Laser Module - Red with TTL Control

This is the basic laser card module with circuitry built in so that it can be turned on/off with a TTL signal. Includes polarized Molex connector to prevent reverse connection. On-board voltage regulator accepts 5-12VDC. A customer tested these units on his Agilent optical analyzer (Thanks Trenton) The wavelengths were 654.5 nm +/- 0.5 nm at 70 degrees F for the 4 lasers tested.

Note: This is a class 3A laser.

Laser Module - Red with TTL Control Product Help and Resources

Core Skill: Programming

If a board needs code or communicates somehow, you're going to need to know how to program or interface with it. The programming skill is all about communication and code.

2 Programming

Skill Level: Rookie - You will need a better fundamental understand of what code is, and how it works. You will be using beginner-level software and development tools like Arduino. You will be dealing directly with code, but numerous examples and libraries are available. Sensors or shields will communicate with serial or TTL.
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Core Skill: Electrical Prototyping

If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.

3 Electrical Prototyping

Skill Level: Competent - You will be required to reference a datasheet or schematic to know how to use a component. Your knowledge of a datasheet will only require basic features like power requirements, pinouts, or communications type. Also, you may need a power supply that?s greater than 12V or more than 1A worth of current.
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Comments

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  • Julien / about 16 years ago / 4

    Just a question for safety reason : what is the class of this laser ? We use it in beacons for robotics cup and there are several teams interested in lasers but have safety constraints. Thank you !

    • Australian Robotics / about 13 years ago / 1

      Another person interested in the class of this laser! A customer asked me this today.

  • Jeff Johnson / about 14 years ago * / 3

    The laser module requires POWER (RED), GROUND (BLACK), and TTL control (WHITE) wire connections.
    I'm using the Netduino with the red wire connected to the 5V port, black wire connected to a ground port, and the white wire connected to a digital output port (I used 13 for good luck).
    Blink the laser 5 times and then turn off:
    public static void Main()
    {
    OutputPort laser = new OutputPort(Pins.GPIO_PIN_D13, false);
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i)
    {
    laser.Write(false);
    Thread.Sleep(250);
    laser.Write(true);
    Thread.Sleep(250);
    }
    }
    For seasoned users this was probably obvious by looking at the schematic but I'm a newbie and didn't get it at first. Thanks to this site for helping me figure out how to power it:
    http://www.robotcraft.ca/webshop/p11/Controlling-Sparkfun-Laser-Module-using-Arduino-WIRING-and-AVR-ATMega644/pages.html

  • Member #567963 / about 10 years ago / 2

    Are these now out of stock? I'm looking to pick up about a dozen.

  • aperrien / about 12 years ago / 2

    Will this ever be for sale again?

  • Kevin Cook / about 16 years ago / 2

    TheCowGod: So what exactly is the AUX2 pin for? It's just tied through a 10k resistor to ground. Is there any situation where I'd want to do something with that pin? I guess I could use it to detect whether or not the laser is connected.
    From the looks of the schematic you can tie Aux1 and Aux2 together to fire the laser if you are not using Aux1 alone for TTL...

  • Member #471811 / about 11 years ago / 1

    What sort of lifetime does this laser have with continual use at 5v?

  • Nevermnd / about 11 years ago / 1

    Can someone suggest something better than the 'Mini Photocell [SEN-09088]' to pick up the receptive end of this signal ? Usually an x86 programmer circumstances have forced me into product design, PIC ASM, etc. and I am trying to put together a simple, but highly accurate 'product detect' on an established project (for which a prox [magnetic or IR] is too inaccurate/far)-- in addition, having a visually detectable source helps alert the user as to where to problem in alignment is.

    I know there are professional (much more expensive) off the shelf parts that offer this capability but I figure this is why we are together, learning. I thought of a photo-diode, though for my particular situation it remains a concern about changes in ambient light. Perhaps someone more experienced could speak to the best sensor to use (or why the photocell is sufficient) in varying light situations with the exception of an especially bright opposing light source ?

    • MikeGrusin / about 11 years ago / 1

      I would recommend a photodiode such as the not-entirely-accurately-named "Miniature Solar Cell". One way to combat varying illumination is to alternate readings with the laser off and on; this way you have a baseline for the ambient illumination and can look for a change when the laser is on. Of course this means that the transmitter and receiver need to communicate with each other. Another way is to modulate (blink) the laser at a certain frequency, and look for that frequency at the receiver. This is how TV remotes manage to work in horrible ambient illumination. Good luck!

  • Magno32 / about 11 years ago / 1

    Is there a extension cable for this, or will I need to craft one...

