Connecting A laser Diode/Driver to a 7805 Voltage Regulator

[Slayersav]

This may be a little hard to explain but lets say that I have the Diode/Driver already. I need to connect this to a 7805 Voltage Regulator. Then have a +/- wire connect to a PCB via 2 pin molex connector.

The picture im attaching are instructions that were given to me and written poorly. Im sure that this diagram is not correct. Can you guys help me out?

 

[justinjja]

This may be a little hard to explain but lets say that I have the Diode/Driver already. I need to connect this to a 7805 Voltage Regulator. Then have a +/- wire connect to a PCB via 2 pin molex connector.

The picture im attaching are instructions that were given to me and written poorly. Im sure that this diagram is not correct. Can you guys help me out?

1st, The input should not be conected to the laser at all (red wire)
2nd I dont think the output is going to the right place, it should be going to one of the pins at the front of the board(not sure which), or the lasers heatsink.
3rd output should not go to the pcb/battery, you should have input and ground going to the pcb/battery

isnt that laser made for 3v, are you sure 5v wont burn it out?

 

[Slayersav]

Its actually to a laser tag gun but im putting green lasers in the guns. Voltages should be fine its just a matter of getting the green Diode.

So i been looking around and i think this is what the person meant.

1- Input +ve (red wire to PCB)
2- Ground - Soldered to the Spring
3- output is attached to the casing of the laserpointer shell.
4- -(black wire to PCB) is soldered to the Ground pin of 7805.

Will this work? I think this is what the instructions meant.

So I will have the red wire coming from the Input pin to the PCB, the Ground pin will be attached to the spring, then another wire (black) from the ground pin to the PCB

then the output pin will be attached to the shell of the laser pointer. (whats left of it.)

 

[justinjja]

Sounds like you have the right idea now,

what type of batteries go in the laser tag gun?

 

[Slayersav]

The batteries are 9.6 volts but that's not what the laser is receiving after passing through the gun. I haven't checked the voltages yet through the laser connection yet. I'm not at work. There mostly modified RC batteries. Thank you for your help. So this looks about right then?

 

[justinjja]

Ya that is correct,
Have you figured out how your going to turn the laser on and off with the laser guns trigger.

 

[Slayersav]

The button on the laser is going to be zip-tied down. when the trigger is pulled the Micro-switch sends a signal to the laser connection. So everytime you pull the trigger you will see the laser for 1 second.

 

[justinjja]

So your going to hook up the power that went to the red laser to the 5v regulator?
Because for a 5v regulator to work, you need atleast 6 V on the input pin, and most likely the red laser would have ran on less than that,

Also you could solder a wire between the pins on that push button switch, it would probably work better.

 

[rhd]

I don't see the need for a regulator. Your GREEN module is probably meant to accept ~3 to 3.6 volts of input. That's also, probably, just about what your existing RED diode would be getting fed.

The problem I think you're going to face, is current -

Whatever RED diode is in there now, it's surely fairly low power in order to be safe. Assuming they sell laser tag equipment in Australia, I'd bet that most guns are made with 1mW RED diodes.

I haven't seen many 1mW GREEN DPSS units, but even if you found one, I would expect it to require more input current than your RED diode was being given. DPSS is much less efficient than direct diodes.

I don't think a straight swap is doable - but I also don't think voltage is your issue.

 

[Slayersav]

The instructions I had was for a red laser. I don't know much about lasers which is why i signed on the forums. Have you guys ever heard of Q-Zar? or (Quasar) If your speaking about Australia then I'm sure you have. Currently all of our equipment has red lasers but Brand New all the green packs had green lasers.

I want to swap the red lasers in our green vests and put green lasers in them. Buying them from a place that still sells the lasers costs $300.00 or more. That's why im trying to do it this way. Any suggestions? The lasers that were ordered are class II just like the red ones but im not sure what Mw are for the green one.

 

[rhd]

The instructions I had was for a red laser. I don't know much about lasers which is why i signed on the forums. Have you guys ever heard of Q-Zar? or (Quasar) If your speaking about Australia then I'm sure you have. Currently all of our equipment has red lasers but Brand New all the green packs had green lasers.

I want to swap the red lasers in our green vests and put green lasers in them. Buying them from a place that still sells the lasers costs $300.00 or more. That's why im trying to do it this way. Any suggestions? The lasers that were ordered are class II just like the red ones but im not sure what Mw are for the green one.

Not familiar with it, but I just read up on it.

The good news, is that it sounds like the laser itself doesn't transmit any date (nor even communicate a "hit"), but rather a focused (non-laser) infrared beam does. This means that your laser is basically for visual impact only.

This gives you a bit more flexibility, since there's no concern about the beams themselves needing to transmit any kind of identifying information. But you still need to overcome the challenge of mismatched current.

