What is a Heatsink and Test Load

Hi guys, i'm a newbie and was wondering what a heatsink is and a duty cycle (if someone says 30sec on/30sec off what do they mean?).

what is Test Load, For my very first build will i need one?.

Please Help

LaserKid14 said:

Hi guys, i'm a newbie and was wondering what a heatsink is and a duty cycle (if someone says 30sec on/30sec off what do they mean?).

what is Test Load, For my very first build will i need one?.

Please Help

Click to expand...

The duty cycle is very important for hand held battery powered lasers, if you don't stick to it you can kill the diode, it's because it will overheat, not just the diode but sometimes the driver too. If the duty cycle is 30sec on/30sec off it means you must only have the laser on for at most 30 seconds and then give it 30 seconds to cool off before you can turn it on again. If you exceed the duty cycle too many times you will burn out the diode or sometimes they can also degrade over time and have a reduced output, and you don't want that.

You don't need a test load for your first build if you buy a driver that is pre-set to whatever current. If you buy an adjustable driver and need to set it yourself then you need a test load. Here is an example of a test load:
3A Selectable Test Load

A heat sink is a big chunk of metal that is used to dissipate heat. The laser diode goes inside a small metal module and then you put the module inside the heat sink and it will draw heat away and allow for a longer duty cycle.

Alan

C'mon man, put some effort into this. These are things you can easily find on google by typing "Laser <term>" like "Laser test load".