Celebrating the
independent kiwi spirit of invention.
Original
list by Ian Mander started 1 February 2008. Added to this site (Aqualab)
26 November 2008. Database released 27 May 2009.
Please note that the date mentioned below that the database code was last updated
is not the date the data itself was last updated.
Driver List Database code 16 December 2019
Footnotes 10 August 2016
Video Foundry/Aqualab does not sell any of these drivers. Links are
provided to resellers. The short URL for this list is www.videofoundry.co.nz/driverlist. See the bottom of the page for my email address. If you're just a spam bot looking for fodder, spam the hell out of these spammers' addresses: spammer address 1, spammer address 2, spammer address 3. They deserve a taste of their own spam.
Note that some sellers are more reliable than others. Inclusion of particular resellers in this list is not an endorsement of them as businesses. Note that Fasttech closed in December 2022 but the drivers are still included for reference.
Output voltage 36-64 V. IP67 dust/water rating. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. Over current, over loading and short circuit protection.
Output current from photo; the "current draw" figure is nonsense. Output voltage 34-54 V. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution.
The initial confusion between power and voltage seems to have been sorted out - output voltage 54-90 V. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. Claimed to be suitable for LED light bulbs but it's really rather big for that.
Output current from photo; the "current draw" figure is nonsense. Output voltage 48-77 V. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution.
Output current is a guess. Input/output inconsistencies - buyer beware. Is it a boost driver or a buck/boost driver? One user claims it uses the XL6001 driver chip (datasheet - not presently linked from their web site), which offers PWM dimming. Efficiency figures from that datasheet.
Output voltage 27-50 V. Apparently a dimmable driver. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. Should be small enough for some LED bulbs.
Single channel LED controller, maximum power and current switching unknown; assumed to be 4 A per channel. Multiple modes; 5 dynamic effects (5 speeds), static colours (8 brightness levels). See DX sku.128434 for RGB version.
Single channel output, maximum 12 A (although label on device says "3x4A"). Possibly has an RGB input - a bit strange. Stated length appears to be overall length of cable.
Very much non-constant output; 1.5 V in gives 500 mA out, or 3.6 V in gives 800 mA out, but claimed to be constant current at 1.8-3.6 V. The talk of linear regulator in the product description just shows they don't know what they're talking about. The review mentions it's quite inefficient.
5 modes, high, medium, low, strobe, SOS. Very much non-constant output; 1.5 V in gives 500 mA out, or 3.6 V in gives 800 mA out, but claimed to be constant current at 1.8-3.6 V. The talk of linear regulator in the product description just shows they don't know what they're talking about.
$2.83 (down from $3.21) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
3.0-9.0 V
1
1200 mA
1
17 mm
Unknown input voltage range; even the web page title has two ranges (6-9 V and 3.0-9.5 V). Claimed 1.2 A maximum output current implies it's not a constant current driver. It's also not good considering a 1 A Schottky diode is used. Buyer beware.
Actual output current said to be 1100-1300 mA. Five modes, memory unknown; high, medium (50%), low (10%), fast strobe (8 Hz), SOS. Unknown regulation method, possibly just PWM modes. Compare with DX 162783.
1.3 A output at 18 V is actually 23.4 W, so it's likely the output isn't tightly regulated. This may be confirmed by one report of 1070 mA output. Efficiency figure is from a review.
~300 mA output with one fresh AA, ~530 mA with two AA cells. Accurate testing has been difficult, presumably because of the high switching frequency of the board.
3 mode; high, low, strobe. A momentary switch (included) cycles through modes. The minimum input voltage of 7.4 V is hopefully higher than what it will actually accept.
Output current 5 A for 1 LED, 2.6-3.0 A for 3-4 LEDs; apparently not suited for 2 LEDs. Three modes with memory; high, medium (30%), low (5%). PWM frequency 1 kHz. Thermal protection and low voltage warning.
This product has been replaced on the retailer's web site with an LED optic. Oh boy. The driver may still be available elsewhere on the site. Update: The LED optic has vanished as well.
Unknown regulation method, unknown output current, unknown output voltage, input voltage range is a guess - buyer beware. 5 mode; high, medium, low, strobe, SOS. As used in this torch.
This is a constant voltage power supply, not a constant current LED driver. LEDs should be driven with something to limit the current, such as a resistor. The claimed maximum output current of 250 mA is quite low for the price; a 1 A power adaptor costs less. The claimed efficiency is much lower than 12 V mains power supplies normally are.
Unknown regulation method, unknown output current, unknown output voltage, input voltage range is a guess, unknown size - buyer beware. 5 modes; high, medium, low, strobe, SOS. As used in this torch.
Designed as a LED driver for fluorescent tube replacements, with 20-24 LEDs in series and 12 low power LEDs in parallel. Formerly listed as 12W. Actual output voltage unknown.
Output voltage 63 V. Because of the originally contradictory specs (and the present lack of output voltage range) it's possible this is only 4-5 LEDs with at output voltage 12-18 V. Buyer beware.
$8.80 (up from $7.48, down from $7.99) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Mains driver
110-240 V AC
1
115 V or 230 V AC mains power
85%
1080 mA constant current
1
30 mm x 15 mm x 15 mm
Transformer with buck regulator. Claimed 2 A constant current output @ 3.5-3.8 V (ie, 7-7.6 W), although one buyer claims it's only 1.2 A output (~4.2 W), and another says a mere 1.08 A, making it overpriced compared to the other single LED drivers. Either way it's well short of the claimed 2 A constant current output. Buyer beware!
Boost driver, 20 modes in three groups. Output voltage and current not constant, 1.0 V in gives ~300 mA out, 1.4 V in gives ~700 mA out. Run on two fresh NiMH it outputs 1.8 A and gets very hot - not advised. I believe this is identical in operation to the AAA driver except for physical size (and the new version of this board is black). "LDCH" on the back of the board is the manufacturer.
~500 mA output, current not constant. Spec claims 5 modes; high 100%, mid 35%, low 10%, strobe, SOS. However one reviewer claims 16 modes, and with the steady modes in the opposite order.
Boost boards; output voltage and current not constant. Gets really hot when used with two AA cells. I believe this is identical in operation to the AA driver but is narrower and taller than that one.
3.3-6.6 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH, 4x alkaline, 1x Li-ion
50-97%
330 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Linear regulator using one AMC7135 chip (thus the pictured driver is not this one). Note that the claimed input voltage doesn't allow for the polarity protection diode; the correct figures are listed in this table. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Output voltage 3-4 V. A forum comment for FT sku.2085200 points out the input contacts are very close together; this is dangerous - buyer beware. Unknown driver size.
Output voltage 3-4 V. A forum comment for FT sku.2085200 points out the input contacts are very close together; this is dangerous - buyer beware. Unknown driver size.
Output voltage 3-4 V. A forum comment for FT sku.2085200 points out the input contacts are very close together; this is dangerous - buyer beware. Unknown driver size.
Description claiming "output voltage: less than 1.5V" is just a laugh, as is the "Length: 7.50cm" dimension and the "5pcs a pair" quantity. Unknown minimum input voltage - values given here are just a guess. Buyer beware.
2 channel, maximum 2 A per channel. Designed to fade between two LED strips, such as two different colour temperatures giving continuously variable colour temperature.
2 modes; high, low (10%). Buyer beware. Unknown regulation method, and the subtitle says it's intended for two LED luminous flux bins and a non-specific LED type suffix - simply nonsense (or Chinese code for "we don't have a clue about LEDs").
Direct drive. No indication of maximum spec for current handling but a user test achieved 3 A without apparent damage. 2 modes; high, low. The claim of constant current clashes with the claim of direct drive - buyer beware. Low voltage protection.
$4.20 (down from $4.99 up from $4.70) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
4.5-18 V
1-3
2500 mA
Can be modified to 3000 mA
3
22 mm x 12 mm high
Update Jan 2016: Some changes made to the driver, unknown what change to specs these have.
3 mode; high, low, fast strobe. Output current said to be 2500-3000 mA. Assumed to be suitable for 1-3 LEDs. Driver fitted with a couple SS34 Schottky diodes. An alternative is DX sku.57779.
Buck driver with components on both sides of main board. Larger dummy board for battery contact. 5 modes in 2 groups without memory; low (5%), medium (50%), high (100%), strobe, SOS. Alternate group by half press. Low voltage warning at 3.0 V and 5.8 V.
Photo apparently shows 320 mA; the "current draw" figure is nonsense - buyer beware. Output voltage 54-70 V. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution.
Designed as a driver for fluorescent tube replacements, with 20-24 LEDs in series and 18 low power LEDs in parallel. Actual output voltage unknown. A 9-18 W version is sku.203740.
Output voltage 16-18 V. Previously claimed to be suitable for E27 and GU10 light bulbs but is considerably bigger than drivers normally used for that purpose. Proposed purpose is a 5s5p array (25 total) of 1 W LEDs. Driver comes with its own heatsink.
2.7-6.0 V (no polarity protection diode - see notes below)
1
3x NiMH, 4x alkaline, 1x Li-ion
50-97%
700 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Buyer beware: As of September 2012 these are still being sent out with both 2xAMC7315 and 3xAMC7135. As of November 2012 (and maybe earlier) DX's description says 700 mA.
Latest version: TR-025 (again). Three AMC7135 chips with space on the board for a fourth.
Previously: Caution: The TR-0050 (also labelled as TR-0025) has replaced the TR-025. It is a different board and ships with only 2 or 3 AMC7135 chips and for some reason a capacitor between battery positive and battery negative. Does not have a polarity protection diode. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
TR-025 (discontinued): Apparently a four AMC7135 linear current regulator but identifying marks have very roughly been removed for photos.
Claims to provide different current outputs (1-1.2 A) to different Cree efficacy bins. I think NOT.
3.3-6.6 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH, 4x alkaline, 1x Li-ion
50-97%
670 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Linear regulator using two AMC7135 chips (thus the pictured driver is not this one). Note that the claimed input voltage doesn't allow for the polarity protection diode; the correct figures are listed in this table. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Three channel LED controller, maximum power switching 144 W, 4 A per channel. Multiple modes; 19 dynamic effects (5 speeds) plus circulatory display, 20 static colours (5 brightnesses). See DX sku.128425 for single channel version.
Three channel LED controller, maximum power switching 144 W (12 V) or 288 W (24 V), 4 A per channel (12 A total) or 5 A maximum for a single channel. 21 modes. RF remote control.
$3.13 (up from $2.80) (sold out and/or discontinued)
User interface driver
2.8-4.2 V
1
1x Li-ion
1200 mA
Can be modified to 1900 mA
1
17 mm
3 mode; high (100%), low (15%), strobe (9 Hz). Incomplete specifications - unknown regulation method, and unknown if direct drive when Vbat > Vf. Possibly just offers PWM mode control. Diameter figure in title inconsistent with listed dimensions (16 mm).
Very incomplete specs given, and specs given in the title are bad (mA/h is non-sensical). Three modes with no mode memory; low (unknown %), high, strobe.
Buck driver using PWM for modes, although what exactly the modes are seems to vary - high, low, slow strobe, fast strobe, and either SOS or beacon (1 flash every 8 or 10 seconds). High is 700-1000 mA depending on input voltage. Apparently based on PT4105 chip - see separate notes below - and may be able to cope with higher input voltage.
Unknown regulation method; no inductor so assumed to be just PWM, possibly with output smoothing using a capacitor. 5 modes, 3 of which are flashing; high, low, slow strobe, fast strobe, SOS. However, reviewers describe different sets of modes, such as high, medium, low, strobe, SOS; or high, low, slow strobe, fast strobe, 10 second beacon flash. Photos posted show a different IC to DX's photos.
Tip: This board may possibly operate as a straight-forward PWM driver if the capacitor is removed.
Output voltage 6.0-11.5 V. Title and label in photo say 450 mA but description says 300 mA - buyer beware. Efficiency is manufacturer claimed maximum, typical efficiency unknown.
2.9-4.5 V (for possibly 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
66-97%
1050 mA constant current
4
17 mm
Driver removed from site.
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips and a micro controller for PWM mode control. 4 modes with memory; firefly (3-4 mA), medium (200 mA), high, strobe. Modes are changed normally (forward clicky recommended) or by using a code to select the mode you want. Polarity protection. Low voltage protection; at 3.3V the current will drop to 2 mA, and switches off within 3 seconds of hitting ~2.9 V - unclear if this is a designed feature or just the way the AMC7135 works. PWM speed >4 kHz. Comes with spring on positive terminal and a ground wire on the top of the board. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
My thoughts: This driver seems quite expensive just to get a fiddly way of changing modes. Maybe it'll serve someone well, but with only 4 modes, changing modes normally with a reverse clicky would require just as many button pushes on average and require less thinking. Changing to firefly mode when the battery voltage drops to 3.3 V is unnecessarily conservative - from the last Li-ion cells I tested it would be at just under half their capacity.
2.9-4.5 V (for possibly 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
66-97%
1050 mA
2
17 mm
Driver removed from site.
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips and a micro controller for PWM mode control. 2 modes with memory; ramping mode (user settable 1-100%), strobe. PWM frequency 3.7 kHz. Low voltage protection; at 3.3V the current drops to 8mA and turns off when it gets to ~2.9 V - unclear if this is a designed feature or just the way the AMC7135 works. Comes with spring on positive terminal.
Top board diameter 19 mm. PWM frequency 700 Hz. Thermal protection. Low voltage protection (I think that's what "run multhium battery protection" means).
