Requesting help with a KES-400A build, please

[laser-maker]

Hello. OK, so, this is my first time making a laser, and I'm basically looking for some advice and someone to correct me if there is something seriously flawed in my plans. The diode I finally settled on is the one contained in the KES-400A, an assembly replacement for the PS3. I'm ordering it from hyratech.com/product.php?productid=6740&cat=0&page=1. I'm getting most of my information from repairfaq.org/sam/Blu-ray/site1/index.html. So, my plans are that once I get the diode, I will follow the instructions for retrieving the diode from the assembly. Then I'll hook it up to a driver, and then make a house for it after I am able to take some more exact dimensions. Then, with any luck, I'll turn it on and it will work!
However, I was wondering what kind of driving system would be needed, in Sam's FAQ it says that a 47 ohm resistor is sufficient, but should I start with a higher level and then work my way down to avoid putting in too low of a resistor and accidentally blowing the diode out? Also, there are three diodes in the can, so if I want to simplify my driver I can just not connect the red and green ones, right? Lastly, would the heat sink be sufficient in a confined space as opposed to the open space in the PS3? If not, what kind of heat sink would I need? I'm mostly concerned with the space that connecting the red and green would take up, plus the extra components on the driver to select which one I would want to have outputted.
Thanks for reading!

 

[SargeMX5]

Ok first off i have NEVER dealt with BR laser but i believe i know enough to help you out.

47ohm(assuming you will be using a LM317T driver) will give you a current of 26mA. Pretty low as most people here run them at a nice 38mA and have had a good life and output. Try a 33ohm which will give you around 36 - 38ohm. Input voltage if you are using a LM317 will need to be 9 volts(allowing for dropout).

Secondly, the BR diode is a BRIR diode. Its not green. Its blue, red and infrared. You don't need to worry about any of the other diodes. Just don't wire them up and they wont be an issue. Find out which two pins you need for Blue and thats all you need.

Heatsinks - Don't really know if its necessary. It might be or it might not. Depending on your housing will determine what sized heatsink you can use. Need abit more information on the housing you plan to use.

 

[GooeyGus]

I think he is talking about just using a resistor as opposed to building a driver. I would really recommend building a full driver to power the diode. It is fairly simple and just requires a resistor, potentiometer, lm317, capacitor, and silicon diode. This way you can insure your diode will be completely safe, and you can slowly increase the current using the potentiometer, rather than having to try different resistors.

EDIT: I saw on the page you have been reading that there are some pictures of the full driver at the bottom, I would use that instead of just a resistor.

 

[laser-maker]

Thanks for the info. Ok, so I need a full driver and not just a resistor. I thought the single resistor sounded a little bit dubious. I don't know whether you're looking for the material or the size of my housing, but hopefully my housing will be aluminum or stainless steel, however, I can really make it out of a lot of diffrent metals if there is another kind that would be better. As for the size, I'm not sure yet, I'll have to see how big the driver is and take some more precise measurments on the diode after I extract it.

 

[jamilm9]

i will use this driver
http://www.fineartradiography.com/hobbies/lasers/blu-ray/index.html