Mark:

I agree with Farmhand.  Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and information.

Farmhand:

The only reason I was thinking supercaps on the output was my experience a few years ago with my first earth battery experiments.  (probably 5 or 6 years ago now...time flies)  In the early days, I could not even light 1 led, for some reason, I decided to stick a supercap on there not even really knowing what they were and...suddenly, I could light an led to full brightness.  Later, I used two 10F supercaps in parallel and could light multiple leds and after that...a 650 F cap allowed me to light 100 then 200, etc up to 400 leds.

After reading the pdf on the 1402 it just occurred to me to possibly try a single supercap on the output.  I am not sure what sparkfun uses here as I have not really found any documentation on their board, only the specs on the 1402.  At least their board will get me going on this project and I can use that as a starting platform  (Thanks again Mark)  Possibly, I can research the components they use and find their values.

My goal is simple...be able to use a "dead" battery and keep the lights on down as low as possible...lower than I have been able to using hand wound toroids.  (which is down to about .6 to .7 volts)  I wanted something easier to reproduce in quantities at an affordable price.

I will follow your work on this and post my findings once I get that 1402 board.  Meanwhile, if you need any 10 uf caps for the input, or any axial inductors at 47 uh, let me know and I will send you some.  I have about 10 of each here based on the 1402 suggested components.  Actually, I have 20 of those inductors.

Bill

OK, so I received my 1402 board from Sparkfun.  Man, the entire board can fit on a dime!  But, that is good.

What is bad is that I wired it up to an AA bat. for a brief test.  Not only did it not light my led, the entire board got really hot within seconds. (and we had a bit of smoke)  So, I suppose I had it wired wrong.

Looking at my photo, (From Sparkfun showing the reverse side of the board) I had my 1.5 volt (+) input wire going to the hole marked 1-3 v in.  I put the battery - to the "ground" hole (probably my big mistake) and had the led leads going into the holes marked "3.3v out".  I tried reversing the polarity of the leds leads but had the same thing happen.

Could they not have had it marked input + and then - and then output + and then minus?  There are no polarity markings on the board anywhere and, looking at the schematic for the board, everything shows a common ground which I ASSUMED was the - side of my input battery.

Does anyone have any good answers to what I have done wrong?  I figure if I have burned out anything it is the 1402 chip and I have 10 more of them.  I don't even mind getting another board but not until I know how it is supposed to be wired up.

I used to think I was pretty intelligent but, the more I learn, and the more I try to do, the more I realize that I do not know.  This is good but, it is frustrating as this hook-up should be very, very simple right?

I would appreciate any input here.

Thank you all in advance.

Bill

PS  It is a really nice, tiny board that should allow the creation of some small but bright lighting devices.

ETA:  Should I have placed one lead of the led (+) to the 3v output and the - led lead to the common ground possibly?

It should have been a simple set up as you say, I've modified the board picture to show orange input positive black negative and
Yellow output positive. That circuit drawing shows the pins in a mirror image to the data sheet and the part I think, not sure.

Did you have a load connected ? Maybe the 1402 part needs a constant load, on my 1401 board I put a 3 mm indicator LED with
a 1K resistor is series with it. A tiny load but it's something, not that the 1401 part needs a load and I don;t know if the 1402 part
needs one either.

Maybe the board or one of the parts was defective. If you can't see any reason for you ruining it (if it is ruined) then email them
and they might send you a new one "tested maybe".

..

Farmhand:

Thank you very much for your reply.  In my edit on my post after I had thought a bit about it, and now I see from your drawings, that I should have left one of the holes open, and used the common ground for the - of my led.  I did not do that.  (Why do they have two holes for the 3v out then?)  My load was a regular 5mm led so probably about 25mA's or thereabouts.  The circuit heated up no matter how I had the led leads in the two 3 v output holes.  I really appreciate your post so now, if I fried that chip I can replace it, or if the board is bad, I will get another to test, but at least I now know how it is supposed to be connected.  Thank you very much again Sir.

Bill

Mark:

No, my polarities on my input matches Farmhand's drawing.  I double checked to be sure as, you know, shit happens.  Maybe there is a short in the board or maybe having the diode (led) reversed caused this although I do not see how as it heated up either way I hooked up the led.  Or, possibly, like Farmhand asked, my single led load was far too small?  This chip is supposed to handle 200 mA's and I should have only been drawing 25 or so.  The led did not even flash or anything but, I will check to see if it is fried.  They usually have a very distinct smell when they fry.  (ask me how I know.. ha ha)

Thanks again fellows, I will keep you posted.

Bill

Hi every one!  I am a newbie to posting stuff but not to electronics.  I just wanted to share my findings I have been working on for several years and just recently was successful in a joule thief design that will run a LED brightly and charge the battery at same time.  I am currently running on a crystal battery I made and it too is a new design quite successful so far.  So I am posting my circuit and feel free to try if you want.  I also included the formula for the crystal battery if interested.  For more info on the battery go to the crystal battery forum under Fausto.  I have posted how to make it.  It is different than others.  So that being said,  here is the post.  I also included a jpg of the coils I am using although it works with standard joule thief cores.  It also works with air core as well.    Thanks.

David

Nice to see you back, Drodenbe.
Thanks for sharing this. I was wondering when someone was going to come up with a use for these coils and cores.  There are many off the shelf parts that can be adapted for effective use in systems - we just have to have eyes to see their potential, as you did.
Bob

Good to be back.  Surprised anyone remembered me!  Went through a divorce,  lost all my stuff!  Relocated in a different city and started over.  Retired and on limited funds.  It is slow but I am getting there!  No big deal.  Been here, done this before,  won't do it again!!!! 32 years first time, 2 years second.  Not sure what I was thinking!!!

I used the wax because I had some old candles around and that is all I could afford at the time.  Next month will be my recovery month.  I usually use epoxy resin.  I know this is not the place to discuss the cells and I won't do it again and apologize.  But!!!! Look at this video and talk to me about it in the crystal cell forum if you want.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7y8ek9aASQ.

http://www.overunity.com/13061/crystal-cell-research/new/#new

David