Steinbrink Engineering | ActionGlow 2.0

45th Parallel Lighting - ActionGlow 2.0

ActionGlow - "Light Up Your Sport"

After successfully launching their first product, ActionGlow, the founders Dakota and Garret Porter wanted to offer a product with more power, flexibility, durability, and technology. The original product ran off of a single 9v battery with a switch. The product was single color only and had some durability issues, so after a few years of establishing a solid customer base, it was time for an upgrade - ActionGlow 2.0

The new product, ActionGlow 2.0 boasts many functional upgrades such as:

RGB LED strip
ZERO LED flicker!
Lithium Ion rechargeable battery (3450mAh)
Bi-directional USB (Power output & Charging)
Waterproof to 10ft while running
Bluetooth controllable
Multiple device linking via ActionGlow app
Wide temperature range (0°F to 120°F)
Long runtime > 19 hours @ 2.5m LED strip
Backlit button for non-Bluetooth operation
Durable DuPont™ Zytel® injection molded case

Innovative LED Management

One of the requirements of this design was to reduce the LED flicker commonly seen when recording video. This occurs when the LED pulse rate and the camera's frame rate align, causing some frames to show the OFF state of the LED. See below:

Our unique design has ZERO flicker, with 0.6mV ripple over the course of battery discharge. This innovative design also permits any length LED strip to be connected (up to 2.5m), with predictable and repeatable color and brightness control. Did we also mention the design is 95% efficient?

Safe and Fast Li-Ion Battery Management

Utilizing advanced, microprocessor controlled battery management, the high capacity lithium-ion battery is charged and discharged with great care. Charging profiles are controlled according to the JEITA li-ion battery charging standard, allowing fast and reliable charging at normal temperatures, and advanced recovery from temperature induced over-discharge (discharging at high temp and allowing the discharged battery to cool, dropping the terminal voltage below it's lower cutoff). No more worrying about over-discharging while on the slopes!

Additional resources on JEITA standard: http://www.ti.com/lit/an/slyt365/slyt365.pdf

Bi-directional USB port

Water and debris ingress protection while in use was at the top of our list for features to deliver to our customer. Our customer wanted a single port for charging and power output, and we produced an elegant solution. Our unique internal protection circuitry allows charging over any USB Micro-B port, whether from a laptop, a wall charger, or a USB automotive port. Additionally, power is provided to the LED strip via a special USB Micro-B port, made specifically for high power output and water/debris ingress protection. The device is smart enough to know whether it's connected to an ActionGlow LED strip, so consumers shouldn't need worry about accidental connections to other devices.

Tough, Durable, and Waterproof

For a product to be as versatile as the ActionGlow 2.0, it's got to be tough. The case is constructed of high strength, glass filled nylon providing a tough and abrasion resistant case at all operating temperatures. From being stepped on when mounted to a snowboard, to being rattled while mounted to a skateboard, to being sprayed with water on a wakeboard, this little LED controller will keep asking for more. Additionally, the electronics are mounted inside of case with a unique cradle, designed to reduce fatigue to the board and soldered components.