Manual Control For Analogue Drivers

[DJ DoubleBass]

I always try my best to exercise the search engine on here before posting, so please excuse if there's already a thread about this

What I'm trying to do is control brightness of laser diodes using a fader. (or sliding potentiometer) I'd LOVE a slider if at all possible although traditional knobs are very popular. I know that I need an analogue driver for this, in which I'm thinking of drlava's flexmods. There will be green, red, and bluray diodes, all controlled using flexmods, and all used in a lumia wheel.

I would just like to know how to wire this. There's a manual on drlava's site, but it doesn't describe in detail how to do this without a typical ILDA setup.

Parts used would be a sliding potentiometer for each laser. (or knobs if I have to) Something like this:

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a...N-FRAME/1.html

I'll be running 5V to Drlava's flexmod driver for each laser:

http://hacylon.case.edu/ebay/laser_diode/FlexMod01.php

Probably a red diode like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/180mW-650nm-Red-...d=p3286.c0.m14

Probably a green diode like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/150mW-industrial...d=p3286.c0.m14

Probably a violet diode like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/150mW-405nm-Blue...d=p3911.c0.m14


Thanks for anyone willing to help out

[sugeek]

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...d.php?p=115439

Disclaimer: "[BadAssLaseristSteveComin'AtYa]

I DO NOT want to hear, I built Mixedgas ^&*_*&*()&^ circuit and pin one shorted to pin 3 on the 7805 and then I hooked it up backwards and dumped minus nine volts into my analog input.....But its all Mixedgas fault even though he;s 750 to 5000 miles away and never saw it...... So PLEASE cover the bare spots in heat shrink tubing or use RTV silicon or similar to insulate the internal connections..... Not that 9V would harm most systems, but there are a few really cheesy lasers out there in PL land. [END QUOTE]"

Hope that helps.

I am thinking I need to work with an Arduino board to provide TTL and analog, as soon as I give Dr. Lava some money for a driver I will buy one and see what I can do...

-Adam

[DJ DoubleBass]

Now that was a quick and helpful response. Thanks! I knew that something like this existed in PL somewhere because dimming is so common.

I wonder, could I just skip the TTL circuit that's attached to the diode so it's analogue?

Or would I need to get a truly raw diode for it to be analogue?

I forgot to mention that these lasers will be controlled manually with momentary push button switches.

Would there be any delay/latency with this circuit using a momentary push button? (it'll be used like a flash button on a lighting controller, or in a laser pen, for example)

Also, would there be any problem using 2 potentiometers in series....one to control the final output voltage, then one to control voltage UP TO that final voltage?

I always have questions....thanks!