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5mw laser current

jamilm9

jamilm9

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I know that a regular 5mw laser needs 4.5mw but how much current does it need.Does it need the same as a blu-ray
 





Hemlock_Mike

Hemlock_Mike

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a 5 mW needs 4.5 mw then what does a bluRay expect for current ??
I'm confused. Is this a trick question?
Mike
 
M

MB500

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I know most red lasers use much more current than a blu-ray. But thats about it. You may need to re-phrase the question because I, for one, don't fully understand.  :)
 
Benm

Benm

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You mean a regular old 5 mW diode as used in cheap pointers? It seems to vary among units, but i've measured them around 20 mA. You should be careful though, the range between treshold and destructive current is rather narrow in these little things.
 
jamilm9

jamilm9

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ok thanks is that the input current or is that what gets to the ld
 
Benm

Benm

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It's what actually runs through the diode.

You should probably have an adjustable current source though, just ramp it up to the threshold and be very careful from there on. These things have specifications like nominal power 5 mW, absolute maximum 7 mW, and they will actually break quickly at maximum power too.
 
jamilm9

jamilm9

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I'm wondering because i have a flash light which uses a aa battery and boosts the volts to 4.5 and it can power a cheap red.It may be good for a blu-ray
 
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