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Thread: Any experience with these cheap Analog RGB modules on eBay?

  1. #1
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    Default Any experience with these cheap Analog RGB modules on eBay?

    For a long time there have been these TTL RGB modules on eBay that combine 3 diodes, a tri driver in a housing. I have a few early ones that have DPSS green.

    I noticed they now have 520nm / Analog modulation versions on eBay.

    Anyone ever try one? Was thinking about coupling a pair of crappy-ish 30kpps scanners I have with one of these modules to get a projector that I can use for graphics from ADAT or old computers (QM16/QM32 etc.) The 3 watters are too powerful for playing back some content that isn't from a computer.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Analogue-RG...m/141150558856

    There is one of them. The 500mw version. There are versions up to 1 watt or so, with various RGB power mixes that may be good or bad.

    Just curious how well the analog modulation is. Not looking for Kvant level output but something passable when playing older ADAT content, or slower output from older systems.
    Modern and Retro laser show hobbyist
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    Thanks for pointing this out. I am interested as well.

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    I have used these before but for lumia only because they are pseudo analog e.g. PWM modulation. For things like lumia and static effects where you want to fade the laser on/off or vary the brightness, they are great. For graphics, they practical unusable as an "analog" driver.
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    Thanks for the heads up. That is crazy, wouldn't doing analog to PWM be a more difficult circuit than having had designed an actual analog modulation?

    There is another driver on eBay @ $22 that is a 3 channel analog driver from China... If I swapped one of the TTL modules over to that driver and swapped it over to a 520nm I guess it would get me there. But now I'm afraid the 3 channel China driver is going to be PWM:

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Analogue-RG...A/141613696649
    Modern and Retro laser show hobbyist
    Pangolin QM16, QM32, Beyond Adv, LSX, ADAT, FB3, FB4
    LS Pluto II x 2, custom build x 1
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  5. #5
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    That linked driver is also PWM. The reason these are so cheap is the over abundance of PWM LED drivers out there. It's not much of a tweak for manufacturers to set these up for lasers. Almost all dimmers and motor speed controls for general consumption are PWM so, I imagine the things get pretty dirt cheap when manufacturing, literally, millions of boards.

    The telltale sign when checking out a driver is that there is only one pot per channel . There should be a minimum of two per channel. One for the 0 bias adjust and the other for max current. If you only see one per channel, 9/10 times it's a PWM driver. The board you linked has 4 because I think it includes a PWM TEC for the green laser. I believe these were originally intended for direct diode R/B and a DPSS green.
    Last edited by absolom7691; 03-15-2021 at 00:44.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by absolom7691 View Post
    That linked driver is also PWM. The reason these are so cheap is the over abundance of PWM LED drivers out there. It's not much of a tweak for manufacturers to set these up for lasers. Almost all dimmers and motor speed controls for general consumption are PWM so, I imagine the things get pretty dirt cheap when manufacturing, literally, millions of boards.

    The telltale sign when checking out a driver is that there is only one pot per channel . There should be a minimum of two per channel. One for the 0 bias adjust and the other for max current. If you only see one per channel, 9/10 times it's a PWM driver. The board you linked has 4 because I think it includes a PWM TEC for the green laser. I believe these were originally intended for direct diode R/B and a DPSS green.
    Thanks for the info.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by absolom7691 View Post
    That linked driver is also PWM. The reason these are so cheap is the over abundance of PWM LED drivers out there. It's not much of a tweak for manufacturers to set these up for lasers. Almost all dimmers and motor speed controls for general consumption are PWM so, I imagine the things get pretty dirt cheap when manufacturing, literally, millions of boards.

    The telltale sign when checking out a driver is that there is only one pot per channel . There should be a minimum of two per channel. One for the 0 bias adjust and the other for max current. If you only see one per channel, 9/10 times it's a PWM driver. The board you linked has 4 because I think it includes a PWM TEC for the green laser. I believe these were originally intended for direct diode R/B and a DPSS green.
    Yea, the wiring diagram definitely showed it was originally setup to run a DPSS.

    Thanks for the info. Bummer it's not true analog but that is why I asked on here.

    Thanks again
    Modern and Retro laser show hobbyist
    Pangolin QM16, QM32, Beyond Adv, LSX, ADAT, FB3, FB4
    LS Pluto II x 2, custom build x 1
    http://lasershowwiki.757.org for my all encompassing laser show wiki.

  8. #8
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    They're still fine for TTL, I believe although, even at 100%, most PWM circuits are still only around 95% duty cycle so, maybe still not good for TTL.
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    Buy the module for the diodes dichro mounts and add your own drivers. Not too hard.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by telmnstr View Post
    For a long time there have been these TTL RGB modules on eBay that combine 3 diodes, a tri driver in a housing. I have a few early ones that have DPSS green.

    I noticed they now have 520nm / Analog modulation versions on eBay.

    Anyone ever try one? Was thinking about coupling a pair of crappy-ish 30kpps scanners I have with one of these modules to get a projector that I can use for graphics from ADAT or old computers (QM16/QM32 etc.) The 3 watters are too powerful for playing back some content that isn't from a computer.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Analogue-RG...m/141150558856

    There is one of them. The 500mw version. There are versions up to 1 watt or so, with various RGB power mixes that may be good or bad.

    Just curious how well the analog modulation is. Not looking for Kvant level output but something passable when playing older ADAT content, or slower output from older systems.
    I bought some that claim to be and are what looks like true analog. The modulation isn't great but they are inexpensive. If you would like I can post pictures and links here. Plus maybe some pictures of them working in a projector.

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