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DIY RGB questions.

bloompyle

bloompyle

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ElektroFreak said:
Galvos are slightly more advanced than spirograph mirrors, true galvos are capable of full images and animations whereas a spirograph uses mirrors mounted to rotating motors, each being tilted slightly so that as they rotate they project a circle. Combining multiple motor/mirror assemblies allows for complex spiral patterns.

The laser drivers need to be capable of being modulated. Most hobbyists use the FlexMod from drlava (buy it through Flaminpyro here though as drlava isn't really up for business at this time). When you build your modules, you would use Flexmods instead of the usual Flexdrive or DDL (LM317) drivers. Then you can apply a modulation signal to each laser so as to produce different colors when combining them.
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Ah, and how much would those set me back?

And how do you send this signal? Sorry for the noobness, projectors are completely foreign to me as far as their guts are concerned.
 





Bionic-Badger

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If you want to modulate your lasers without a $40 FlexMod (that is $40 per color channel), consider using this circuit. I use it all the time for diode testing. You can hook it to a correction amp circuit like those in the sticky of this forum.

For signal inputs, consider a sound card DAC (see sticky in forum) or a laser DAC (purchased elsewhere for more).
 
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ElektroFreak

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That brings me to a point I want to make. Bloompyle, while in your mind it sounds simpler to build a simple whitelight beam device and then control the colors with external signals, in reality it will be easier for you to build a true laser projector simply because the instructions, hardware and software are all readily available and easily found. By the time you build a sound card DAC or buy a commercial DAC you'll already be pretty invested, either monetarily or in terms of effort or both. Using a DAC of any sort to control a spirograph or something like that is overkill. A function generator or frequency synthesizer would be better, but you'd likely have to buy or build one of those too if you don't already have one.
 
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bloompyle

bloompyle

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Tech_Junkie said:
OSRAM 450nm 50-80mw Blue Laser Diodes/Single Mode/PL-450 | eBay

Offer them ~$45. Keep an eye out on these, they go cheaper sometimes.
Click to expand...

The issue of it being a 3.8mm diode still comes into play, how readily available are modules in this size?


ElektroFreak said:
That brings me to a point I want to make. Bloompyle, while in your mind it sounds simpler to build a simple whitelight beam device and then control the colors with external signals, in reality it will be easier for you to build a true laser projector simply because the instructions, hardware and software are all readily available and easily found. By the time you build a sound card DAC or buy a commercial DAC you'll already be pretty invested, either monetarily or in terms of effort or both. Using a DAC of any sort to control a spirograph or something like that is overkill. A function generator or frequency synthesizer would be better, but you'd likely have to buy or build one of those too if you don't already have one.
Click to expand...

I understand, and at the moment, I'm just building a basic RGB "combiner" ? Just something that combines the colors using the lenses from O-Like and can make yellow, cyan, magenta, and white, and will look really cool. In all honesty that is my cool, an awesome laser project that I can look at and say "yeah, that's awesome, and I made that." Know what I mean? I'm not even going to have basic mirrors, just a beam coming straight out and chillin. real basic stuff, well as far as RGB's go, it's all new and complex for me haha

EDIT: I don't want this to sound like I'm disregarding your help or info, I fully understand, and I guarantee you that what you've told me will be fully researched, and there will be plenty late nights reading about this, but at the moment I'm starting small, and with something I understand for the most part. I'm still someone who's NEVER combined beams or lasers, so this is still a whole new thing for me, and I'm still gaining info that will help me understand lasers and RGB units as a whole. I just need a good place to start and I feel comfortable with this being it. Thank you so much, all of you, for the help, I've added this to a bookmark so I have terms to look up, and a little bank of knowledge to start at, and refer to. Thanks a ton yall!
 
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Solonar

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I built my first projector for ~600.

3 Flexmods, 20k galvo's, USB soundcard, drlava's correction amp and a spaghetti license.

I made some dichro mounts, and got the dichro's from a video projector.
 
bloompyle

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Solonar said:
I built my first projector for ~600.

3 Flexmods, 20k galvo's, USB soundcard, drlava's correction amp and a spaghetti license.

I made some dichro mounts, and got the dichro's from a video projector.
Click to expand...

$600 is 3 of my paychecks :( I'm working with what I have, I'll be getting 2 mohgasms preset, those are like $12 each, so both combined is still less than a flexdrive. A 100mW module from O-Like if they get them again (it's only showing 50, and 200) and a 300mW 635 from them, and a 455 from them, and a 2 pack of their RGB mirrors, and a couple lenses for fun. =]
 
bloompyle

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Things

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Mohgasm drivers can't be modulated to get those effects, they are designed for constant power only.

Myself and a few friends are currently working on a new analog driver that'll have similar specs than the flexmod, but a LOT cheaper.
 
bloompyle

bloompyle

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Things said:
Mohgasm drivers can't be modulated to get those effects, they are designed for constant power only.

Myself and a few friends are currently working on a new analog driver that'll have similar specs than the flexmod, but a LOT cheaper.
Click to expand...

I have no need for modulation, again, just using this RGB unit to combine 3 colors, that's all =] Thank you for the tip though =]
 
Sigurthr

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The reason for modulation referenced above was so you can fine tune your individual color outputs to attain the shade of white you desired. Picking fixed values still works but leaves you only 7 color possibilities.
 
bloompyle

bloompyle

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Sigurthr said:
The reason for modulation referenced above was so you can fine tune your individual color outputs to attain the shade of white you desired. Picking fixed values still works but leaves you only 7 color possibilities.
Click to expand...

So what you're saying is that Mohgasms don't use the standard pot? It only comes in those current choices he has available on his site?
 
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