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Thread: powering up Maxyz's

  1. #21
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    That looks right . The shield is ground(-)(common) for both the power and modulation. white (+)needs to be maintained between between 8-9 VDC at 500ma and the green is modulation input (0-5 V) analogue. Is that a switching power supply or "wall wart?" Unregulated wall-warts can deliver almost twice their rated voltage under no-load conditions which can damage some electronic devices.

  2. #22
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    Thanks Steve, the power supply is this one...http://tidyurl.net/b8Efl
    I'm worried that it doesnt have a ground....Chuck (Marconi) said it was ok

  3. #23
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    Yeah . no ground is ok for the PSU to Maxyz module- 100$ for a PS seems a bit steep, but I guess it'll be a good one. Keep it at the 9Volt setting. It should be good at 5A to power 2 Maxyxmodules + some reserve power.
    -I'm fixing to post a thread concerning a related topic about grounding.
    S

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by steve-o View Post
    It should be good at 5A to power 2 Maxyxmodules + some reserve power.
    Yeah, like 4 amps worth of reserve power! A Maxyz module only draws around 350 ma... I'm running a pair of them off a 1 amp PSU, and I've got lots of headroom left. A 5 amp PSU is overkill. It's not going to cause a problem, it's just that you could get by with a much smaller (and cheaper) power supply.

    Adam

  5. #25
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    Guys, I don't know what I'm doing. This is all a bit hit and miss. I'm glad you've told me about the amps.
    One thing I can't fathom is how to power the array of small fans I'm going to install.
    Everything in the case has its own power supply (the scanners and lasers) but what do I hook the fans up to ? I think most are 12 v, whats the difference between 2 pin and 3 pins (don't say the number of pins)

    Can I just link up 2 pin fans to teh 9v power suppy IM using above?

    Cheers.
    Graham

    EDIT:: Adam, what green and blue are you running iwhit those reds? :0)

  6. #26
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    Graham -

    Just a bit of unsolicited friendly advice if I may!

    Being new to the laser projector scene myself, I certainly understand the enthusiasm and desire to get "lasing" as soon as possible! However, as others have aluded to, constructing your own laser projector is going to involve a LOT of small wiring projects that require a basic knowledge of some electronics, power supplies, soldering skills, etc. You certainly don't need to be an expert in all these areas (I'm living proof of that!), but you are approaching a point in your project where not really knowing what you're doing could possibly lead to a very expensive mistake!

    Perhaps before you go any further you might want to consider spending a few dollars on some sort of electronics hobbyist kit and / or books, and get a little bit of practical hands-on experience with something that doesn't cost quite so much if the (+) and (-) wires are crossed when you apply power!

    This is by no means meant to be bashing - just friendly advice from someone who has been there and done that!
    RR

    Metrologic HeNe 3.3mw Modulated laser, 2 Radio Shack motors, and a broken mirror.
    1979.
    Sweet.....

  7. #27
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    Good Advice, Stuka!

    Graham, Randy's post above makes an excellent point. If you aren't familiar with basic electrical theory, now is the perfect time to learn. See if you can snag one of the beginner electronics books that Forrest Mimms III wrote. (They used to be sold at Radio Shack, but now Amazon has them for like 20 bucks...) Yeah, his style is a bit campy and all, but the book is *very* easy to follow and will serve as an excellent introduction to how things work. There are also nearly 100 projects in the book that you can build yourself.

    As for my projector, I've got a pair of Maxyz modules, a 100 mw Lasever Blue, and an 80mw no-name chinese green that I bought used. Since I'm blue-limited when it comes to color blanace, my green actually runs at around 60 mw or so (before all the optical losses through the projector), and my Maxyz modules are putting out around 375 when I'm balanced for white. (I can get nearly 450 mw out of the Maxyz pair when I run them wide open though.)

    Someday I'd like to double my blue power. (That's one of the reasons I signed up for the group buy for those PBS cubes from Bridge... I wanted a blue one!) If I manage to get 200 mw of blue, then I'll replace the green laser with something more powerfull, crank up the maxyz modules to full, and then buy that custom dichro from Semrock that we talked about earlier so I can add another 100 mw or so of 635 nm red to my rig. Since 635 looks a lot brighter than 660 (5 times brighter, to be exact), I'll still end up with a decent white. Sigh... That's the long-term plan, but I don't know when I'll get there.

    Anyway, back to your question: You'll need a source of 12 volts to run the fans. You could run them off the 9 volt power supply, but they'll turn a little slower. That may not be a problem though, depending on how much cooling you need. The fans only need two wires: +12 volts and ground. The third wire is optional; it's used to indicate fan speed and does not need to be connected to anything.

    Remember that you also need a shutter in your projector. If you're going to use a solenoid, it will probably require 12 volts as well, so you may end up needing a small 12 volt power supply anyway. Keep that in mind... (Note that if you do use a solenoid as a shutter, be sure it's rated for continuous operation.)

    Adam

  8. #28
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    Ahh, Forrest Mims III, the guidebook of all guidebooks, altho the 4000 series CMOS are slightly outdated now, it brings back fond memories..
    The circuits he built and printed were invaluable in the developmental stages of many a project.. The Man is a legend in the status realm with "Laser Sam" Goldwasser IMHO..

  9. #29
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    My blue and Green lasers have red and black modulation wires which are easy to wire up...

    The maxyz's have the green wires comming out...but how do I wire them up for modulation?

    I read throught eh earlier posts but I dont get it.

    Cheers...~

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by steve-o View Post
    That looks right . The shield is ground(-)(common) for both the power and modulation. white (+)needs to be maintained between between 8-9 VDC at 500ma and the green is modulation input (0-5 V) analogue. Is that a switching power supply or "wall wart?" Unregulated wall-warts can deliver almost twice their rated voltage under no-load conditions which can damage some electronic devices.
    This is the most recent post that will help you a bunch

    The copper shield wire is the ground (the black wire on your other lasers - also the common ground for the 9volt input)

    Then the positive for modulation is the green wire (the red wire on your other lasers)

    The white wire is the positive for the power supply input.

    So for ease of understanding
    Modulation:
    (+) - Green Wire
    (-) - Ground Shield

    9 Volt power:
    (+) - White Wire
    (-) - Ground Shield

    Basically you Y-split the ground and share it between the other two wires

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