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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Two Drivers one Host

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Feb 4, 2010
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Question for you guys...

I have a host with a switch that has 3 modes -- output 1, output 2, off.

Say I want to keep this setup, and drive a (case negative) diode at 100mA (output 1), 275mA (output 2), off. (micro flex v5, nano)

Can I just hook up two separate drivers to the separate switch outputs and be on my way? Or what would I need to do in order to not kill anything?

I don't know much about electronics so I'd prefer to be safe before I start planning anything.

-Z
 





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Possibly diodes on your outputs so you don't back feed from one driver into the other.

Also is your switch a mechanical 3 position or is it a chip driven push button?

You can get programmable flashlight drivers but you need to match it to your diode.

Also if you change the resistance on the output side of your drivers it can change the current your laser diode gets, you would be better off to buy the right current limiting multi mode driver for your laser diode, but maybe someone else has a better idea.
 
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GSS

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RedC, what is the tail switch setup on the CREEE XML you somewhat recently posted. "If you remember its the one with the screw off front crown bezel":undecided:
To switch between it's 5 modes requires 5 light taps of the switch.
How would this work a on and off laser swap build?
 
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The switch has one pin in, and two pins out.

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I don't remember, but a lot of these Chinese 3-5 mode drivers are linear, typically they wont have an inductor, also many LED's are tougher than Laser diodes so you have to be careful, I have seen people use the 5 mode FL drivers but I like mine on and off, sanwu uses multi mode drivers, and I think Rick Trent used to sell them like that, but you want a driver set up to limit current made for laser diodes, if I used them I would have researched more. It is just one output + and - to the led, if the board has an inductor then its a switching supply, but the voltage for the LED may be different than your laser diode, that is not high enough, if it's a 6v output driver and the 5 modes are acceptable current levels it could work, but it could also work for a while and then kill your laser because leds are more forgiving.


The switch has one pin in, and two pins out.

attachment.php

So you have a 3 position mechanical switch, well some drivers use the ground and some need to be isolated and I don't know much about that micro V5, I don't want to tell you wrong, but if you just connect the outputs in parallel one driver could back feed through the other as the drivers also share a common ground, I would not do it, I would get a multi mode current limiting driver to match your laser diode and just use 1 position of the switch, then fast switch it to select modes.
 
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Joined
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The drivers I have seen that are programmable for laser diodes use a PWM with a 50% duty cycle to use for low power and use straight current limiting for high power. This doesn't seem to be what you have. I'm not even sure what that switch does. I would not use two drivers in parallel to switch between for power selection as the drivers wouldn't be isolated from each other. If this is what you are trying to do, I would rethink this process.
 




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