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Thread: Melles Griot 85-RCA-400

  1. #1
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    Default Melles Griot 85-RCA-400

    Just scored one of these 400mW red lasers for a good price on ebay; the seller also shipped the controller, but he has stated that it doesn't work. Does anyone have any documentation for these systems?
    I already own a 85-YCA-050 system which works, it has the same connectors on the controller, would it be reasonable to suppose the power and RS232 connections are the same as for the YCA?

  2. #2
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    Evidently I should have spent another 10 minutes googling as I've now located the manual for the controller. If it's of any use to anyone else, take a look here
    It appears the power and control interface on the D15 connector is almost the same as for the YCA laser, so I should be able to test it using the cables I already have for the YCA.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by NobleGas View Post
    Just scored one of these 400mW red lasers for a good price on ebay; the seller also shipped the controller, but he has stated that it doesn't work. Does anyone have any documentation for these systems?
    I already own a 85-YCA-050 system which works, it has the same connectors on the controller, would it be reasonable to suppose the power and RS232 connections are the same as for the YCA?
    When did you pick up the 85-YCA-050? I tried to win one on eBay earlier this year but was outbid. That wasn't you was it?

    Hope you get the new red unit up and running!

  4. #4
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    I bought it a couple of weeks ago; it was on a buy it now deal and I made an offer which was accepted. These do appear to turn up quite frequently, one seller in particular appears to have a number of them for sale (or he can't shift the one that he has!)

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by NobleGas View Post
    I bought it a couple of weeks ago; it was on a buy it now deal and I made an offer which was accepted. These do appear to turn up quite frequently, one seller in particular appears to have a number of them for sale (or he can't shift the one that he has!)

    I'm green (chartreuse?) with envy! Will need to keep an eye out for more.

  6. #6
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    I'm making slow progress, the seller chucked in the controller and, as promised, it didn't work. With a 5V supply connected, as per the manual, I found there was 5V coming out on one fuse, but nothing on the other one; I replaced the fuse (2.5A T SMD), powered it up and a tantalum cap let out the magic smoke - straight into my face! Removed the dead cap, fitted a replacement (ceramic this time, 10uF 50V) and tried again; this time I have LEDs and I can talk to the controller via the RS232 (watch out, this controller uses standard RS232 pinning unlike the 561YCA controller I have); Baud rate is 19200. The controller doesn't have onboard switches, so I've hooked a start and stop switch up to the power connector. This is as far as I have got, I've yet to be able to turn the laser on, so something else is probably missing; the handbook for the lab style controller mentions a keyswitch, so I guess this needs to be jumpered out on the board.
    Anyone got one of these running yet?

  7. #7
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    Well after some more effort and making up a new power cable, as the one for my 58 YCA 50 is wired differently (MG, why can't you stick to a common pinout on your controllers from the same family?), I got some light, but the laser quickly shut down; looking at the messages on the RS232 port, I was getting an LD undervoltage fault; a quick check at the fuses showed 4.7V with the head lasing, so there was the problem. I made up a new power cable using heavier gauge wire (the old one was a cut down VGA monitor cable, and the 30 AWG wires just weren't man enough); hooked it up and we have lots of red light

  8. #8
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    Photos please. Can you put it next to a diode laser. I was always interested to see opsl next to diode. I would kill for a yellow opsl.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by kecked View Post
    Photos please. Can you put it next to a diode laser. I was always interested to see opsl next to diode. I would kill for a yellow opsl.
    Neither of these are OPSL, the 561nm mentioned is DPSS and the 85-RCA-400 is diode.

  10. #10
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    Diachi is correct.
    I have to say the 561nm DPSS is a beautiful colour and has the most impressive beam specifications and runs SLM. So far the 660nm head is just producing a very bright red blob, wondering how easily the fibre will come off the head now.

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