Module w/ Driver v Seperate Driver w/ pill

MotoMatt · Mar 13, 2017

I recently purchased a 2w 445nm diode pressed into an M140 module with a preattached X-Drive with a G2 Glass lens. For the module i bought a C6 copper host from survival lasers. I'm beginning to wonder if i should have got the module without the X-Drive and got a seperate 1.8A driver and pill assembly, i feel the current parts i ordered wont have proper heatsinking.

Should i purchase a Driver and pill assembly or could i get by with the X-Drive?

Sorry it's my first laser build and i couldn't find any threads already posted about this.

[EDIT]

I FIGURED OUT THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS.

I simply orders a Survival C6 host with Copper heatsink, extended, tapered, and ordered a pill with a blank battery contact board preinstalled. Easiest way to get away with this build. Thanks everybody who replied i learned a lot from it.

dden4012 · Mar 14, 2017

You bought a standard module. Its fine. He wouldn't sell it packaged like that if it didn't work correctly.

Ricker · Mar 14, 2017

As long as the module is sitting in a heatsink, which I'm sure all SL hosts have adequate heatsinks, it will be fine, an M140 diode doesn't produce too too much heat, many people have the X-D soldered directly to the diode. IF you were running a NUBM44 diode, you would definitely want the SXD (Super X-Drive) separately heatsinked on the pill, due to the high current (4-5A) the SXD delivers to that diode it gets very warm, not to mention the NUBM44 diode is a furnace itself, so they both need adequate heatsinking seperately, unlike the M140. As long as it has a heatsink for the whole module. Good luck with your first build, we'd love to see a step by step with lots of pictures!

MotoMatt · Mar 14, 2017

Well i know the module has a heatsink for the driver, i was more worried that if it was trapped inside a host that it would overheat due to the host trapping. I figured the host wouldnt have a heatsink that sits over the whole module including the driver heatsink. Therefore i figured i would need a driver and pill setup.

MotoMatt · Mar 14, 2017

Ricker said:
As long as the module is sitting in a heatsink, which I'm sure all SL hosts have adequate heatsinks, it will be fine, an M140 diode doesn't produce too too much heat, many people have the X-D soldered directly to the diode. IF you were running a NUBM44 diode, you would definitely want the SXD (Super X-Drive) separately heatsinked on the pill, due to the high current (4-5A) the SXD delivers to that diode it gets very warm, not to mention the NUBM44 diode is a furnace itself, so they both need adequate heatsinking seperately, unlike the M140. As long as it has a heatsink for the whole module. Good luck with your first build, we'd love to see a step by step with lots of pictures!

I will definitely take pictures, as well as a video of me building the laser. Ill post everything when i get all the parts in. ive been putting this off for 6 years so i figured its finally time to do it.

94Z28 · Mar 14, 2017

Matt,

I have built quite a few of these SL C6 hosts and as long as you have the copper one you will be fine on space, but if you got aluminum heatsink you will definitely need to drill out the driver pill.

Anyway, since you got the C6 Copper host did you also get the blank driver board/contact board? You will need to wire a contact board to the driver, and place the driver where ever you wish. It's a good idea to thermal paste the SXD to the pill if you wish to keep it from moving and shorting out.

If it was me, on my first build.. I would have got the entire kit from survival which has the C6 Copper Heatsink, 1.8A driver, pill, brass ring and it's a super kit for any first-time laser owner/builder. I've never seen one die from normal use.

SXD are my favorite drivers no matter what, and they will work fine at 1.8A without a heatsink. Fit it in there and avoid any kind of shorts, and you will be fine otherwise.

If you need anything else or have any other questions, I have worked with many of these kits, so shoot me a PM.

MotoMatt · Mar 14, 2017

94Z28 said:
Matt,

I have built quite a few of these SL C6 hosts and as long as you have the copper one you will be fine on space, but if you got aluminum heatsink you will definitely need to drill out the driver pill.

Anyway, since you got the C6 Copper host did you also get the blank driver board/contact board? You will need to wire a contact board to the driver, and place the driver where ever you wish. It's a good idea to thermal paste the SXD to the pill if you wish to keep it from moving and shorting out.

If it was me, on my first build.. I would have got the entire kit from survival which has the C6 Copper Heatsink, 1.8A driver, pill, brass ring and it's a super kit for any first-time laser owner/builder. I've never seen one die from normal use.

SXD are my favorite drivers no matter what, and they will work fine at 1.8A without a heatsink. Fit it in there and avoid any kind of shorts, and you will be fine otherwise.

If you need anything else or have any other questions, I have worked with many of these kits, so shoot me a PM.

I bought an M140 with a 1.8A X-Drive preattached, so i did not purchase a seperate driver that could fit into a pill. Thats what im worried about now that i already made my purchase. I didnt think about the heatsinking of the complete module versus getting a module with a seperate driver that will have proper heatsinking in a pill. If i have to i will just turn this into 2 builds and buy another module without a driver and buy a seperate driver. However i prefer not to do that right now if i dont have to.