Details lack any mention of output current; assumed to be PWM only (no current limiting). No maximum limit stated. 5 mode; high, medium, low, fast strobe, SOS.
Output current varies from claimed 5 A for 1 LED (which disagrees with the claimed 8-10 W) to 3 A for 3-4 LEDs. However, 2.8 A is also claimed by sales staff answering two separate thread questions - buyer beware. 5 modes with memory; high, medium, low (no mention of ratios/duty cycle), strobe, SOS. Low voltage protection at 5.7 V, thermal protection (heatsinking possibly required).
Output current varies from claimed 5 A for 1 LED (which disagrees with the claimed 8-10 W) to 3 A for 3-4 LEDs. However, 2.8 A is also claimed by sales staff answering a thread question - buyer beware. 3 modes with memory; low, medium, high (no mention of ratios/duty cycle). Low voltage protection at 5.7 V, thermal protection (heatsinking possibly required).
Output voltage 25-30 V. Claimed minimum efficiency listed here. Assumed to be a GU10/E27 driver because of the description "Suitable for common spotlight, and ball lamp cup".
Output voltage 25-30 V. Claimed minimum efficiency listed here. Assumed to be a GU10/E27 driver because of the description "Suitable for common spotlight, and ball lamp cup".
Updated specs: Output voltage 25-30 V. Driver has 9-12 written on it - presumably the number of LEDs this driver is intended for, but that doesn't quite correspond with the stated output voltage.
Previously: Output current 1100 mA. Output voltage 8-11 V (3 LEDs). Claimed output current 1.1-1.5 A, which is an unusually large range for a mains driver. Claimed minimum efficiency listed here.
5 modes with memory; low (10%), medium (50%), high (100%), strobe, SOS. Disappointingly slow PWM frequency, 122 Hz. Low voltage warning and protection.
$5.79 (up from $5.00) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
6.0-18 V
1-3
71-91%
2800 mA constant current
3
22 mm x 14 mm high - two boards in double layer
3 modes; high, low, fast strobe. Regulation appears to be reasonably good. Modification for single mode and test results for 1 to 3 LEDs are on CPF here. An alternative is DX sku.128269.
8 modes in 4 groups, with memory; medium (30%), beacon strobe (10 Hz twice, 2-second pause), fast strobe (7 Hz), SOS. Alternate groups with no flashing modes accessed by half press.
3 + 5 modes in two groups, but no indication of currents; low, medium, high; low, medium, high, strobe, SOS. A user of the 8x AMC7135 version (8727400) says it has memory.
There's no indication of what the "2800mAh" in the title refers to.
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips and a ATtiny13V for PWM mode control. 5 modes with memory, with solder pads allowing different mode groups to be selected; low (5%), medium (30%), high, fast strobe, SOS. This is more expensive than the apparently identical DX sku.6190. A slightly cheaper version without memory is DX sku.127686. See extra AMC7135 notes below or this CPF thread.
2.7-6.0 V (no polarity protection diode - see notes below)
1
3x NiMH, 4x alkaline, 1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
1
15 mm
Buyer beware - DX has changed this driver several times. Linear regulator, apparently a threetwo?AMC7135 board but identification marks on the chips have been removed for the photo. What would normally be a standard polarity protection diode actually looks like a capacitor between battery positive and battery negative. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Originally claimed to provide different current outputs (0.7-1 A) to different Cree efficacy bins. I think NOT.
The description for how this thing works is a big fat lost-in-translation mystery. Possibly 3 modes; programmed brightness, strobe, random mode (can be set to any brightness 0-100%). There's also a "tactical mode" mentioned which involves a half press... of what? Two-stage low voltage protection; with poor quality Li-ion cells the first stage (output drops to 8 mA) will cut in at less than 2/3 the battery capacity. Polarity protection. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
16
17 mm
Uses three AMC7135 linear regulator chips and possibly an ATtiny13V for PWM modes; 16 modes in 3 groups, including one with no flashing modes. Claimed in different places to be both 16 and 17 modes. Space on the board for a 4th AMC7135. Appears to be exactly the same as KD S009743, which is cheaper. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
$3.27 each (up from $3.20), also available in 5 pack
Linear regulator
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
16
17 mm
Uses three AMC7135 linear regulator chips and possibly an ATtiny13V for PWM modes; 16 modes in 3 groups, including one with no flashing modes. Claimed in different places to be both 16 and 17 modes. Space on the board for a 4th AMC7135. Appears to be exactly the same as KD S003214, which is more expensive.
Formerly product ID 10996. Also available in a 5 pack, S009744 (formerly product ID 10997).
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips and a PWM mode controller. Claimed 19 modes in 3 groups. Note that the pictures provided are of a standard 3x AMC7135 board with no mode controller - buyer beware - hence unknown polarity protection; input voltages stated here are without that diode, and the typical 5.5 V maximum for a microprocessor mode controller. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
$3.68 each (down from $3.98), also available in 5 pack and 20 pack
Linear regulator
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
2
17 mm
Linear regulator board using 3 AMC7135 chips and a microcontroller for PWM modes; high, low (15%). Mode memory. Alternate mode groups may be selectable by using the star-shaped contacts, as detailed here. A review is here. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Formerly product ID 1801. Also available in a 5 pack, S004660 (formerly product ID 1802). Also available in a 20 pack, S006268 (formerly product ID 6052), but with the low mode possibly just 50 mA (a detail which has been lost with KD's last site update).
4 modes; low (3-4 mA), medium (200 mA), high, strobe. Two-stage low voltage protection; with poor quality Li-ion cells the first stage (output drops to 2 mA) will cut in at less than 2/3 the battery capacity. Polarity protection. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
5
17 mm
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips (formerly listed as having four) and an ATtiny13A for PWM mode control. Five modes - high, medium, low, strobe, SOS. Alternate mode groups can be selectable by using the star-shaped contacts, as detailed here. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
3.2-4.8 V (for 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
62-97%
1050 mA constant current
5
17 mm
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips and a ATtiny13A for PWM mode control; PWM frequency >4500 Hz. 5 modes with memory; low (5%), medium (30%), high, strobe, SOS. Alternate mode groups can be selected by using the star-shaped contacts; low/high/strobe, low/medium/high, low (10%)/high. Low voltage warning at 2.9-3.0 V. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Update September 2015: These are reported to now have an ascending mode order.
Three AMC7135 chips with a chip to provide PWM modes. 5 modes without memory, with solder pads allowing different mode groups to be selected; high, medium (30%), low (5%), strobe, SOS. (Note the descending order.) There is a 2 mode group of high and low (10%). Polarity protected. Alternative is DX sku.127689 (ascending mode order with memory). See extra AMC7135 notes below or this CPF thread.
$2.83 For 1-2: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
2.9-4.5 V
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
1050 mA constant current
5
20 mm
Driver removed from site.
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips and a ATtiny13A or similar providing PWM modes; PWM frequency >4.5 kHz. 5 modes with "several hour" memory, with solder pads allowing different mode groups to be selected; low (5%), medium (30%), high, strobe, SOS. Alternate mode groups can be selected by using the star-shaped contacts; low/high/strobe, low/medium/high, low (10%)/high. Low voltage protection at 2.8 V. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
3.3-6.6 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH, 4x alkaline, 1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips (thus the pictured driver is not this one). Note that the claimed input voltage doesn't allow for the polarity protection diode; the correct figures are listed in this table. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
3.0-5.8 V (for 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
17
17 mm
Update Nov 2012: Two different versions of this driver are being shipped, a 101-AK-A1 and an AK-47A with the four star contacts like DX sku.127689. The functionality might be unchanged.
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips and a PWM mode controller (ATtiny13V running the PWM at 4.7 kHz); includes a group with three well-spaced modes and no flash or strobe! Now with 17 modes. I got slightly different timing on the third group though, and call them different things - low (10%), medium (35%), high (100%), fast strobe, police strobe, beacon (1 flash per 3.5 sec), fast beacon (1 flash per 1.4 sec), slow beacon (1 flash per 11 sec), SOS (1 set per 11 sec). The latest boards have an empty space all ready for a 4th AMC7135. They may also have low battery detection - see here. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Tip 3: Methods for wiring this board in parallel with another AMC7135 board are described here, with lots of colourful diagrams.
Tip 4: Modes can be disabled by following the instructions in this thread.
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH, 4x alkaline, 1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
19
17 mm
Formerly 2 mode. Linear regulator board using three AMC7315 chips and probably a PIC12F629 for PWM mode control. Has a group with high/medium/low without flash or strobe. Low mode 120 mA. Note that the claimed input voltage doesn't allow for the polarity protection diode, which is confirmed by the mention that it operates best over 3.5 V; the more likely correct figures are listed in this Driver List table. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
3
17 mm
Uses three AMC7135 linear regulator chips and ATtiny13V for PWM modes - low, medium, high according to gunga, not the other way around. Is not 1.2 A output as claimed, but you might get 1.1 A. Changing the mode group may also be possible using the contacts on the bottom of the driver board. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Linear regulator using three AMC7135 chips and a ATtiny13V for PWM mode control. 5 modes with memory; the claimed high, medium (35%), low (20%), strobe, SOS is actually low (5%), medium (30%), high, strobe, SOS according to brted's review and harlxw's test results (in the same thread), which means it appears to be the same as DX sku.127689 except cheaper. A version without memory is DX sku.127686. Alternate mode groups can be selected by using the star-shaped contacts, as detailed here. Unknown why maximum voltage is specified at only 4.5 V instead of 5.5 V for the ATtiny13V (5.8 V with a Schottky polarity protection diode). See extra AMC7135 notes below or this CPF thread.
Tip 3: One user reports he was able to sand it down to 15 mm diameter.
$16.58 for 10, also available in 20 pack (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
3.3-6.6 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH,
4x alkaline,
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1050 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Linear regulator with three AMC7135 linear regulator chips and a silicon polarity protection diode (0.6 V drop on the chip enable pin). This board comes with one AMC7135 connected and the other two just needing small solder bridges - very useful for using a switch instead of the solder bridges to change from 1/3 amp to 2/3 amp or 1 amp. The solder bridges are the yellow dots in this picture by PaulH (see CPF thread). Also (formerly) available as a 20 pack. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
RGB controller for two SPI LED strips, suitable for 200-400 metres of SPI RGB LED strip. This controller does not control normal RGB LED strips directly. RF remote control.
This product has been replaced on the retailer's web site with an LED optic. Oh boy. The driver may still be available elsewhere on the site. Update: The LED optic has vanished as well.
Output voltage 10-32 V, maximum output power 11.2 W. Specs state maximum input 220 V AC but label more sensibly states 250 V AC. IP66 dust/water rating.
8 modes in 4 groups, with memory; medium (30%), beacon strobe (10 Hz twice, 2-second pause), fast strobe (7 Hz), SOS. Alternate groups with no flashing modes accessed by half press.
3 + 5 modes in two groups, but no indication of currents; low, medium, high; low, medium, high, strobe, SOS. A user of the 8x AMC7135 version (8727400) says it has memory.
There's no indication of what the "2800mAh" in the title refers to.
Claimed 380 mA per each of 4 AMC7135 linear regulator chips. 7 modes in 8 groups determined by binary combinations of 3 solder bridges; ultra-low (3-5 mA) [why?], medium (35%), high, strobe (10 Hz), slow strobe (2 Hz), SOS, beacon. Mode memory determined by another solder bridge. Low voltage warning at 2.8 V, claimed minimum 2.5 V; the AMC7135 datasheet says 2.7V minimum. No short circuit protection, no reverse polarity protection.
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH, 4x alkaline, 1x Li-ion
50-97%
1400 mA constant current
3
17 mm
Stupidly, this driver completely vanishes from the retailer's web site when temporarily out of stock.
SKU 1218. Buyer beware - the claim to be a "buck circuit board" (formerly claimed to be boost/buck driver) is clearly false, since it has four AMC4135 linear regulators plus an ATtiny13A PWM controller giving three modes - claimed low (60 mA), medium (440 mA), high (1.4 A); formerly claimed low (120 mA), medium (350 mA), high (1.4 A); tested low (60-80 mA), medium (440-450 mA), high (1420 mA). May be able to be converted to 5 modes by removing a solder bridge. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
The URL of this driver used to be what was claimed to be a 5 mode buck/boost driver. This 3 mode driver is double listed on their site.
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1400 mA constant current
5
17 mm
Incomplete specifications given. The "1560mAh" in the title and "1560mAh current" under the heading "Hightlight" are meaningless, other than being typical of the site. Linear regulator using four AMC7135 chips and a ATtiny13A for PWM mode control. See extra AMC7135 notes below. Default is 5 modes - low (2%), medium (28%), high (100%), strobe, SOS. Can also be set to 3 modes (low, medium, high) using a solder bridge.
2.7-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1400 mA constant current
5
17 mm
Linear regulator using four AMC7135 chips and a ATtiny13A for PWM mode control at >4.5 kHz. Five modes with memory; low (5%), medium (30%), high, strobe, SOS. Flashing modes can be eliminated with a solder bridge. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Linear regulator using 4x AMC7135 chips. 5 mode; high, medium, low, strobe, SOS. Can be converted to 3 mode with a solder bridge. Polarity protected. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
3.3-6.6 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH, 4x alkaline, 1x Li-ion
50-97%
1400 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Linear regulator using four AMC7135 chips (thus the pictured driver is this one). Note that the claimed input voltage doesn't allow for the polarity protection diode; the correct figures are listed in this table. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
$3.90 (down from $4.40) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
3.0-4.5 V (for 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1400 mA constant current
5
17 mm
Linear regulator using four AMC7135 chips with an MCU for PWM modes and a polarity protection diode. 5 modes with mode memory; low (5%), medium (30%), high, fast strobe, SOS. Polarity protection assumed to be using a Schottky diode (providing 0.3 V drop).
