Ultra-Compact Laser Diode Driver for the Control of Positioning Laser Units in Industrial Machinery

Abstract

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of an ultra-compact laser diode driver that is intended for use in positioning laser units for industrial machinery and in battery-powered portable laser units. The driver provides enough current to operate almost all laser diodes in a TO-18 housing (diameter 5.6mm) and many of the bigger diodes in a TO-5 housing (diameter 9mm). In addition to a highly efficient current regulation, the driver includes a thermal protection of the laser diode via an NTC thermistor and a current modulation input, which can be used to control the current from an external microcontroller, e.g. a microcontroller integrated in an industrial machine. The experimental results show that the driver works accurately and reliably with various laser diodes. It can be integrated successfully in positioning laser units and in portable laser units designed for short-time or continuous operation.