I have a 1W 445nm LASER diode. It's rated for 4.3 to 4.6V and pulls around 1A of current. I can't seem to find a proper LASER driver for this diode. All the ones I come across seem to be rated for 5V. It's not supposed to be anything fancy. It just has to work. Not even for long periods of time. I can use 7.4V or 5V input voltage.
LASER drivers are "tricky". They use feedback from a "3rd pin" on the LASER diode to measure the light-output. The "5V" driver might work if the feedback & power setting is correct because it will automatically-continuously adjust the voltage & current for the right amount of power (voltage & current).
The safest thing is to buy a laser module with a built-in driver, or get the recommended driver from the LASER manufacturer/supplier. That's especially true if the LASER needs to be pulsed or modulated because most drivers are designed for continuous output.
DVDdoug:
LASER drivers are "tricky". They use feedback from a "3rd pin" on the LASER diode to measure the light-output. The "5V" driver might work if the feedback & power setting is correct because it will automatically-continuously adjust the voltage & current for the right amount of power (voltage & current).
The safest thing is to buy a laser module with a built-in driver, or get the recommended driver from the LASER manufacturer/supplier. That's especially true if the LASER needs to be pulsed or modulated because most drivers are designed for continuous output.
[u]Here is a web page[/u] all about LASERS & drivers.
Hmmm.... Power is Voltage x Current, so that would be around 4.5 Watts.
I also asked the seller of the LASER diode for advice. She said a 5V one will work, but no more than 1.4A of current. That really opens up a lot of options. I will definitely be able to find one with these specifications. Keeping you updated in case there's any comment from someone here. I'll wait a bit. Thanks for the help so far.