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.
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.
Blank board. Can be used as a battery contact or for adapting a smaller driver to fit a torch.
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.
~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.
3.3-6.6 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.
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.
~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.
$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).
$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).
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.
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.
Boost board. Output voltage and current not constant; almost 300 mA from one fresh AA, almost 700 mA output with two fresh AAs. Modes are high, low, and three different flashing options! No mode memory.
Tip: Remove controller board to use as single mode driver.
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).
Version 1: 15 mm diameter.
2x AMC7135 (TR-025, formerly TR-0050 or TR-0025, formerly TR-025)
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.
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.
Linear regulator using 2x AMC7135 chips. Polarity protected, low voltage protection. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stupidly, this driver completely vanishes from the retailer's web site when temporarily out of stock.
SKU 1219. Three mode, low (80 mA), medium (350 mA), high (1000 mA). Built-in voltage protection, will turn off at 2.8 V. Polarity protection.
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.
Constant current boost driver with either PAM2801 (max 350 mA) or PAM2803 (max 1000 mA) or J1JD (?) chip. Latest version outputs 630 mA; originally set to 380 mA. Claimed variable output current depending on input voltage, 600 mA (with 1.5 Vin) to 1.2 A (with 4.2 Vin), which makes me wonder what on Earth DX means by "Fully regulated circuit design"; those figures obviously aren't. However, testing by Hilarion showed perfectly stable current output from 1.2-3.2 V; very nice, although only 360 mA. Output current is determined by a sense resistor with 95±5 mV feedback voltage. Thus 0.25 Ω sense resistor as supplied in 2009 gives 380 mA, 0.15 Ω as presently supplied gives 630 mA,
0.1 Ω gives 950 mA (measured 900 mA at ~80% efficiency). Efficiency is said to drop horribly with input current > 2 A.
As pointed out in this thread there are no components to buck voltage as implied, so it would actually be direct drive when Vin is greater than Vf of your LED.
$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).
$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.
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.
$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.
Output current 600 mA with 1xAA, 1000 mA with 2xAA. Three modes; high, medium (30%), low (5%). PWM frequency 1 kHz. Flashing warnings for high temperature and low voltage (not stated if it warns at several low voltage levels). Bottom board (which is where the model number V10-136 comes from) apparently does nothing except provide a 17 mm board and can be removed to leave just a 15 mm single board boost driver with components on both sides.
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%.
$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.
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.
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.
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
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 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).
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.
3.3-6.1 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.
$3.27 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).
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.
3.2-4.8 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Buyer beware. Unknown regulation method, assumed to be buck because of input voltage range, which is listed as two different ranges in the title and description. Conflicting specs. Driver chip is marked LEDA 0712 (Vsense probably 0.25 V), with Schottky diode SS34. Three modes (presumably using PWM); claimed high 800±50 mA but tested to be 1100 mA, low 200±20 mA, fast strobe claimed 400±50 mA. Output current may vary by battery voltage. Efficiency improves from 80% to 88% if sense resistor is changed to lower the output current.
Although specified for use up to 8.4V it apparently works with 12 V with 2 LEDs (simulated) and the efficiency can be increased to 90% at 1 A output with a mod.
Claims to provide different current outputs (1-1.2 A) to different Cree efficacy bins. I think NOT. Also claimed 0.8 A output. Buyer beware.
$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.
Five modes, cycling; high, medium (30%), low (5%), fast strobe (8 Hz), SOS. Probably not suitable for torch use due to non-standard supply contacts on back of board. Diameter stated to be 16.5 mm but dimension listed is 16.0 mm. Unknown regulation method.
A board purchased in March 2010 reported to be 5 mode and with a maximum output current 800-950 mA (compare with DX sku.26107) - buyer beware.
Unknown regulation method, assumed to be buck because of input voltage range. Driver chip is marked LEDA 0712. Three modes with memory; claimed high 1,200±100 mA, low 100±10 mA (bad flickering reported from very low speed PWM), fast strobe 650±50 mA. One reviewer mentioned the mode order is a crazy low, strobe, high. Output current may vary by battery voltage.
Claims to provide different current outputs (1-1.2 A) to different Cree efficacy bins. I think NOT.
Update June 2012: There may be a bad batch of these. They are reported here to eat LEDs.
Unknown regulation method, assumed to be buck because of input voltage range. Spec claims 5 modes (presumably using PWM), with memory; claimed high 1200±100 mA, mid 550±50 mA, low 100±10 mA, fast strobe 650±50 mA, SOS 1,200±100 mA. However, one user has posted that with 4x AA NiMH the steady modes were high 700 mA, medium 300 mA, low 60 mA (insufficient voltage?).