  • pingus84 / about 12 years ago / 1

    Is it a same laser https://www.sparkfun.com/products/594 with ttl control? 0,8mw ? Thank you

  • Noobulus / about 12 years ago / 1

    Is there any sort of screening/shielding that could be used to render the laser not/less harmful to human eyes while still maintaining a respectable range?

  • Member #314050 / about 13 years ago / 1

    I just attached this to a Vex Cortex on a digital sensor out port. Connect white to white, red to red, black to black. Ignore green. Setting the sensor port to true/false toggles off/on.

  • Member #317716 / about 13 years ago / 1

    Anyone know the mW rating?

  • Coby / about 13 years ago / 1

    Does anyone know what i could use to detect this beam? I want to send the beam out, have it reflect directly back off of any solid object, then detect and recieve the presence of the reflected beam. Is that possible? What could I use to do that?
    Thanks.

    • Comrad_Durandal / about 13 years ago / 1

      Does it need to reflect directly back, or even reflect back at all? If not, you could simply set up a photo-cell on the other side, shroud the photo-cell so you can get a good solid 'connected' signal, then when your beam is broken - the photocell will react accordingly, and you will have your signal.

    • rstaph / about 13 years ago / 1

      Looking for the same thing here.

  • ransomhall / about 14 years ago / 1

    quickstart link busted

  • DmitryS / about 14 years ago / 1

    what about RGB laser?

  • Rodrigo Dias / about 14 years ago / 1

    Does anyone knows what can I use as a receiver for this laser? I want to detect when the laser is On/Off.
    What things can I use for that?
    Thanks!

    • spkordell / about 14 years ago / 1

      I haven't tried it (yet), but I think a photoresister or a small solar cell should work.
      http://sci-toys.com/scitoys/scitoys/light/light.html#laser_communicator

  • Krst / about 14 years ago / 1

    Which spec has this laser? Is it basically the same laser as the COM-00594 red laser with TTL control only?
    Mostly interested in wavelengt to find the best bandpass filter.
    Thanks in advance!

  • GGrieves / about 15 years ago / 1

    What's the maximum reliable frequency it can be modulated at?

  • itsthemedication / about 15 years ago / 1

    I feel your pain Byron. To test fire this thing:
    red wire (pin 4?, who knows) +5
    black wire (pin 3) GND
    green wire (pin 2) a complete mystery, not needed
    white wire (pin 1) GND works (some low voltage) - apparently you can modulate this thing - haven't tried.
    Fortunately it seems to tolerate abuse - at least at 5v.

  • Byron / about 15 years ago / 1

    Does anyone completly understand the interface to this laser. I just picked one up and the schematic is unclear as to necassary pinouts. It seems to me that you need +5V to +12V at Vcc and ground, then it is quite ambiguous as to what else is required? Is Aux 1 really the signal pin and if so what type of TTL signal should I provide? Is it just +5V at Aux 1 continuously when I want the laser on? What is the point of Aux 2? Please help me!!!

  • tz / about 15 years ago / 1

    What is the response, i.e. what is the frequency/duty cycle you can input to the TTL to have the laser turn on and off in sync.

  • razor_sparks / about 15 years ago / 1

    It sucks being poor, because I can already see a project for this: Yet Another Wireless Com Interface
    Two lasers on each side, and two receivers on each side. The reason for two? You toggle the state between the two so that one is ALWAYS ON and one always off during active/valid signals. You can tell when valid data is coming by connecting the two receiver outputs to each leg of an XOR gate for "ACTIVE," and pick one of the two for the actual data. Instant 2-wire serial (w/o handshake)! You can bit-bang easily if you shut BOTH lasers off between bits (wait for an "active" before reading the bit).
    Fog, problem. Rain, problem (noisy I'm thinking). Trees, problem (especially with wind). Passer's-by, problem. BUT, under the right conditions you could tell there was something wrong if you're expecting data and the active line goes quiet.
    I dunno, just thinking out loud...
    What's the maximum length on these things, anyways? Anyone played with them long-range?

    • MoriFi / about 14 years ago / 1

      bout a mile i got one (at night low humidity low partical count)

    • razor_sparks / about 15 years ago / 1

      I meant to say "maximum range", not length.

      • Oler / about 15 years ago / 1

        How does the sending layser knows when the other laysers isen't recieving?

  • TheCowGod / about 16 years ago / 1

    So what exactly is the AUX2 pin for? It's just tied through a 10k resistor to ground. Is there any situation where I'd want to do something with that pin? I guess I could use it to detect whether or not the laser is connected.

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