Help - Blue and Red Laser

Hey

I want to buy these diodes:

405nm PHR-803T Blu Ray Diode in Aixiz Laser Module Housing [PHR-803T in Aixiz module] - $19.83 : High Tech DealZ, Simplifying the LASER Hobby!

and

650nm 20x DVD Burner Laser Diode in Aixiz Laser Module Housing [650nm SF-AW210 in Aixiz module] - $22.38 : High Tech DealZ, Simplifying the LASER Hobby!

and 2x rkcstr driver:

Micro-Drive V3 adjustable driver (assembled) - $13.00 : rkcstr.com, Micro-Drive and laser diode electronics

My questions now:

1. Fits the rkcstr driver for the red and the blue diode? or do I need for the red diode an another?

2. for the blue i will use 3x 10440 batteries (rechargeable), is that ok ?
But how much volts do I need for the red diode?

3. and on how many mA do I have to set the drivers? (PHR-803T and SF-AW210 diodes)

4. and how can I set the drivers? what do I need? only a multimeter?
do i necessarily need a "dummy-load" ?


- Martin

1. yes, it fits
2. I think 2x 10440 batteries will be enough
3. PHR - 110-125mA, I don't know about SF-AW
4. you need a dummy load. guide how to set the current should be on rkcstr's page

1. Yes, you should be able to use the rkcstr driver with both blu-ray and red lasers if that is what you're asking.

2. You need about 8-9v into the rkcstr driver to power a blu-ray diode. So 3x Li-ion 10440s should be enough. I dont think you will be able get by with only 2x Li-ions. As for a red diode + a rkcstr driver, you will need around 5-6v. So you can use just 2x Li-ion 10440s with a red.

3. Setting the current depends on your preference. Higher currents give more power, but may shorten diode life. Usually PHR-803Ts are set between 90 and 120ma. SF-AW210s around 160-200ma. You can find more information about diode currents in this thread: http://laserpointerforums.com/f51/diodes-compilation-all-diodes-data-one-thread-45042.html

4. It's generally a good idea to have a test load to set your driver. It's not absolutely required, but I highly recommend it. This will prevent you from blowing the diode if you accidentally set the current too high. You can build your own for pretty cheap if you have the tools and parts on hand. Otherwise, all you will need to set the current is a screwdriver to adjust the potentiometer and a multimeter.

Thank you very much !

I read that the 10440 batteries have charged more than 4 volts. Then I would come to over 12 volts and that would be too much for the driver or?


only 160-200ma for the SF-AW210 ? i mean the red diode .. I think there are two .. a red and a blue one
i will use this heatsink:
http://www.insaneware.de/epages/61714203.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61714203/Products/9ledring

and this host:
http://www.insaneware.de/epages/61714203.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61714203/Products/01255

I have read about this load-test a lot but I have to solder the electronic modules to the testload and somehow I unfortunately have no clue how it all works.
I can instead simply attached 2x LED's to the driver output and then setting the mA with the LED's ? I have read that will also work.

I am from Austria so it is difficult for me to translate some tutorials from English to German :cryyy:

D3rK0 said:

Thank you very much !

I read that the 10440 batteries have charged more than 4 volts. Then I would come to over 12 volts and that would be too much for the driver or?

Click to expand...

When Li-ion batteries are fully charged, they output 4.2v. So it's possible that the rkcstr driver will receive more than 12v (4.2v x 3 = 12.6v). You can place a 1N400X diode in series with the driver to drop the voltage to a lower level. But to be honest, I dont think the extra 0.6v over-volt will matter that much. 10440 batteries dont have much capacity, and the voltage will probably drop below 4v per cell when loaded down. Once the batteries are discharged a bit the voltage will drop even further. I could be wrong though, so to be safe you might want to check with someone else, or just stick with a diode in series.

D3rK0 said:

only 160-200ma for the SF-AW210 ? i mean the red diode .. I think there are two .. a red and a blue one

Click to expand...

Whoops, I though you meant the blu-ray diode. I'm not entirely sure what current SF-AW210 reds should be driven at, but I think it's in the 380-400ma range. You might want to search around the forums for more information about safe drive currents though.

D3rK0 said:

I have read about this load-test a lot but I have to solder the electronic modules to the testload and somehow I unfortunately have no clue how it all works.
I can instead simply attached 2x LED's to the driver output and then setting the mA with the LED's ? I have read that will also work.

I am from Austria so it is difficult for me to translate some tutorials from English to German :cryyy:

Click to expand...

I have no idea, this is the first time I've heard of anyone suggesting using LEDs as a test load. It sounds like an interesting idea, but I can't help you here, Sorry.

Thanks Thanks Thanks ! :thanks:

My last questions:

Is the output voltage dependent to the input voltage ?
or is the output voltage dependent to the mA?
or runs every diode (red,blue) with the same ouput voltage and the driver always has the same output voltage ? no matter how high the input voltage is?

12 volts for the blue diode are ok (3x 10440)? are 2x 10440 for the red ok? (7,2-8 volts?) Or are they too much? Or what batteries would you recommend for this host?
9 LED Mini Flashlight - Insaneware Deluxe
(normally powered by 3x AAA)

D3rK0 said:

Thanks Thanks Thanks ! :thanks:

Click to expand...

No problem.

D3rK0 said:

Is the output voltage dependent to the input voltage ?
or is the output voltage dependent to the mA?
or runs every diode (red,blue) with the same ouput voltage and the driver always has the same output voltage ? no matter how high the input voltage is?

