OKR-T/10, T/6, T/3 schematic circuit

[Breaktru]

This circuit uses a 220 ohm fixed resistor and a 200 ohm trimmer potentiometer. The approximate output range is 3.4v to 6v give or take a tenth of a volt.
NO capacitors are needed.
I prefer to use a 3A @ 125v or better push button rather then the Remote On/Off Control Pin #1

Resettable Fuse (PTC)

• OKR-T/3: Use Two 1.5A fuses in parallel
• OKR-T/6: Use Two 3A fuses in parallel
• OKR-T/10: Use Two 5A fuses in parallel

See attached schematics (members only)

DC-DC Converter - Step down regulator

T/10 Specifications:
    Current - Output (Max): 10A
    Efficiency: 92%
    Features: With Remote On/Off
    Mounting Type: Through Hole
    Number of Outputs: 1
    Package / Case: 5-SIP Module

    Power (Watts) - Manufacture Series: 50W
    Power (Watts) - Max: 50W
    Size / Dimension: 0.41" L x 0.30" W x 0.65" H (10.4mm x 7.6mm x 16.5mm)
    Type:Non-Isolated PoL Module
    Voltage - Input (Max): 14V
    Voltage - Input (Min): 4.5V
    Voltage - Output:  0.591 ~ 6 V  (3.4v ~ 6v with resistors like schematic)

Also, look at Mamu's wiring diagram: HERE

[jumper]

Thanks for the schematic, Breaktru. Craig is trying to help me out on another thread (poor man... I'm so dumb), and he said to use this circuit. I really appreciate you posting this!

[jumper]

Another thing, is the board you have pictured a T3 board?

[Breaktru]

The wiring is the same for all 3 as stated in the Subject title and in the schematic.

I have used the OKR-T/10 in a couple of DM Mods but never posted a schematic for it before.

[jumper]

Yes, you did state that it was for all three. I just question myself and my understanding because I want to go ahead and get the parts from the other thread. Thanks for you help and clarification.

[methos]

Question on the OKR. Can you use this with one battery?  I see the specs say min voltage is 4.5

[Breaktru]

Question on the OKR. Can you use this with one battery?  I see the specs say min voltage is 4.5

Two batts are needed. As you mentioned, min voltage is 4.5v
The OKR input voltage range is 4.5-14 Vdc

[methos]

Reason I asked is the TI 8100 also lists its min voltage @ 4.5. I wondered if there was a way to do it

[CraigHB]

Not sure which part you're talking about, but the parts listed in the OP are step down regulators which means you have to have an input voltage equal to or greater than your output voltage.  If you want an upper range of 6 Volts, you need the input to be no less than 6 Volts.

If you want to use a single battery, you have to use a boosting regulator which is a different part that is wired differently.

[icky]

What is the schematic for a touch swich. I  know its on here somewhere but can not find it. Working on a altoids tin and wish you posted earlier since I already made a board with the capacitors. Are there any drawbacks or advantages to the capacitors on a pv?

[Breaktru]

What is the schematic for a touch swich. I  know its on here somewhere but can not find it. Working on a altoids tin and wish you posted earlier since I already made a board with the capacitors. Are there any drawbacks or advantages to the capacitors on a pv?

Shown with just a battery. for the OKR, replace Atty connector w/ OKR input. 15k resistor if using tact. Use a 10M to 100M resistor if using finger touch. Resistor depends on sensitivity --> Touch Circuit w/ tact


OKR Capacitors?

[Visus]

woot 
thanks

 

[digiw0rx]

Do these need a PCB? or could i solder directly to the pins?

[Breaktru]

Do these need a PCB? or could i solder directly to the pins?

It's not necessary

[digiw0rx]

Cheers Dave, I'm not equip to create my own boards at the moment, so this is brilliant.

Especially as these regulators can provide 10amps, which means certain sub ohm coils are possible i'd imagine?

[Visus]

Does it really hit 50 watts?
I know Ti under rates their chips by a huge margin, maybe OKr over rates 

Not that anyone would need 50w but will it do eeet ..

[digiw0rx]

Given it can put out 10 amps, i'd imagine it reach those figures yeah.

I am trying to find a UK source for these chips but everywhere wants £12 shipping for a few chips.

[Breaktru]

It's either or 10A / 50w. Luv to see you peak it with an atty
UK Farnell.com

[digiw0rx]

£15 for delivery from Farnell.



Well i normally vape at 17 watts, but i do sometimes vape at 45 watts

[CraigHB]

Given it can put out 10 amps, i'd imagine it reach those figures yeah.

I am trying to find a UK source for these chips but everywhere wants £12 shipping for a few chips.

Try this, Mouser UK.  I don't know about Royal Mail, but if I put a comment in the box to use inexpensive USPS first class shipping on the American site, they always do it.