$2.87 (down from $3.25) (up from $3.00) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
3.0-6.3 V (for 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3x NiMH,
4x alkaline,
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1400 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Four AMC7135 chips with a polarity protection diode. The 3.0-4.5 V range mentioned by DX is unnecessarily restrictive but fits with a single Li-ion cell plus 0.3 V for a Schottky diode providing the polarity protection.
3 modes; high, low, flash. Buyer beware: The details says it's intended for a particular Cree LED luminous flux bin and a non-specific Cree LED suffix - simply nonsense (or Chinese code for "we don't have a clue about LEDs"). A reviewer says he got 5.5A with fresh cells, dropping down to 3.15A at 3.7V.
Unknown operation method; presumed to be buck driver. Claimed output voltage 12-18 V, which would be impossible to do even with 12 V AC with just buck, implies buck/boost; this is almost certainly not the case. Driver comes with a bridge rectifier so it can be used with AC. Appears to be the same as DX 66271.
$4.18 (down from $4.59) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
3.0-4.5 V
1
1x Li-ion
50-97%
1200 mA constant current
5
17 mm
5 modes with memory; high, medium, low, fast strobe, SOS. Low voltage protection. Has 4xAMC7135 (1.4 A) but originally claimed the output of 6xAMC7135 (2.1 A), now claims only 1.2 A - buyer beware. Big spring (relatively speaking) on back of board.
Output voltage 17 V (range unknown). Output current variously stated to be 2.6-3.0 A and 2.5-2.8 A, and output power 50-60 W - the same as the 7 LED version; buyer beware. Input current can be up to 8 A. 3 modes; high, medium (30%), low (10%). Low voltage protection at 6 V. Thermal protection at 55-60 °C (this seems very low).
Output current variously stated as 2.5-2.8 A and 2.6-3.0 A. Output voltage 17 V (range unknown). 5 modes; high (100%), medium-high (75%), medium (50%), low (30%), very low (5%) (no strobe!). Thermal protection, low voltage warning at 6 V.
Incomplete specifications - unknown regulation method, and unknown if direct drive when Vbat > Vf. Probably just offers PWM mode control; unknown maximum current handling. 5 mode with memory; high (100%), medium (25%), low (5%), strobe (11 Hz), SOS (or just SO as reported by one user). Diameter figure in title inconsistent with listed dimensions.
5 mode board
Shining Beam
$5.95 + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Boost driver and buck driver
4.0-15 V
1
1000 mA
5
17 mm
This driver has been replaced on the retailer's web site with a 3 mode linear regulator (with the same URL). Plain weird or a typo?
Old details: Claims to be a boost/buck driver, implying it can handle multiple LEDs, but no information is provided about that. 5 modes - high (1000 mA), medium (300 mA), low (100 mA), strobe, SOS. Mode memory.
Incomplete specifications given. Claimed to be for Cree XM-L but only has 2 A maximum output current. No inductor present so it's not a buck driver. Input voltage specs indicate it may be just a PWM driver.
Output voltage 18-60 V (with 12 V input), 30-80 V (with 24 V input). Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. Heatsink included.
8 modes in 4 groups, with memory; medium (30%), beacon strobe (10 Hz twice, 2-second pause), fast strobe (7 Hz), SOS. Alternate groups with no flashing modes accessed by half press.
Actual output current tested at 4450 mA at input voltage 4.2 V (this may have been limited by resistance of test probes - see discussion thread).
Linear regulator using 5x AMC7135 chips. 5 modes in 4 groups; low (5%), medium (30%), high (100%), strobe, SOS. Alternate groups switched with star contacts. Low voltage warning. Polarity protected. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Unknown driver operation. Assumed to be boost because of the claimed ability to drive 5 LEDs from 12 V DC, but claimed output voltage is 12 V. AC rectifier built in. Efficiency is claimed minimum. The stated length probably includes the LED leads. Duh.
3 + 5 modes in two groups, but no indication of currents; low, medium, high; low, medium, high, strobe, SOS. A user of the 8x AMC7135 version (8727400) says it has memory.
There's no indication of what the "2800mAh" in the title refers to.
Claimed 380 mA per each of 6 AMC7135 linear regulator chips. 7 modes in 8 groups determined by binary combinations of 3 solder bridges; low (3-5 mA), medium (35%), high, strobe (10 Hz), slow strobe (2 Hz), SOS, beacon. Mode memory determined by another solder bridge. Low voltage warning at 2.8 V, claimed minimum 2.5 V; the AMC7135 datasheet says 2.7V minimum. No short circuit protection, no reverse polarity protection.
Note that the low end of the claimed input voltage range will not produce the desired output current. Low mode 50mA (for 3-5 mA see KD S020064). Last mode memory with solder bridge. Low voltage warning at 2.8 V.
3.2-4.8 V (for 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
1x Li-ion
50-97%
2100 mA constant current
5
17 mm
Linear regulator using six AMC7135 chips and a ATtiny13A providing PWM modes; PWM frequency >4500 Hz. 5 modes with memory; low (5%), medium (30%), high, strobe, SOS. Alternate mode groups can be selected by using the star-shaped contacts; low/high/strobe, low/medium/high, low (10%)/high. Low voltage warning at 2.9-3.0 V. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Linear regulator using 6x AMC7135 chips. 5 modes; low (5%), medium (50%), high (100%), strobe, SOS. Alternate group reached with half press of power button; low, medium, high. Low voltage warning. Polarity protected. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Linear regulator using 6x AMC7135 chips. 5 modes in 4 groups; low (5%), medium (30%), high (100%), strobe, SOS. Alternate groups switched with star contacts. Low voltage warning. Polarity protected. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Linear regulator using 6x AMC7135 chips. 5 modes in 4 groups; low (5%), medium (30%), high (100%), strobe, SOS. Alternate groups switched with star contacts. Low voltage warning. Polarity protected. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
5 modes with memory; high, medium, low, fast strobe, SOS. Low voltage protection. Claimed output 2.2 A but it seems to simply be a normal 6xAMC7135 board.
Output voltage 23 V. Output current variously stated to be 2.6-3.0 A and 2.5-2.8 A, and output power 50-60 W - the same as the 5 LED version; buyer beware. Input current can be up to 8 A. 3 modes; high, medium (30%), low (10%). Low voltage protection at 6 V. Thermal protection at 55-60 °C (this seems very low).
Output current variously stated as 2.5-2.8 A and 2.6-3.0 A. Output voltage 23 V (range unknown). 5 modes; high (100%), medium-high (75%), medium (50%), low (30%), very low (5%) (no strobe!). Thermal protection, low voltage warning at 6 V.
Version 4: As of April 2010 buck drivers are being sent instead of boost drivers. Buyer beware. Update: Product is sold out.
Version 3: As of August 2008 there seems to be a new version which may have different components and may not cope with anything over 3.0 V.
Version 2: Boost driver using Zetec C300 control chip, no capacitors. 100~700 mA output, dependent on input voltage. Test data discussion (in which various people point out the test data is wrong).
Output voltage 18-26 V. Claimed minimum efficiency listed here. Assumed to be a GU10/E27 driver because of the description "Suitable for common spotlight, and ball lamp cup". It's quite big, though.
Output voltage 25-30 V (originally stated as 10-12 V). Claimed minimum efficiency listed here. Claimed to be a GU10/E27 driver. It's quite big, though. Claim of "Adjustable LED light chip" is not explained.
Linear regulator using 7x AMC7135 chips. 5 modes in 4 groups; low (5%), medium (30%), high (100%), strobe, SOS. Alternate groups switched with star contacts. Low voltage warning. Polarity protected. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Incomplete specs provided. From the pictures it looks like it's based on the Zetex C310 chip. Size stated in this table is an educated guess. In the 3rd photo, focusing the camera on the wires sticking out the back might be arty but isn't very useful.
Not a linear regulator as claimed - it has an inductor. The claimed test figures are extremely dodgy; input @ 4.2 V is 1.09 W, output is at least 2.27 W for a white LED - buyer beware. They are also the same figures used for 1114502.
5 modes; high, medium, low, rapid (strobe?), SOS. The claimed test figures are extremely dodgy; input @ 4.2 V is 1.09 W, output is at least 2.27 W for a white LED - buyer beware. They are also the same figures used for 1114501.
Available from CPF member vestureofblood. 12 modes in 4 groups, with and without memory (varies by group); various combinations of ramping, low (2%), medium (25%), high, strobe, SOS, beacon, medium (15%). Low voltage warning. Voltage indication when entering beacon mode.
3 + 5 modes in two groups, but no indication of currents; low, medium, high; low, medium, high, strobe, SOS. A user of the 8x AMC7135 version (8727400) says it has memory.
There's no indication of what the "2800mAh" in the title refers to.
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
4x NiMH
50-97%
2800 mA constant current
5
17 mm with components on both sides
Limited availability from CPF member download. Multimode board with four AMC7135 linear regulators on each side (8 total) and an ATtiny13A for PWM mode control. Mode group selectable by connecting star pads on the board, like an AK-47. 5 modes in default group; low (0.13 A), medium (0.93 A), high (2.8 A), strobe, SOS. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
May have sold a previous 3 mode version like this; high (2.8 A), medium (1 A), low (0.3
A).
8x AMC7135 (homemade)
$6.88 (varies) Make your own - fun!
Linear regulator
3.3-6.6 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
4x NiMH
50-97%
2800 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Instructions for making your own version. Actual price will vary depending on what boards you use to make it - modes can be included if desired. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Linear regulator using eight high output AMC7135 chips at 380 mA each. 9 distinct modes in 4 groups, with memory. Claims no high pitch noises and no visible flicker. Polarity protection, low voltage warning and protection. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Linear regulator using eight AMC7135 chips and a ATtiny13A for PWM mode control; PWM frequency >4500 Hz. 5 modes with memory; low (5%), medium (30%), high, strobe, SOS. Alternate mode groups can be selected by using the star-shaped contacts; low/high/strobe, low/medium/high, low (10%)/high. Low voltage warning at 2.9-3.0 V. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Linear regulator using eight high output AMC7135 chips at 380 mA each. 9 distinct modes in 4 groups, with memory. Claims no high pitch noises and no visible flicker. Polarity protection, low voltage protection. See extra AMC7135 notes below. See p-710 for updated version.
Claimed 380 mA per each of 8 AMC7135 linear regulator chips. Up to 7 modes in each of 8 groups determined by binary combinations of 3 solder bridges; low (aka "firefly", 3-5 mA), medium (35%), high, strobe (10 Hz), slow strobe (2 Hz), SOS, beacon. Mode memory determined by another solder bridge. Low voltage warning at 2.8 V, claimed minimum 2.5 V; the AMC7135 datasheet says 2.7V minimum. No short circuit protection, no reverse polarity protection.
Note that the low end of the claimed input voltage range will not produce the desired output current. Low mode 50mA (for 3-5 mA see KD S020073). Last mode memory with solder bridge. Low voltage warning at 2.8 V.
3.0-5.8 V (for 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
1x Li-ion,
4x NiMH
50-97%
2800 mA constant current
5
17 mm
Linear regulator using eight AMC7135 chips. 5 modes in two groups; low (5%), medium (15%), high, strobe, SOS. Polarity protected. The stated input voltage range is a little high at the top end; 5.5 V for the ATtiny13 and about 0.3V for the polarity protection Schottky diode. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Linear regulator using 8x AMC7135 chips. 5 modes in 4 groups; high, medium, low, strobe, SOS. Alternate groups switched with star contacts. Low voltage warning. Polarity protected. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
3.0-4.5 V (for 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3-4x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
2800 mA
5
17 mm
Linear regulator using eight AMC7135 chips and an ATtiny13A to control PWM modes. 5 modes with memory; low (5%), medium (30%), high, fast strobe, SOS. Selectable mode groups set by solder bridge on the stars. Polarity protection assumed to be using a Schottky diode (providing 0.3 V drop). Low voltage warning.
Linear regulator using 8x AMC7135 chips. 5 modes in 4 groups; low (5%), medium (30%), high (100%), strobe, SOS. Alternate groups switched with star contacts. Low voltage warning. Polarity protected. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
5 modes in 2 groups with memory; low (5%), medium (50%), high, strobe, SOS. Alternate group with no flashing modes accessed by half press. Low voltage warning.
$4.83 (down from $6.63, up from $5.70, down from $5.99)
Linear regulator
3.3-6.6 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
1x Li-ion,
4x NiMH
50-97%
2800 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Updated version: This is a Nanjg 105C without the PWM controller board to give modes. Polarity protection. Why the previous price was so much more expensive than the 5 mode version is beyond my guessing ability.
Previous version: This is just two 4x AMC7135 boards connected back to back. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Warning: Even with the product update the page still contains a full size 6 megapixel image - pretty typical for KD's stupid site.
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
4x NiMH
50-97%
2800 mA constant current
3
17 mm with components on both sides
Stupidly, this driver completely vanishes from the retailer's web site when temporarily out of stock.
SKU 1217. Multimode board with a PWM mode controller and eight AMC7135 linear regulators (four on each side of the board). 3 modes with memory; low 140 mA, medium 1 A, high 2.8 A (formerly listed as 2.5 A). Claimed input voltage of 2.8-6.0 V doesn't allow for the polarity protection diode; the more likely correct figures are listed in this Driver List table. The output of AMC7135 chips varies a little, so high might be as much as 2.8 A (as mentioned here and here). Also pictured in this post and this post.
