Help with driving a 20mW blue laser diode

[richer2003]

Hello, I have a 20mW blue laser diode but don't have any way of powering it. I've been looking around for a while now to find a driver circuit for it but I cant find any web sites that sell the circuit alone. I cant even find a schematic for one so I can build it my self.

A few days ago I found a 10mW green laser pointer that runs off of two AAA batteries. I was wondering if the circuit from that pointer can power my 20mW blue laser diode? I'd rather have a blue laser pointer than a green one. Everyone has green lasers haha.

If that wont work, maybe someone could give me a few tips on building a driver?

Any help would be great, thank you.

 

[anselm]

Hello and welcome!

Maybe you are confusing "blue" with BluRay, which is actually violet, at 405nm.
I don't know of any 20mW "blue" laser diode, I might be wrong though.:thinking:

Here is a driver you can build yourself that will power ANY laser diode.
Laser driver - It can be done
All you have to know is the maximum current your diode will take, and figure
out which of it's pins are the anode and the cathode.

But most likely the infrared diode driver from your green laser is not suitable
for your blue or violet or ???? diode.