Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Success!

Well, I got the Sony BWU-100A 2 X blu-ray writer today. There is a couple of puzzling things that I hope somebody could clear up for me. But first, let me share some of the readings that I took! The diode is most likely 405nm. Not that I have any experience with blu-rays, but is was violet colored, like the PS3 diode that I had. Also, according to this Sony chart: http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/pro/laser_diode/blu_ray.html , there should be a violet diode in their 2 x writers. Although, I am not too sure that information is all that accurate. Let me tell you why...

I slapped it into a heatsink and took 5 different measurements, and multiplied the power readings that I got, (473nm setting) X 1.75:
45mA - 10mW
50mA - 14.6mW
55mA - 19.5mW
65mA - 28.7mW
75mA - 39.4mW


I thought it was doing pretty good so far. Now the Sony chart linked above says that their 2 X writer diode has an operating current of 80mA. So, I thought 75mA with a heatsink would be a good 'resting place' for the diode. It saddens me very much to report that the diode is now dead. I didn't even get a chance to screw it all together into my awesome new style MXDL host!

At least we got some information out of this...Better than nothing at all. It was plenty bright at 40mW too! Too bad I didn't get a chance to light a match. I'll let you guys soak this in, and then I have some other curious things to report about this diode, as well as some questions for you guys...
Jay

Check this out...

This Blu-Ray writer diode that I harvested had the same 3 pins as the Sony/Senkat diode.
HOWEVER,
The diode did not do a thing until I tried using the other pin as the negative. The one that says 'Not Used'?? Anybody seen this before?
Jay

* Success! On the 5th page of this thread, I finally got one of these diodes running above 40mW's!
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1202396141/60#69

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

NNNOOOOOOOO!!! The 2nd one is dead now???? Oh man. Do you think it's because the ratings are for pulsed and you are running them CW? Maybe they are more sensitive than reds to CW??

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

sorry to hear its dead j.

p.s. why 473nm setting?

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

desslok said:

NNNOOOOOOOO!!! The 2nd one is dead now????  Oh man.  Do you think it's because the ratings are for pulsed and you are running them CW?  Maybe they are more sensitive than reds to CW??

Click to expand...

Yeah...Not too sure of anything. According to that Sony chart, it shows both CW and pulsed ratings. The pulsed rating is 120mW. The feeling is that it is definitely more sensitive. Of course, just about anything is more sensitive than those open cans! Lol! Those things are STURDY! I actually dropped one on the ground when it 'popped' out of the stock heatsink, lol, and that's the same one that I accidentlly ran straight off of an 18650 when the driver was being bypassed by the ground wire! That same diode is now running at 422mA!

sorry to hear its dead j.  

p.s. why 473nm setting?

Click to expand...

Oh...The Andover laser power meter doesn't have a setting for 405mn, so the nearest setting is 473nm. And, I am told, that you take the readings from 473nm and multiply it by 1.75, to get the correct power for 405nm...
Jay

Edit: After doing some comparison measurements and talking to Hemlock Mike. The correct conversion rate for blu-ray diodes with the LPM-1, is to multiply by 2.6, not 1.75.

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

jayrob said:

[quote author=desslok link=1202396141/0#1 date=1202396293]NNNOOOOOOOO!!! The 2nd one is dead now????  Oh man.  Do you think it's because the ratings are for pulsed and you are running them CW?  Maybe they are more sensitive than reds to CW??

Click to expand...

Yeah...Not too sure of anything. According to that Sony chart, it shows both CW and pulsed ratings. The pulsed rating is 120mW.
[/quote]
Looking closely at the spec sheet, it has a footnote saying that the max is pulsed and shows duty cycle, but for operating it doesn't say either way. Does anyone know if they are normally spec'ed for pulsed?

Jay, have you done any testing of the onboard driver? If it's capable of burning a disc it's got to be somewhat powerful... I don't know how to go about testing it, but someone here might...

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

thats 400$ down the drain

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

toked323 said:

thats 400$ down the drain

Click to expand...

This one was $300...as was the first one! But, we're pretending that the first one didn't happen. Lol... I'll tell you what, I got my PS3s from PSXBOY today and threw one of those in there at 38mA, and I'm plenty happy with 16.7mW of blu-ray, after all I have gone through with the blu-rays lately!

Not that I won't try again! I'll wait for a better price drop though...
Jay

Edit: I put a Meredith glass lens on there and got an increase in power to 23.2mW!

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

I added a picture of a normal Senkat diode pin out on my first post. Please let me know if anybody is familiar with why the blu-ray writer diode had to be connected differently?? I had to solder the negative wire to the pin that says 'Not Used'. It did nothing when I tried it the normal way.