Should be able to do 10 Amps with that regulator up to 5 Volts.  Since most sub-Ohm atomizers run under 4V, going down to 1/2 Ohm should be no problem.  Can probably go down even lower with a lower voltage setting.  You want to use a set of good high drain batteries.  Step down reduces current demand, but still, you want a battery that can handle a 5 Amp drain comfortably.  A couple IMR 18350s can handle that.  You could also run a 2S LiPo pack which would deliver power a lot better.

[Breaktru]

£15 for delivery from Farnell.



Well i normally vape at 17 watts, but i do sometimes vape at 45 watts

I thought Farnell was UK based? That's crazy.

[CraigHB]

They are, but I read that rates for Royal Mail have gone way up.  I imagine they have a letter service like USPS first class mail here, but I've seen that a lot with electronics vendors where they won't use the cheaper services.  I really don't understand why they do that.  They're just screwing the customer for no reason.

[digiw0rx]

It's £15.95 per delivery because it's US stock, they don't seem to keep them in any UK warehouses

[digiw0rx]

Try this, Mouser UK.  I don't know about Royal Mail, but if I put a comment in the box to use inexpensive USPS first class shipping on the American site, they always do it.

Should be able to do 10 Amps with that regulator up to 5 Volts.  Since most sub-Ohm atomizers run under 4V, going down to 1/2 Ohm should be no problem.  Can probably go down even lower with a lower voltage setting.  You want to use a set of good high drain batteries.  Step down reduces current demand, but still, you want a battery that can handle a 5 Amp drain comfortably.  A couple IMR 18350s can handle that.  You could also run a 2S LiPo pack which would deliver power a lot better.

That's better, Mouser offer free delivery on orders over £50, so i will wait until i have a full basket.

Cheers guys.

[katrev]

I think PTR08060W pins are the same ,is there any reason why it would not work  in the same schematic?

[DRA]

I think PTR08060W pins are the same ,is there any reason why it would not work  in the same schematic?

Hi Katrev, Yes the PTR0860w would use the same schematic as the PTR08100w according to the datasheets. 08060w is 6A and the 08100w is 10A
This thread is for the OKR. Just saying

[katrev]

Perfect,thank you ,i am gonna try it.
(i don't get it,is there a problem asking  that here? just sayin')

[Breaktru]

No problem Katrev. It's a legitimate question.
What DRA was saying is that the O.P. was about the OKR circuit. Usually we stay on topic but it's okay to ask.

[katrev]

Thank you for the reply ,Breaktru,but i still don't get it. Obviously from the thread title and from the schematic this thread is about OKR. That's why i asked here ,and i consider the question ontopic ,beeing about OKR and another module compatibility.
I think a normal response ,whithout  "Cpt.Obvious" data should be helpful for actual and future readers.
Anyway sorry for disturbing the on-topicness , it will never happen again.

[Breaktru]

There is no need to apologize kat. I do appreciate your posting. It's hard to get members to post.
I think I was confused by DRA's post which led me to believe you were talking about only the PTR board.
Now that I re-read your original post, you were comparing the pins of the OKR to the PTR. Yes they are the same.

[DRA]

My mistake  I am the one to apologize. Sorry guys

[mick8844]

So Break tru,

This my question if I wanted to build a 10 A/ 50 watt mod I could use this chip OKR/T10. but how would I wire this thing up to give me 50 watts and how would I be able to SEE that that was the out put. could someone give me some direction on doing that? I see a guy out there making a 50 watt device called the duke and from what I can tell this is the chip he is using. but I would need to be able to look at something that was telling me what the wattage was set at. 
Any Help would be appreciated I want to make a 50 watter just for myself for fun.

mick

[Breaktru]

Adding a simple DM to the mod such as the Mini Lithium Battery Digital Voltmeter DC and using ohms law will show you the results.

[kortt]

If using Pin 1 for the switch, does this mean the OKR is always powered and potentially putting a drain on the batteries?  Is this why you prefer using the 3A switch between Pin 2 and the batteries Breaktru?

[Breaktru]

If using Pin 1 for the switch, does this mean the OKR is always powered and potentially putting a drain on the batteries?  Is this why you prefer using the 3A switch between Pin 2 and the batteries Breaktru?

Yes it's always powered. There is a 1ma current drain using Pin 1. Not a big deal but enough for me not to use it. Especially if it's not your every day exclusive mod and it's sitting off to the side for a period of time.

[kortt]

I kind of like the idea of being able to use a tactile switch .  I have a couple OKR T/10's on the way so maybe I'll try building one one way and one the other.  I guess I could put a power cut off switch in if it was going to sit and space allowed.

