Laser Components’ laser driver partner PicoLAS has developed a kilowatt laser diode driver in a half-brick-size (35cm2). It is very cost-effective, energy efficient and has many features. This CW-driver LDP-CW 20-50 can operate serially connected diode lasers with a continuous load featuring voltages of up to 48V and adjustable currents of up to 20A (~1kW).
There is the option to set the current via analogue or digital input with analogue modulation available. The output voltage will be adjusted automatically whether one or 24 lasers are operated as a load.
Moreover, the driver has a very small ripple current of less than 1%. With an effective current measurement and subsequent error correction feature in the microcontroller consequently the offset between the real value and the set value is very small at less than 0.5%.
The LDP-CW 20-50, as with many of the drivers in the LDP-CW range, has several protective features necessary for laser system design and function including:
- Innovative current regulation concept actively prevents the laser diode from overshoots
- Integration soft start
- Over-temperature shutdown
- enable/disable input
- Protection of the laser diode against reverse currents
- A control interface and a break-out-board are available to help with development.