Pangolin
0
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2010
- Messages
- 26
- Points
- 0
Hi Folks,
I don't frequent this site much. As such, I don't run into posts unless they are brought to my attention.
Since some of the information on our LASORB web site is mentioned, I'd like a chance to make some comments.
I'm sorry that you felt this way. As for it being an information resource, personally I believe it is. The reason I believe it is, is because if you look for information on laser diode protection and ESD, there really isn't much out there at all. We put this site up to give information about what we've learned through our own experiments. This should be informative.
Sure, there are a lot of things out there which are being used, but that simply do not work (sorry, testing proves this). And I believe it is a benefit to communicate to people a) what doesn't work, and b) why it doesn't work.
When the LASORB web site was first established, it gave the information about what doesn't work, and why it doesn't work (but no information about LASORB as a product, since that was still in development). Still and yet, knowing what and why is important. Indeed, the only way we were able to solve the ESD problem was understanding that which we put forth on our site. If we had the information presented here, we'd have come to our conclusions and developments much quicker.
Hehe. Sorry, but that won't work for the reasons set forth on the LASORB web site. To recap, the reason is a), you can't really chose a voltage so close to the forward voltage of a laser diode -- one reason being, that voltage changes with time and temperature, and b) if you look at the datasheets for these voltage clamping approaches, during an actual ESD event, the forward voltage does far exceed the clamping voltage (perhaps 20V). In our experience, exceeding the forward voltage of a laser diode even by just a little bit, and even for just a brief instant, is enough to damage the mirrors on a laser diode.
Real testing with real ESD will prove what we have written on our site.
Hehe. You have time to make many posts on the Laser Pointer Forums, and time to draw conclusions about our product, but not time to read through our site? How would we like it if professors at universities had this same attitude? Or how about drug researchers?
LASORB wouldn't have been awarded a German Patent, or had 17 patent claims approved by the International Search Authority if it were "just a fancy packaged varistor and an anti-parallel doide"...
I'd have a problem with that too, if it were true. But at least in the case of LASORB, it is not...
LASORB is special, because it works on the basis of a rate-of-change-of-voltage, not on the basis of a specific clamping voltage as virtually all other products do.
And we would not have so many customers buying this, including top universities and government institutions, if it was really nonsense!
Hehe. Well I can guarantee you that what's in LASORB is not available from Digikey or Mouser. We researched laser diode protection, came up with the protection scheme, and applied for a patent for it in around a month's time. We then spent the next year finding the perfect components to achieve the design -- looking literally all over the world. In the case of one part of LASORB, we sourced the silicon from only one place in the world, which for me was an entirely unlikely place. If not for Ante on our team knowing about it, our LASORB parts would not be as good as they are.
In any case, LASORB has been available and on the market for around four years now. We now have thousands of clients who rely on LASORB to protect their laser diodes -- including the biggest name brands. Even these guys are interested in saving money. They would not use LASORB if they didn't think it worked.
Hehe. Well the point was to show something surprising. Even a direct short across the terminals of a laser diode with copper braid -- something that has great "skin effect" -- is not enough to protect a laser diode from ESD. The conclusion can be drawn -- if copper braid isn't good enough, what is?
Another conclusion is -- if you put the ESD protection scheme (whatever the scheme) 3 meters away from the laser diode (i.e. at the driver), it simply is useless at protecting the laser diode, of ESD can approach the laser diode itself.
So I'm sorry that you yourself found the Quick Quiz to be useless, but I believe there is indeed very useful information here, and we've received comments from others which agreed that the information is surprising, and enlightening.
As a final comment on this particular topic, try to find this kind of information literally anywhere else on the internet!
Hehe. Indeed this was among the only information on laser diodes and ESD when we started researching this ourselves. But their approach does not work 100% of the time, and they admit this!! Moreover the laser diode they were aiming to protect was a high power laser diode. Try their approach with a 5mW red laser diode with aluminum in the active region ;-)
LASORB is in fact, far better than the approach they came up with. LASORB is 100% effective. We also mention (at least in broad conceptual terms) their approach in and among the discussion of common ESD prevention techniques and why they do not work.
I can appreciate that folks are skeptical. Indeed, I'm one of the most skeptical guys on earth. Just ask anyone who works for me. Everyone has a right to be skeptical and try our product to make sure it works. And everyone has a right to their own opinion -- but not to their own facts ;-)
The information presented on the LASORB web site is fact. Moreover, LASORB as a product does work, and -- once you understand ESD, and why laser diodes are more sensitive than any other junction-based electronic component, you'll understand why only LASORB can possibly protect them. LASORB has also been granted a German Patent, granted preliminary clearance for International Patent, and is being used by the top named companies in the laser industry. Sure, it's more expensive than a TVS or similar typical-silicon-protecting components, but those components simply won't work against real ESD. (If they did, we wouldn't have spent our time developing LASORB.).
For anyone serious about protecting their laser diode investment, we believe the cost of LASORB is very reasonable. But that's only our opinion (and the opinion of thousands of others). Of course everyone is free to make up their own minds as to how much money to spend on protection, but it should be understood exactly how much protection you are getting for your money!