I have a schematic drawing that I saved from one of Mamu's posts in another forum and she adds a 10k resistor between Pin 1 and 3.  Is this required to use Pin 1?  I noticed she also had caps on Pins 2-3 and Pins 3-4.  Maybe if Mamu reads this she could chime in.

[CraigHB]

Usually you want to keep idle battery drain under 20uA or so.  A 1mA drain will discharge a fully charged 1500mA cell in a couple months which is not an issue if you're using the device all the time, but if you throw the mod on a shelf with a low battery and forget about it, you could destroy the battery.

Typically you want to avoid connecting power directly to digital inputs (the enable pin for the OKR is a digital input).  You don't ~have~ to do that typically, but it's good practice.  Sometimes logic circuits can draw power through the digitial I/O pins.  The resistor keeps that from happening.  Also, some digital inputs require a pull-down or pull-up resistor to function properly.  That may be what's required there.  I'd have to look at the OKR data sheet.

[kortt]

What is the proper way to connect the OKR to a strip board.  Do you have to get a certain pitch board, do you need a SIP socket?  I believe the OKR is SIP, but all the SIP sockets I see are either 4 or 6 contact and the OKR is 5... I'm such a noob!

[CraigHB]

I think most people just solder the wires to the pins and cover it with heatshrink tubing.  If you want to get industrious, you can remove the header and solder wires directly to the board.  I haven't done that on the OKR ones, but I use a similar Murata module for making USB cig lighter adapters.  I remove the sip headers on them so I can solder them flat on a carrier board.  You just bend the pins straight then pry off the plastic spacer and you can unsolder the pins one at a time.

[mamu]

...I have a schematic drawing that I saved from one of Mamu's posts in another forum and she adds a 10k resistor between Pin 1 and 3.  Is this required to use Pin 1?  I noticed she also had caps on Pins 2-3 and Pins 3-4.  Maybe if Mamu reads this she could chime in.

A reason for using pin1 is to be able to use a non rated fire switch (pin1 is inline with an internal MOSFET which takes the load off the switch). If you're using a 3A switch then pin1 is not needed.  If you're wanting to use a tactile switch, then you will need to use pin1.

Another reason to use pin1 would be to attach a zener diode to it for undervoltage protection - undervoltage shutdown for the OKR is 3.4 Volts - for our application with 2 batts in series we need undervoltage shutdown min at 6v).  For undervoltage protection you can use a 5.6v zener diode (pin1 is the Remote On/Off Control - OFF = 0.4v: added to the 5.6 zener = 6v shutoff). 

If using pin1, you HAVE to have the 10K pull down resister across pins 1 and 3 to shut the module off, else it will always be on and firing the atty.   

However, the primary problem with using pin1 is the 1mA drain.

I've made 3 commercial mods with the OKR-T6 - Merlin, Minxy, and Denali.  In Merlin and Minxy I did not use pin 1, so I cut it off.  For monitoring low batt voltage I used a batt status LED that lights when the input voltage is above 6v and doesn't light when the voltage gets to or below 6v.

In Denali I needed to use pin 1 for the module to function properly with separating the input and output readings for the voltage reader, else I wouldn't have used pin1.  For low batt voltage monitoring, the voltage reader reads input voltage - when it gets to ~6v time to charge the batts.  I used a 3-position switch (on/off/on) - on to input voltage display, off to voltage display, on to output voltage display.

As for using external caps, the OKR works fine without them since it does have internal caps - but for how long it works fine is a different story.  CapeCAD was the original finder of the OKR module 3 years ago and used caps and I took my lesson from him in using caps.  Talking to the Murata rep he recommended using external caps in our application as a buffer for less stress/shock on the module as well as the batteries due to the repeated and frequent firing that we do.  Less stress/shock on the OKR module = increased longevity of it working properly.  So based on that recommendation, I use caps.  In the last 3 years, I've only lost 2 OKR modules due to electronic failure and I've made more than 200 OKR mods, so that's a dang good record there.    So yes, I always use caps with the OKR, but whether you do is your choice.

[kortt]

@Craig - Good idea.  I think I'm over thinking things.  Your post made me back up and take a better look at this.  Sometimes if forget the "keep it simple stupid" thing lol.

@Mamu - Thanks for the info.  I think the knowledge and experience that you and many others here put forward freely is invaluable to those of us learning this stuff. Much appreciated!

[CraigHB]

As far as additional caps on the OKR regulators, additional input capacitance can reduce voltage spikes when the OKR starts up which would improve reliability.  However, there's is a limit on output capacitance.  That would actually be harder on the regulator since it increases outrush currents on startup.  Also, if you add too much output capacitance, it can destabilize the converter.  They're sensitive to that.  I would say input caps are benefit and output caps are a detriment.

The TI modules require them on both input and output since there's none onboard and it's required for the regulator to function.