Claims to provide different current outputs (1-1.2 A) to different Cree efficacy bins. I think NOT.
April 2015. Photos have been changed - buyer beware. No longer two boards in double layer.
Purchasers in April 2010 reported receiving a 3 mode board (compare with DX sku.26111) - buyer beware.
Unknown regulation method, assumed to be buck because of input voltage range. 5 modes (presumably using PWM), high 1200±100 mA, mid 550±50 mA, low 100±10 mA, fast strobe 650±50 mA, SOS 1200±100 mA.
Claims to provide different current outputs (1-1.2 A) to different Cree efficacy bins. I think NOT.
$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.
A9 Buck Current Regulated 3.0V~8.4V 1.3A Flashlight PCB
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.
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.
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.
3.3-6.6 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.
3.3-6.1 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.
$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).
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.
$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 + 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.
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.
$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).
Discussion here claims it does no current limiting other than PWM. Output current can be adjusted to one of 500 mA, 1 A, 1.5 A, 2 A by soldering/unsoldering four parallel set resistors. Specs claim it is "Most efficient when the LED's Vf is similiar to Input Voltage." I wonder who came up with the weirdo name.
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Buck driver, not a linear regulator as claimed. 5 mode; high, medium, low, strobe, SOS. Test data shows steady 2.2 A, not the claimed 2.4 A. However, the test data is rather dodgy - if tested even with a low Vf LED like an XM-L the driver would be up to 168% efficient - buyer beware. It seems like a pretty good driver but the current drawn will be considerably higher than indicated.
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.
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.
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.
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.
$2.48 (up from $2.39 down from $2.60 up from $1.99)
Buck driver
3.6-16 V
1-4
80-95%
1250 mA constant current
Can be modified to 2500 mA
1
17 mm
April 2011: AX2002 driver chip used again (which has a minimum input voltage of 3.6V in its specs), with SS34 Schottky diode and 0.2 ohm sense resistor. (Add 1 ohm resistor in parallel to increase output to 1.5 A.) The input capacitor is said to be only rated for 16 V. Red board. Or green board (my very next order just after getting a red board). See AX2002 footnotes for using as a voltage regulator.
November 2010: This driver may have changed again, with the YB1682 voltage regulator chip being used. Not good.
Previous version (Feb 2010): Regulator chip AX2002 with 0.2 ohm sense resistor gives output 1.25 A, and the SS34 Schottky diode is great if you want to bump up the output current. DX's description claims it provides different current outputs (1-1.2 A) to different Cree efficacy bins. I think NOT. Tests with the previous version showed a constant 1.10 A, which was very close to the theoretical 1.13 A of an AX2002 with the then 0.22 ohm set resistor. When multiple drivers are used in parallel the efficiency apparently drops, probably because one driver is doing most of the work (and so gets quite hot). Hence, these drivers should probably not be run in parallel.
Every so often the regulator chip changes, and in the case of the AX2002 had its identifying marks removed. This is quite frankly silly, as DX's customers went through another round of not only figuring out what the specs for the board were, but working out what the new chip was as well, before they could figure out the board's specs. The driver chip was suspected by some to be MC34063A (not an obvious choice by any means as the chip isn't pushed as an LED driver and the claimed similarity to a certain reference design doesn't exist), YB1682 (has a different reference design - not surprising because it's a voltage regulator not a constant current driver), PT4105 (unlikely because production of that chip was terminated before this board was listed), PT4115 (unlikely because of reported working voltage range) or AX2002 (perhaps most likely; the board appears to be the reference design except for choice of some components, and my chip has part of an A still showing).
Tip 1: The output current can be increased (or decreased) by changing the set resistor appropriately: I(LED)=0.25V/Rsense. The diode in the product pic is a Schottky SS24, which has a maximum current limit of 2 A, but as of Feb 2010 are shipped with a Schottky SS34, with a 3 A limit. The AX2002 driver chip has a 2.5 A limit and gets very hot over 2 A.
Tip 2: Maximum efficiency is achieved when running multiple LEDs from one driver with just a few excess volts (eg, 4 LEDs with 5 Li-ion).
$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.
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").
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).
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.
$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.
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.
$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).
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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 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.
$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.
$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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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 warning and protection. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
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.
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.
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.
