Hello all! Brand new to the forums here, and to laser scanners. I am currently interested in building an x-y laser scanner using an Arduino to control the galvos. The full project involves a user being able to control the x-y coordinates and characteristics of certain shapes (circles, triangles, squares, etc.) on the screen by "drawing" on a table with their fingers, with the coordinates of their finger being sent to the Arduino. I suspect this will take a lot of time and patience, but I think the outcome is worth the effort
Anyways, before a chunk of my money goes missing, I wanted to know if my research has led me to making the correct decisions RE: hardware to buy. And also, I have a few questions along the way. So here is what I intend to purchase:
1. Galvo scanner
This chinese galvo set looks to be the one commonly used for beginner laser scanners.
2. DAC
I'm basing a lot of my purchases on Damo's project detailed here. Thus I am going for the 12-bit MCP4922.
Now, this DAC business confuses me, as I've never used one before. From what I understand, I'll need two MCP4922s, one for each galvo, and I'll need to build a differential op-amp circuit in order to map the 0-5V output to +/- 5V output for each galvo. I think I can handle this. But I am currently trying to understand how to communicate with the DACs. In Damo's project, he mentions using the OLSD Arduino library, and it looks great. But I have no idea how to connect the DACs to the Arduino, and I can't find proper documentation on the OLSD site. Any help with this is super appreciated!
3. Laser Module
Since my project involves shining a laser onto a screen with phosphorescent dye (glow in the dark), I need a violet laser. And it needs to be compatible with TTL-blanking. Thus I am thinking of this 405nm laser module.
Another thing I am a little confused about is how to use the TTL-blanking with the OLSD Arduino library. Again, I can't find documentation regarding this.
4. Cooling system
I'll need to ensure the laser module, galvos, and galvo drivers are all kept cool. Would a bunch of heat sinks be acceptable for this purpose? Any recommendations would be great.
I hope some of you will be able to help me out! I am very excited about this project, I hope to bring this installation to various festivals and blow peoples' minds.
Anyways, before a chunk of my money goes missing, I wanted to know if my research has led me to making the correct decisions RE: hardware to buy. And also, I have a few questions along the way. So here is what I intend to purchase:
1. Galvo scanner
This chinese galvo set looks to be the one commonly used for beginner laser scanners.
2. DAC
I'm basing a lot of my purchases on Damo's project detailed here. Thus I am going for the 12-bit MCP4922.
Now, this DAC business confuses me, as I've never used one before. From what I understand, I'll need two MCP4922s, one for each galvo, and I'll need to build a differential op-amp circuit in order to map the 0-5V output to +/- 5V output for each galvo. I think I can handle this. But I am currently trying to understand how to communicate with the DACs. In Damo's project, he mentions using the OLSD Arduino library, and it looks great. But I have no idea how to connect the DACs to the Arduino, and I can't find proper documentation on the OLSD site. Any help with this is super appreciated!
3. Laser Module
Since my project involves shining a laser onto a screen with phosphorescent dye (glow in the dark), I need a violet laser. And it needs to be compatible with TTL-blanking. Thus I am thinking of this 405nm laser module.
Another thing I am a little confused about is how to use the TTL-blanking with the OLSD Arduino library. Again, I can't find documentation regarding this.
4. Cooling system
I'll need to ensure the laser module, galvos, and galvo drivers are all kept cool. Would a bunch of heat sinks be acceptable for this purpose? Any recommendations would be great.
I hope some of you will be able to help me out! I am very excited about this project, I hope to bring this installation to various festivals and blow peoples' minds.
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