Driver for benchtop 405nm?

All,

Well it looks like I just blew up my SO6J diode due to not having the right driver and screwing around trying to make it work.

I am using the diode as a laser engraver, so it's a benchtop setup and my regular power supply is 5V and 12V DC which I use to drive the stepper motors and the electronics.

I am looking for a driver that can take either 5V or 12V DC, drive a 405nm diode around 400mA or so, has some ability (TTL, other) to turn the diode off and on with a digital signal. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
- Ray

The Flexmod P3 would be a good choice but they can be hard to come by these days. There is a group buy for them over @ PL but could be some time before it is filled.
FlexMod P3 Group Buy

Here see this post as well.
http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/showthread.php/19765-FlexMod-P3-Group-Buy?p=263210#post263210

Yeah, the FMP3 would be my choice of driver as well.

Has analog and TTL modulation, and you can run it from the 12V rail.

Illumination Supply will have them in stock soon.
http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/m...es-illumination-supply-81869.html#post1176003

There are other options as well, but the 405nm diodes are touchy and I wouldn't risk using a Cheapy TTL driver from China. (Has anyone tested those cheap TTL drivers with a 405nm diode?)

ARG said:

Yeah, the FMP3 would be my choice of driver as well.


There are other options as well, but the 405nm diodes are touchy and I wouldn't risk using a Cheapy TTL driver from China. (Has anyone tested those cheap TTL drivers with a 405nm diode?)

Click to expand...

This is my problem - that is what I was using and it bit me in the behind.

I should have figured out it was a problem when the the adjustment went up to 250mA but no higher even with lots of turns left on the potentiometer. It was supposed to go up to 600mA but no dice.

Still, I could work with 250mA and use it to calibrate the X-Y of the table itself even if I replaced the driver later for more power. Then the issue was the supposed TTL input on the driver didn't work. You have to short the two leads to turn off the laser independent of power or ground, driving the pin high or low didn't change the state. It was trying to find a workaround over this problem where I did something wrong and fell down went boom.

So lesson learned! Sometimes you can go inexpensive Chinese and you get a great deal. Other times it blows up in your face. In regards to laser drivers, it makes sense to pay the money.

I think I'll just buy a new module from DTR, the one with the driver.

Is that FMP3 driver an open source design? I have access to some small scale electronics production ability if they are that hard to get - might make sense to have a production run.

Cheaper option: LM317 with a pass transistor for TTL.

Since you're making a laser engraver, I am assuming you would know about electronics. It's not hard to make a variable current power supply. You could even get some schematics off the Internet. But if you are like me and can't be bothered, checked out for some drivers on eBay. They are really reliable and very cheap.

This is what I use for my laser engraver.
405nm Laser Diode Driver for 50mW 500mW LD w H Current Adjustor TTL Input | eBay