MotoMatt · Mar 14, 2017

dden4012 said:
You bought a standard module. Its fine. He wouldn't sell it packaged like that if it didn't work correctly.

Its not the module itself im worried about.

Im worried about how well it would heatsink inside a C6 host. Because i bout a driver preattached im not sure if the C6 will fit the entire module with proper heatsinking. So if i need to buy a seperate driver and pill to have proper heatsinking then thats what ill do.

dden4012 · Mar 14, 2017

MotoMatt said:
Its not the module itself im worried about.

Im worried about how well it would heatsink inside a C6 host. Because i bout a driver preattached im not sure if the C6 will fit the entire module with proper heatsinking. So if i need to buy a seperate driver and pill to have proper heatsinking then thats what ill do.

Ah I thought you were worried about heatsinking the actual driver. I don't own a C6 so I can't tell you what's going to work, sorry for the confusion. Looks like 94Z28 has you covered.

Ricker · Mar 14, 2017

If you need information on how to de-solder the driver from the diode, let us know, you don't have to order another driver unless something has happened to the one connected.

94Z28 · Mar 15, 2017

Do you have C6 with aluminum or the extended copper heatsink?

I will tell you that the module will have plenty of heat sink either way, but the two types vary the duty cycle you will have. My point about the driver is the C6 kit from SL avoids having to fit a SXD into the host with a contact board... you WILL have to use a contact board that wires to a SXD, then fit that somewhere in the pill, and wires to the diode. It's gonna b a tight fit with the aluminum sink and I'm not even entirely sure it can be done unless the pill is drilled.

Are you trying to do the build without the SL driver pill/contact board?

MotoMatt · Mar 15, 2017

94Z28 said:
Do you have C6 with aluminum or the extended copper heatsink?

I will tell you that the module will have plenty of heat sink either way, but the two types vary the duty cycle you will have. My point about the driver is the C6 kit from SL avoids having to fit a SXD into the host with a contact board... you WILL have to use a contact board that wires to a SXD, then fit that somewhere in the pill, and wires to the diode. It's gonna b a tight fit with the aluminum sink and I'm not even entirely sure it can be done unless the pill is drilled.

Are you trying to do the build without the SL driver pill/contact board?

So my plan was to use an M140 with an X-Drive preinstalled in a C6. That way i didnt have to use a driver board.

94Z28 · Mar 16, 2017

MotoMatt said:
So my plan was to use an M140 with an X-Drive preinstalled in a C6. That way i didnt have to use a driver board.

I know what your diode and driver combination is, but what C6 do you have? A plain C6 flashlight or the survival laser kit with an ALUMINUM OR Copper Extended heatsink..? You have to use a CONTACT BOARD (Round board fits in threaded pill for a C6, top side has wires to attach to driver and bottom is the spring for battery connection. The ground is made at the edge of board to the pill+host) if you are keeping the Xdrive.

The aluminum has little room to fit anything after contact board, copper has a little more room to use and is more preferable for heat sink.

I told you my opinion is to cut the SXD wires going to diode and save it... buy the SL no diode host bundle for 30$ (aluminum) or 45$ (copper preferred) and get the 1.8A driver it comes with... will make life much easier and you hae an extra SXD for another build.

GSS · Mar 16, 2017

You can always look at some of "Lifetime17" plug and play hosts.
These are setup exactly to take that DTR module you have. Big heat sink to smother the module and just connect the 2 wires. The battery board is already setup.
I believe he has some 501b hosts that is simular to your C6 and takes the exact same battery's.
They are way cheaper than you might think and will solve your problem.
94Z28, I know you've invested some time my friend so i'm just giving a suggestion as there seems to be a communication gap.

MotoMatt · Mar 17, 2017

GSS said:
You can always look at some of "Lifetime17" plug and play hosts.
These are setup exactly to take that DTR module you have. Big heat sink to smother the module and just connect the 2 wires. The battery board is already setup.
I believe he has some 501b hosts that is simular to your C6 and takes the exact same battery's.
They are way cheaper than you might think and will solve your problem.
94Z28, I know you've invested some time my friend so i'm just giving a suggestion as there seems to be a communication gap.

Yeah there was quite a communication gap, and you seemed to be able to identify that pretty well so thank you for that. I took your advice as well as someone elses but i ended up ordering a Copper C6 with extended and tapered heatsink and a pill with a battery contact board installed. I had no idea those existed till you mentioned to batter contact board, so thank you for that.

GSS · Mar 17, 2017

MotoMatt said:
Yeah there was quite a communication gap, and you seemed to be able to identify that pretty well so thank you for that. I took your advice as well as someone elses but i ended up ordering a Copper C6 with extended and tapered heatsink and a pill with a battery contact board installed. I had no idea those existed till you mentioned to batter contact board, so thank you for that.

I didn't really say anything different than 94Z28 or Ricker, just a bit simpler.
He was trying to figure out which host setup you got from SL and explain the contact board.
Glad you got it sorted and now you have an extra host

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