A growing number of companies are just using two pins for +, two pins for - and two pins for canbus communication. Especially cars with DRL where the DRL has to turn off while the turn signal is actively flashing, integrated defrosters, multifunction headlight/fog-light, adaptive high beam, and whatever function manufacturers are integrating into the light.

The four wattage ratings are for high beam, low beam, DRL and something called POS. What is POS? How is it activated?

I think you need to retest the headlight with something more than an ohm meter. Your ohm meter may not be supplying enough voltage to over come three LEDs in series plus the current limiting circuitry inside. To do that, you'll risk damaging via reverse current but you can also cross your fingers and hope the unit has reverse current protection.

Alternatively, you can stop by your local Ducati shop and ask to see a manual on any current model with a six-pin headlight connector. The pins should be labeled. If two are data lines, you'll know you have a project if you are trying to put this on an older bike (either eliminating the communication boards inside or figure out how to communicate on the CANbus).

The joy of modifications.

Thanks for the thoughts. If I indeed have a canbus type of system on this headlight I am probably in over my head and will have go with a different option.
I have spoken with a number of dealers and none will provide me with the wiring diagram for this model. They basically want you to be at the mercy of the dealer for all repair work. The repair manuals I have found are for older models with conventional lamps. Basically getting info from Ducati seems to be a dead end and I don't think I will be able to convince a new motorcycle owner to pull the headlight plug and do some testing on what the harness is sending the headlight . . .
As far as what POS is on the headlight. Other than the posibility of being a daylight sensor that I mentioned earlier it also could be part of parking light system that may be a mandated requirement. In the owners manual I don't see a ignition switch position for "parking" so I have my doubts that there is headlight mode for that. Turn signals are not integrated into the headlight. All I know for sure is Low, High and DRL.
I will have to consider whether I want to start connecting up power and experimenting, putting the resale of the headlight at risk or if I should just put it in the to be sold section of my parts collection.

 

Did any of the measurements take time to rise to the final measurement, that is, sort of build up instead of immediately reaching the final number?

Also does your DMM have a diode test?

Yes in fact one or perhaps two of the measurements behaved in a "build up" manner. On the DVM it kept going up and up very slowly and I gave up before finding any sort of stopping point. On the analog meter it took about 10 seconds to reach a stopping point. What does that indicate? I can certainly figure out which pins behaved that way again.
I will check on the diode test function.
Thanks!
Eric

 

There could be a some kind of MCU in there, but consider that connector has to supply power to the LEDs, and it would have to have the data lines as well.

Yes in fact one or perhaps two of the measurements behaved in a "build up" manner. On the DVM it kept going up and up very slowly and I gave up before finding any sort of stopping point. On the analog meter it took about 10 seconds to reach a stopping point. What does that indicate? I can certainly figure out which pins behaved that way again.
I will check on the diode test function.
Thanks!
Eric

Unfortunately. that means there is a capacitor on those pins which suggests a power supply, which suggests at least some of the pins are connected to active electronics and not just the LEDs.

They could be using an MCU to control the LEDs. It's certainly possible. And the ambiguity of the measurements (in terms of definitely decided what is in there) makes that charging capacitor a bad sign for simple connections to the various LEDs. It doesn't eliminate it, but it puts the safety of applying voltage blindly in question.

One thing, don't try to power across those two pins. The issue is, if there is a data bus, applying 12V to it's I/O has the potential be very unhealthy. Wish I had better news.

 

It strikes me that you might, in an act of raging altruism, teardown and document that headlight for the other poor suckers who can't get the information. I have no idea how much you paid for it, or if you can afford to open it, but it would potentially be a hero move in the Ducati community.

 

It would be interesting to see the innards of this headlight. Still it is in new condition and was about a $300 purchase. I think a rashed up headlight would be a better candidate for the advancement of science. I will again remove all the visible assembly screws and see if I can open the unit up. I am fairly convinced that it is also glued but I will see.
Assuming that I could open it up with out destroying the casings, what would the likelihood be of "gutting" the circuitry and simplifying it to be simply 3 different Led lights each with their own power lead? I imagine that this may well require opening up just to answer.
Thanks again to all.
Eric

 

It would be interesting to see the innards of this headlight. Still it is in new condition and was about a $300 purchase. I think a rashed up headlight would be a better candidate for the advancement of science. I will again remove all the visible assembly screws and see if I can open the unit up. I am fairly convinced that it is also glued but I will see.
Assuming that I could open it up with out destroying the casings, what would the likelihood be of "gutting" the circuitry and simplifying it to be simply 3 different Led lights each with their own power lead? I imagine that this may well require opening up just to answer.
Thanks again to all.
Eric

seeing as the actual interior remains a mystery I would have to give it a Bayesian probability that is 50%.

However I’m more optimistic than that and I believe that it is probably possible to use the interior LEDs by connecting through the pins in the connector.

However depending on how it is constructed it might require some sort of driver circuitry and we can only tell that by looking inside.

But even if that is the case there should be no problem working out a solution for a driver.

 

seeing as the actual interior remains a mystery I would have to give it a Bayesian probability that is 50%.

