Laser thermal controller for any diode laser
Endurance thermal controller
Keeps your laser diode safe protecting from overheating and controls TEC cooler.
Laser thermal controller board for FAP 800 Coherent edition
Function
The control unit FAP800-30-50 is intended for powering laser diodes of the FAP800 series, such as FAP800-L-30W, FAP800-30W, FAP800-40W, FAP800-R-40W, and FAP800-50W (model 50W with an additional cooling unit)
Electrical and performance characteristics of the control unit
Input voltage 220VAC
Inter voltage frequency 50Hz~60Hz
Output voltage Max. 2.2VDC
Output current 11А – 65A +-5%
Output power Max. 140W
Output ripple (output 65A) <0.1A @25℃
Output rise time (output 65A) ~50ms
Output frequency Continuous
PWM duty cycle Max. 100%
Over-current protection 75A (Automatic recovery)
Temperature protection 65℃
Working surroundings temperature -20~50℃
Working surroundings humidity
Relative humidity 10%~85%
Storage surroundings temperature -20~85℃
Storage surroundings humidity
Relative humidity 5%~85%
Cooling method Air cooling
Cooling method (laser diode) Active TEC
Insulation impedance 20MΩ
Adjustable and controllable parameters of the control unit
Minimum (threshold) current of the diode laser 11А
Maximum current of the diode laser 65А
Current setting step ~0,84A
Minimum temperature of the laser diode cooling
(set by parameters) +5C до +20С
Automatic minimum temperature control of the laser diode Yes
Diode laser overheat protection actuating temperature
(set by parameters) +25С до +35С
Emergency trip of the laser diode when overheated Yes
External control signal of laser switch-on 0V- Off, 5V-24V – On
Minimum duration of the external control signal of laser switch-on 50ms
Manual laser switch-on control Yes
External controls and readouts
Fig. 1 shows the panel of the control unit
Fig.1 External controls and readouts.
1 – Laser operation and temperature controller readout.
2 – «Up» control button of the laser operation and temperature controller.
3 – «Select» control button of the laser operation and temperature controller.
4 – «Down» control button of the laser operation and temperature controller.
5 – Mode selection switch of the control unit.
6 – Readout of the current value of the supply unit output voltage and laser diode current.
7 – Display of the current voltage and Peltier element circuit current.
8 – On/off button of the control unit.
Laser operation and temperature controller
This is the main controller of the laser diode. Using buttons 2,3,4 Fig. 1, you can navigate the menu and setup/control the laser diode operation parameters.
Control of the current laser and temperature parameters (Main menu)
The main controller menu has four items. The item navigation is done with the buttons “Up” and “Down”. Fig. 2 shows the main menu structure.
Fig. 2 The structure of the main menu and laser current setup menu.
Tec1 ON/OFF – current status of the Peltier elements cooling system.
L1 ON/OFF/Alarm – laser current status
T1 +23.3C – laser diode current temperature in degrees C.
L1 10.0A – laser diode current setup in A.
Laser current setup
If you press the “Select” (Sel) button in any of the Main menu items Fig. 2, the laser current setup menu will open. Using “Up” and “Down” buttons, you can change the laser diode current by ~0.8А. For exit/transit/return to the Main menu from the laser current setup menu, it is neccessary to press the “Sel” button. During this transit, the value of the set laser diode current is saved to the non-volatile memory of the EEPROM controller.
Menu setup
If you keep pressing the “Sel” button in any item of the Main menu Fig. 2 for 1-2 seconds (Long sel), the Menu setup will open). Navigate the menu using buttons 2 (Up) and 3 (Down) Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows the Setup Menu structure in diagram form.
Tcold – the temperature (in С) of the laser diode cooling system shutdown, when the Peltier element turns off. The range of the temperature may vary from +5С to +20С.
Talarm – the temperature (in С) of the laser diode overheating, at which the laser diode is forced to turn off to avoid damage. The range of the temperature may vary from +25С to +35С.
dTcold – delta of the laser diode cooling turn-on temperature (in С).
Eq to Tcold + dTcold. The range of the temperature may vary from +1С до +5С.
dTalarm – delta (in С) of the laser diode turn-on temperature after overheating.
Eq to Talarm – dTalarm. The range of the temperature may vary from +1С до +5С.
Exit – to the Main menu with the parameter value changes saved in the EEPROM memory.
Fig. 3 The Setup Menu structure.
If you keep pressing the “Sel” button in the Menu setup or Parameter setup) for 1-2 sec. (Long sel) you will exit it to the Main menu without saving the parameter changes in the EEPROM memory.
Technical embodiment
The control unit FAP800-30-50 includes a supply unit with a maximum current of 65А and a controller on the basis of the extension Control board ENDR-L -6×6. The active air cooling and the laser cooling control unit based on Peletier elements make it possible to connect laser diodes up to 40 W without an additional cooling unit.
Safety rules when working with the laser
To avoid damage of the laser control unit it is not recommended to exceed the values given in the Electrical and performance characteristics of the control unit by more than 5%.
Laser radiation is hazardous to one’s eyes. Use personal safety eye protection. Avoid exposure of laser radiation to open areas of your body. It might burn your skin.
To prevent fire do not leave the operating laser unattended.