3.0-5.8 V (for 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
1x Li-ion,
4x NiMH
50-97%
2800 mA constant current
5
17 mm
Linear regulator using eight AMC7135 chips. 5 modes; unstated what they are. Apparently a Nanjg 105C board; if so it has selectable mode groups (by solder bridge on the stars). Low voltage warning - when battery voltage is less than 2.9-3.0 V it changes to low mode and flashes once each second. Polarity protection assumed to be using a Schottky diode (providing 0.3 V drop).
$4.79 each (up from $4.70), also available in 5 pack (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
3.3-6.1 V (for 0.6 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
1x Li-ion,
4x NiMH
50-97%
2800 mA constant current
5
17 mm (measured, not stated)
March 2012: Driver has been removed from site (as has the 5 pack). See KD sku S020073 for a replacement.
Incomplete specifications given. Uses 8 AMC7135 linear regulator chips with either a PIC12F629 microcontroller for modes, or an ATtiny13A for the 105C model (which is apparently the latest version). Modes are determined by the stars on the board - they provide AK-47 functionality (where a group of modes is hardwired using a solder link). Has the same basic mode groups as CPF user download's very similar driver (diagram here) except their order for the 105A is high (100%), medium (35%), low (4%). When low mode is started there is a momentary bright flash, and after about 2.5 seconds there's a very brief dropout (or "blink") that indicates the mode has been fixed - after that, switching off momentarily will not change the mode. Reviews written for 105 and 105A. As of Jan 2011 the 105C is being shipped.
The maximum voltage in this table is based on the microcontroller's maximum of 5.5 V plus 0.6 V for the polarity protection diode. If it's a Schottky diode the maximum voltage is actually 5.8 V.
Tip: The circuit track for the first star does not need to be broken for the other stars to work.
Formerly product ID 10995. Also available as a 5 pack, S009835 (formerly product ID 11088).
$4.19 (down from $4.81) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
3.0-4.8 V (for 0.3 V lower Vin see Tip 1 in the notes below)
1
3-4x NiMH
1x Li-ion
50-97%
2800 mA constant current
5
17 mm
Driver removed from site.
Linear regulator using eight AMC7135 chips and a ATtiny13A for PWM mode control; PWM frequency >4500 Hz. 5 modes with memory; low (5%), medium (30%), high, strobe, SOS. Alternate mode groups can be selected by using the star-shaped contacts; low/high/strobe, low/medium/high, low (10%)/high. Low voltage warning at 2.9-3.0 V. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
5 mode; high, medium, low, strobe, SOS. Can change to 2-3 modes using stars on back. The star on the right gives high, medium, and low with no blinking modes.
Output voltage 30 V. Output current variously stated to be 2.6-3.0 A and 2.8-3.0 A, and output power 70-100 W when running on 3-4x Li-ion cells (which contradicts the claimed input voltage range); buyer beware. Input current can be up to 8 A. 3 modes; high, medium (30%), low (10%). Low voltage warning at 9 V (although a working minimum of 6 V is also stated). Thermal protection at 55-60 °C (this seems very low).
Output current variously stated as 2.6-3.0 A and 2.8-3.0 A. Output voltage 30 V (range unknown). 5 modes; high (100%), medium-high (75%), medium (50%), low (30%), very low (5%) (no strobe!). Thermal protection, low voltage warning at 9 V.
Output voltage 30-80 V. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. Apparently intended for an array of low power LEDs. A 24 W version is sku.144863.
3 modes; low (10%), medium (30%), high. (The right order and no flashing modes - yay!) 12 V recommended maximum input voltage. Thermal protection and low voltage protection for 2 Li-ion cells.
Buck regulator based on PT4115 chip. Unclear what current rating the diodes have; assumed to be 1 A. Sense resistors 0.2 Ω and 0.3 Ω in parallel. Output voltage 9-11 V. Includes AC rectifier. MR16 prongs not included.
Output voltage 9-12 V. Claimed minimum efficiency listed here. Assumed to be a GU10/E27 driver because of the description "Suitable for common spotlight, and ball lamp cup". It's quite big, though. Possibly has poor regulation, as discussed in this thread.
Output voltage 30-80 V. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. Designed for 9-25S/12P SMD 3528 LED, 9-25S/8P SMD 3014 LEDs.
Components on both sides of board, no centre battery terminal. There are an awful lot of components on that board for a single mode buck driver. Incomplete/inadequate specifications listed - unknown current regulation, unknown if the driver will step up the voltage if it's too low. The 1.3 A "maximum" implies it's not a constant current driver. Buyer beware.
9-40 V DC; also works with AC (8-30 V AC, except 1.4 A version)
1-4
91%
1400 mA constant current
1
42 mm x 32 mm x 12 mm
The URLs linked below have all been reused for various LED products, but the drivers may still be listed on their site elsewhere. Good luck finding them.
Incomplete specifications on manufacturer's and retailer's web sites (incompetent manufacturer?); output voltage/LED quantities unknown. However, by using the wizard on the manufacturer's site it appears they'll do 1-4 LEDs. The claimed maximum 91% efficiency is very good, if true, especially since the drivers (except the 1,400 mA) have a rectifier built in. Even if maximum efficiency is up there however, it's probably not representative of typical efficiency, especially since they all claim the same (except for the 500 mA version which claims 92%) - unlikely across the whole current output range. Soft start. PWM dimming with 0-10 V input or potentiometer. Available in versions with outputs of 350, 500, 700, 1,000 and 1,400 mA.
3 mode; high (100%), low (15%), strobe (9 Hz). Incomplete specs - output current is just a guess and probably varies significantly depending on input voltage.
$0.39 (down from $0.49, down from $0.53) For 1-4: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
2.7-6.0 V
1
3x NiMH 4x alkaline 1x Li-ion
50-97%
350 mA constant current
1
5 mm x 5 mm x 2 mm
Driver removed from site.
Single AMC7135 linear regulator chip; no board. Actual output of any particular chip is in the range 340-380 mA; this one should be close to 350 mA. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Five AMC7135 linear regulator chips; no board. Actual output of any particular chip is in the range 340-380 mA; these should be close to 380 mA. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
Output voltage up to ~14 V, output power up to ~70 W. Overhead ~1 V. Maximum claimed efficiency listed here; typical efficiency for any particular configuration unknown. Thermal protection. External PWM input.
Output voltage up to ~14 V, output power up to ~120 W. Overhead ~1 V. Maximum claimed efficiency listed here; typical efficiency for any particular configuration unknown. Thermal protection. External PWM input.
Output voltage 0.7-3.3 V. SOT-223 surface mount package. From the claimed specs it is apparently not an AMS1117-3.3 (datasheet) which has an output current of 1 A, not the 200 mA claimed.
This product has vanished from the retailer's web site.
Multimode boost regulator. Maximum input current 4 A. Available in two flavours - three mode Plain (low, medium, high) and four mode Special (with SOS).
Multimode high current buck driver. Available in two flavours - three mode Plain (low, medium, high) and four mode Special (with SOS). For some strange reason complete specifications are not readily available but some more information is available in this thread, where Wayne says you can drive "maybe 4" LEDs. (I can't see any explanation why the efficiency graph shows values 2% higher than the table.)
This product has vanished from the retailer's web site.
Multimode boost regulator. Maximum input current 4 A. Available in two flavours - three mode Plain (low, medium, high) and four mode Special (with SOS).
$0.00 (approx) £call (actual) + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Mains driver
100-264 V AC
1-16
115 V, 230 V AC mains power
700 mA constant current
1
164 mm x 46 mm x 32 mm
Driver removed from site.
Dimmable with 1-10 V input (controller available separately). Output in two series of up to 8 LEDs each. Overload protection, short-circuit protection, thermal protection.
$116.00 (approx) £55.00 (actual) + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Mains driver
100-264 V AC
1-18
115 V, 230 V AC mains power
350 mA constant current
1
155 mm x 38 mm x 24 mm
Driver removed from site.
Dimmable with 1-10 V input (controller available separately). Output in two series of up to 9 LEDs each. Overload protection, short-circuit protection, thermal protection.
$70.00 (approx) £33.17 (actual) + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Mains driver
100-264 V AC
1-3
115 V, 230 V AC mains power
700 mA constant current
1
120 mm x 35 mm x 25 mm
Driver removed from site.
IP68 dust/water rating; up to 2 m underwater (note that the primary lead is only 1 m long). Overload protection, short-circuit protection, thermal protection.
Limited availability from CPF member download. Uses the popular AX2002 chip; this seems to be the only AX2002 driver available with modes.
Present, designation J: 3 modes; low (50 mA), medium (200 mA), high (1 A). No memory. A few of these have been sold pre-configured to 1.4 A.
Previously, designation H: 3 modes; high (1 A), medium (200 mA), low (30 mA). Has memory. 17 mm diameter. Input voltage 3.6-23 V, 1-6 LEDs.
Claimed 0.25 V headroom (the amount input voltage must be above output voltage); this is probably actually the feedback voltage (the voltage dropped across the current set resistor) - other AX2002 drivers have ~0.5 V headroom. It may be able to be set the output current up to 2 A, the rating for the AX2002.
Two versions: Buttons, with operation using one button (25%, 50%, 100%, long press turns off) or two buttons (0-100% stepless); or Potentiometers (0-100% stepless).
Maximum output power ~15 W. Polarity protection. Dimming by PWM signal or DC. Maximum claimed efficiency listed here; typical efficiency for any particular configuration unknown.
Maximum output power ~15 W. Polarity protection. Dimming by PWM signal or DC. Maximum claimed efficiency listed here; typical efficiency for any particular configuration unknown.
Maximum output power ~15 W. Polarity protection. Dimming by PWM or DC inputs. Maximum claimed efficiency listed here; typical efficiency for any particular configuration unknown.
$13.00 for all except $16.50 for 750 mA and 1 A versions + shipping
Boost driver
1.6-6.0 V
1-2
85-89%
1000 mA constant current
1
14 mm
Boost regulator. Vin must be less than Vout. Maximum Iin 1.5 A. Constant current output, board available as a "blank" (add set resistor), or preset to 300 mA, 400 mA, 500 mA, 750 mA, or 1000 mA. Must always have a load connected.
Boost regulator, but apparently needs to be started with Vin between 3.4 V and Vf to start the full current regulation mode, otherwise it starts in safe mode, which is 1.5 A maximum input current. Constant current output, maximum 1 A. Board available as a "blank" (add set resistor), or preset to 400 mA, 500 mA, 750 mA and 1000 mA. Must always have a load connected.
"Great for use in Mag C & D and fixed lighting applications."
980 mA constant current
1
19 mm
Boost regulator. Maximum input current 4 A, said by manufacturer to be still efficient >3 A. Regulates on voltage or current, output current adjustable from 50-980 mA (or greater by changing set resistor, although that would remove load protection) at maximum 32 V. Includes copper heatsink; improved thermal performance and higher output voltage over standard Shark.
I note that Wayne here recommends new buyers to get three.
Maximum output voltage 48 V. Input voltage must be at least 3 V lower than output voltage. Dimmable with external potentiometer (0-100%) and on board trim adjustment (75-125%). 7 pin SIP interface for PCB mounting; wiring harness optional extra. Output has short circuit protection (15 seconds) and open circuit protection.
Update Feb-Mar 2015: Buyer beware - the drivers shipped are not the drivers pictured (photos have since been updated); the claimed details (bizarrely taken from the DX site) do not apply. Actually uses a chip marked LEDA 1412 with a SS24 diode and a couple of transistors. The output current is not the 925 mA claimed, but instead varies from 820 mA for one LED to 600 mA for three LEDs in series.
Previously: Appears to be identical to the popular DX sku.3256... and even uses DX's description.
$8.21 for 4 (down from $8.64, down from $9.13, up from $6.97) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
3.6-16 V
1-4
4+ NiMH,
2+ Li-ion
81-90%
600 mA
Can be modified to 1000 mA
1
17 mm x 6 mm high
Update Feb-Mar 2015: Buyer beware - DX has posted new photos which shows the same driver as FT sku.1105800. The claimed details are no longer correct; this driver is sadly no longer recommended. Also, the output current is no longer constant, varying from 820 mA with one LED down to 600 mA with three LEDs in series. This a a very sad change.
Update Nov 2009: New version using AX2002; now constant current output with 0.27 Ω set resistor, slightly larger diameter. Overhead is ~0.52 V. Test data and discussion here.
Tip: The output current can be increased (or decreased) by changing the set resistor appropriately (Rset = 0.25 / current) but the diode is a Schottky SS14, which has a maximum current limit of 1 A. Inexpensive 3 A Schottky diodes are listed here or here (if you want to risk that site).
Old version: 16 mm diameter. The details still on the DX site are for this version. Buck regulator using Zetex C310. 800-1000 mA output dependent on input voltage, although a hack for lower output is explained here. When run at lower output it appears reasonably constant current regulated. Test data graph.
5.0-32 V DC; also works with AC (half available models are for DC, half for AC)
1-6
86-95%
1000 mA constant current
1
20 mm x 20 mm x 11 mm
Available in many different forms, each with four versions with outputs of 350, 500, 700 or 1,000 mA. Half the forms are designed for low voltage AC, half for DC. Some forms have a built in trim adjustment for 40-110% output, some allow for an external trim adjustment. External connections vary - some forms have the wires built in, while most have from pins (4-7 of them) for PCB mounting. Wiring harnesses are also available, with and without potentiometer for trim adjustment. An additional capacitor across the input may be needed to smooth input power, as described here.
