the efficiencies kept improving each time he added an emitter. Really if I can get around 85% efficiency I am pretty happy, especially for a cost of 8 bucks.


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## magudaman (Aug 10, 2012)

Alrighty diodes came in and got it all soldered up! It turns out it was worth my time everything is working smoothly and since my two diodes are to220 it doesn't seem they will even need to be heat sinked. The board gets warm but in no way hot now. I also went carefully through with the multimeters and variable power supply to gather some new numbers.

Again this is the newer single board unit that Deal Extreme now ships with D1 and D2 replaced with to-220 case diodes 10a:







I like these numbers a lot! The diodes were $1.61 from digikey: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/STPS10L25D/497-2738-5-ND/603763


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## langham (Aug 10, 2012)

I am done with these Ithink, I have also been reading another forum where they go far more in depthon the design and use; and it seems to me that they are a hit or miss. Theconcept is great, but they just seem too cheaply produced to trust to a $12 led.I like them even with 3 modes because the low mode is pretty good, but thestrobe isn't quite fast enough and the PWM is just too slow. They are also toolarge for most applications, so I would have to already have the lights in handin order to be sure that one of these would do well in the application. I haveused them in a single XML application and had good success for a short periodbut the led stopped one day and I blamed myself for perhaps hitting the ledwith something, but I have found that these are much more resilient than that.I had an XML-T6 come loose from the board that it was mounted on (due mainly tothe fact that it seemed like they didn't even solder it in place, maybe somekind of conductive paste) I just let it sit around. Over 1 year later afterdoing a stent in my tire well in the trunk of my car and after being stuck inmy soldering kit for a month or two; I decided I would try soldering it to acopper board that I had sitting around, astonishingly it still worked.


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## VegasF6 (Aug 10, 2012)

True, as the input voltage and output voltage neared each other I did have better efficiency , but if you notice the board temps, they kept getting higher too. At the time I tested it, I was more concerned with the inductor getting hot, but the diodes were very warm too. I was measuring with an infrared thermometer and I don't recall exactly the hottest spot. There is going to be a break over point where efficiency starts dropping again, it will be interesting to find out what it is.


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## DimitrisV (Aug 30, 2012)

Hi

It semms that the drivers are sold out in DX
Is there any other alternative 1 mode 3A cheap 

Thanks
dvel


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## langham (Aug 31, 2012)

Try SKU: 128269 it seems to be the same to me from the pictures, and by the way people are talking they have been sending these for a while instead of the one originally listed in this thread.


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## DimitrisV (Aug 31, 2012)

Hi All

The SKU 57779 is temporarily sold out.
Is there any other alternative 1mode 3A cheap driver ?

Thanks
Dimitris


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## nicko42004200 (Oct 5, 2012)

Got a pic how you put the diodes in? Did you replace the 2 ss34's?


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