Need help: How do I power this laser?

[MojoLA]

So I bought this on ebay:

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

And I have no idea how to power it. The auction said "with DC power supply" so i took that to mean it actually CAME with a power supply!

I have zero electronics skills, so if somebody can take me through the process of what I need to buy and do to give this thing power, I'd be very appreciative.

 

[Tech_Junkie]

5v DC as the picture says.

 

[MojoLA]

I think it would be of more help if you did not try to help anymore, junkie. Clearly you have a superiority complex over people who don't have the DIY skills that you do, so probably better for you to simply chuckle at our ignorance and not pitch in with your brand of help, ok?

To anyone else looking to help: i picked up a 5v power supply at radio shack, attached it to the leads coming from the circuit board and nothing happened.

There are also leads for a controller, does that have something to do with it? Is a controller necessary, or, in theory, am i just supposed to supply power?

Again, if you're going to answer, please have the patience and desire to help someone who is new to electronics and doesn't understand even the basics.

If you're like what's-his-name and have the attitude "dude this is super simple, everyone should know how to do that," then feel free to laugh at this post and just click to another thread.

Thanks.

 

[Morgan]

Pictures of what you have received then...

That would be a big help to us...

I suspect you have a laser and a driver and need to supply the driver board you hopefully got with at least 5V of DC elastictrickery.

With you looking closely at the board, and the photos you take, we should get you to your goal.

How much did you end up paying for this?

M

 

[Toke]

The ebay description looks like it comes with power supply.

What you need is to figure out the TLL/5VDC part.
It is likely that you apply 0-5VDC to signal input to get 0-40mW output.
The TLL is two wires that have to be either short or open for on/off.

And don't dis T_J.
He is doing you a great favour by matching the detail level of his help to the information you provide with your request for help.

I really hope you will learn from it and thank him for his pedagogic effort.

BTW: Have you received the unit yet, it is not clear from the OP?

 

[MojoLA]

Yes, I have the laser in my possesion!

I asked Azix and they claim the circuit board *IS* the power supply. I still feel that the eBay listing is very, very misleading, but no matter, time to march forward and figure this out!

Here are my own pics. Now you have as much info as I do.

Please offer any recommendations on what I should buy and how to hook it up!

Oh and I'm not dissing TJ, clearly he is a prolific member, I simply prefer to decline his help. I'm sure you guys can guide me just as well.

Morgan: Just click the link to the auction and all your questions will be answered!

 

[Toke]

I can't read if it is MOO or MOD.
Anyway, the two connections in that end must be supply and modulation input.

My best guess is that U1 is the power input, and MOD is the signal for 0-40mW.
They appear to have common ground, so you could try to apply 5VDC to both of them briefly.

You could also try one at a time to see if the power input make the little red diode light up.

 

[Tech_Junkie]

If you have a USB charger laying around that should work to power the unit.

 

[Bionic-Badger]

Oh and I'm not dissing TJ, clearly he is a prolific member, I simply prefer to decline his help. I'm sure you guys can guide me just as well.

Oh come on MojoLA, it doesn't help anybody--especially yourself--to hold grudges, especially when you need assistance. I've had arguments with people on this forum and it just ended up being a waste of time to carry a grudge elsewhere. If you must, just keep the hostility confined only to the threads where you're having the dispute and treat the others as something new. You're also going to receive a lot less help if you react defensively when any of your ideas are challenged. That's the mark of an inferiority complex.

Yes, that circuit board is the power supply. You connect the 5VDC to the input as TJ mentioned and it should power up. It's like connecting the power supply in your computer to your wall power.

First clean up your board, so that stuff isn't bent over like that regulator on the left of pic 2. Make sure none of the components got bent and are touching each other. On the lower connector, connect your DC power adapter's +5V to red, and its ground to blue. Unconnected, the TTL input should be floating, which means it is neither fully + or -. This should be fine; TTL logic levels only go low below 0.8V, and it should be "on" when unconnected.

Can you also provide photos of the Radio Shack 5V power supply that you bought? You can also try this with batteries, which may be more reliable.

 

[MojoLA]

Thanks for the help, guys. What I need is specific instructions on HOW to connect the power supply to the board! I've had plenty of people tell me "give it 5v DC" and TJ suggests a USB power adaptor. Ok, great... But how? Remember, I am NEW to this. Any 5v power adaptor I buy is going to have a circular connector or male "Jack" designed to plug into some kind of device.

But obviously all I have is a red wire dangling from the circuit board. Do i cut off the jack from the power adaptor, strip the wire to the copper and simply twist the positive lead to the laser board's red wire then plug it in?

What do I do with the blue wire?

