[Laser] Drivers?

[Kerry Banke]

Kurt - Is the module a bare laser or does it have electronics inside?  The voltage required  for a bare laser without driver changes with temperature so a current driver or series resistor is normally used. The cheap laser pointers just have a series resistor to limit  the current through the laser diode.
 - Kerry N6IZW - 


________________________________
From: KD7JYK DM09 <kd7jyk at earthlink.net>
To: Free Space LASER Communications <laser at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 2:39 PM
Subject: [Laser] Drivers?

Just getting back into playing with lasers...  It's been twenty years and 
the last ones I played with were tubes.

So, let's say I have a laser module that requires 3.0 volts to operate. 
Most lasers seems to state they  require a constant current rather than 
voltage, why?  I have a power supply that can provide 3.0 volts at more than 
enough amps.  Can't I just connect the module to it direct?  In what 
instances, and for what reasons, are "drivers" used?

Kurt 

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