Laser Projector Start Buttons… You wouldn’t think it would be so difficult, but recently when looking at different projectors available, I found it to be tougher than it should be to buy a laser projector that has a start button and reset incorporated as has been required for all Class 4 laser products claiming compliance with EN60825-1:2007.
In case you are not familiar with the requirement, basically there needs to be a ‘start’ button on any laser outputting more than 500mW, that has to be pressed before the laser projector will output any light. And in the case of a power failure, when power is reapplied, the laser projector must not output light again, until the ‘start’/’reset’ button has been hit again.
CDRH have had this requirement for a long time, but it's only since the introduction of the 2007 version of the EN standard that it became a requirement in Europe. There was a two year grace period before manufacturers had to start using the new standard, so that means by the end of 2009, all suppliers should have switched over to using the most recent version.
But still, it’s interesting to see the number of projectors that do not have this feature, yet claim EN and CE compliance.
Some manufacturers offer it as an ‘option’, but the point of a product safety standard is that minimum safety features are not supposed to be extra cost options! When was the last time you bought a new car, and pondered over if you should buy the optional ‘seat belt pack’?
A comment I’ve heard from several manufacturers is that putting a start button on a laser projector is impractical, as it means that users would have to climb trussing to start the laser. But is not the easy answer to provide the start button via a wired remote?
I know many of you will have built your own projectors, and I think the topic of delay relays etc has come up on here in the past. I’m guessing that someone like Stanwax also probably offers a module that can fulfil this function. But to those looking at buying a readymade projector from one of the manufacturers, (and this can apply to the bigger/more respected suppliers too, who can be just as guilty of not knowing about the standard requirements!), double check the laser comes with these features as standard.
James