DTR X-Drive Question

[Alaskan]

Looking at DTR's linear laser drivers, I found this page showing two, one at 1.8 amps and one at 2.4 amps, am I right that these are fixed current drives? I don't see a pot to be able to adjust them. I need something like this which can take two 3.7-4.2 VDC batteries and be able to set them at 400-500 ma.

https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf/home/flexdrives/x-drive

 

[VisibleGreen]

Lazeerer made those so I would ask him if he can make you a version with a pot. He can adjust them to whatever output you need but not sure what he does to do that. Programing maybe? He would know. If you find out let me know too lol

 

[Alaskan]

I found these made by Aixiz on ebay:

Adjustable Current Laser Diode Driver 80 500mA w TTL | eBay

Seems they will work for me, when I emailed them they said this driver can actually do 1 amp, but why they don't put that on their ebay specs is a mystery to me.

 

[rhd]

Looking at DTR's linear laser drivers, I found this page showing two, one at 1.8 amps and one at 2.4 amps, am I right that these are fixed current drives? I don't see a pot to be able to adjust them. I need something like this which can take two 3.7-4.2 VDC batteries and be able to set them at 400-500 ma.

http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab95/LaserProject/DTR drivers_zpsyb2lntyi.jpg

https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf/home/flexdrives/x-drive

I think that if you desolder these two:

Then add back a 0.62 ohm, 0805 resistor (1/4 watt ideally), to one of the slots, leaving the other empty, and you'll get your 400 mA.

Add an second resistor, 2.5 ohm, 0805 (1/8 watt is fine), to the other slot, and you'll increase to 500 mA.

Might be wrong - could be worth running by DTR or Lazeerer.

 

[VisibleGreen]

I found these made by Aixiz on ebay:

Adjustable Current Laser Diode Driver 80 500mA w TTL | eBay

Seems they will work for me, when I emailed them they said this driver can actually do 1 amp, but why they don't put that on their ebay specs is a mystery to me.

Hmm I'm not sure why they told you 1 amp. I remember similar drivers that were red and they could both power a 660 diode or a 445 diode. It would automatically detect which one you connected and provided the preset current setting so maybe that's what this is, not sure.

 

[crazyspaz]

In the first post you said those are linear drivers, they are actually buck drivers. all x-drives are buck drivers, and similarly the x-boosts are boost drives. Lazeerer doesn't make linear drivers.

 

[DTR]

Looking at DTR's linear laser drivers, I found this page showing two, one at 1.8 amps and one at 2.4 amps, am I right that these are fixed current drives? I don't see a pot to be able to adjust them. I need something like this which can take two 3.7-4.2 VDC batteries and be able to set them at 400-500 ma.

https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf/home/flexdrives/x-drive

Yea they are actually buck drivers not linear. You can change the current as RHD suggested by changing out the resistors. See the guide to different currents here.
http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/fs-x-drive-v6-3a-buck-driver-sale-info-75495.html

I do also have a few on hand that are adjustable with a pot if you want to make it easier.:beer:

 

[Alaskan]

Linear vs Buck: Thanks DTR & CrazyS, all this time I thought linear drives were the same as buck drives, they do the same thing, but a different way, as I have come to see through a web search: Understanding the difference between Linear, Buck, Boost and Direct Drive drivers | BudgetLightForum.com

DTR, the flashlight I want to modify as a host for the PL520 B1 laser diode I will be ordering from you has only 17 mm of width to mount the driver into, its depth is half of that deep so has to be mounted that way; sideways in the short tube. The Aixiz drive I was considering is too long to fit, so hoping your X-Drive will.

Is there a round shaped version of this kind of drive which fits a 17 mm hole? The brass ring I need to solder to will let a 16.8mm fall right through, so need exactly 17 mm diameter if you have a round driver to fit that. I found some 17mm wide 18 gauge copper disks on ebay I could use to mount it to, if need be.

Here's a photo of the back side of the pill I need to fit the driver into, that hole on top only 17mm wide.

RHD, DTR, Crazyspaz and VisibleGreen thank you for your kind help, +rep when the system allows me to do so.​

This is what I'm working on, converting a lensed flashlight into a fat beam laser pointer:

I took one of DTR's laser diode modules and cut most of the threaded section of the tube used for the lens off, then inserted it into a copper slug and soldered them together. Then I put it into a hole I drilled into the flashlight pill and screwed a threaded cap down on top of the copper diode mount, compressing it into the pill. I don't need the small G2 type of lens the copper module normally uses for the flashlight host, so just cut that part of it off. The reason I had to do that is the tube is so deep and the lasers output so wide, the tube clips some of the lasers output. For collimation, the flashlights 67mm diameter lens with a 44mm focal length will collimate it into a large spot with low divergence. That's the plan, if it works out.

I was going to drill and tap the aluminum pill and screw the copper DTR module into it, but ended up making a mistake with the hole ending up too far off center. After that I decided I could just file the hole out, put a slug around the copper diode mount to keep it from falling through and compression fit it with the black threaded aluminum cap which had been used to keep the LED's flat copper mounting plate held tightly against the pill. Now all I have to do is buy the laser diode, insert it into the copper, wire in a driver and put the flashlight back together.

This flashlight: http://www.gearbest.com/led-flashlights/pp_71429.html (it's lens is great for a LED, but has distortions I don't like when shining a laser beam through it. I had to find a replacement made from crown glass).

What this mod essentially does is turn a flashlight into a laser with a beam expander, but using only one lens. Since the flashlight is made with a large range of focal adjustment, I'm hoping I can focus it to infinity as a low divergence beam, or with a wide output as a green flashlight.

This is what I'm making, similar to this one but mine with a larger lens and far higher output power:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Laser-Genet...X50-Light-Designator-with-mount-/281448729745
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[VisibleGreen]

Glad I could offer some form of insight even if it's completely useless lol and now we know how to change the current.

 

[Alaskan]

Found this AX2002 LED constant current driver @ 2 dollars ea: http://www.illumn.com/ax2002-1-5a-single-mode-buck-driver-nanjg-106a.html (HKSupport on ebay charges more than three times that amount for them).

From reading the .pdf doc, link below, it appears I can adjust the output current the same way we do with X-Drive resistors:

This is a single mode, 1.5A regulator buck driver based on the AX2002 IC.

The diameter of this board is 17mm. The PCB is 1.5mm, gold plated on both sides, and has a component height of 4.8mm.

Input Voltage 3.3V-23V

Feedback Voltage: 0.25V

Efficiency: Typical 91%

PDF Spec sheet for AX2002: http://www.axelite.com.tw/Doc/BinaryData.aspx?id=9f3addd9-fce9-4465-b34c-a72efac943a4

I found a cool list for LED drivers here: http://www.videofoundry.co.nz/ianma...=any&size_min=16&size_max=17&order=drivername
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[diachi]

I can use AX2002 driver for m140 diode

Please avoid digging up old threads unless you are adding some useful information to them.