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Thread: Solarfires' DIY low cost high end (beam quality) 445nm build

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Default Solarfires' DIY low cost high end (beam quality) 445nm build

    Thought I’d share my Solarfire low cost high end (beam quality) 445nm build.
    The goal behind this build was simplicity, high stability and good low divergent beam at ultra low cost. The concept allows DIY, if necessary, with just a hack saw, file, 3mm hand Tap and hand drill. I got the aluminum base plate (40mm x 100mm x 6mm alu. flat bar) and aluminum rectangular tubing (W40mm x L80mm x T4mm x H27mm) precut for next to nothing at a local metal working shop. The diode mount is also home made out of a piece of 15mm x 15mm x 22mm Aluminum square rod drilled with a 10,7mm hole for the 405-G-2 lens + a 4mm hole for the NTC and a 3mm threaded hole for the set screw. Total cost was about 10$ for the housing materials, 100$ for optics and diode, 12$ for the TEC.


    Diode mount, optics and carrier plates out of 25mm x 15mm x 8mm are all glued to insure a non tension build. There are only 4 x 3mm x 40mm screws necessary to put the whole thing together. I printed out 1:1 templates of the build with drill, mount and optics positions and used double sided carpet tape to affix the template to the base plate. The template can easily be made with almost any kind of CAD or paint/draw software, this allows a preview of proper component positioning. This is much easier and faster than manually transferring measurements to the base plate. Positions for the mount were transferred by cutting thru the template with a razorblade. After removing the template paper and tape from the base plate the fine lines that resulted from the razorblade make it easy for gluing the mount in place.

    Specs:
    Type: Single 445nm selected diode doing 1285mW@1000mA raw output.
    Running @ 1100mA outputting 1200mW
    Optical efficiency: 84.67% thru put
    Precision analog modulation up to 300 kHz

    Beam: 3.5mm x 3.5mm @ aperture,
    3.5mm x 10mm @ 11m (Can be adjusted to 10mm x 10mm but I prefer the 3.5mm x 10mm with the head mounted @ 45° in the projector outputting the beam diagonal like this \ )
    Aperture height 19mm
    Divergence 0.68mrad
    A visually very sharp, cutting edge beam.

    Optics: 405-G-2 collimation with cylinder correction (drlava): drlavas’ lens gives excellent results in combination with short FL lens. A little more challenging to setup than prisms, but here a much lower divergence is possible.

    Housing: base plate: 40mm x 100mm x 6mm aluminum flat bar
    Sides: 40mm x 80mm x 4mm aluminum rectangular tube 27mm long
    Top: 40mm x 80mm x 10mm profiled aluminum heat sink.
    Total weight 233g

    Thermal management: TEC/Heat sink, heating/cooling (Optional 40mm fan). TEC is on top of the diode mount, sandwiched between diode mount and heat sink, which also is the lid of the laser. If there’s proper ventilation of the projector, there’s no need for the optional 40mm fan. Laser head is top dissipating (thermal-flow-direction-oriented) leads heat away from the optics, carriers and base plates.

    As soon as we get the Solarfire-n-ice V2 finished, it will be used for this head in combination with an Analog 300 kHz @ 3000mA diode driver. I will probably combine the 2 on one PCB.

    More to come when the electronic hardware is finished.

    I had to hurry with the farfield pics because the laser started to burn holes into the measuring grid @ 11m.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Aperture 445nm 1200mW cylinder corrected.jpg  

    Diode mount Cylinders 445nm 1200mW cylinder corrected.jpg  

    Front head 445nm 1200mW cylinder corrected.jpg  

    Farfield 445nm 1200mW cylinder corrected.jpg  

    Side 445nm 1200mW cylinder corrected.jpg  

    Diode mount TEC 445nm 1200mW cylinder corrected.jpg  

    Back head 445nm 1200mW cylinder corrected.jpg  


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Australia
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    Default

    Nice work.

    I have meaning to package the solarfire-n-ice V1 mods and code for you, however with Mothers Day tomorrow, I have been busy building cabinets for the laundry.
    This space for rent.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Zweibrücken, Germany
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dnar View Post
    Nice work.

    I have meaning to package the solarfire-n-ice V1 mods and code for you, however with Mothers Day tomorrow, I have been busy building cabinets for the laundry.
    No rush Wayne, there's no fire burning that needs extinguishing. My schedule is very tight lately anyway.


    Cheers

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by dnar View Post
    I have been busy building cabinets for the laundry.
    how about building tec cooled cabinets and hitting two birds with one stone????



    wow Frank, these pics... what a way to start my day! excellent job mate, that's really good looking, powerfull little module

    and i don't even want to start to imagine what a killer combo this tec - power supply will be, when it is finished.

    thanks for sharing!!!!
    "its called character briggs..."

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Zweibrücken, Germany
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    Default

    I just put together another one of these, showing even better thru put than the first, outputing >1300mW @ 1100mA with select diode (a little better than the first).

    Yeah.. them cylinders tighten things up well with a 405-G-2, with a good aperture size of 3.5mm x 3.5mm and <0.7mrad divergence. Hmm.. I think I can match that with the 815 reds. Smokin!!

    Cheers!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Power output aperture 1100mA.jpg  

    Power output aperture 1100mA-02.jpg  

    Power output aperture 1100mA-01.jpg  


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
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    Central Florida
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    7,067

    Question Nice work!

    Might you have any spare drivers?
    Love, peace, and grease,

    allthat... aka: aaron@pangolin

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by allthatwhichis View Post
    Might you have any spare drivers?
    well, i for one, wish he has....

    is there some sort of "global" driver shortage at the time, or is it just my idea?
    "its called character briggs..."

  8. #8
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    Feb 2010
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    Melbourne, Australia
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    Quote Originally Posted by LaNeK779 View Post
    well, i for one, wish he has....

    is there some sort of "global" driver shortage at the time, or is it just my idea?
    I think it's more that there's a shortage of reliable supplies of DIY kit drivers!

    A solarfire 'n ice combo diode driver would be awesome There are major benefits to having a non-SMD version (like ease of DIY build, part replacement etc) but an efficient compact version for miniaturized integrations would be awesome! ...especially if supply was consistent

    I appreciate that guaranteeing supply requires up front investment and ongoing supply chain management, so...

  9. #9
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    Default

    Very nice build by the way

  10. #10
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Solarfire View Post
    ....
    The diode mount is also home made out of a piece of 15mm x 15mm x 22mm Aluminum square rod drilled with a 10,7mm hole for the 405-G-2 lens + a 4mm hole for the NTC and a 3mm threaded hole for the set screw. Total cost was about 10$ for the housing materials, 100$ for optics and diode, 12$ for the TEC..
    Not sure I follow this correctly....

    Is the diode pressed into a 405-G-2 lens holder of some kind which measures 10.7mm in diameter ??? I thought the lens itself was much smaller than 10.7mm

    The rest is very nice and crystal clear except for the 45° / beam output.

    Cheers

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