This also raises another question...Since the 'normal' negative was not being used, would the diode still work if the negative was connected to BOTH, the normal negative, as well as the pin that says 'not used'? I mean, using a DDL driver, the negative side of the battery would connect to that pin, even if a wire wasn't soldered to it. Unless I were to isolate the heatsink from the MXDL body.

I just want to understand for the next time. If anybody can explain these things to me, please help...
Jay

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

Jay, I just don't get it. You never ran the diode with more than 75ma's so I don't understand why it died. Looking at the pin out, I wonder if this is a positive case diode. Can you take your multimeter and measure the resistance between the positive pin and the case of the diode?

At least you got your PS3 BR working. Glad to hear it, but sorry about the burner BR.

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

Gazoo said:

Jay, I just don't get it. You never ran the diode with more than 75ma's so I don't understand why it died. Looking at the pin out, I wonder if this is a positive case diode. Can you take your multimeter and measure the resistance between the positive pin and the case of the diode?

At least you got your PS3 BR working. Glad to hear it, but sorry about the burner BR.

Click to expand...

Gazoo, you know how the negative pin is clearly part of the diode case? How you can see that the other two pins are not touching the case? That's how it looks. Just like a Sony/Senkat diode. I did use my DMM to check the continuity to see if any of the pins were connected to the diode case. You know, the setting where you just hear a little alarm, and it says closed, or open? Is that the test you are referring to?
Jay

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

Actually I think testing for resistance will be more accurate.

It doesn't make sense there would be two pins for positive, but who knows.

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

Gazoo said:

Actually I think testing for resistance will be more accurate.

It doesn't make sense there would be two pins for positive, but who knows.

Click to expand...

Hey Gazoo, I'll send you the diode when I send your new heatsink, which I'll make this weekend. See the blue wire? That is connected to the pin that says 'Not Used'. By the way, be very careful unpacking it, the pin was very short (because I had cut it, before I discovered that it was the only way for the diode to work) so, if you even bend the blue wire just a little, it might come un-soldered. But take a look at it, and tell me if you can figure out why I had to connect it this way.

Also, what about the isolating of the diode case? Or rather, isolating of the heatsink? Because, with a DDL driver, the negative side of the battery will connect to that 'normal' negative pin as well. Via the case...
Jay

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

Ok, I will see if I can take some measurements and try to figure out what's going on. As far as isolating the diode, it might not be necessary, I need to look at the diode first. But I think it would be fairly easy to make the MXDL case positive. We would have to start out by attaching a spring to the circuit board to make contact with the negative side of the battery. So all we would need to make sure of is the ground side of the circuit board isn't touching the driver housing. Anyway, let's cross that bridge when we get to it.

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

Gazoo said:

Ok, I will see if I can take some measurements and try to figure out what's going on. As far as isolating the diode, it might not be necessary, I need to look at the diode first. But I think it would be fairly easy to make the MXDL case positive. We would have to start out by attaching a spring to the circuit board to make contact with the negative side of the battery. So all we would need to make sure of is the ground side of the circuit board isn't touching the driver housing. Anyway, let's cross that bridge when we get to it.

Click to expand...

Interesting...you've got me thinking again Gazoo! Let's see, what you are talking about would probably have to include flipping the battery pack as well, since the tail switch is what connects to the case right?
Jay

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

jayrob said:

[quote author=Gazoo link=1202396141/0#12 date=1202436270]Ok, I will see if I can take some measurements and try to figure out what's going on. As far as isolating the diode, it might not be necessary, I need to look at the diode first. But I think it would be fairly easy to make the MXDL case positive. We would have to start out by attaching a spring to the circuit board to make contact with the negative side of the battery. So all we would need to make sure of is the ground side of the circuit board isn't touching the driver housing. Anyway, let's cross that bridge when we get to it.

Click to expand...

Interesting...you've got me thinking again Gazoo! Let's see, what you are talking about would probably have to include flipping the battery pack as well, since the tail switch is what connects to the case right?
Jay[/quote]

Yes...the positive end of the battery would connect with the tail switch. I think the 7135 circuit board would be better to use. The ground ring is recessed so it is doubtful it would ever make contact with the diode housing, where as the ground ring on the MXDL circuit board goes out to the edge.

Re: Blu-Ray Writer Harvest - Some Testing

Ouch cant beleive it died... ive heard that blu-rays can come back to life with massive amounts of current, you should see if you can get it to light up again at like 200ma...you dont have much to lose.


...lazer... ;D ;D ;D