Mod module v1 feature discussion

I can make modders a suitable module and this thread is for feature feedback.

feeders and the like outside of the scope of this particular discussion. This is for a small module only, what is done with it .. up to the modder.

I m a bit curious about a possible market.. what I will tell you, I could fairly quickly make a module that .. I know this as I have already made such a module for my own experiments..

1) all functionality by a single button, question .. do people want the button on the pcb, or would they prefer a couple of pads to relocate he button elsewhere. or both.. current thinking is to supply a button and space to fit it on the pcb, it could be used (solder it on).. or the pcb pads used to put an external button.
you can get tactile switches with different length button shafts, I think a supplied button with say a 10mm shaft could be cut down as required.

2) could be either a tri colour LED or a 3 digit 7 segment display .. or both.
I think 2 versions, one with a led, one with a display. cost very similar, its actually harder to code for a single LED than a display and parts are quite similar in cost.
LED onboard or not ? I currently use a smd RGB led, pita to fit, I guess it could have cuttable tracks to disable onboard LED and pads to connect external LED, could be 3 leds instead of an rgb.

3) current concept is a dual battery mod, however the batterys are not in series or parallel. So a tube for this design is basically no good. There are very valid reasons for this but I don't want to go into it just yet.

4) usb chargeable with a USB mini b connector .. or chargeable via 510 connector ?
or both ..

5) My original design I did at a time when I was annoyed with what current mods could do with DC cartos. This device can drive 0.5Ω .. parallel outputs are no hassle, it will happily drive 2 LRs. With this in mind .. onboard atty connector or wires, or perhaps one onboard with provision to add a second on wires..

6) It can flash voltages, currents, resistances, powers on the LED .. desirable ?

7) things like 6 could be turned on or off with a USB serial port, ...its around $1500 to become a USB vendor .. then $1000 a year. (i think theres a bunch of testing on top of that oir each product design too .. maybe another $5000 per product designed) means that you get your own vendor ID and product ID range. basically could then have an installable driver. Its not something I have plans to do, just making people aware why not.. USB serial is pay for the device, done.

8) advantages of a dual battery design, power .. lots of it. its quite capable of around 30W into anything from 0.5 Ω to 3 Ω, not suggesting either 0.5 or 3 is an area to aim for, either 1 or 2 ohm is pretty much the sweetspots.

9) power up or down is activated by a triple press. device can be used while in the process of adjusting.

 

I like Id like to see in a mod

USB Mini B charging
LED Screen (would prefer one similar to darwin) with ability to see multiple things at once. (res voltage etc)
and variable wattage if possible would be awesome.

my personal preference, however would be most interested in anything you have.

 

1. Flyleads about 100mm long; enables any button, any position (button supplied though).
2. LED off board, again flyleads about 100mm long, allows any position. Thinking more about this, 7 segment display onboard as well, then the LED would not necessarily have to be tri-colour, just simple ok / warning (and this could simply be a red LED turned on when an error condition occurs).
3. -
4. USB chargeable; one less thing to go wrong.
5. Flyleads, with atty connector supplied.
6. (7 Segment display option only) desirable
7. USB serial; the other is a big spend for you with only a small chance you'd get enough sales to compensate you.
8. & 9 Excellent features; very clever mate

 

One last thing; if I have to solder to the board, don't make the bastard too small

 

What GT says.

For me supplied button not necessary. Tac switches are a pain, and not so reliable with constant use. Think JIB
Flyleads for anything off board. I will assume that it will all be surface mount components. Average Joe will find them difficult to handle.

If display on board.Maybe possible to supply Cutting template. Not so good for tube but handy for box mod.
Duel charging
If display, not overly worried about LED. Maybe one for firing??

 

hmm, the advantage of using a pcb is to eliminate wires.

switch 2 wires
led 4 to 6 wires
batterys 4 wires
atty 2 or 4 wires

added cost, reduced reliability.
compare switch and pcb real estate
to .. switch, wiring, cable connector, pcb connector, connector real estate.
same for the led.

thinking..