[kortt]

Craig, I think I remember you talking about output capacitance and how it can affect efficiency.  I believe it was also to do with ESR and the effects of too high or too low ESR.

I have a question about wiring.  I usually use 20AWG solid core for input and output.  Can a smaller gauge wire be used for the adjust pin?

[mamu]

That makes sense and good to know, Craig. 

I had been using a nominal 10uF cap with the OKR on both input/output.  Haven't made any OKR mods for over a year now though.  Have been thinking of using the OKR-T10 to make a dual 18650 flip-top mod and write a how-to build for modders and vapers who do sub-ohms and want to do it safely vs using a mech mod.

Having time to do that is what holds up getting some of my projects done.  manOman if I had 4 hands. 

[kortt]

That would be great Mamu.  I have the pdf you did for the Dena mod and the instructions are very explicit and easy to follow. It's an excellent tutorial.  I haven't done an OKR mod yet, but parts are coming in now for it/them.  I think the research is most of the battle with this stuff and it's nice to have people who know to help us noobs

[mamu]

LOL - yes, research IS half the battle, sometimes more so. 

I had zero soldering skills and zero electronics knowledge when I started modding.  I learn as I go with google and reading threads in the modding forum and also gaining hands-on experience by actually doing the builds.  I've come a long long way with my knowledge base since I started this venture, but still I consider myself a n00b.    Maybe an intermediate n00b at this stage since my eyes don't glaze over at reading and learning some of this stuff nowadays as it did when I first started.   

[CraigHB]

I've also learned a lot since I started doing mods, mainly about DC-DC converters.  I've worked with electronics for decades, but have not done much with converters until I started doing mods.  The voltage mode converter controllers are complicated buggers, but it gives your skills a work-out and it's rewarding when you do a succesful build.  The current mode controllers are much easier to work with since they don't have to be tuned to the same extent.  You don't need any special skills to work with those.  They're not quite as efficient, but it's only a small difference.

In terms of soldering, one thing I've accomplished because of mod building is the ability to work with smaller and smaller components.  The size limitation of e-cig mods really drives you to master that.  It's funny now when looking for parts, I'm always like, "why don't they put that in a SC-70 or something, that part is HUGE."  And I'm saying that for SOT-23 packages that are actually pretty small.

10uF is really isn't much to add on input or output for a converter.  Really doesn't do much.  Typically converters use something in the neighborhood of 100uF on input and/or output depending on the type.  The output limit on the OKR is 200uF for ESR under 15 mOhms.  To reduce input transients, I would add a low ESR 100uF input cap.  If using a main power switch, I'd put it behind the switch so it's already charged when the converter is energized.

For the wire question a few posts up, the optimal gauge of wire you use is entirely dependant upon the amount of current it has to carry.  For controls, current is very low so the finest of gauges would be acceptable for that.  For an atomizer connector where currents are high, 20 gauge is good, it's what I use.  You can go heavier for optimal power transfer or finer if you don't mind giving up a little power for the convenience.

The limits are pretty wide in terms of what a wire can actually handle.  For an atomizer connector, you could even get away with 24 gauge if runs are short and currents are not too high.  The eGo batteries use 26 gauge wire for the atomizer connection.  I wouldn't use that myself, but they get away with it.

[Visus]

Craig, I think I remember you talking about output capacitance and how it can affect efficiency.  I believe it was also to do with ESR and the effects of too high or too low ESR.

I have a question about wiring.  I usually use 20AWG solid core for input and output.  Can a smaller gauge wire be used for the adjust pin?

If you do the math, the circuit pulls only .0003  amps you can use almost a piece of hair thin  for it I have a piece of 32ga on mine works flawlessly..   18ga  and or 16 for in/out makes a huge temperature difference to the battery.  I am not sure  if using a digital pot and using thinner gauge

[CraigHB]

Just about all digital chips have very low power consumption.  It's something you can usually take for granted.  That's why PCB traces only a few hundred microns wide are usually sufficient for those.  The digital pot I use has a draw less than a milliamp.  The MCU I use has a draw only about 5 miliamps.  Things like LEDs draw a little more, but it's still pretty low, 10 to 20 milliamps.  A PCB trace a half mm wide is still ample for those.  Copper clad is usually about 40 microns thick so a trace 40 microns by 200 microns is like a wire a tenth of a mm in diamater.  That's not much thicker than a hair.

[mick8844]

So guys I am a bit of a noob and want to build a new device . I can solder and do have the proper equpiment to do so, as well as the supplies wire 510 connectors etc. I want to make a 50 watt device that I CAN READ THE WATTAGE ON. I an not at all sure how to do that technically, but can follow simple direction. I need it to have  a read out of the wattage setting . if this is a possible thing with ork chip ai wouod like some help to get there. components needed etc. and aa drawing.

Kind regards
mick8844