Re: DC-DC voltage converter for flashlight
 

Perhaps overkill, but is there anything keeping someone from wiring the flashlight to a Victor 888 or Talon and commanding the required output voltage?

Re: DC-DC voltage converter for flashlight
 

The output voltage from a speed controller is full battery voltage, just not all the time. That could be a problem for some LED flashlights, either by exceeding a maximum tolerable voltage even for a moment, or by messing with an internal DC-to-DC converter or a constant current source circuit by pulsing its input.

Re: DC-DC voltage converter for flashlight
 

C"mon Don, that would be way to logical!! It would also be EASY!!!

LM7806

Re: DC-DC voltage converter for flashlight
 

If you want control and to source it via sidecar, use a Digital output, and some transistors to get the 6v from the servo pins.

If you want to continue using the Spike Relay and just stop it from reversing the polarity. You simply need to modify your PWM wire.

1. Cut the Red/Middle wire, leaving ~2 inches of the wire on the Relay side.
2. Cut the Black/Ground wire at about the same place.
3. Strip the red wire on the Relay side, and both of the Black ends.
5. Put heatshrink on the long black wire, and solder the three ends together.
6. Slide heatshrink over solder joint and apply heat.

The M- pin will now always be grounded, and by setting the relay forward/off in the code you can change M+ to +12v or GND, however if you set the relay to reverse, you will get GND on both pins because the middle pin is still pulled to (-).

Here is the spike User Guide that give info on how the input to the Spike works: http://content.vexrobotics.com/docs/...uide-sep05.pdf

Re: DC-DC voltage converter for flashlight
 

...or, of course, you can just *ground* the wire instead of connecting it to the spike. That is, just use one side (M+) for power and connect the other wire directly to the PDB.

Naaaah...too simple.:p

Re: DC-DC voltage converter for flashlight
 

Eh, I am controls Captain, I think of fixes on the control side. I also like my wires going into the same place. Although I don't think grounding to the PDB will work unless you put it on a socket that already has a load on it, which I don't think is allowed (one wire per wago).

Re: DC-DC voltage converter for flashlight
 

The black terminals on the PD are always connected to the negative terminal of the battery even if there is no breaker in place.

Re: DC-DC voltage converter for flashlight
 

No need to cut up a Pwm cable, just wire your load like this.

Re: DC-DC voltage converter for flashlight
 

Or you could use a linear regulator with an enable pin. That would eliminate the need for a spike or separate FET.