Regarding Galvos

I am currently a student who wants to make a fun side project, and I have decided to try and make a laser projector. Originally I was going to use Servos to control the beam, but after research found that galvos were a better alternative, although they use an analog signal.

I have no experience with galvos, and was wondering what I would need to control them via USB. On this same note, I was also wondering if there are any laser programs that are open-source/freeware, that could allow me to control the device with my laptop. If you all have any recommendations for galvos/controllers that are not overly expensive, or could provide me with tips to make my own controller, that would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

LFI player is open source.

You need a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) to control the galvos. There is a sticky in the laser show section on how to make your own. If you don't want to make your own RIYA sells good DAC's.

For Galvos, the PT series or DT series are both good, though the DT's are higher quality (and a bigger price tag).

And on that same note, I have noticed there are some cheap galvos that sell from china on ebay, that are 20K PPS. Have people had bad experience with these, or would they be worthwhile to get?

They're okay, and you can always upgrade. Please visit the Laser Shows forum on this message board and read through the stickies to understand what you need.

Depending on how much time/money/experience you have, maybe you could grab some DAC chips and try making your own DAC using something like an Arduino. It probably wouldn't have any software support, but you can still do a lot with it.

I do have a good amount of experience with my Arduino, do you have any DAC chips that you would recommend using?