By the way, I discovered there is a video for the laser if you scroll to the very bottom of the ebay listing. It confirms the other lead is meant to go out to a modulator (and see I don't even know what that is). Since I don't think I am using one of those, for the sake of keeping things tidy, can I simply remove that wire/connector from the board?

I appreciate your patience and help guiding me through this. It's only my second laser ever, my first being a simple 5mw green pointer. Yes, I know, I sure picked a doosie for #2! But it seems to be the best choice for my needs, a 15mw with 100% duty cycle to run a lumia wheel.

Up to now I've had to tape down the "on" switch to the pointer (yes, very ghetto) and just replace batteries every 2 hours or so. If I can get this sucker working, I'll be a very happy camper and buy drinks for everyone (even TJ).

And to whom it may concern, it's possible I over reacted to TJ. In two threads of mine he chimed in with what (to me) felt like a condescending superiority complex and I simply opted not to deal with it rather than let the ball get rolling on yet another online spat.

I'd like to think i was wrong. It would certainly be nicer that way!

By the way, is this technically considered a lab laser? When searching for units like this i'm not really sure what to call it! At first I thought it was a laser module (and I find some do refer to it that way) but it doesn't completely work since the tiny laser "head" itself is also referred to as a module!

Anyway, I look forward to getting this puppy fired up for a wild and crazy Saturday night!

Of sitting home watching my 300% brighter lumia show.

See? I DO need help

 

[Tech_Junkie]

OK, hold the end of the USB cable so the gap is on the bottom.

Pin 1 is the + Pin 4 is the -.

Take the wire from pin1 and connect it to the red wire, and the wire from pin 4 to the blue.

 

[daguin]

Oh come on MojoLA, it doesn't help anybody--especially yourself--to hold grudges, especially when you need assistance. I've had arguments with people on this forum and it just ended up being a waste of time to carry a grudge elsewhere. If you must, just keep the hostility confined only to the threads where you're having the dispute and treat the others as something new. You're also going to receive a lot less help if you react defensively when any of your ideas are challenged. That's the mark of an inferiority complex.

Yes, that circuit board is the power supply. You connect the 5VDC to the input as TJ mentioned and it should power up. It's like connecting the power supply in your computer to your wall power.

First clean up your board, so that stuff isn't bent over like that regulator on the left of pic 2. Make sure none of the components got bent and are touching each other. On the lower connector, connect your DC power adapter's +5V to red, and its ground to blue. Unconnected, the TTL input should be floating, which means it is neither fully + or -. This should be fine; TTL logic levels only go low below 0.8V, and it should be "on" when unconnected.

Can you also provide photos of the Radio Shack 5V power supply that you bought? You can also try this with batteries, which may be more reliable.

Thanks for the help, guys. What I need is specific instructions on HOW to connect the power supply to the board! I've had plenty of people tell me "give it 5v DC" and TJ suggests a USB power adaptor. Ok, great... But how? Remember, I am NEW to this. Any 5v power adaptor I buy is going to have a circular connector or male "Jack" designed to plug into some kind of device.

But obviously all I have is a red wire dangling from the circuit board. Do i cut off the jack from the power adaptor, strip the wire to the copper and simply twist the positive lead to the laser board's red wire then plug it in?

What do I do with the blue wire?

By the way, I discovered there is a video for the laser if you scroll to the very bottom of the ebay listing. It confirms the other lead is meant to go out to a modulator (and see I don't even know what that is). Since I don't think I am using one of those, for the sake of keeping things tidy, can I simply remove that wire/connector from the board?

I appreciate your patience and help guiding me through this. It's only my second laser ever, my first being a simple 5mw green pointer. Yes, I know, I sure picked a doosie for #2! But it seems to be the best choice for my needs, a 15mw with 100% duty cycle to run a lumia wheel.

Up to now I've had to tape down the "on" switch to the pointer (yes, very ghetto) and just replace batteries every 2 hours or so. If I can get this sucker working, I'll be a very happy camper and buy drinks for everyone (even TJ).

And to whom it may concern, it's possible I over reacted to TJ. In two threads of mine he chimed in with what (to me) felt like a condescending superiority complex and I simply opted not to deal with it rather than let the ball get rolling on yet another online spat.

I'd like to think i was wrong. It would certainly be nicer that way!

By the way, is this technically considered a lab laser? When searching for units like this i'm not really sure what to call it! At first I thought it was a laser module (and I find some do refer to it that way) but it doesn't completely work since the tiny laser "head" itself is also referred to as a module!

Anyway, I look forward to getting this puppy fired up for a wild and crazy Saturday night!

Of sitting home watching my 300% brighter lumia show.