 

could you also make a simple board that only does 3.7 with a battery cutoff so you cant over discharge with a mini usb charger

 

On board everything is good for a production facility, but it does limit the average DIY Vaper, who will be building these into a mod. Think shaky hands and lousy eyesight. If all components are on board the mounting foot print will be pretty much the same in all the mods built. Another thing that springs to mind is any fly leads, off board wiring should be multi strand wire as opposed to solid. Far to easy for the wire to break at the board interface. I am a clumsy sod!!!

As long as the fly leads are through board mount, I guess most people that will attempt to utilize these, could in theory manage the soldering on the board. Surface mount, I don't think so.

 

Especially "Think shaky hands and lousy eyesight" But I'm happy to solder to the board if they are though hole and the pads are a couple of mm in area, I'd be stuffed if the pads were much smaller Sorry, fact of life (which pisses me no end)

7 segment display must be on the board, with a single LED to display "error" to be soldered by the end-user if he requires it. I don't think we can get around leads for batts and atty though, unless we got a box with the board also

Will we be restricted on battery chemistry? (This applies to the on-board charging) I was looking at these (2200mAh LiPo 40C batteries) for a box mod.

 

My preferences are based mostly on ignorance and only wanting to use a box style case of either wood or aluminium.. i already have a few switches and atty connectors and some shitty plastic project boxes etc. So im keen on something noob-proof that i essentially just wire up to the atty, switch and batteries.


1) Functionality via single button sounds great. I would rather use my own switch though and have flexibility of where i can put it.

2) Small display like the lavatube one for example on the actual board would be my preference. For my usage i would only want to know remaining battery life communicated in which ever way.. and the display to show wattage/voltage setting. I would prefer to be opening the mod the check this than have it visible externally. So on the board is fine.

3) I don't mind the two batteries if i don't have to give any thought to rotating their position... the way ive read of people stacking batteries in tube mods having to dick around with... but im sensing this isn't the case ? honestly i have no idea what im reading in these technical threads half the time.

4) Switching the batteries out would be my preference so no real interest in charging via the atty connection, charging via mini usb would be great though especially if you can vape as it charges.. and i could solder batteries in as well then.

5) Not sure what you mean with the two atty connections.. but i wouldn't want it directly attached to the board.. for the same reasons as the switch.

6) I preferably want VW so something that told me the wattage i had selected would be good.. unless the stoney meter does this anyways?

7) No interest.

8) Ridiculous amounts of power, do want.

9) Sounds good.




I agree... predetermined locations for the atty connector and switch would take the fun out of it

 

but thats pretty much an ego PT battery..

 

so the consensus so far seems to be wired button, wired atty, USB charge and onboard 7 segment I guess.
that leaves quite a bit of flexibility really, pcb can be mounted anywhere in the mod but need a hole for the display and a hole for the usb plug .. so how would this work exactly, most USB are mounted flat to the pcb .. thinking a smaller pcb with the electronics on it for the usb charging socket would be a bonus, then it can either have removable batterys or the optional usb charger side.
I have a little board running on my desk at the moment i made for a client testing away, it has a charging facility .. 500mA from USB and provides a regulated 5V 1A output from another chip .. its been idling away for 3 months with the 5V on .. (no load) battery has dropped from 4.15v to 3.96v in that time.
The usb charging side is very simple .. its a small 5 pin SOT23-5 device with a resistor to set charging current and a couple of caps, so a board with it on would be like 5mm x 10mm and the socket..

 

oh .. wires soldered to a pcb with a thru hole mount .. will snap with movement after not very long, unless they are hot melt glued .. thats why connectors are better .. but then you need to crimp lots of little wires...
perhaps if the wires where in the same sort of area and had an area where they could be cable tied or glues to the pcb

 

thats the charging circuit.. the bit above the red wire and wire link at the top.

if that and a usb socket was on a little pcb with a red and a black wire coming off it, better than on main board ?

 

Yup, for me.





Yup for me

 

2 yes' from me ... just need a 3rd vote

 

b.comty .. 2 sales

i wonder how many would be lost by not having stuff onboard

 

For me, its going to be easier to be able to Identify off board stuff, I certainly am lost when trying to identify individual on board stuff. Fortunately most of the boards I have played with have the components Identified on the board and at the very least the + and - are visible, if under a microscope!!

 

Could you design the board to have everything onboard, with the option of leaving those parts unpopulated for those who want it that way?

 

Hold on here!!! I thought stoney was just asking about the charging circuit??.