Input voltage must be at least 2 V higher than output voltage. Output has short circuit protection (15 seconds) and open circuit protection. Efficiency is greater the more LEDs it's driving.
Common Anode Multichannel. Powers 3 LED channels with a common anode, up to a maximum power of 25 W per channel. Output current on each channel can be set at 350 mA, 700 mA, or 1000 mA, and dimmed separately using PWM or DC inputs. Reverse polarity protection. Maximum claimed efficiency listed here; typical efficiency for any particular configuration unknown.
Common Anode Multichannel. Powers 4 LED channels with a common anode, up to a maximum power of 25 W per channel. Output current on each channel can be set at 350 mA, 700 mA, or 1000 mA, and dimmed separately using PWM or DC inputs. Reverse polarity protection. Maximum claimed efficiency listed here; typical efficiency for any particular configuration unknown.
Boost regulator. Vin must be less than Vout. Maximum 5 A input. User adjustable constant current output up to 2 A or 48 V (45 W max). Optional external adjustment. Open circuit protected, but if doing so, LED(s) must not be connected until output has discharged from 48 V.
Buck regulator using PWM for modes. Double layer board; the 1 mode version plus a mode controller. 5 modes, the order of which multiple users report to be; medium, low, high, strobe, SOS. One user has reported the "strobe" mode is actually a 50% duty cycle flash. No mode memory: "Every switch on, no matter how long or short advances the mode, and if it's left off for more than a minute or two it goes back to full-bright." Claimed constant current output at 2.8A but many buyers have reported the output is not well regulated and/or much lower than the rated output current - around 2.0 A and as low as 1.9 A. Buyer beware!
4th version February 2011: Reported to be equipped with SS34 Schottky diode and provide 2400 mA output. Possibly QX5241A driver chip.
3rd version September 2009: Said by techjunkie to be "a stinker".
2nd version March 2009: Buck regulator, driver chip number obscured/removed. Claimed constant current output at 2.8A but no one has got more than 2260 mA. Techjunkie says it's now well regulated. The Schottky diode used has a current rating of just 2 A.
1st version: Users reported the output current of the older version was not well regulated, and several others reported much lower than the rated output current (as low as 1950 mA was reported). From work techjunkie did here it seemed the driver may have been mainly a voltage regulator not a current regulator. This would allow it to work in parallel but not significantly increase output current. The actual output current would depend on LED Vf, so it's hard to be sure what you'll get. He also said the diameter is actually 26 mm.
PWM dimming only. This board does no current limiting but can be used in conjunction with other drivers that do. PWM frequency ~800 Hz. Maximum throughput current 3.4-4.5 A depending on temperature.
PWM dimming only. This board does no current limiting but can be used in conjunction with other drivers that do. The number of modes varies and can be altered. This board does no current limiting but can be used in conjunction with other drivers that do. PWM frequency ~800 Hz. Maximum throughput current 6 A (version 1 was 3.4-4.5 A depending on temperature). Reverse polarity and output open circuit protected.
5 modes, no memory; medium (30%), low (10%), high, strobe (8 Hz), SOS. No regulation - just PMW without current limiting, so the claimed 2000 mA is wrong and a brief review here says it will do more than 3 A with a good battery. The 8 mode version of this, DX sku.106799, has a claimed current range of 2-2.8 A - probably also too low.
$3.72 (up from $3.70) (sold out and/or discontinued)
User interface driver
2.8-4.2 V
1
2800 mA
1
17 mm
8 modes, and a strange mix they are; low (5%), high, fast strobe (16 Hz), very low (1%), medium strobe (3.3Hz), slow strobe (1 Hz), SOS, police strobe (16 Hz, 1 second off). However, a couple of users claim other modes such as 25% for the first mode, and no mode memory. The stated current range of 2.0-2.8 A implies it might just provide PWM modes without any current limiting. If so that range might be a bit low, and one user claims 4.34 A on high. See also the 5 mode version, DX sku.106796.
5 modes, no memory; high, low (10%), medium (30%), strobe (8 Hz), SOS. Note that the diameter stated in the title and description was 17 mm (for almost 2 years).
Three mode; high, medium (30%), strobe (9 Hz). Reverse polarity protected. Specs mention "(1 x 123A or 1 x 16340 battery)" but a 16340 li-ion cell would likely cause this boost driver to be in direct drive.
5 modes with memory; high, medium (30%), low (3%), strobe (9 Hz), SOS. Claims to be suitable for 1x 14500 cell, but doesn't say if it's in direct drive with that input, relying on the voltage drop of a small Li-ion cell.
Incomplete specifications given. I believe this is designed for a DRY torch (host available) with 3x XM-L in series, run from 3x Li-ion in series. Buyer beware - do not use this driver with unprotected Li-ion cells in that host.
4 modes with memory; low (0.1 A), medium (0.5 A), high (2.25 A), turbo (direct drive, maximum 4-5 A). Turbo mode steps down to high mode after 20 seconds.
Linear regulator. Two modes, low (20 mA), medium (120 mA). Power interruption of less than 0.5 seconds is ignored. Power interrupted for 0.75 seconds or more changes modes. No power for 2 minutes or more resets to low mode.
Available direct from a CPF member. Input cut-off voltage is 4.5 V but output current will decrease under 6 V input. Output current adjustable with potentiometer, in the range 0.5-9.0 A (or possibly 0.5-5.0 A). Input voltage must be at least 2V above output voltage.
$7.85 For 1-2: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Boost driver
1.0-3.2 V
1
1-2x AA,
1x LiFePO4
500 mA
4
17 mm
Driver removed from site.
Minimum input voltage is just a guess. 4 modes with 3 second mode memory; very low (7 mA), medium (100 mA), high, strobe. Polarity protection. Potted components (they're covered with goop).
$7.85 For 1-2: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Boost driver
1.0-3.2 V
1
1-2x AA,
1x LiFePO4
500 mA
4
17 mm
Driver removed from site.
Minimum input voltage is just a guess. 4 modes with 3 second mode memory; very low (7 mA), medium (160 mA), high, strobe. Polarity protection. Potted components (they're covered with goop).
Incomplete and/or stupid specifications given. The presence of a transformer implies a mains driver but NO specs are given (except "350mAh" instead of mA in the title). How do they expect to sell them?
Incomplete and/or stupid specifications given. The presence of a transformer implies a mains driver but NO specs are given (except "350mAh" instead of mA in the title). How do they expect to sell them?
Boost regulator. Vin must be less than Vout. User adjustable constant current at 3-16 V, up to 1000 mA. Optional external adjustment. Must always have a load connected.
There's a user guide for the many modes here but not actual specifications, and its maker on CPF doesn't link to its specs (or the latest firmware version) in his tagline. Go figure.
This is a constant voltage power supply, not a constant current LED driver, and is only included because it looks like an LED driver. LEDs should be driven with something to limit the current, such as a resistor. Output voltage 1-15 V. Input needs to be at least 2 V greater than output.
Buck/boost regulator. Constant current output, board available as a "blank" (add one or two SMT set resistors), or preset to 500 mA, 750 mA, or 1000 mA. Maximum output voltage 5.4 V. Must always have a load connected.
Transformer with buck regulator. Called a GU10 driver but does not itself have the bayonet pins of the GU10 connector. Incomplete specifications given. Presumably it can drive 3 LEDs because it's called a "3W" driver.
Transformer with buck regulator. Constant current out 320-350 mA. Reported to not be very efficient (not normally a major problem for mains power). These are called GU10 drivers but do not themselves have the bayonet pins of the GU10 connector. Efficiency figure from a review.
Transformer with buck regulator. Claimed constant current out 650-700 mA, actual might be as low as 620 mA. Reported to not be very efficient (not normally a major problem for mains power). These are called GU10 drivers but do not themselves have the bayonet pins of the GU10 connector.
Transformer with buck regulator. Called a GU10 driver but does not itself have the bayonet pins of the GU10 connector. Output current 300 mA @ approx. 9-10 V. Efficiency figures from reviews.
Formerly called H5CC. Suitable for SST-50. Output current variable from 20 mA up to 6.7 A. Overhead is 1.0 V at 5 A output. Not suitable for connecting multiple drivers in parallel. First 20 units have a maximum input of 20 V. Information thread here.
Features uController UI, "User menu reconfigurable to 1400mA/2000mA/2800mA/3600mA/5000mA/5600mA or 6600mA at any time." Ships configured for 1.4 A output. Input voltage needs to be at least 1 V higher than output voltage (at 2.8 A).
Buyer beware. Output voltage range initially not stated, then claimed to be 12.3-12.5 V, then defended as being 12.3-12.5 V. Not if it can drive 4 or 5 LEDs!
Product is labelled "AC12" and hence DX description says it accepts 12 V. Output current stated on driver is likely an error and should probably be 330 mA. Output 2-5 V.
1 blue LED included (in a fancy aluminium holder).
Product is labelled "220V". Output current stated on driver is likely an error and should probably be 330 mA. Output voltage 2-5 V @ claimed 310-350 mA.
1 warm white LED included (in a fancy aluminium holder).
5 LEDs included (in a fancy aluminium holder) which are reported to be red, green, blue, cool white and warm white; it seems a warm white LED is pictured.
Limited supply. Buck regulator. Constant current output 2.8 A. Headroom 0.5 V. Thermal protection, polarity protection. Single mode but can be driven using a separate PWM driver.
Buck regulator, can drive up to 22 V of series connected LEDs. Constant current output user reconfigurable at any time to 1.0/1.4/2.0/2.4/2.8 A. Headroom 0.5 V @ 2.8 A. Thermal protection, polarity protection.
5 modes in an unusual order; high, medium, strobe, SOS, low. The driver is claimed to be 700 mA but the test data listed gives about 3 A: "We have been testing multiple drivers from multiple batches, and results repeatedly show ~3A output, while the manufacturer insists 0.7A." - buyer beware. The test data indicates output current drops with less than 4.5 V input, but one of the reviews says it went up to 3.94 A with two Li-ion cells. With the other review saying his one just glowed and died with a funny smell, this is a driver for masochists.
Output voltage 3-3.7 V. Specs elsewhere indicate input voltage is 3-18 V, and output current may be any where from 3 A to 5 A - buyer beware. Probably 5 modes; low (10%), medium (50%), high, strobe, SOS.
Output voltage 3-3.7 V. Specs else where indicate input voltage is 3-18 V and output current 7 A - buyer beware. Probably 5 modes in Impractical Reverse Order; high, medium (50%), low (10%), strobe, SOS.
Buyer beware - originally listed with many conflicting specs. Output current 0.8-1.5 A (which sounds very unregulated). Output voltage 3.0-8.4 V sounds suspiciously like an input voltage for 1 or 2 Li-ion cells. Output supposedly suitable for 1 or 3 LEDs. 4 mode; high (1.5 A), medium (1.2 A), low (0.8 A), fast strobe. Polarity protection.
Buyer beware - may actually be a boost driver with much less than 6 A output.
4 mode with 3 second memory; high (6 A), medium (4 A), low (2 A), fast strobe. Formerly claimed 5 modes, including "Close" (SOS?). Formerly claimed to be suited for 1 to 3 LEDs in series. Formerly claimed 30 mm diameter. Output voltage 3.3-10 V. Polarity protection. Appears to have LEDs for indicating battery voltage. For a 4 A version see DX sku.231788.
Buyer beware - appears to be designed for two separate LEDs at ~1 A and ~1.5 A, not a single LED at 4 A total.
4 mode with 3-second memory; high (4 A), medium (2 A), low (0.1 A), fast strobe. Formerly claimed 5 modes, including "Close" (SOS?). Output voltage 3.3-10 V. The board looks like it has places for battery indicator LEDs but they are populated with resistors. Polarity protection. For a 6 A version see DX sku.231936 or for a 4 A version with battery status LEDs see DX sku.236160.
4 mode with 3 second memory; high (4 A), medium (2 A), low (100 mA), fast strobe. Formerly claimed 5 modes, including "Close" (SOS?). Output voltage 3.3-10 V. Polarity protected. There are two battery status LEDs are on the board.
Output voltage 44-86 V. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. Note that the length is the cable length, not the driver length.
Boost driver, input voltage must be less than output voltage. Maximum output 80 V. Adjustable output current limit. Input current less than 5 A for optimal performance. Has open circuit and reverse polarity protection. (Note that if turned on while open circuit, output will rise to 80 V - shock hazard.)
Previous version (pre Feb 2010) maximum 1.3 A output.
Output voltage 80 V maximum. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. PWM input. Open circuit protection. Technical info here.
Maximum output voltage 50 V. Output open circuit and short circuit protected; reverse polarity protected. Supports external potentiometer for dimming. Vin must be at least 2 V greater than Vf.
4x NiMH "is probably the best configuration available"
10 A constant current
2
26 mm
The specs for this driver listed in this table may not be correct, as incomplete specs are listed in the sales thread and the specs thread isn't linked from it. (It might be this one but it has conflicting specs from the few that are actually listed in the sales thread.) Different versions are available, with high mode 5 A, 8 A or 10 A, and low mode from 1.2 A up. Switching between modes required a toggle switch or potentiometer (not included). Driver draws 0.5 mA when off.
Output voltage 19-36 V, clearly visible on driver. Unfortunately, DX has chosen to not make the claimed specs self consistent or consistent with the driver photos - buyer beware.
For driving a single 5mm LED from an alkaline AA or AAA. Do not use with NiMH - the Joule Thief will suck it dry and leave it gasping or permanently dead. There's a handy instruction video on YouTube.
