What happens when you reverse the battery in a handheld laser?

[FrozenClear]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for reading my question. I know from reading other posts (and personal experience) that when the flow of current is reversed in the laser power circuit, the laser is irreparably damaged. The objective of this post is to gain insight into which component is specifically damaged. Is it the diode or the driver? If its the driver which component?

Thanks,
Frozen

 

[Pi R Squared]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for reading my question. I know from reading other posts (and personal experience) that when the flow of current is reversed in the laser power circuit, the laser is irreparably damaged. The objective of this post is to gain insight into which component is specifically damaged. Is it the diode or the driver? If its the driver which component?

Thanks,
Frozen

Some have reverse polarity protection, with those nothing will happen except the laser wont turn on, but with others it is often the driver but can also be the diode. There are many types of driver with so many different designs that there isn't one answer to your question.

Alan

 

[Teej]

Yeah, there's variables.

I ruined a light that had no polarity protection once, I had two modded versions of the same light, and one went one way, the other went the other way, but they looked the same externally, and I was reloading cells, and forgot which one I was doing, hit on, and poof, bye bye.



So, the diode or board could go bye bye, or both.