Click to expand...

The rkcstr driver is a current regulating driver, so the output current will not vary with the input (if the driver is regulation). So as long as you are feeding the driver enough voltage, the output current will stay constant (which is what we want). Effectively, you can give the driver anything between 9- 12v to power your blu-ray, and anything between 6-12v to power your red. If the input voltage drops below a certain point, the driver will drop out of regulation and output current will begin to drop.

D3rK0 said:

12 volts for the blue diode are ok (3x 10440)? are 2x 10440 for the red ok? (7,2-8 volts?) Or are they too much? Or what batteries would you recommend for this host?

Click to expand...

3x 10440 Li-ions should be fine for the PHR-803T, and 2x 10440s should work well for your red. The rkcstr driver is a linear regulator, and will regulate current as long as the voltage is above 6v for reds and 9v for blu-rays.

Ok Thanks

So I can run the red diode with 12 volts (3x 10440) too ? that would be perfect because i must not change the original battery holders.

I will hang a 1N400X diode to both drivers (red and blue) ? just to be sure, or ?

.. If I then set the drivers correctly, I have everything :yh:

I'm glad someone here can communicate --- I don't understand any of this :-(
Guess I'm getting too old.

HMike

You can run the red with 3x 10440s, but you might be better off using only 2x 10440s. Giving 12v to the rkcstr when you only need 6v means it will have to dissipate a lot of heat. Your driver efficiency will end up being pretty low. You could probably wrap an old, fully discharged AAA battery in aluminum foil and use it as a dummy battery to fill in a spot in your battery holder. Make sure it's completely discharged, and insulate the sides of the dummy battery with tape if necessary, or else you could start a fire from the short. With only 2 Li-ions the driver will generate less heat, which is a good thing for both the driver and diode.

And yeah, I would go ahead and stick a 1N400X diode on the input to the blu-ray driver. If you later find out that you dont need it, you can always remove it.

Good luck with your build!

Are the protected 10440 UltraFire batteries better then the unprotected ?

or should I buy the unprotected?

- Martin

hey guys, I've always wondered, how does the rckstr know how many volts to put out? If it treated a red as a blu-ray, it would kill it, and vice versa the blu-ray would not even laze.
Thanks,
Will

D3rK0 said:

Are the protected 10440 UltraFire batteries better then the unprotected ?

or should I buy the unprotected?

- Martin

Click to expand...

Protected just means that the Li-ion battery includes an internal protection circuit. This circuit prevents the battery from over-charging and over-discharging. Unless your driver has a low-voltage shutoff feature, it's probably better to get protected cells. That way you dont accidentally ruin the battery with an over-discharge.

ossumguywill said:

hey guys, I've always wondered, how does the rckstr know how many volts to put out? If it treated a red as a blu-ray, it would kill it, and vice versa the blu-ray would not even laze.
Thanks,
Will

Click to expand...

The rkcstr driver is a constant current driver. It will attempt to hold current constant regardless of properties of the load. So, for example, if you set the rkcstr to 100ma, it will change the voltage to whatever is needed to maintain that current. If you are using a blu-ray diode, the driver will output around 5v to maintain the 100ma current flow. If you are using a red diode, the driver will instead output around 3v to maintain 100ma. Hope that answers your question.

spectral532 said:

Protected just means that the Li-ion battery includes an internal protection circuit. This circuit prevents the battery from over-charging and over-discharging. Unless your driver has a low-voltage shutoff feature, it's probably better to get protected cells. That way you dont accidentally ruin the battery with an over-discharge.



The rkcstr driver is a constant current driver. It will attempt to hold current constant regardless of properties of the load. So, for example, if you set the rkcstr to 100ma, it will change the voltage to whatever is needed to maintain that current. If you are using a blu-ray diode, the driver will output around 5v to maintain the 100ma current flow. If you are using a red diode, the driver will instead output around 3v to maintain 100ma. Hope that answers your question.

Click to expand...

makes sense, thanks!

will

Are 115mA for the PHR-803T ok ?

and on how many mA should i set the SF-AW210 (red) ?
http://hightechdealz.com/images/categories/lasers/SFAW210RedGraph.jpg

Are 350-360mA ok ? or is this too much ?

I think 115mA for a PHR-803T is a little high, 90-100mA is more usual, but that's from what I remember, look it up.

Just found it: from the diode compilation thread.
Safe operating current: 90mA
Enthusiast operating current: 110mA
Maximum operating current: 120mA

Each diode may vary, I'd go for safe, what I've read at sams laser faq about lifetime and may be interesting:

As a GENERAL rule of thumb and barring infant mortality, ESD, or any other manufacturing defects in the laser diode, proper heat sinking:

* At 100% rated current most high quality, high power diodes (read American manufacture, around 808 nm or 980 nm) last for 5,000 to 10,000 hours.

* At 200% rated current, they last for tens to hundreds of hours.

* At 300% rated current, they generally last less than a minute.

So, yes, you can test a diode to failure by slowly increasing the current until failure occurs and take the current level that destroys the diode almost instantly and divide by 3. As far as whether this is an acceptable way to determine the rated current of the diode, the normally acceptable way is to have the manufacturer spec a current. Keep in mind that these numbers apply to diode bars and C mounted diodes. Can packages are a little less efficient in coupling heat away from the diode normally, so they may die a little quicker than normal. In that case you may be running at a bit lower than rated current if you divide by 3.