[Noisebridge-discuss] A simpler circuit for ... [driving multiple LEDs with minimal batteries]

[Dr. Jesus]

On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 11:49 AM, Christoph Maier
<cm.hardware.software.elsewhere at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 2011-01-19 at 09:59 -0800, Dr. Jesus wrote:
>> On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 9:21 AM, T <t at of.net> wrote:
>> > IYHO, why focus on linear regulators?  As Jonathan Foote pointed out,
>> > they aren't really more efficient than a simple resistor.  Are they
>> > simpler in any sense?
>> >
>> > If you want efficiency (which IMHO is a must when powering with
>> > batteries) don't you need a boost or buck or other switching supply?
>> Sure, if I'm the one doing the design.  However, there's an entire
>> class of people at Noisebridge who just want some power for an art
>> project and they're more interested in cheap and fast than efficiency.
>>  If you have a simple switching supply you want on the poster, draw
>> one up!
>
> http://www.diodes.com/datasheets/ZXSC380.pdf , Figure 2.
>
> Doesn't get much simpler than that (and Tony found and posted the most
> simplest implementation recently):
> http://www.ledsales.com.au/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=131_132&products_id=384

That's pretty simple, alright.  Do you know of a similar part that has
a pin to switch the device on and off?

> Different question:
> How do you make an iterative optimization heuristic _stop_ when it has
> found an optimum?

I think we just did.