Some changes to the basic circuit can increase efficiency and stablise output. (Love the ASCII diagrams - they're cool!)
FWIW an open circuit Joule Thief can output over 50 volts, so they can be used for all sorts of things, like charging other batteries.
Driver has changed; the present driver name in this table is from the waterproof case on the previous version.
Output voltage 16-18 V. Note that 2.0 A output at 18 V is 36 W, significantly greater than the 30 W claimed, so it's possible the claimed output is approximate.
Driver chip probably MC34063A (which has a 1.5 A maximum and is specified for DC-DC converters, not constant current LED drivers), with SS14 Schottky diodes. Said to be suited for 2 series, 2 parallel LEDs; it can probably handle 1-3 LEDs just fine.
Output voltage 9-11 V. Driver chip MC34063A (which has a 1.5 A maximum and is specified for DC-DC converters, not constant current LED drivers). Driver comes with SS14 Schottky diodes.
Output voltage 9-12 V. Driver chip MC34063A, which has a 1.5 A maximum (and is specified for DC-DC converters, not constant current LED drivers). Driver comes with SS14 Schottky diode.
Whatever description there used to be has vanished. Enclosed in white box - claimed water and dust resistant. Presumed to be a transformer with buck regulator. Output 350 mA (title says 320 mA) constant current @ 6-12 V according to the label (not 0.5-10 V as claimed in title).
Kennan (Nanjg 07)
KaiDomain
$3.10 (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
5.0-18 V
1-3
79-91%
750 mA constant current
1
17 mm
Buck regulator based on PT4105 chip. Constant current output. Off the shelf it's set to 750 mA, but this can be changed by using a different set resistor (original is soldered surface mount). Input voltage needs to be 1-3 V above output. Can output 1 A with more than 9 V in, but at an efficiency cost.
Kennan 2 variants (Nanjg 21)
KaiDomain
$3.43 (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
5.0-18 V
1-3
60%
1000 mA constant current
1
20 mm
Buck regulator based on PT4105 chip. Constant current output. Off the shelf it's set to 1000 mA (even though that's out of spec for the regulator chip below 9 V in) but this can be changed by using a different set resistor (original is soldered surface mount). Input voltage needs to be 1-3 V above output, but the new components will shut the board down under 6.2V (2x Li-ion?). This thread discusses the control features of this new version. Efficiency perhaps as low as 60% thanks to running it out of spec and it also runs quite hot because of it. In summary, more versatile but not as useful.
November 2011: The present Kennan may be version 4; input voltage range previously claimed to be 3.6-23 V, now 4-18 V. It's still a good driver but it's more expensive than it needs to be, so no longer recommended. Consider KD sku S009736 or DX sku.26110 instead.
Buck regulator based on AX2002 chip. Constant current output, off the shelf set to 1 amp. Efficiency figures from AX2002 datasheet, but "AX2002" test results I've seen that may be of this board indicates 78-87% for a single LED below 1.4 A, sagging to 65% at 2.4 A.
Note: In italianboy's review (apparently lost with the Nov 2011 KD site update) he claims that 1 amp is outside the driver chip's limits. This is not true as the AX2002 can actually cope with 2.5 amps, although it will get very hot over 2 amps, meaning without heatsinking the thermal protection will probably turn it off after just a few minutes. Also, the other components on the Kennan 3 board may not be too happy at 2+ amps; the Schottky diode is an SS14, which has a 1 A limit.
The Case 1 and Case 2 examples mentioned on KD's site mention the 750 mA that an earlier Kennan driver was set to.
Driver board with combined LEDs - triple Cree XP-G R5 (cool white). Three modes; 100%, 20%, 2%. An extra momentary button (not supplied) allows access to four flashing modes and to manually set the middle mode anywhere in the range 0-50%. Below ~4.8 V in the output will drop out of regulation.
A new 1.55 A version is undergoing testing, as discussed here.
Driver board with combined LEDs - triple Cree XP-E R3 (cool white). Three modes; 100%, 20%, 2%. An extra momentary button (not supplied) allows access to four flashing modes and to manually set the middle mode anywhere in the range 0-50%.
A new 1.55 A version is undergoing testing, as discussed here.
Driver board with combined LEDs - triple Cree XP-G R4 (neutral white). Three modes; 100%, 20%, 2%. An extra momentary button (not supplied) allows access to four flashing modes and to manually set the middle mode anywhere in the range 0-50%. Below ~4.8 V in the output will drop out of regulation.
A new 1.55 A version is undergoing testing, as discussed here.
$8.50 For 1-2: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
3.3-10.0 V
1
1-2x Li-ion
2-3x CR123A
1000 mA constant current
5
17 mm x 8 mm high - components on both sides
Driver removed from site.
5 modes with memory; high (1 A), medium (300 mA), low (50 mA), strobe, SOS. Modes use PWM. Low voltage warning; light will slowly flash at 3.3 V (which seems very conservative) and 6.2 V.
$8.50 For 1-2: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
3.0-4.2 V
1
1x Li-ion
2000 mA constant current
5
17 mm x 7 mm high - two boards in double layer
SKU number reused for a very different product.
Unknown drive method - no inductor so presumed to be a linear regulator. 5 modes with memory (claims to not use PWM); high (2.0 A), medium (1 A), low (150 mA), strobe, SOS. Change mode group to 3 mode (high, medium, low) by blinking it off at the right moment. Low voltage protection - under 3 V drops to low mode and starts flashing. No polarity protection. A higher output version is Intl Outdoor p-414.
$8.50 For 1-2: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Linear regulator
3.0-4.2 V
1
1x Li-ion
2600 mA constant current
5
17 mm x 7 mm high - two boards in double layer
Driver removed from site.
Unknown drive method - no inductor so presumed to be a linear regulator. 5 modes with memory (claims to not use PWM); high (2.6 A), medium (1 A), low (150 mA), strobe, SOS. Change mode group to 3 mode (high, medium, low) by blinking it off at the right moment. Low voltage protection - under 3 V drops to low mode and starts flashing. No polarity protection. A lower output version is Intl Outdoor p-415.
Direct drive. 5 modes in two groups, high (100%), medium (40%), low (6%), strobe, SOS. Alternate group without flashing modes accessed by half press. Low voltage warning.
$8.95 For 1-2: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
3.0-8.4 V
1
1-2x Li-ion
2800 mA constant current
5
19 mm x 9 mm high - two boards in double layer
Driver removed from site.
5 modes with memory (claims to not use PWM); high (2.5 A one cell, 2.8 A two cells), medium (700 mA), low (100 mA), strobe, SOS. Constant current output with two cells. Low voltage protection, at 3 V/5.8 V; drops to low mode and starts flashing.
3 modes with memory in 3 groups, change group with half push; high (3 A), medium (900 mA), low (150 mA). Alternate groups with 2 modes or 1 mode. Driver board 18 mm diameter. Low voltage warning, polarity protection.
5 mode; high (700 mA with 1x AA, 900 mA with 2x AA), medium, low, strobe, SOS. Low voltage warning at 0.8 V and 1.8 V. Polarity protection. Also available (for much less) from Intl Outdoor Store p-417.
$8.99 For 1-2: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Boost driver
0.9-3.0 V
1
1-2x AA
900 mA
4
18 mm x 8 mm high - components on both sides
Driver removed from site.
4 modes; high (650 mA with one AA, 900 mA with two AAs), medium (100 mA), low (10 mA), strobe. Low voltage protection; drops to low mode and starts flashing. Polarity protection.
5 modes with memory; high, medium (700 mA), low (100 mA), strobe, SOS. Change to alternate group with no flashing modes with momentary switch push at the right time. Low voltage warning at 9 V and 12 V. Also available from Intl Outdoor Store p-489.
$9.50 For 1-2: + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
9-17 V
3
3-4x Li-ion
2500 mA constant current
5
24 mm x 15 mm high - components on both sides
Driver removed from site.
5 modes with memory; high (2.5-2.6 A), medium (700 mA), low (100 mA), strobe, SOS. Two mode groups, featuring a group without flashing modes. Does not use PWM. Low voltage warning; light will slowly flash at 9 V and 12 V.
1 mode and 3 mode versions; high, medium (750 mA), low (50 mA). Always starts in high (great shame). Output voltage up to 6.6 V. Polarity protection. For some reason is described as suitable for 2x XP-G2 in series (rated at 1500 mA) / 2x XP-E2 in series (rated at 1000 mA). The response from the shop is that those LEDs can be run that hard and modders completely ignore maximum ratings now. An XP-E2 at 2.4 A? Why? He's taken leave of his senses. Buyer beware.
"Designed for 10W High Power LED" doesn't quite say how many LEDs it's for, so the 1-3 in this table is only a guess. The specifications for this driver are suspiciously similar to a mains driver from the same retailer. Buyer beware.
"Designed for 10W High Power LED" doesn't quite say how many LEDs it's for, so the 1-3 in this table is only a guess. The specifications for this driver are suspiciously similar to a 12 V driver from the same retailer. Buyer beware.
3 modes with memory, in Sensible Ascending Order, with the off-the-shelf current setpoints varying a bit; low (80mA), medium (somewhere in the range 700-1100mA), high (2200-3000mA). Double click for a hidden 12Hz strobe mode. Each steady mode is programmable.
This driver gets some good reviews. It uses an AON7520 MOSFET
Three modes - low (5%), high (100%), medium (35%). Switches to low mode on over-temperature. Output claimed to be constant current and either 3.0 amps or 2.8 amps. Input variously listed at 5.5-15 V (with <12 V preferred), 5.5-13.2 V, and 4.0-12.0 V. 90-95% efficient seems to be the default claim by this retailer. The claim to provide 1+ hours of 3 A output from four Eneloop cells is clearly false for a Cree MC-E or SSC P7. With a LED Vf of 3.4 V (MC-E) that's 10.2+ Wh output from less than 8.5 Wh input (Eneloop @ 2.25 A, assumed driver 95% efficient for estimating battery voltage under load). This also raises doubt about the constant current claim. Buyer beware.
$1.99 (formerly $1.43) + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
5.0-24 V (7-15 V suggested)
1-4
73%
285 mA constant current
1
24 mm x 24 mm
Driver has been removed from retailer's web site. Actual output current may vary from 240 mA to 310 mA. Possibly a clearance product; claim to have free shipping could not be verified.
"1 W LED Driver Based on MBI6651". Although claimed to be "constant current" the output current drops the more LEDs it's driving and rises the higher the input voltage. Claimed efficiency @ 12 V input with 3 LEDs.
"3 W LED Driver Based on MBI6651". Although claimed to be "constant current" the output current drops the more LEDs it's driving and rises the higher the input voltage. Claimed efficiency @ 12 V input with 3 LEDs.
"5 W LED Driver Based on MBI6651". Although claimed to be "constant current" the output current drops the more LEDs it's driving and rises the higher the input voltage. Claimed efficiency @ 12 V input with 3 LEDs.
Driver has been removed from retailer's web site. Although "constant current" the output current drops the more LEDs it's driving and rises the higher the input voltage. Claimed efficiency @ 12 V input with 3 LEDs.
"0.5 W LED Driver Based on MBI6651". Although claimed to be "constant current" the output current drops the more LEDs it's driving and rises the higher the input voltage. Claimed efficiency @ 12 V input with 3 LEDs.
Apparently a voltage-controlled driver with the output voltage set using a potentiometer; output voltage 1.5-22 V (use that potentiometer with care). There's an implication this driver should be used with a resistor in series with the LEDs. Claimed "max 700 mA, peak 2 A" is contradictory. Built-in rectifier for AC or DC operation. Unknown operation method but thought to be a linear regulator because of the presence of a large heat sink on the board.
Input current up to 3 A. Soft start output, current adjustable with solder bridge (350 mA, 700 mA, 1000 mA) up to 35 V. External PWM input. Claimed efficiency is maximum; typical efficiency unknown.
Output current set by solder jumpers in 15 steps from 200 mA to 2050 mA. Tested up to 3 A output. Soft start function. Maximum input current 7 A. Maximum output voltage ~55 V. Maximum output power >100 W. Maximum claimed efficiency listed here; typical efficiency for any particular configuration unknown. Thermal protection. External PWM input and external shut down.
1 V overhead. Dimming by PWM with an onboard RISC chip(!) or with DC input signal. Efficiency listed is maximum; typical efficiency unknown. Reverse polarity protection.
1 channel, switched by PIR (passive infrared) sensor. Does not seem to have any adjustment of PIR sensitivity, background light sensitivity or 'on' duration.
Maximum switching 30 W, 2 A. Switching by PIR (passive infrared). Does not seem to have any adjustment of PIR sensitivity, background light sensitivity or 'on' duration.
Up to 70 W power switching. Quite a fancy PWM controller (apparently), with RS-232 control, or with potentiometer or two buttons (0-100% stepless), or with a single button (three levels 25%, 50%, 100%, long press turns off).
Claimed output voltage 24-45 V, which implies 8-15 LEDs could be powered rather than the 9-12 LEDs claimed. Claimed minimum efficiency listed here. Claimed waterproof (no IP rating given).
Output voltage 25-62 V, which implies 8-20 LEDs could be powered rather than the 9-16 LEDs claimed. Claimed minimum efficiency listed here. Claimed waterproof (no IP rating given).
Output voltage claimed 60-100 V, although one reviewer measured 94-95 V no load. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. IP67 dust/water rating.
Output current 650-750 mA, output voltage 12-58 V. "Electronic internal resettable short circuit protection. Thermal protection and overload regulation." "Waterproof potting".