Here's what you need to do for us to be able to help you:

1) In your red packs that you want to convert, measure the amount of current that goes to the red laser diode when you trigger it.

Once you've done that, come back here and let us know what you find. That current level will be determinative of the next step.

 

[benmwv]

If you are taking out the red laser then connecting the green laser directly between the switch and battery you wont have to worry about not having enough current. You will have to worry about that 9.6v though, and dropping it down to 5v won't do much. You need to use the 3.3v version (I believe it's called 7833?) to keep your greens from frying.

 

[rhd]

If you are taking out the red laser then connecting the green laser directly between the switch and battery you wont have to worry about not having enough current. You will have to worry about that 9.6v though, and dropping it down to 5v won't do much. You need to use the 3.3v version (I believe it's called 7833?) to keep your greens from frying.

He's not necessarily going to the battery though.

His diagram shows him connecting it to the PCB, and I'm presuming that means the PCB of the laser-tag pack. I would further presume that this means the existing red-diode output on the PCB of the laser-tag pack. This output would already be regulated.

A lot of presumptions, but that's why I thought it made sense to measure current?

 

[benmwv]

He's not necessarily going to the battery though.

His diagram shows him connecting it to the PCB, and I'm presuming that means the PCB of the laser-tag pack. I would further presume that this means the existing red-diode output on the PCB of the laser-tag pack. This output would already be regulated.

A lot of presumptions, but that's why I thought it made sense to measure current?

Yeah, I was simply offering a solution to powering it from the red lasers driver

But I guess if you connected it directly players could just hold the trigger and the laser would stay on :thinking:

I guess what you need to do here is determine if:
A. The red laser module had a driver in it
B. The red laser driver was built in to to laser guns pcb

If A is the case it will be easy to hook up, but if B is the case you will have to figure out if it has a real driver or just a resistor...

 

[Slayersav]

The laser is for visual effects only. Has nothing to do with being shot or being hit. The voltages are regulated the PCB. The instructions that I was given was for connecting a standard laser pen/pointer from a store (red). The problem is that the lasers are pre-built and from a manufacturer. I am trying to basically, swap a red diode with a green one. I have opened up a laser and replaced a red Diode with another red Diode (from a standard Electronics Shop). Works great and even Brighter !

My concerns are safety. The gun already controls everything through the PCB meaning voltages, currents, and being shot.. blah blah blah. I just want to change the color of the laser. I already used a RED DIODE and connected it to the old RED DIODE DRIVER. In my mind i could use a green DIODE and connect it to the Driver that the RED DIODE was connected to.

... However If i am building a new laser and have no parts, I am cutting the laser pen until the Spring is exposed. Soldering the GREEN LASER DIODE & Driver to the Voltage Regulator to the PCB.

If this makes sense, Think of a gun firing a red laser. I want to change the color so I look at classes of lasers. Class I, Class II, Class III and so on. I have found a Class II green laser and I could connect it to a 7805 Voltage Regulator, The Diode has 3 pins, those 3 pins connect to a Driver and already have slots for those 3 pins. I connect it and WA-LAH... it works.

If I didn't have those parts, The instructions I were given was to take a Standard Laser Pen, Saw it off until the Spring was exposed and connect a voltage Regulator. Once I do that the laser is supposed to work perfectly. ( Gun controls everything and i dont have to worry about all that technical mumbo-Jumbo)

I could try connecting a GREEN DIODE where the RED DIODE is. Should work Right? But if I were building one from Scratch I take a GREEN LASER POINTER connect it to a Voltage Regulator, connect it to a gun and it works.

I have been drinking, Sorry. Hopefully this makes sense.

So I could take a Red Laser Diode and connect it to the Older Drivers which already connects the the PCB. I want to take a GREEN DIODE and do the same thing.

However using the Instructions it tells me to.. Take a red Laser Pointer Cut it Until the spring is exposed, Connect it to a 7805 voltage regulator and connect it to the PCB. I want to take a GREEN laser pointer and do the same thing.

 

[rhd]

With respect, you're asking for our advice, but you're not reading / listening to it.

What we've gone over many times in this thread, is that you can't just swap red for green. Green lasers are completely different from red lasers. They aren't even the same technology. In fact, green lasers aren't even diodes, they're DPSS systems that use infrared diodes and crystals to create green.

Your PCB won't just "magically" control voltage and current for a new laser that it wasn't designed for. Swapping red diode for red diode is one thing. Swapping red diode for green DPSS module is another.

So, take the advice that has been given. As Ben said, you need to find out if the red diode had a driver attached. Figure this out, and then report back. Or you can also take my suggestion and measure the current going to the existing red diode. This is basically going to give us the same info that we need to move forward.

But don't ask for advice, and then disrespect it by not reading, absorbing, and thinking about it when you post your next reply. We understand what you're trying to do, no need to explain it again.