Are FlexMod P3's still available or is there an equivalent that is ready to ship?

[mixedgas]

Almost none of those I-net designs have soft-start, separate overcurrent limit, open circuit protection or input clamping. Replace a whole table of 12 knife edged diodes with new collimator barrels (diodes are pressed in, one shot at it) and you'll come to appreciate the need for a quality driver. Diodes blow if you sneeze.

Not that I have ever personally done it, but when it happens it feels like you snapped the Brewster off a brand new tube.

My personal "record" for most diode dollars evaporating at once is one 400$ 1 watt red diode that went LED on a development project with less then one hour on it. The Lasorb diode protector came out the next year and now I insist on having them.

Steve

[lasermaster1977]

Almost none of those I-net designs have soft-start, separate overcurrent limit, open circuit protection or input clamping. Replace a whole table of 12 knife edged diodes with new collimator barrels (diodes are pressed in, one shot at it) and you'll come to appreciate the need for a quality driver. Diodes blow if you sneeze.

Not that I have ever personally done it, but when it happens it feels like you snapped the Brewster off a brand new tube.

My personal "record" for most diode dollars evaporating at once is one 400$ 1 watt red diode that went LED on a development project with less then one hour on it. The Lasorb diode protector came out the next year and now I insist on having them.

Steve

Hmm, the ones I have found all do. Hey, I'll tell everyone the URL for $10 bucks per person. I need upgrades.

[lasermaster1977]

My FM P3's arrived in the mail this weekend. Very, very, very nicely executed LD driver, power MOSFET, dual op-amp, current regulator, ESD diode array, and passive components.
Also watched some 2013, 2012 ILDA Awards winners on YouTube. OMG I ain't never seen nothing like that before.

[ZeroPoint]

I have preferred the P3's in the past as well but I have turned away from them due to their inconsistent availability. I have recently purchased this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/161306821150...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT and have been quite pleased with it. It is more expensive than the P3's but its 2 channel so it actually works out to be cheaper per channel. The current per channel is a little less though but is fine for my project. It's very simple to use as well. Shipping was a little slow coming from Russia (sat in Moscow customs for about a week) but it arrived in just over 3 weeks.

Edit: Actually just found the same driver in a 1 channel model for about the same price as a FMP3 http://www.ebay.com/itm/3A-analog-la...06821150&rt=nc

[edison]

That is the one from BBE. His designs skills are quite impressive in electronics. Nicely arranged parts with decent size boards. Dave also sells Dual drivers and they are nice too. There are 2 mayor things that are important other then price, availabillity and overal performance. If i had to pay 10 euro more per driver but i could buy them whenever i want and as many as i want then i would for sure pay that extra 10 euro. But the performance should be spot on. I,m thinking about grabbing up a few drivers and do a side by side test for several drivers on the next LEM. Then we can see how they perform and what is the best bang for the buck.

[JohnYayas]

I'd like an all-in-one board that goes from an ILDA DB25 input to outputs that I can plug my lasers and galvo inputs into. I know it wouldn't work for everyone but it would work for me.

[steve-o]

^ +1 That would simplify life

[neilhooper]

.... just found the same driver in a 1 channel model for about the same price as a FMP3 http://www.ebay.com/itm/3A-analog-la...06821150&rt=nc

I've got one of these on it's way to me at the moment.

Does anybody know the Make and Model of the MOSFET. I want to look up its Data Sheet so as I can do some heat sink calculations and order one up before it arrives. I've asked the seller but he seems reluctant to tell me.

- Neil

[mixedgas]

He does not want to tell you because Mosfets that work well in linear mode with a Low Forward Voltage and a Low Gate Voltage, do not grow on trees.

Either that or he uses a High Side bipolar... Both are acting as a VCCS for modeling purposes.
.

So two cases, both with an insulated TO220 package,
.

Case One: I'm Guessing an RDS(on) of ~400-600 Milliohms With Idiode of up to 3A + 0.1 Ohm current sensing resistor in series

.
.

Case Two, Silicon Bipolar with a ~0.65 Volt Vf acting as a variable resistor also with 0.1 Ohm sensing resistor in series. Pick a similar transistor, preferably a PNP, Probably a 4 Amp device, and check its load line curve for the thermal data.
.
You know Vf for the Laser Diode and you know its desired current range. You know your supply voltage, and assume 100% duty cycle.
.
Then look up a data sheet for a typical Vishay "TO-220 FULLPAK" with the wrap around plastic on the tab, to find the thermal data for the package and work from there.
.
Good Luck,

Steve

[neilhooper]

Thanks Steve,

It's strange that he will not divulge the information as the pictures on the listing show the writing on the chip but just not clear enough to read it. It may be that when it arrives there will be nothing on it or it may have been removed prior to shipping.

We shall see.

- Neil