is my new BLU-RAY DEAD ????

[milantheone]

Hello guys, how are you???
I have just little story.. Yesterday i recieved BR module from one member here..  I asked for 115mw setting and V3 driver.. I started to work on my build immediately. It took me couple of hours to assemble it as it was my first build..  : :
Then i first time switched it ON and it was working..
no problems..  
I have had my first BR laser EVER and i was so happy that it is not possible to describe..  
Today i was outside, messing around and then suddenly i lost beam for cca half second or second.. it was barely noticeable but i saw it.. i dont know why it happend as i wasnt shaking with laser this time i just hold it steady.. :-/
So after this blink  it was runnig 5 seconds more till i switched  it OFF so i was thinking that it only seemed to me.. :-/

then when i turned it ON  - NOTHING...  
i immediately changed a batteries and was hopping that everything will be all right, but any success..  
I just later noticed faint light...

I used a host little torch something Like Jayrobs pocket pal and i use
3xAAA batteries,
quite big heatsink,
there was a tail clicky switch,
and duty cycle no more than one minute continuosly....

I would like to know where is the problem???? What could happen???
I have never feel any warming up from this device... :-/ i was surprised.... maybe once i had it ON more than minute and no warming up... nothing ....it was cold as ice....  :-/ i thought it will last forever...

well i opened up my build to check if i can do something with that and than i realized that there is probably not much to do as it is evident that there is not bad connection or something else because it is still lase...  but i check every connection and then i noticed little increase in brightness.. maybe twice as this faint light... so i decided that there is nothing to lose more and i turn a pot litlle in hope that maybe there is some bad connection... but nothing happen.. :-/

It is big disappointment  for me because it was working max of 30 minutes and  in this case it was not worth...
On the other hand in a case taht diode is dead i could try to replace it myself, and it is not so expensive to get a sled, but who know, what actually happen and i dont have any tools to check the driver or diode, or i dont know what else could be checkable..  i am sure that there is lots of people which could help me, and even i could try to replace a diode, but only one unpleasant fact is that i was waiting so long till i recieved my first BR {more than month} than i played just a little bit and now i will be without it again..  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Could anybody explain me what actually happen???
what i can do and what to do not????

thank you

 

[daguin]

No one can tell you for sure what happened because we don't have the laser to test things. However, the short "blink" that you observed before it went "dim" is indicative of either a poor connection or a short circuit. Either "could have" blown your diode OR it could just not be getting full power because of the bad connection or the short.

Carefully re-check EVERYTHING to make sure you are not losing the power somewhere.

Peace,
dave

 

[Mohrenberg]

just do what dave said and recheck everything, i've had laser go dim like that simply because of a poor connection, escpecially if your host itself is the GD

 

[JLSE]

Once you get it apart, maybe post a few pics. There are only two connections that are of concern, that being where the diode connects to the driver.

Pics may help determine, or maybe not, but its worth a try.

 

[milantheone]

No one can tell you for sure what happened because we don't have the laser to test things.  However, the short "blink" that you observed before it went "dim" is indicative of either a poor connection or a short circuit.  Either "could have" blown your diode OR it could just not be getting full power because of the bad connection or the short.

Carefully re-check EVERYTHING to make sure you are not losing the power somewhere.

Peace,
dave

after the BLINK it was running fine another couple of seconds without dim...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


well i have a wired connection between the driver and laser diode... i have checked it so many times... seems to be everything OK.. i moved with each wire  and they hodl tight so i really have no idea where could be problem..

i noticed change in TEM as well..

 

[JLSE]

If you end up using the same driver, you may want to add a cap on the back of the new diode. If there is a fault giving a spike, this would help protect the diode. Make sure you test the driver first, and if no faults are found, just proceed with caution.

It may also be that the diode couldnt take the current, but that wouldnt explain the blink. Even with the driver I use, there is always concern for the 'blink of death'.  I use a 6.3v tantalum 100uf on the output just to be safe, and so far the reaper has not visited a single diode of mine

 

[danq]

Here are a couple of ideas - it may take me a while to ype it all so I'm going to post, then edit this postas I get more written - I hope that works ok for you.

First: any testing of the connections that you do should first be done without power to the circuit. Because if there is a loose connection, wiggling a wire can make voltage spikes that can kil the diode.

2nd: if this is a FlexDrive, it can burn itself out if there is no LD connected - unless that problem was fixed? somebody correct me on that...

3rd: just because a wire is not physically loose, does not mean there is a good electrical connection. remove the battery, then re-solder the wires. Start with just the board and battery connections; then test it and if it's still not working re-melt the solder at the LD too.

4) just noticed that you said you moved the pot. Don't do that ;-)
I'm not sure how to get around that, if you have no meter!

5) do you have any LED's? white ones, preferably. If so, disconnect the LD and substitute a white LED. Does it work?

DanQ

PS: your English needs no apology - it's better than many "native" English writers here!

 

[milantheone]

PS: your English needs no apology - it's better than many "native" English writers here!

first of all thank you for compliment..

i have done each testing without power.. it looked like on the picture above..  then i just hooked a battey.. i noticed little increase in brightness like i said abowe..
each of yours advice is great but i dont have enought skills to test it in a way like you recommend me..
i could try to replace diode, it is not so much to lose, but i have afraid about the driver as this is probbably the most expensive component..

on the other hand i should have damaged a driver {V3} and then it will destroy each diode  as i am not able to check my driver..
i have some white leds from my torch which i used like host.. how could it help me???  if i will connect this white diode what i sould to watch????
i am so annoyed on myself that i am so unable to make some solder job on this components..
it is weighty

 

[rog8811]

If nothing else get yourself a multimeter, it is an invaluable tool if you are building anything electronic.
You don't need to spend a lot of money. without one you will be forever in the dark when trying to sort out a problem.