Driver uses at least four AMC7135 chips on one of two back-to-back boards, and probably an ATtiny13 on the other board. Five modes - high (100%), medium (45%), low (10%), strobe, SOS. Claimed constant current, but the maximum output is variously listed as 3.0 A and 3.5 A, and test results listed show the output is definitely not constant over the voltage range tested (and has a high of 3.3 A). This calls into doubt the constant current claim for all drivers from this retailer. Buyer beware. See extra AMC7135 notes below.
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.
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).
All prices in US$ (except where dual prices are listed in US$ and €
for some European retailers).
All driver boards from DealExtreme and KaiDomain include shipping.
Information is unfortunately not guaranteed to be correct.
Email me any updates, corrections, omissions, etc.
However, please don't bother sending me an email to tell me about
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Recommended drivers highlighted in green.
They have a good combination of price, features and efficiency.
Drivers no longer available (sold out
or backordered) are highlighted in grey.
Recommended drivers no longer available
are highlighted in a darker green.
Drivers listed at those resellers as "Backordered" etc
for more than a month are deemed to be discontinued (although I'm happy
to later be proven wrong).
Don't connect drivers that have capacitors across their outputs to
LEDs while the driver is powered. An explanation
(on CPF) why not.
No mains driver will be completely waterproof. Those that are water resistant mostly have an IP rating (eg, IP67).
Notes
on AMC7135 linear regulator(click to expand/contract)
The AMC7135 (datasheet)
is a linear regulator, which means it acts like a variable resistor changing
its value to try to keep the current constant. Like a resistor, any dropped
voltage is burnt off as heat. Boards include a polarity protection diode and
can easily be PWM-driven for lower modes.
Vin must be at least 0.12 V above Vf of LED to stay
in regulation, although they drop out of regulation quite gracefully, not suddenly. The
graph in the AMC7135 datasheet (Jan 2006) has the 0.1 and 1 volt vertical
lines missing. Each AMC7135 provides constant current, about 1/3 amp (actually 300-380 mA depending on particular version; I've generally assumed
330-335 mA for above listings). Boards come with one to eight AMC7135s, and
single mode up to 20 mode. Boards can be paralleled to give greater output, or connected with one multimode board controller providing the modes for several boards.
The AMC7135 is very efficient when input voltage is close to output
voltage but not particularly good when input voltage is significantly higher. Average efficiency for 3x NiMH or 1x Li-ion can be well
over 90% with an LED with the right Vf. Test
results and discussion for 3 and 4 chip boards.
Since the AMC7135 just burns off excess input volts as heat, the more volts
fed into them the hotter they'll get. One guy claimed that his got so hot they slid right off the board (ie, >183-190 °C
melting range of 60/40 solder). The AMC7135 has built-in thermal protection
(which will cause dropouts or a flickering effect if it gets too hot) but
the multi-mode control chips used on the multi-mode boards are much
less rugged. (And here.) If using with an input voltage above 4.5 V or so you can expect them to get hot!
To get multiple modes typical microcontrollers used are the Atmel ATtiny13 (or
13A or 13V) and the Microchip PIC12F629.
These both have a 5.5 V maximum, while the AMC7135 linear regulator has
a 6.0 V maximum. This means that multimode drivers will have a slighty lower
maximum voltage than single mode boards.
Tip 1: To get reliable operation at low voltages, especially with only
one AMC7135 chip being used, you may need to short out (and maybe remove)
the polarity protection diode(s)*. This is because the AMC7135 in series
with a polarity protection diode needs a minimum 2.7 V + 0.6 V (silicon
diode) = 3.3 V to stay in regulation. The Vf of LEDs
at 330-350 mA can easily be quite a bit lower than 3.3 V so will not be
running in regulation. Note that if a germanium or Schottky diode was used the drop
could be as low as 0.3 V instead of 0.6 V.
* However, I found with one multimode board this caused the board to
go unstable (don't know exactly why) but I found that inserting a small
value resistor instead of the diode was enough to get the driver stable
again. Because the drive current through that point in the circuit is
so low (6 mA for mine) there's very little voltage drop across the resistor
- much less than across the diode - so it still serves the purpose of
saving ~0.6 V.
Tip 2: If the input voltage is too high you may be able to use
another LED in series with the board to drop the voltage - it beats burning it all off as heat. (The set current
is <1 mA for single mode boards so both LEDs will get practically identical
current. Diagrams
and much discussion of use with multiple Seoul P7s and multi-mode boards.)
More than one extra LED appears to be not a good idea for use with the lower
modes of multi-mode boards since the Vf of the extra LEDs decreases
too much at the low current to protect the driver from the battery voltage.
(Many of the multi-mode boards have a capacitor on the output.) Flashing modes appear unsuited to this technique.
