I was wondering whether it is a big job to make a driver for a 200mw laser diode?

 

Hello,

Lasers with power above 1 mW can be concidered as dangerous.

Read this page for information on laser safety:
http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersaf.htm#saftoc

And this page from the wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety

Bertus

 

Thx for the info bertus , been looking for the first link

 

thank you for this I had always thought that low level lasers were not dangerous

 

if i remember right you can make a circuit using a lm 317, a couple resistors, a cap or two, a power source of some sort that will be driving the laser diode circuit, i may be leaving a thing or two but for the most part depending on how technical you are wanting to get with it i think that's about all you need to build a circuit to drive the laser diode w/o burning it out.

 

I was wondering whether it is a big job to make a driver for a 200mw laser diode?

It does not have to be a big job. You need a constant current power supply capable of reaching about 9V (I think, but the max voltage may depend on the specifications of your laser). If you look for that search term, you'll find many circuits based on the LM317 IC.

If you need great precision or accuracy, the project can become more complex but if you just want to light it up, it's definitely a DIY project.

Safety first. Pay attention to the warnings and the handling advice.

 

I got curious and read up on the safety aspects of a laser this powerful, and I now believe this thread should be considered for closing due to the risks to the OP.

 

I have also read up on the safety aspects of lasers and am not going forward with using one. Thanks

 

I have also read up on the safety aspects of lasers and am not going forward with using one. Thanks

Yeah , 200mw is already quite alot .
I use a pair of professional filter glasses when playing with lasers >20mw

 

I have also read up on the safety aspects of lasers and am not going forward with using one. Thanks

Wise choice - thanks for sharing it. So often we see posters here leave in a huff because we suggested they might be endangering themselves. Since we never hear from them again, it makes one wonder how things turned out.

 

for me it was not so much for myself, what if a child picked it up or a friend and started playing with it. What's an OP?

 

Hello,

The OP is the Original Poster, the person who started the topic.
I often say TS , Topic Starter.

Bertus

 

yes i thought i might be me

 

Powerfull hand held good quality lasers almost always have key-locks on them so only you can activate them

 

Continues wave drive of a 200mW laser diode is a safety issue, however pulsing is possible when the average output power is not above the laser class limits( described here: http://www.lap-laser.com/lap/laser-information/laser-classes/ ). Design and test hints for laser driver circuits are here: http://ichaus.biz/wp4_fastlaserdriver .