1-12 LEDs on each of three 350 mA channels. Conflicting specifications, 48 V max input in title, but 24 V max input in description. Manual also says 48 V. Can be used with RGB controller.
$3.31 (up from $2.86, up from $2.58, up from $2.53) (sold out and/or discontinued)
Buck driver
10-14.5 V (approx)
0
1 LED included
12 V car battery
1000 mA
1
100 mm long
Buck regulator, not specifically a LED driver but is an inexpensive way to get a low voltage LED driver working with 12 V. Designed to plug into a car lighter socket to provide a USB socket. Constant voltage output 5.5 V (not actually within USB spec, which is maximum 5.25 V). Can do somewhere around 700-1000 mA before dropping out of regulation. Cute little red LED to show it's working.
Tip: Does not charge iPods but there is a work-around using a couple of resistors to apply a mid-voltage to the two data pins.
Output voltage red 7.0-7.5 V, blue and green 9-11 V. Designed to be used to power 3 series LEDs in each of red, green and blue. Comes with remote control to adjust colours and modes.
Output voltage estimated to be red 23-25 V, blue and green 30-36 V. Designed to be used to power 10 series LEDs in each of red, green and blue. Comes with remote control to adjust colours and modes.
Output voltage 54-86 V. Note that this voltage represents a shock hazard - use with caution. IP67 dust/water rating. Short circuit, over current and overload protection.
Output voltage 12-24 V. IP54 or IP66 dust/water rating (apparently for indoor and outdoor versions, although there's no indication of how they are distinguished when ordering). Alternative versions mentioned on the datasheet have outputs of 700 mA (18-36 V) or 2,080 mA (8-12 V).
Boost regulator. Vin must be less than Vout. User configurable constant current, 350-1300 mA (increased from 1200 mA) at up to 29 V (increased from 24 V). uController UI, status LED. Open circuit protected, polarity protected.
Designed to be used with common positive multi-colour RGBW LEDs such as this 4 colour MC-E or a dynamic white MC-E. Four channel; 600-700 mA per channel. 12 modes in 2 groups; change group by soldering/switching stars. See p-687 for 20 mm version.
Designed to be used with common positive multi-colour RGBW LEDs such as this 4 colour MC-E or a dynamic white MC-E. Four channel; 600-700 mA per channel. 12 modes in 2 groups; change group by soldering/switching stars. See p-686 for 17 mm version or p-645 for a single group 20 mm version.
Microcontroller with 4 D882 transistors; unknown regulation quality. Designed to be used with common positive multi-colour RGBW LEDs such as this 4 colour MC-E. Output current is 4x 700 mA. 8 modes without memory; white, red, green, blue, white-red-green-blue strobe, red-blue police strobe, white strobe, red SOS.
It's hard taking KD's site seriously when so many random colours and sizes of text is used to describe the board, with missing graphics liberally distributed as well. (The site has since been updated.) Inconsistent specifications, with output current listed as 2.8 A and 3.0 A and input voltage listed as 5.5-15 V and 4.0-12.0 V. Three mode; low (5%), high (100%), medium (35%) - also listed as high (2.8 A), medium (1.38 A [49%]), low (0.25 A [9%]). The runtimes given don't stack up. There are two versions (with 3 and 5 modes) which look identical and either might be sent to fill an order. Buyer beware.
This driver gets a bad review here. StefanFS here says it gets really hot with 8 AA cells, while CM here calculates over 2 W of heat dissipated in high mode - toasty - while showing the claimed 90-95% efficiency is imaginary.
$8.18 each (up from $7.99), also available in 5 pack
Buck driver
5.5-12 V
1
3000 mA
5
19 mm
Uses PWM for 5 modes; low (10%), medium (50%), high (100%), fast strobe, SOS. If driving a Cree MC-E its four dice must be parallel connected. Also available as a 5 pack. Both product pages have photos of two different drivers. Buyer beware.
Output voltage 9-48 V. IP67 dust/water rating. Short circuit, over voltage, and over current protection. Claims to be suitable for XP-Gs only and that using it with XP-Es may cause them to blow. At only just over 1 A this sounds paranoid, and was probably a warning intended for the higher output drivers in the same range. The retailer was also careless with specifying the voltage range - correct range taken from datasheet.
1 V overhead. Efficiency claimed is maximum; typical efficiency unknown. Report from a reader: "I have tested it [for] hundreds hours, no problems and no need to heatsink for 2 LEDs with 9 V."
Can be used as either a buck, or boost, or buck/boost driver - see the Application Notes for connection diagrams and other info. Not a constant current output; they claim this is a design feature to mimic the light dropoff of an incandescent bulb. I'm not convinced. Maximum 8 V output. Can be used in parallel. Efficiency as a boost driver claimed 70-82% (measured at 64-78% in a test with an XP-G here), as a buck driver 82-89%; as a buck/boost driver 62-72%. The datasheet doesn't claim an IP rating but does say "The 2009A is encapsulated by an insulating epoxy and is resistant to harsh environments and moisture."
Available in three versions with nominal outputs of 350, 400 (error in window title bar) and 500 mA.
Maximum output voltage 38 V. Maximum input current 500 mA. Output current set by solder jumpers in 9 steps from 10 mA to 200mA. Dimming by PWM signal. Soft start. Maximum claimed efficiency listed here; typical efficiency for any particular configuration unknown.
Suitable for Cree MP-L.
Mini Constant Current Power Supply with rectifier, 9 versions 20-100 mA
Led-Tech
$2.80 (approx) €1.99 (actual) + shipping
Linear regulator
6.5-38 V DC; also works with AC (4.5-26 V AC)
1-10
7-45%
100 mA constant current
1
16 mm x 7.5 mm x 3 mm
Linear regulator based on a LM317 voltage regulator chip, with a rectifier so it can cope with AC (and can be connected either way with DC). Available in nine versions providing 10 mA, 20 mA, 30 mA, 40 mA, 50 mA, 60 mA, 70 mA, 80 mA and 100 mA. Supply voltage needs to be at least 3.8 V higher than total LED Vf and not more than 38, 27, 18, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8 or 7 V higher respectively for the different versions. Efficiency figures are given for a single LED but could theoretically
be as high as 90% for a string.
Mini Constant Current Power Supply, 9 versions 10-100 mA
Led-Tech
$2.80 (approx) €1.99 (actual) + shipping
Linear regulator
5.2-37 V
1-10
7-52%
100 mA constant current
1
16 mm x 7.5 mm x 3 mm
Linear regulator based on a LM317 voltage regulator chip, available in nine versions providing 10
mA, 20
mA, 30
mA, 40
mA, 50
mA, 60
mA, 70
mA, 80
mA and 100
mA. Supply voltage needs to be at least 2.5 V higher than total LED Vf
and not more than 37, 27, 18, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8 or 7 V higher respectively for
the different versions. Efficiency figures are given for a single LED but it could
theoretically be as high as 93% for a string.
As with the FLu-PIC, specs aren't given. It does claim to have multiple modes, though: Hi/Burst (450-600 mA), User Set, Low, Off, Brightness Set (for user set level) between 1-10 levels.
Output voltage 3-10.5 V. Driver chip MC34063A, which has a 1.5 A maximum (and is specified for DC-DC converters, not constant current LED drivers). Driver comes with SS14 Schottky diode.
Buyer beware - specs are contradictory (1-3x1W or 650 mA?). Output voltage 3-10 V. Driver chip MC34063A, which has a 1.5 A maximum (and is specified for DC-DC converters, not constant current LED drivers). Driver comes with SS14 Schottky diode.
$1.46 (up from $1.41) (sold out and/or discontinued)
MR16 (buck) driver
12-12 V DC; also works with AC
3
12 V car battery
90%
300 mA
1
Product removed from retailer's site.
Slightly dodgy specs. Claimed output voltage 2.2-2.4 V is probably wrong, since it also claims to drive 3 LEDs. Built-in rectifier, so can be used with AC.
Unknown operation method; presumed to be buck driver. Claimed output voltage 12-18 V, which would be impossible to do even with 12 V AC with just buck, implies buck/boost; this is almost certainly not the case. Driver chip MC34063A, which has a 1.5 A maximum (and is specified for DC-DC converters, not constant current LED drivers). Driver comes with SS14 Schottky diode, and a bridge rectifier so it can be used with AC. Appears to be the same as DX 178343.
Output voltage 10-12.5 V. Driver chip MC34063A, which has a 1.5 A maximum (and is specified for DC-DC converters, not constant current LED drivers). Driver comes with SS14 Schottky diode.
$4.90 for 5 (in the More Options link; list price $6.52, up from $6.20)
MR16 (buck) driver
12-12 V DC; also works with AC
3
12 V AC or DC
90%
600 mA
Can be modified to 1000 mA
1
28 mm x 18 mm x 8 mm
Claimed output voltage 9-12 V, which implies 4 LEDs but it's unclear if this is the case, and if so, how many volts DC input it will need. Driver chip MC34063A, which has a 1.5 A maximum (and is specified for DC-DC converters, not constant current LED drivers). Driver comes with SS14 Schottky diode.
Available in the "More Options" link in the product page for $4.90.
Incomplete specifications given. MC34063A driver chip, which has a 1.5 A maximum (and is specified for DC-DC converters, not constant current LED drivers). Unknown input voltage range (12 V AC is about 17 V DC). Presumably it can drive 3 LEDs because it's called a "3W" driver. Built-in rectifier, probably four Schottky SS14 diodes.
There are MR16 sockets available for them - round (17 mm diameter) and rectangular (28 mm x 17 mm).
Tip: If using DC you wouldn't need the rectifier so you could short that out for a few percent efficiency gain, but it will still work with it left intact.
$2.34 (down from $2.50 up from $2.20, down from $2.25, down from $2.34, down from $2.53)
MR16 (buck) driver
8.0-25 V DC; also works with AC (claimed 12-40 V for board is wrong as PT4115 is 30 V max)
1-8
2-4x Li-ion, 12 V car battery
80-92%
350 mA constant current
Can be modified to 1000 mA
1
18 mm x 14 mm x 11 mm (31 mm x 18 mm x 11 mm including prongs and output terminals)
Buck regulator based on PT4115 chip and Schottky SS14 diode. Earlier version EQB8L chip. They're not quite equivalent as the PT4115 will turn off under 8 V and the EQB8L will still work under 4 V (voltages not including the rectifier on this driver). Constant current out 330 mA - 370 mA (average 350 mA in this table); there's no difference between the two 1 W versions except maybe the set resistor (R270 for 370 mA or R300 for 330 mA). Built-in rectifier, normally four Schottky SS14 diodes.
There are MR16 sockets available for them - round (17 mm diameter) and rectangular (28 mm x 17 mm).
Tip: If using DC you wouldn't need the rectifier so you could short that out for an estimated 97% efficiency, but it will still work with it left intact.
$1.99 (down from $2.13 down from $2.20, down from $2.25, down from $2.39, down from $2.53)
MR16 (buck) driver
8.0-25 V DC; also works with AC (claimed 12-40 V for board is wrong as PT4115 is 30 V max)
1-8
2-4x Li-ion, 12 V car battery
55-97%
700 mA constant current
Can be modified to 1000 mA
1
18 mm x 14 mm x 11 mm (31 mm x 18 mm x 11 mm including prongs and output terminals)
Buck regulator based on PT4115 chip and Schottky SS14 diode. Earlier version EQB8L chip. They're not quite equivalent as the PT4115 will turn off under 8 V and the EQB8L will work under 4 V (voltages not including the rectifier on this driver). Maximum voltage listed is from max rating for output capacitor. Constant current out 650-700 mA. Built-in rectifier, normally four Schottky SS14 diodes.
The PT4115 version is said to be quite good with one and quite good or excellent when driving two or more (unfortunately the test results to which I had linked have been withdrawn pending further investigation). For automotive use (~12V) the EQB8L version of this 3 W driver is not very efficient when driving only one LED, but quite good with two (84%); thus the EQB8L seems better suited to lower currents with single LEDs. There are a couple reports of this version emitting RF noise causing interference with car radios and remote locking, but most users haven't found any interference.
There are MR16 sockets available for them - round (17 mm diameter) and rectangular (28 mm x 17 mm).
Tip: If using DC and sure of polarity you wouldn't need the rectifier so you could short that out for an extra 4-6% efficiency gain, but it will still work with it left intact.
$1.95 (down from $2.25 down from $2.34, down from $2.53)
MR16 (buck) driver
8.0-25 V DC; also works with AC (claimed 12-16 V AC for board)
1-8
2-4x Li-ion, 12 V car battery
80-95%
350 mA constant current
Can be modified to 1000 mA
1
18 mm x 14 mm x 11 mm (31 mm x 18 mm x 11 mm including prongs and output terminals)
Buck regulator based on PT4115 chip and Schottky SS14 diode. Earlier version EQB8L chip. They're not quite equivalent as the PT4115 will turn off under 8 V and the EQB8L will still work under 4 V (voltages not including the rectifier on this driver). Maximum voltage listed is from max rating for output capacitor. Constant current out 330 mA to 370 mA (average 350 mA in this table); there's no difference between the two 1 W versions except maybe the set resistor (R270 for 370 mA or R300 for 330 mA), but efficiency is unknown when running a 3 LED configuration. Built-in rectifier, normally four Schottky SS14 diodes.
There are MR16 sockets available for them - round (17 mm diameter) and rectangular (28 mm x 17 mm).
Tip: If using DC you wouldn't need the rectifier so you could short that out for a few percent efficiency gain, but it will still work with it left intact.