Regards rog8811

 

[danq]

The white LED's should light up when attached to the driver instead of the laser diode. As with the laser diode, the LED's polarity is important - so if it doen't work at first, try reversing the LED connections.

If the LED does not light, then there's one more thing you can try: adjusting the pot - with the white LED connected. Be sure you have the LED's polarity correct, then with the battery connected turn the pot (very carefully, because those little pots are fragile).

If the LED still doesn't work, you probably have a fried driver.

As for your soldering skills, a great way to get better is to practice on old electronic equipment. Find some things that don't work, and take them apart. Practice removing parts from the circuit board; try to get good at doing it as quickly as possible for each component - to minimize heat damage. Don't worry about destroying components at first though, you'll get better with time.

Then practice replacing some of those parts. Once you can remove and replace parts without damaging the part or the printed circuit board, you'll be ready to solder anything! And all those practice parts that you removed may be useful to make working circuits in the future.

And if you can afford it, Rog8811's right - there's nothing more useful than a multimeter (except maybe a good soldering iron). Here in the U.S. decent ones sometimes cost less than $10, and DealExtreme has a few in that price range. The digital kind is far better than analog for most circuit work.


DanQ

 

[milantheone]

well guys thanx for every advice...
yesterday i removed a laser diode and tried normal led.. everything worked fine.. then i put back laser diode and i always have just faint light...
i am sure that diode is dead, but is it?? as there is still some light...???? :-/ :-/ :-/

everything what i need for repair is a diode - sled..
i recieved an ir diode in its heatsing from seller and i was practice how to remove a didode from heatsink.. it is really simple... then i practiced on my old red diode to solder a wires to a pins and i was sucessfull... i think i will be able to repair it..
what i am unalbe to do is remove a litle circuit board from back of the diode... i have affraid that i will destroy a diode with overheating by removing this circuit.. any suggestion???

next things will be set a driver for desired MA as i turned a pot... so i will need some multimeter...
i really dont know which one will be good for me.. i am able to spend for example 10usd.. so which one from DX could be the best??

then i will need a dummy load... how can i build it??? do i need normal led diodes for it or DIODES - like resistors..??? can i use this destroyed BR diode???

i think this is everything what i need to know to...

on the other hand there is still mystery what killed my diode.. maybe i had bad luck and it was her time to die after couple of minutes... everything i hope is that my driver is ok and that it will not kill my next diode...

please guys answer all my queries.. i really would like to become able to build a BR by myself..
yes and one more thing.. is there some good source for sleds, which will ship it as soon as possible???

thank you very much in advance

 

[daguin]

Many times, when a laser diode fails it turns into a low output LED. That is what you have. The diode is dead (unless you want a 3mW pointer that uses 120mA of current to light)

Peace,
dave

 

[milantheone]

Many times, when a laser diode fails it turns into a low output LED.  That is what you have.  The diode is dead (unless you want a 3mW pointer that uses 120mA of current to light)  

Peace,
dave

yes it is exactly like some 3 mw pointer wich is barely noticeable as it is a BR...
can i use this dead diode like a dummy load????

 

[daguin]

[quote author=daguin link=1231978490/0#11 date=1232139325]Many times, when a laser diode fails it turns into a low output LED.  That is what you have.  The diode is dead (unless you want a 3mW pointer that uses 120mA of current to light)  
Peace,
dave

yes it is exactly like some 3 mw pointer wich is barely noticeable as it is a BR...  
can i use this dead diode like a dummy load????[/quote]

Yes.   As long as it is still giving you LED light it is allowing current through the medium.

I would still recommend building or buying a good test/dummy load.  You never know when a dead diode is going to short out completely and be unusable for testing.

Peace,
dave

 

[rog8811]

next things will be set a driver for desired MA as i turned  a pot... so i will need some multimeter...
i really dont know which one will be good for me.. i am able to spend for example 10usd.. so which one from DX could be the best??  

This is the one I would get if I was in the market for a low cost one, it is auto ranging and has good reviewshttp://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.9636

then i will need a dummy load... how can i build it???  do i need normal led diodes for it or  DIODES - like resistors..???   can i use this destroyed BR diode???  

1N4001 diodes and a 1ohm resistor soldered together like below is easy, cheap and always there when you need it

Regards rog8811

 

[milantheone]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to everybody who respond

well today i was improving my soldering skills on my DEAD BR DIODE...

i desolder original wires and then solder new ones to the pins, everything was OK as a diode is still puting out a faint light..

my joints doesnt looks good but they hold ok, and i think this is more important..

i would like to ask if i can drop a blob of hot glue from my glue gun on the end of a diode to make sure that soldered wires will not lost a connection... i saw around here that someone recommended epoxy or something like that, but can i use a hot glue???

finaly i have just few uncleared questions left...

1. if i will set a current with dummy load then i will remove a dummy load will i need a discharge a cap somehow before i will attach a LD or dummy already discharge a cap itself??.. in a case that i will need to discharge a cap - how to do it????
2. any suggestion how to remove a little circuit board from back of  BR diode??? or any tutorial???
3. some good seller of BR sleds, who is able to send it as soon as possible and for a reasonable  price - PM me please
4. any place where i can buy a parts like diodes and resistors for dummy load

i will appreciate every advice, help, remarks and suggestions

cheers guys