the TTL uses up to 5v extra, this is to turn the driver on and it needs another 3.7v to run the LD. 9V batts don't have enough current to run the diode so the power will sag
bumping, so I don't want to de-solder, if I took out one of the cells in the 9 volt, it would bring it to like 7.5, which should be good I think, but I want someone to agree and say its a good idea, because it probably isnt
but there is a possibility you've fried the driver putting 9V through it
My advice is start from scratch, use the other driver, fresh diode and don't use the TTL and use 3 AAAs don't run the driver without the test load and remove the batt contacts before you remove everything else, also short the LD wires on the driver to dissipate any charge left in the cap after you've set the current on the driver
Did you tried to attach TTL to +Vcc? TTL = Transistor-Transistor Logic, or, in your language, Turns The Laser-on.
edit: ie when its attached to Vcc, the output is ON, when its attached to GND, the output is off. When its unattached... it varies from board to board, and from logic to logic used.
I'm sticking with the 9 volt and using a rectifier diode at the end to reduce the volts to a modest 2.8 and keeping the current at 340 (which I found out is the max my diodes should have and it says in the ebay page that operating current is 205, but then it says <340, meaning less than 340, so live fast die young? I don't know, should I lower the current?)
Yes I did, that's how I've gotten the results I have, but with 3 AAA batteries I couldn't get results I needed because it take around 5V to turn on the TTL (or so I've been told)
Ok so just power it from a USB... :yh:
The best dvd burner diodes are <400mA for long life iirc. But running them at ~500mA don't kill them straight, so 340mA is a conservative value.