Blue + LaserBug + Flexmod Question

[michelrietveld]

Just starting to test on my first (well actually second, counting the crappy blue i have at the moment) real blue setup.

I have the following setup

6 V power supply
I feed the 6 V to the Flexmod on pins V+ and Interlock (so it will go online in 7 seconds)

I have 2 ground lines, one for GND to the power supply and one for the modulation.

Modulation input line connected to ground for setting up threshold current (should be aprox 200mA? but can also test using diode connected and starting from 0 up till diode starts emitting).

On the Diode output of the flexmod i have -Out (cathode/kathode) and +Out (anode)

these go to the laserbug with blue lasorb.

as seen from the back , you have 3 diode pins (left up, center down and right up) as i understood left up is Cathode (-) and right up is Anode (+) center down is clipped to a short wire but not used.

I have inserted the diode in the laserbug and if you look from behind, with the lasorb at the bottom (Cathode left, Anode right), i have attached the red wire to the right pin and the black wire to the left pin.

When i turn on the power, the red light on the flexmod goes on but does not turn off, what can i be doing wrong?
If i turn the Bias up i see the current increasing but no light, did i not connect the blue correctly?

any help?

Michel

[michelrietveld]

ok, i have tested the flexmod only and this seems to work fine, no modulation input 200mA, with 5V applied to modulation 500mA.
Also the red led stays off so the flexmod seems to work ok.
but when i connect the laserbug, i haven't modified it and i don't think the resistor that is supplied needs to be put somewhere, the light stays on.
so it must me the laserbug where things dont work out ok.
i can test without the bug, directly to the diode pins but since these are very close i am afraid i will damage it so first let me check if someone has some suggestions for the setup and the laserbug.

it is the default bug with blue lasorb and the a140 blue diode (casio i think).
Michel

[swamidog]

the resistor needs to be applied, or you need to wire a shunt where the resistor would go.

ok, i have tested the flexmod only and this seems to work fine, no modulation input 200mA, with 5V applied to modulation 500mA.
Also the red led stays off so the flexmod seems to work ok.
but when i connect the laserbug, i haven't modified it and i don't think the resistor that is supplied needs to be put somewhere, the light stays on.
so it must me the laserbug where things dont work out ok.
i can test without the bug, directly to the diode pins but since these are very close i am afraid i will damage it so first let me check if someone has some suggestions for the setup and the laserbug.

it is the default bug with blue lasorb and the a140 blue diode (casio i think).
Michel

[michelrietveld]

yes, thanks, with the resistor in place it works, one more question, why the resistor or the wire, when is which needed?

Michel

[swamidog]

the resistors are intended to be used to help balance the load when you drive multiple diodes from a single flexmod.

yes, thanks, with the resistor in place it works, one more question, why the resistor or the wire, when is which needed?

Michel

[michelrietveld]

so if i have a single blue diode i can also place a whire? what would be the advantage?

now that i have light, how about focussing the beam with the collimator, should i put in the prism pair first? How do i align them?

Michel

[swamidog]

with a single laser diode, you can use wire or a resistor. the resistor will draw a little extra current, but it's ok.

when i built my blue module i focused the beam (at about 15 meters) then placed and aligned the prism pair. there are templates on photonlexicon for aligning the prisms (i think zoof made them), but i encourage experimentation.

so if i have a single blue diode i can also place a whire? what would be the advantage?

now that i have light, how about focussing the beam with the collimator, should i put in the prism pair first? How do i align them?

Michel

[LaNeK779]

i have some questions about focusing, too

when do we consider a lens to have focusd correctly? do i have to get a certain crisp square over some distance or should i go for the smallest "dot" possible?

i agree, focusing first, prisms second. if the focus is off, the prisms will have no effect

[michelrietveld]

I had to remove the coil/spring inside the collimator because i needed the lens to be put in very far, allmost at the end of the collimator, now i get a nice small line, have placed the prism pairs but they don't do that much, could someone point me to the template with the layout commonly used?

have to find some tape to make the collimator less sensitive for movement, since the coil/spring is gone it is a more loose component.



Michel

[swamidog]

try rotating the diode 45 degrees to make sure the prisms are correcting the proper axis.

here's my 445 module to get you started. note the orientation of the prisms and the lasorb (on a laserbug).

I had to remove the coil/spring inside the collimator because i needed the lens to be put in very far, allmost at the end of the collimator, now i get a nice small line, have placed the prism pairs but they don't do that much, could someone point me to the template with the layout commonly used?

have to find some tape to make the collimator less sensitive for movement, since the coil/spring is gone it is a more loose component.



Michel