AMC7135-based driver options are discussed here,
or an inexpensive multimode AMC7135 driver here.
Notes
on PT4105 and alternative driver chips (PT4115, AX2002, CL6807)(click to
expand/contract)
Production
of this driver IC - as used in the Kennan and MR16 base drivers described above
- has been terminated. The manufacturer doesn't even have a publicly displayed
link to the datasheet any more, which is the weirdest part of it. This from
Micro Bridge (now removed from their site; try to ignore
the punctuation and spacing):
The PT4105 which the manufacture has already officially stopped producing,and
the subsequent instead item is the PT4115,AX2002 and FP6101 Also,The PT4115,AX2002
and FP6101 has superior performance over ,wider input range and more current
than the PT4105.
While
I look forward to the PT4115 being available in low cost LED drivers (by
its numbering the apparent successor to the PT4105), I note that it needs
an input of at least 8 V (and has under voltage lock out at 6.8 V), so isn't
nearly as well suited to low voltage torches as the PT4105 was. It will,
however, have its uses for 3x Li-ion torches and automotive purposes. The
chip has a DIM pin which gives it the ability to very easily
be dimmed. Efficiency is about 80-82% for 1 LED, up to 93% for 3 LEDs, and
apparently up to 98% for 7 LEDs. Maximum output current 1.2 A.
This
driver chip from AXElite looks extremely interesting. It will
accept a minimum 3.6 V input and has a maximum switched current of 2.5 A,
although it tends to overheat at more than 2 A. It includes thermal protection
(140°C),
over current protection, short circuit protection, and has a PWM control
circuit. Its efficiency
is good too, with an output of 2 A @ 5 V it's an impressive 91% efficient
(with 12 V input). Driving a Cree XR-E at 1 amp will give an efficiency of
about 87-88% (with 12 V input). Efficiency is not quite as good at low currents with a single LED, dropping under 80%.
AX2002 drivers can also easily be configured as a constant voltage power supply. The load is connected straight to ground and the 0.25 V reference voltage is used to control a voltage divider with a couple of moderately high value resistors to give a fixed multiple of 0.25V at VOUT.
For example, for 5 V, 5 = 20 * 0.25, so a 10 kΩ resistor is placed between ground and FB (the feedback pin), and a 190 kΩ resistor between FB and VOUT (making the total of those resistors between VOUT and ground of 200 kΩ).
When used in this way, to give stability the current through the resistors probably just needs to be comfortably greater than the feedback pin bias current of (0.1 µA typical, 0.5 µA maximum). If two exact resistor values for the voltage divider are not available it's easiest to use a single resistor for the sense resistor (between ground and FB), while the other value (between FB and VOUT) uses two resistors in series or parallel. For series, one of those two resistors will be as close as possible to the desired value, and just under it, while the other will be a much smaller resistor to tweak the total resistance up for the output voltage wanted. For parallel, the main resistor is just over the actual value wanted while the other resistor with about ten times the resistance tweaks the total resistance down. If that resistor is getting into megaohms you should probably revise your values.
Some AX2002 drivers (such as DX 3256sadly no longer an AX2002 driver) come with a 1 A Schottky diode, which will need to be changed if increasing the output current over 1 A. See the Schottky diode notes below for links.
The
AX2002 also has a big brother, the AX2003, which
has a maximum switched current specification of 4 amps – easily enough to
drive a Seoul P7, or a Cree MC-E with the dice in parallel. No drivers with
the AX2003 are presently known. The spec sheets of the AX chips could do
with a few more graphs showing how constant the output current is, etc.
Chinese LED driver, 1 A maximum output current, 6-35 V input, 0.1 V high side sense voltage. Claims to be able to provide up to 35 W output power. Dimmable with 0.5-2.5 V PWM signal.
So there are some nice driver chip options, but it still leaves a gap of a high efficiency,
really low voltage, low current
driver.
Notes
on Schottky diodes(click to
expand/contract)
Schottky diodes are diodes that have a low voltage drop across them. 0.3 V is a typical figure, compared to around 0.60-0.65 V for a typical silicon diode. This makes Schottky diodes good for rectifiers and LED drivers where high efficiency is required. Drivers that use the AX2002 such as DX 3256 can easily be modified for higher output current but the Schottky diode needs to be replaced if the output current is to exceed 1 A.
Inexpensive Schottky diodes are available from these sources:
These MR16 drivers have four 1 A (SS14) Schottky diodes on them used for the rectifier plus another for the driver (links jump to driver info in table above):