However I’m more optimistic than that and I believe that it is probably possible to use the interior LEDs by connecting through the pins in the connector.

However depending on how it is constructed it might require some sort of driver circuitry and we can only tell that by looking inside.

But even if that is the case there should be no problem working out a solution for a driver.

I'll try and non destructively open it up tomorrow. THANKS!

 

There is likely a microcontroller and some type of current limiting circuitry in there. More and more, the LEDs on headlights contain an NTC resistor next to the LED to insure it is not it does not overheat. The designers at companies like Varroc (manufacturer of your headlight) know exactly how much heat they can dissipate at various ambient temperatures. If the headlight continues to heat unexpectedly, it is assumed (or checked with sensors or GPS and current time) if the headlights are on before sunset and solar loading is likely turning the headlight into a greenhouse and warming it up above design - so the bulb intensity is turned down to keep LED die below target temperature. There is much more than you'd expect going on in there.

 

I'm back with a few more details!

A kind German fellow on the Custom Fighter's forum was apparently of a similar mind to use this particular headlight and he provided a diagram of the pins on the headlight. I have attached the picture that he updated. He hasn't yet returned to answer some questions that I have so I figured I would update here and pick your brains in the meantime.

First off, the headlight has low beam, high beam, daytime halo (bright) and parking halo (less bright). Those are the four positions that are marked on the back of the headlight.

I have confirmed that with the bottom right pin connected to battery negative that I can light up the high beam, the bright halo and the less bright halo in accordance with the German fellows diagram. So that takes care of 4 of the six pins. . .

I have not been able to get the low beam to work. It does not light up with upper right to pos and lower right to negative. I suppose it is possible that my headlight is damaged but I am hopeful that it has to do with how the low beam works on the Monster. For the default setting, in daylight conditions the low beam is off and only the bright halo is lit up. When it starts to get dark the low beam turns on automatically. You can also change this default setting in the control panel and configure it so that the low beam is always on (except when the high beam is on of course) I think that the daylight sensor is NOT on board the headlight but what do I know?

So far I have tried turning out the lights in the room and connecting up to upper right+ and lower-; no go. I have also tried grounding middle bottom (which the German fellow hadn't figured out function for but thought it was related to the light sensor) while upper right + and bottom right -; no go.

That is where I am at the moment. Can anyone put the rest of the puzzle together?

Thanks!

Eric

 

It just occurred to me that perhaps the low beam works on a relay type principle. Upper right is relay controlled power to the low beam and middle bottom is the switching signal? Perhaps they didn't want run full low beam power through the daylight sensor / control panel override so they instead just run the switching signal through the devices to a relay built into the headlight? That would mean power to both bottom middle and upper right while bottom right is grounded would light up the low beams. Just a theory . . . .

 

Did the German fellow get his low beam to work?

 

Great news bout the pinout. I hope the light isn't damaged.

What happens if you try to power the high and low at the same time?

 

Update. The pinout provided above is indeed correct and my headlight is damaged and will not produce low beam. I have come to an agreement with the supplier and a replacement that has been tested is being sent. We still have not been able to figure out the middle bottom pin but since all lighting functions are accounted for, it will probably remain a mystery. For posterity's sake, the connector is a Molex Mx-150 six pin. Thanks to all who posted! Cheers!

 

Update. The pinout provided above is indeed correct and my headlight is damaged and will not produce low beam. I have come to an agreement with the supplier and a replacement that has been tested is being sent. We still have not been able to figure out the middle bottom pin but since all lighting functions are accounted for, it will probably remain a mystery. For posterity's sake, the connector is a Molex Mx-150 six pin. Thanks to all who posted! Cheers!

Is there a resistance between that pin and common?

 

Is there a resistance between that pin and common?

According to my resistance tests earlier (post #15) pin 5 (middle bottom) to pin 6 (ground, bottom right) is open.

 

According to my resistance tests earlier (post #15) pin 5 (middle bottom) to pin 6 (ground, bottom right) is open.

I saw that but I didn't know if it had been revised, it could just be NC (Not Connected) to make up the full complement of pins for the connector.

 

In hind site, looking over the resistances from post#15, pin #6 (common) has some continuity with all the the +'s for the lighting features except for the low beam which ends up being inop. I would imagine that if the headlight wasn't damaged that there would be some continuity between pin #3 and #6. If the testing had showed 4 continuity connections for pin #6, that would have been a good argument for it being ground and that the headlight wiring is more or less straight forward (1 ground and one 12v to each light feature). Sadly the inop low beam not only stinks from a functional stand point but also threw a wrench in the sleuthing process.
Yaakov, I think your NC idea for pin #5 is likely. I think the light sensor is probably located in the dash and circuitry there controls whether or not the low beam is on or off while the DRL (halo bright) is always on.
I will try and sell the defective headlight to someone who is well aware of the missing low beam feature but can make use of the light anyway. If that fails I may go ahead and open it up (it would probably require heating it in an oven in addition to removing the small assembly screws) and see if I can figure out why the low beam is inop.
Thanks!