What am i missing?

Hi,

Im new here so please go gentle on me

I was looking to build up a little show box and over time due to finances brought a few bits as and when i could.

I have a 30mw green laser from dx (wanted to start off low to make sure it got delivered and it worked first)
brought a 25k galvo scanner kit with show card from ebay and also got hold of the ishow card, which you guys arent very impressed with, but again a cheap starting point maybe.

I have have cabled up the galvo kit and on the show card there are 4 sockets, red,green,blue laser sockets and a green only (single laser) socket. So i plugged the laser into this socket but im not getting the laser to power up. mirrors and boards all seem to power up as expected, so am i missing something between these two items, like a laser driver/psu? i cant seem to work this out. I have asked the supplier for the showcard details, so that might explain it, or just make me more confused.

I have checked the voltage from the socket and it ranges 1-2v, and the laser works at 3v so thats why its not working, so just need to find the missing bit.

Thanks for any advice.

Link do the DX laser please. I suspect you bought something without a modulation input. The "sockets" you are describing are for signal only. Not power.

Cyparagon said:

Link do the DX laser please. I suspect you bought something without a modulation input. The "sockets" you are describing are for signal only. Not power.

Click to expand...

Hi Cyparagon
laser is this one
30mW 532nm Green Laser Module (3V 11.9mm) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

So i guessing you are spot on with that, is there another laser you can recommend or direct me to what i require to get this to work (if its possible)

You will need to get yourself a laser module with TTL modulation, that one is designed for a pointer and will not work in this case.

Like this: Industrial Lab 532nm 30mW 50mW Green Laser Dot Diode Module w TTL 35kHz Stage | eBay

Or this: 30mW 532nm Green Laser Module w TTL Modulation Slot for Stage Light Show Laser | eBay

The connector on the show board is a 0-5V output used to turn the laser on and off, but it can't actually power the laser. It's just a signal like Cyparagon said.

Thanks Things,

So the links you gave me, the laser plugs into the TTL modulator (supplied with the laser) then the modulator plugs into the show card, the laser and mod unit are powered by there own source?

Just had a quick look, as i need something else would i be able to go to something like this?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SPC-WHITE...s_Cases_Covers_Skins&var=&hash=item2331c54882

which looks like the same as this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/RGB-300mW-L...503?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ccf77a507

The show card does have the 3 colour laser sockets on so i guess i would need a cable between each of these sockets and the corresponding colour socket on the laser mod card?