Best regards,
William Benner
I don't frequent this site much. As such, I don't run into posts unless they are brought to my attention.
Since some of the information on our LASORB web site is mentioned, I'd like a chance to make some comments.
I'm sorry that you felt this way. As for it being an information resource, personally I believe it is. The reason I believe it is, is because if you look for information on laser diode protection and ESD, there really isn't much out there at all. We put this site up to give information about what we've learned through our own experiments. This should be informative.
Sure, there are a lot of things out there which are being used, but that simply do not work (sorry, testing proves this). And I believe it is a benefit to communicate to people a) what doesn't work, and b) why it doesn't work.
When the LASORB web site was first established, it gave the information about what doesn't work, and why it doesn't work (but no information about LASORB as a product, since that was still in development). Still and yet, knowing what and why is important. Indeed, the only way we were able to solve the ESD problem was understanding that which we put forth on our site. If we had the information presented here, we'd have come to our conclusions and developments much quicker.
Hehe. Sorry, but that won't work for the reasons set forth on the LASORB web site. To recap, the reason is a), you can't really chose a voltage so close to the forward voltage of a laser diode -- one reason being, that voltage changes with time and temperature, and b) if you look at the datasheets for these voltage clamping approaches, during an actual ESD event, the forward voltage does far exceed the clamping voltage (perhaps 20V). In our experience, exceeding the forward voltage of a laser diode even by just a little bit, and even for just a brief instant, is enough to damage the mirrors on a laser diode.
Real testing with real ESD will prove what we have written on our site.
Hehe. You have time to make many posts on the Laser Pointer Forums, and time to draw conclusions about our product, but not time to read through our site? How would we like it if professors at universities had this same attitude? Or how about drug researchers?
LASORB wouldn't have been awarded a German Patent, or had 17 patent claims approved by the International Search Authority if it were "just a fancy packaged varistor and an anti-parallel doide"...
I'd have a problem with that too, if it were true. But at least in the case of LASORB, it is not...
LASORB is special, because it works on the basis of a rate-of-change-of-voltage, not on the basis of a specific clamping voltage as virtually all other products do.
And we would not have so many customers buying this, including top universities and government institutions, if it was really nonsense!
Hehe. Well I can guarantee you that what's in LASORB is not available from Digikey or Mouser. We researched laser diode protection, came up with the protection scheme, and applied for a patent for it in around a month's time. We then spent the next year finding the perfect components to achieve the design -- looking literally all over the world. In the case of one part of LASORB, we sourced the silicon from only one place in the world, which for me was an entirely unlikely place. If not for Ante on our team knowing about it, our LASORB parts would not be as good as they are.
In any case, LASORB has been available and on the market for around four years now. We now have thousands of clients who rely on LASORB to protect their laser diodes -- including the biggest name brands. Even these guys are interested in saving money. They would not use LASORB if they didn't think it worked.
Hehe. Well the point was to show something surprising. Even a direct short across the terminals of a laser diode with copper braid -- something that has great "skin effect" -- is not enough to protect a laser diode from ESD. The conclusion can be drawn -- if copper braid isn't good enough, what is?
Another conclusion is -- if you put the ESD protection scheme (whatever the scheme) 3 meters away from the laser diode (i.e. at the driver), it simply is useless at protecting the laser diode, of ESD can approach the laser diode itself.
So I'm sorry that you yourself found the Quick Quiz to be useless, but I believe there is indeed very useful information here, and we've received comments from others which agreed that the information is surprising, and enlightening.
As a final comment on this particular topic, try to find this kind of information literally anywhere else on the internet!
Hehe. Indeed this was among the only information on laser diodes and ESD when we started researching this ourselves. But their approach does not work 100% of the time, and they admit this!! Moreover the laser diode they were aiming to protect was a high power laser diode. Try their approach with a 5mW red laser diode with aluminum in the active region ;-)
LASORB is in fact, far better than the approach they came up with. LASORB is 100% effective. We also mention (at least in broad conceptual terms) their approach in and among the discussion of common ESD prevention techniques and why they do not work.
I can appreciate that folks are skeptical. Indeed, I'm one of the most skeptical guys on earth. Just ask anyone who works for me. Everyone has a right to be skeptical and try our product to make sure it works. And everyone has a right to their own opinion -- but not to their own facts ;-)
The information presented on the LASORB web site is fact. Moreover, LASORB as a product does work, and -- once you understand ESD, and why laser diodes are more sensitive than any other junction-based electronic component, you'll understand why only LASORB can possibly protect them. LASORB has also been granted a German Patent, granted preliminary clearance for International Patent, and is being used by the top named companies in the laser industry. Sure, it's more expensive than a TVS or similar typical-silicon-protecting components, but those components simply won't work against real ESD. (If they did, we wouldn't have spent our time developing LASORB.).
For anyone serious about protecting their laser diode investment, we believe the cost of LASORB is very reasonable. But that's only our opinion (and the opinion of thousands of others). Of course everyone is free to make up their own minds as to how much money to spend on protection, but it should be understood exactly how much protection you are getting for your money!
Best regards,
William Benner
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