MR16-base drivers: 1x 1 W, 3x 1 W, 1x 3 W
DealExtreme
$2.53 (sold out and/or discontinued)
MR16 (buck) driver
5.0-18 V DC; also works with AC (DC for driver chip, claimed 12-16 V AC for board)
1-4
4-12x NiMH, 5-12x alkaline, 2-4x Li-ion, 12 V car battery
350 mA constant current
1
18 mm x 14 mm x 14 mm
Buck regulator based on the discontinued PT4105 chip - see separate notes below. Constant current out 320-350 mA for 1 W versions, 650-700 mA for 3W version (not 320-350 mA as stated).
These drivers have their own bridge rectifier using low-voltage Schottky diodes, so they can handle (low voltage) AC or DC input. While these drivers are claimed to handle 12-16 V AC, the PT4105 is only specified to handle up to 18 V input, so allowing for perhaps 0.4V drop on each of two Schottky diodes being used at any time in the rectifier, anything over about 13.7 Vrms AC would be outside the PT4105 spec.
Tip: If using DC you wouldn't need the rectifier so you could short that out, but it will still work (slightly less efficiently) with it left intact.
Buyer beware. Unknown output voltage. Intended for use with a Cree MT-G2 but that LED is available in three voltage options - 6V, 9V and 36V. The claimed 18V output doesn't make sense. (The MT-G2 does have an 18W power rating.) If the 1000mA output current is correct this could only suit the 6V or 9V versions, as the 36V version is rated for 500mA.
Also, the claimed input voltage is 12-15 V but it's said to be suitable for 3-4x Li-ion, not just 4x Li-ion.
Buyer beware. Unknown output voltage. Intended for use with a Cree MT-G2 but that LED is available in three voltage options - 6V, 9V and 36V. The claimed 18V output doesn't make sense. (The MT-G2 does have an 18W power rating.) If the 1000mA output current is correct this could only suit the 6V or 9V versions, as the 36V version is rated for 500mA.
Also, the claimed input voltage is 5-12 V but it's said to be suitable for 4x Li-ion, not 2-4x Li-ion. However, the subtitle mentions 12-15V.
Buyer beware. Unknown output voltage. Intended for use with a Cree MT-G2 but that LED is available in three voltage options - 6V, 9V and 36V. The claimed 18V output doesn't make sense. (The MT-G2 does have an 18W power rating.) If the 1000mA output current is correct this could only suit the 6V or 9V versions, as the 36V version is rated for 500mA.
Also, the claimed input voltage is 5-12 V but it's said to be suitable for 4x Li-ion, not 2-4x Li-ion. However, the subtitle mentions 12-15V.
3 modes with memory; high, medium (30%), low (5%). PWM frequency 3.9 kHz. Thermal and low voltage warnings. Bottom board apparently does nothing except provide a 21 mm board and can be removed to leave just a 19 mm single board boost driver, 10 mm high, with components on both sides.
$21.00 (approx) €14.90 (actual) + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
User interface driver
7.0-30 V
0
10 A
1
138 mm x 16 mm x 20 mm (or 40 mm with knob)
PWM dimming only. Scroll bar design with a PWM frequency of 450 Hz giving 0-100% control of constant current or voltage supply - ie, needs to be used with a regulator. Short circuit protected.
PWM dimming only. Scroll bar design with a PWM frequency of 450 Hz giving 0-100% control of constant current or voltage supply - ie, needs to be used with a regulator. Short circuit protected.
The LT-1619 version has IR sensor and remote control.
$63.00 (approx) €44.50 (actual) + shipping (sold out and/or discontinued)
User interface driver
7.0-30 V
0
10 A
1
138 mm x 52 mm x 20 mm (or 40 mm with knob)
PWM dimming only. Scroll bar design with a PWM frequency of 450 Hz giving 0-100% control of constant current or voltage supply - ie, needs to be used with a regulator. Short circuit protected.
5 modes; high (100%), medium (30%), low (5%), SOS, strobe. Output voltage 2-7 V, manually set; possibly hence the mention of direct drive. Claimed output of 3 A is seriously dubious (it might actually be input current). See DX sku.7882 for more details on the Nanjg 18 driver.
$4.74 each (down from $4.82 while it was sold out, down from $5.02), also available in 5 pack (sold out and/or discontinued)
Boost driver and buck driver
0.9-4.2 V
1
1x Li-ion
1000 mA
5
17 mm
Unclear what it does when input voltage is greater than LED Vf - possibly just direct drive, but it claims to buck. Similar to Nanjg 28 but with contacts for different mode groups like AK-47; with a suitable switch you could change between groups with 2, 3, 3 and 5 modes on the fly. Output current with 1x AA claimed to be 300-500 mA. This review says the low and medium modes are very close together.
Formerly product ID 10243. Also available as a 5 pack, S009114 (formerly product ID 10246).
Former version 19 mode Nanjg 16 (NJG-016) is the one pictured on DX. New version (NJG18) has the first mode group with just low, medium, high as detailed here.
Previous version: 19 mode boost driver using "Seiko S-8352D (or a clone thereof)" (datasheet, PDF 528 KB) which is a constant voltage boost driver chip. User-adjustable output voltage (not current) ~2 V up to 7.4 V. Output voltage must be greater than input voltage; one report says it will keep working down to 0.3 V but will not turn on unless input voltage is at least 1.1 V. Note that it runs out of regulation, so is not a constant current or constant voltage driver. Capable of ~700 mA output from a single AA NiMH cell, or ~1000 mA from two. Efficiency in the 60-70% range if output is much over 1 W (running the board on 1x AA), and pushing 90% at ~1 W - amazing for an inexpensive boost driver. Do not operate without a load connected.
Is it suitable for a Li-ion cell? See a good analysis here by Tido, who writes: "Yes and no. It's possible to use this circuit with a high Vf LED like an XR-E... Things are different with an XP-G..."
Tip 1: To disable modes (and a mode list) see this post.
Tip 2: A mod to get this driver to fit an Ultrafire A10 is detailed here.
Boost driver (uses 2106F regulator chip). Reliable test data is hard to find and is complicated by people using different wiring methods. Some results are here and here but in the latter test, as pointed out, the output voltage dipping while the output current still climbs does seem a bit hard to believe. Discussion thread here.
Tip 1: It seems that modifying the set resistor to give a lower output current (max 500 mA) is a good idea.
Tip 2: Different wiring methods may give different efficiency figures.
Recent buyers have reported problems with this driver. Buyer beware.
Boost driver, possibly Seiko S-8352D boost chip. Uses PIC12F629 microcontroller chip for modes, probably with an AMC7136 (sic) linear regulator (datasheet, PDF 954 KB) for dropping small excess voltage as well. 5 modes: High (1,000 mA), mid (350 mA), low (50 mA), strobe (1,000 mA), SOS (1,000 mA). Testing here and here shows that above 2.4 V input the output current is surprisingly regulated. Average efficiency 70%.
Up to 50 W power switching. Control with potentiometer or two buttons (0-100% stepless), or with a single button (three levels 25%, 50%, 100%, long press turns off). Selectable dimming frequency.
Output voltage 25 V (presumably this is about the centre of the output voltage range). This driver appears to be small enough for using for light bulbs.
Three modes; high, low, strobe. Incomplete specs given. No inductor present so it's not a buck driver. Input voltage specs indicate it may be just a PWM driver.
Previously: This is a good example of what's wrong with KD. There are no specs given other than the product title, and that uses mAh instead of mA. It's just an assumption that it's for 110 V. Assumed suitable for 7 LEDs only.
This is a great example of what is wrong with KD. There are no specs given except in the product title, and that uses mAh instead of mA. PAR38 bulbs are available for both 110 V and 230 V so it's just a guess that this driver is for 110 V.
Can be switched to provide 350 mA or 700 mA constant current output, or various constant voltages from 4 V (5 W) to 24 V (20 W). IP20 housing.
PowerLine Constant Current Power Supply, 6 versions 350 mA - 2.8 A
Led-Tech
$21.00 (approx) €14.90 (actual) + shipping
Linear regulator
7.0-30 V (actual permitted V over total LED Vf varies)
1-8
46-96%
2800 mA constant current
1
63 mm x 21 mm x 33 mm
Linear regulator with a heatsink, available in six versions providing 350 mA, 700 mA, 1000 mA, 1.4 A, 2.0 A and 2.8 A. Large input voltage range (the minimum input voltage of 1 V is assumed) but input voltage must be at least 1 volt above output voltage and a maximum of 22, 13, 9, 7, 6 or 4 V above output voltage for the respective versions. The mention of PWM is believed to mean this driver can be used with a separate PWM driver, not that this driver uses PWM. Has thermal protection and output short circuit protection.
Also available in SLIM versions which lack the heatsink and so have tighter input voltage tolerances.
PowerLine SLIM Constant Current Power Supply, 8 versions 180 mA - 2.8 A
Led-Tech
$18.00 (approx) €12.90 (actual) + shipping
Linear regulator
1.0-30 V (actual permitted V over total LED Vf varies)
1-8
63-96%
2800 mA constant current
1
50 mm x 7 mm x 15 mm
Linear regulator, available in eight versions providing 180 mA, 350 mA, 500 mA, 700 mA, 1000 mA, 1.4 A, 2.0 A and 2.8 A. Large input voltage range (the minimum input voltage of 1 V is assumed) but input voltage must be at least 1 volt above output voltage and a maximum of 10, 10, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2.5 or 2 V above output voltage for the respective versions. The mention of PWM is believed to mean this driver can be used with a separate PWM driver, not that this driver uses PWM. Has thermal protection and output short circuit protection.
Also available in non-SLIM versions which have a heatsink, allowing better heat dissipation and wider input voltage tolerance.
38 mm diameter (flanges 64 mm long) x 13 mm height
Input voltage must be at least 2 V higher than output voltage. Output has short circuit protection (15 seconds) and open circuit protection. Versions available with outputs of 350, 700 or 1,000 mA.
Vague specifications given but from the test data given it's apparently PWM dimming only in which case this board does no current limiting but could be used in conjunction with other drivers that do. 5 modes; high, medium (45%), low (10%), strobe, SOS.
Four channel driver (using four BuckPucks) with independent dimming (140-1100 mA) on each channel (thus up to 4400 mA total). Dimming controller (eg, PC) sold separately. PCB length 102 mm but two connectors hang over the end.
19 mm across; roughly half of a round Shark sized board
User interface board for the various Shark drivers - not usable by itself. Available in two flavours - three mode Plain (low, medium, high) and four mode Special (with SOS).
3 channel, maximum 2 A per channel. Buyer beware - product photos indicate it can be used with 24 V but description (and querying) excludes it. IR remote control. Stated length appears to be overall length of cable.
3 channel, maximum 4 A per channel. Apparently the description's 12 V is correct, not the photo's "12-24V" (which has been photoshopped out of the first photo).
3 channel, maximum 4 A per channel. IR remote control. The size was formerly listed as 295 mm x 28 mm x 16 mm. Neither set of measurements really makes sense.
3 channels, maximum 4 A per channel at 12 V. 12 V and RGB input, RGB output. Buyer beware - description claims 24 V input but photos indicate only 12 V input.
Unknown regulation method. Output power 1.5 W; output current listed in this table is assumed total. Stated dimensions are probably for each LED housing.
4 white LEDs included (in 4 water resistant housings).
RGB controller; regulation unknown, could be simple resistors. Output power 1.5 W; output current listed in this table is assumed total. Includes RF remote control.
12 red LEDs, 12 green LEDs, 12 blue LEDs included (in 4 water resistant housings).
* Unclear if compatible with 110-120 V AC operation; driver label claims universal mains voltage input, description only mentions 220V. Output voltage 3-5 V.
1 white LED included (in a fancy aluminium holder).
Buck driver using PWM for modes. Three modes; low (5%), medium (35%) and high (100%), includes mode memory. Not constant current (the output changes with input voltage) but is claimed to push a SSC P7 "very hard" and thus needs good heatsinking. Thermal protection may have been removed in the latest version.
Stupidly, this driver completely vanishes from the retailer's web site when temporarily out of stock.
Buck driver using PWM for modes. Modes are high (100%), medium (45%), low (10%), strobe, SOS. Includes mode memory. The claimed output appears very unregulated, with a fresh Li-ion giving 2.38 A, and dropping to just 1.1 A.
This product has vanished from the retailer's web site.
Boost regulator, although Wayne says "The Shark has a hard time at voltages below ~4V". Vin must be less than Vout, and should be >1/3 Vout (preferably >1/2 Vout). Maximum input current 4 A, efficient up to 2 A. Regulates on voltage or current, output current adjustable from 50-980 mA (or greater by changing set resistor, although that would remove load protection) at maximum 26 V. Open circuit protected. Some questions are answered in this forum thread.
Three versions available (different set resistors), with output current set to 1 A, 2 A and 3 A. For some strange reason complete specifications are not readily available but some more information is available in this thread, where Wayne says you can drive "maybe 4" LEDs. (I can't see any explanation why the efficiency graph shows values 2% higher than the table.)
Presumed to be a PWM controller for RGB LED strips which have current limiting resistors built in. 3 channel, output current maximum 4A per channel. 3 modes; smooth flow, strobe, fading. Blue anodised aluminium box, claimed to be waterproof (no IP rating given). IR remote control included.
Presumed to be a PWM controller for warm white/cool white 3258 LED strips which have current limiting resistors built in, with the idea apparently being to select the overall tint. 2 channel, output current maximum 4A per channel. Adjustable brightness; 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%. Golden anodised aluminium box, claimed to be waterproof (no IP rating given). IR remote control included.