See? I DO need help

If you do not know how to strip and connect wires, you need to read a bit more and maybe explore the possibility of doing some online research. There are guides on how to solder in the forum AND many of them on the web. You are becoming involve with an electronics hobby. Take the time and put out the effort to learn something about electronics

Sometimes you have to do more than just ask a question and then do what you are told

You appear to have the attitude that not only should people be able to "figure out" what you actually want to know, but if they do anything other than just tell you EVERYTHING you need to know that they are being condescending. If you do not want to "learn" (NOT be taught), then there are many plug-n-play or turn-key options available. They just cost more. The reason that DIY is less expensive is that you are DOING a significant part of the "work" yourself. Just doing what you are told to do is NOT DIY.

Don't get pissed off when someone tries to get you to learn. Put forth the effort to learn or buy ready-made

--Although while reading through your other posts, I am beginning to get the distinct impression that you are intentionally acting dense to troll up responses

Peace,
dave

**EDIT**
Hmmmmm . . . . It seems that you already think that you know how to connect bare wires. You offered to "cover" it in this thread
http://laserpointerforums.com/f47/my-super-simple-totaly-ghetto-lumia-wheel-56475.html (but I guess you forgot)

http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/does-cooled-laser-run-longer-56422.html#post797587
http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/does-cooled-laser-run-longer-56422.html#post797626

Who else do we know around Plano/Richardson, Texas?

 

[MojoLA]

Splicing 2 wires together is pretty simple, even for me. Which wires is another story, but thanks to you guys I'm starting to get the picture.

And Daguin, just because I joined this forum doesn't mean I intend nor desire to pursue DIY electronics as a long term hobby. Perhaps I'm simply interested in a few appropriate lasers to couple with my 20 year old desire to finally have lumia wheel fx at home, and when that's done I'll no longer need to splice any wires.

Everyone has their own goals and way they choose to get there. Is It really necessary to put me on your couch and assume I have some sort of nefarious scheme in mind simply because I'm not following the path you did?

I swear, there is more drama in the laser forum than in the laser SURGEY forum!

(ok you have to admit that was a pretty good one

Alright, time for bed (yes at 8:30 in the morning); when i wake up I'll dig into all of your posts and pray.

TJ: Youre talking about a standard USB cable? Intriguing...

 

[daguin]

Splicing 2 wires together is pretty simple, even for me. Which wires is another story, but thanks to you guys I'm starting to get the picture.

And Daguin, just because I joined this forum doesn't mean I intend nor desire to pursue DIY electronics as a long term hobby. Perhaps I'm simply interested in a few appropriate lasers to couple with my 20 year old desire to finally have lumia wheel fx at home, and when that's done I'll no longer need to splice any wires.

Everyone has their own goals and way they choose to get there. Is It really necessary to put me on your couch and assume I have some sort of nefarious scheme in mind simply because I'm not following the path you did?

I swear, there is more drama in the laser forum than in the laser SURGEY forum!

(ok you have to admit that was a pretty good one

It's not my path. It's the path of the forum. If you come onto a DIY forum be prepared to be told to DIY :tinfoil:

As I said, there are plenty of plug-n-play and turn-key options available.

Your sliding arguments sound familiar:

You: "Do I twist the wires?"
Helper: You should be able to connect wires if you want to build it.
You: "No! No! I meant WHICH wires do I twist?"

In the posts that I linked to, you infer knowledge about positive and negative wiring. You even offer to "cover it" for someone else.
Then in the above post you speak as though you have no knowledge of what the blue wire is for.
You call one of the wires from your 5V power source the positive wire and then pretend not to know which wire from the 5V source you should use.

I call TROLL

Peace,
dave

 

[Tech_Junkie]

Not too many people come here just to buy. They do sometimes, but its always a hit and run. People come here for info. If you want to fit in its hard, because we all are DIY freaks. You have nothing in common with any of the regulars because you really dont know anything, nor do you want to know anything. So there is really nothing for us to talk about. This is not a regular chat forum. We do chat, but its mostly about laser tech, electronics, circuits, ect, with some BS in between. You will get flamed for asking questions you could easly look up yourself. So you might be in the wrong place.

 

[daguin]

Not too many people come here just to buy. They do sometimes, but its always a hit and run. People come here for info. If you want to fit in its hard, because we all are DIY freaks. You have nothing in common with any of the regulars because you really dont know anything, nor do you want to know anything. So there is really nothing for us to talk about. This is not a regular chat forum. We do chat, but its mostly about laser tech, electronics, circuits, ect, with some BS in between. You will get flamed for asking questions you could easly look up yourself. So you might be in the wrong place.

Damn TJ! Did you get laid last night, or what? This is the most mellow I have ever seen you

Peace,
dave