Drivers for 808nm lasers: where are they?

[Devil_Master]

Some sites, like O-Like, sell complete 808nm laser systems (diode, heat sink, fans, driver). But what if I want to buy the driver only?
Googling "808nm laser driver" got me some results on Ebay, but those drivers only go up to 1W. So, let's say that I want to power a diode like this. Where would I find the appropriate driver?

 

[jeffreythe00]

I would guess it would depend what you want to power it with. Linear drivers are usually the common choice for pump diodes. For a diode like this you'd need some pretty beefy cells though.

 

[Devil_Master]

I would guess it would depend what you want to power it with.

I was thinking about a battery like this, unless the driver reduces the voltage too much.

 

[NKO29]

Well it says that the normal operating current is 5A! you could easily do a dual driver setup but as how to mount it in a portable host i have no idea. That battery is only 2v btw

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

I'm currently working on a 5A driver, but as of yet there is no monolithic driver at that level suitable for a
handheld

 

[Speedy78]

What are your needs of a 5W 808? Unless you are pumping or have a specific need for the IR then it wont be much fun. Dual drivers would be your best bet for price and availability.

 

[Devil_Master]

What are your needs of a 5W 808?

Pure and simple curiosity. I'm curious to see for myself what exactly a fast-axis-corrected, focussed infrared beam can do to various materials, as well as to see how big a battery-powered IR laser of that power would be.

Unless you are pumping or have a specific need for the IR then it wont be much fun.

Why, just because you can't see the beam? But I never see the beam when I use a laser, because I always wear proper eye protection.
Not being able to see the dot (or, in this case, the square) would not be a problem either, since cameras can see it.

Dual drivers would be your best bet for price and availability.

Well it says that the normal operating current is 5A! you could easily do a dual driver setup

Excuse the ignorance, but what is a dual driver?

but as how to mount it in a portable host i have no idea.

It seems premature to talk about hosts when I haven't yet figured out what driver is necessary.

That battery is only 2v btw

Yeah, that's why I wrote "unless the driver reduces the voltage too much." And considering your reply, it would. So what about two or three batteries like this in series, instead? Two would provide 2.4 volts; three would provide 3.6 volts. How many to use, it depends from how much the driver reduces the voltage.

 

[Cyparagon]

Get a bench power supply. Many will do 5A no problem, and there's no need for this to be portable. Bench power supplies are incredibly useful for other things as well.

 

[honeyx]

Excuse the ignorance, but what is a dual driver?

Two or more drivers used in parallel to get the necessary Amps for your diode., so you need some drivers that are capable in being used in parallel for such a setup.

But about the battery... the voltage is way to low exept you can find a buck/boost driver that will work with such a low input voltage. The IR diode itself is having about 2V as fast foward voltage and all the linear and buck drivers require more to operate properly.

 

[NKO29]

"It seems premature to talk about hosts when I haven't yet figured out what driver is necessary."
Oh, i was kinda thinking to myself how on earth would i make a c-mount portable haha. You may have seen the recent "I C battle royale" Where visible c mounts are used in portable hosts I'm thinking of buying one of those diodes :thinking:

 

[Devil_Master]

Get a bench power supply. Many will do 5A no problem, and there's no need for this to be portable. Bench power supplies are incredibly useful for other things as well.

Well, yeah, that would work, but... it would sorta feel like a copout. Like buying a more powerful PC to get more FPS in games, instead of overclocking your current one.

Two or more drivers used in parallel to get the necessary Amps for your diode., so you need some drivers that are capable in being used in parallel for such a setup.

Ah... that makes sense. Where could I find those drivers? And would each of those require its own battery (or set of batteries), or would they also work fine if they are connected in parallel to the same battery?

But about the battery... the voltage is way to low exept you can find a buck/boost driver that will work with such a low input voltage. The IR diode itself is having about 2V as fast foward voltage and all the linear and buck drivers require more to operate properly.

NKO29's remark already made me realize that. That's why I posted a possible alternative (two or three rechargeable D batteries, each of them providing 1.2V) and I asked whether it was viable.

 

[honeyx]

Ah... that makes sense. Where could I find those drivers? And would each of those require its own battery (or set of batteries), or would they also work fine if they are connected in parallel to the same battery?

There are some drivers that are able to work like that(feeded by one battery or by one battery set in series), but can´t tell which ones atm. as I never used such a setup.

Just saw some smart guys here using such setups in the past. Most likely this will be some linear drivers.

I already asked here about the IDRV3 buck driver for you, but it´s not recommended to use them in parallel. However there are plans for a new version with 4A max

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

this

NiMH are shihs when it comes to current. Use either Li, NiCd, or SLA.