OPT 40, DT40, DT50 Scanners?

[Slide]

Hi Lennart,

No problem, sorry for the long delay.

Here's a shot of the DT 40s I probably got in our machines. It had been so long since I ordered DT40 scanners I didn't know there was a pro version. Thanks for the info. I'll go for those next time.

Best,

Craig

[mixedgas]

The screen is the scanner thermal/over angle protection circuit's readout. If things are going wrong it will try to protect the scanner, and you may see your image size decrease automagically.

Steve

[buffo]

For the 40K scanners from Opt-Laser, there are 3 levels: A, B, and C.

• The OPT-40A scanners are actually DT-40 scanners. (Not the pro version with the display screen though - just the standard DT-40s)
• The OPT-40B scanners are the higher-end in-house scanners that Opt-Laser makes.
• The OPT-40C scanners are the budget-level in-house scanners that Opt-Laser makes.

In my experience, the OPT-40C scanners are fine for beams and simple graphics, but their performance when running abstracts was rather disappointing. I maxed them out at around 10 degrees optical when running a circular raster pattern on the Z5, for example.

Also, given that the OPT-40B scanners are only $25 more, it's definitely worth upgrading to at least the B level. And if you want to upgrade from OPT-40C to OPT-40A, that's a total of just $70 extra (based on the last price list I have, anyway).

Adam

[Slide]

For the 40K scanners from Opt-Laser, there are 3 levels: A, B, and C.

• The OPT-40A scanners are actually DT-40 scanners. (Not the pro version with the display screen though - just the standard DT-40s)
• The OPT-40B scanners are the higher-end in-house scanners that Opt-Laser makes.
• The OPT-40C scanners are the budget-level in-house scanners that Opt-Laser makes.

In my experience, the OPT-40C scanners are fine for beams and simple graphics, but their performance when running abstracts was rather disappointing. I maxed them out at around 10 degrees optical when running a circular raster pattern on the Z5, for example.

Also, given that the OPT-40B scanners are only $25 more, it's definitely worth upgrading to at least the B level. And if you want to upgrade from OPT-40C to OPT-40A, that's a total of just $70 extra (based on the last price list I have, anyway).

Adam

Wow, I had no idea they had so many options. I just asked for the DT40 upgrade and yes, the cost was an extra $70, and it looks like I got the regular (not pro) DT40 scanners. They seem to work at the same level as the DT40 scanners we have used in the past. Seems that they also offer the DT40 Pro version as an option. had I known that, I may have taken that option.

Seems like you have some sort of uber price list that has all the options ha ha, did you ask for that price list or is it available on the OPT site? We may buy some more projectors down the line.

Thanks for the info,

Craig

[Slide]

The screen is the scanner thermal/over angle protection circuit's readout. If things are going wrong it will try to protect the scanner, and you may see your image size decrease automagically.

Steve

Thanks, good to know,

Craig

[buffo]

Wow, I had no idea they had so many options.

Hi Craig,

Well, to be honest, I only found out about the different grades of scanners AFTER I purchased some projectors that ended up shipping with the OPT-40C scanners (because I didn't know to specify that I wanted the OPT-40A scanners).

Seems that they also offer the DT40 Pro version as an option. had I known that, I may have taken that option.

I hadn't even heard of the new DT40 Pro scanners until I saw them mentioned in this thread, so I also did not know that OptLaser offered them as an upgrade.

Many years ago, Dragon Tiger sold a set of DT-40 Pro scanners that did not have the display board. As far as I could tell, the only difference in the "pro" version was that the scanner amp board was slightly larger, and it shipped with a 2 amp power supply instead of the 1 amp PSU for the regular DT-40s. But it's also been *years* since I've purchased anything from them...

Seems like you have some sort of uber price list that has all the options

Not really. Last year I bought a bunch of the 5.5 watt RGB projectors from OPT, and after they arrived I was rather disappointed by the scanner performance. This was when I found out that they shipped with the OPT-40C scanners. This was really irritating to me, because before I ordered the projectors, I specifically mentioned that they were going to be used for laser abstracts, so I wanted good scanners and good beam quality. I bought what they recommended, and while the beam quality was indeed good, the scanners were not up to the task at all.

During the back-and-fourth email exchange that followed the delivery of those projectors, I learned that they had 3 grades of scanners (the aforementioned "A", "B", and "C" series), and that the "A" series were actually DT-40s. At that time, they also sent me the pricing for the 3 sets. It really bothered me that for just $70 extra, I could have gotten the DT-40's, which would have performed perfectly. I guess it was just a miscommunication, but at the time I was pretty pissed about it.

Anyway, that was a little over a year ago, so I wasn't sure if the prices were still the same or not. But back then, they quoted the OPT-40A scanners at $195, the OPT-40B scanners at $150, and the OPT-40C scanners at $125.

But since I already had the projectors (with the "C" scanners that I didn't want), in order to upgrade them to the "A" series, I'd have to pay $195 per projector, plus shipping and fees, since I'd have to buy the full set.

At that time I decided to hold off, and, well, it's been a year and I still haven't done anything about it yet, lol...

Adam

[Egor]

Hello, I see that a problem close to me has been discussed here. I bought a galvo scanner https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Galva.../dp/B01IZPMUPO and I want to understand in detail how it works. Maybe someone knows where to find the specification for it or other documents?

[TheHermit]

Hello, I see that a problem close to me has been discussed here. I bought a galvo scanner https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Galva.../dp/B01IZPMUPO and I want to understand in detail how it works. Maybe someone knows where to find the specification for it or other documents?

Welcome to the community 🤗
According to Amazon's info, you have a typical inexpensive galvo set, Model LK-20 manufactured by a Chinese company named Wonsung (but didn't mention which tune <rimshot>)
Mr AI Google revealed:
Laser Lights - HK Wonsung.Elec.Co.Limited
So for specific product info, that would be the source you need.
"Typical" means those components are the innards of most laser projectors (minus the import restricted laser diodes). This also avoids safety regulations that drive up the costs of complete laser projectors.
Nevertheless, these components comply with most ILDA standards, beginning at the DB25 ILDA connector, which defines the pin connections and signal levels required for usage.
It is a great starting point to learning several technical skill sets, including electronics, C++, PCB design, visual music, midi, ...
There are optional paths forward, regarding the source(s) of those ILDA signals, depending upon your personal objectives. The most basic level would be as a hobbyist. You will need the following:
* Laser diode (laser pointer for starters) with focusable lens and a current controlled 0-5V driver. Check Ebay & AliExpress for RGB laser modules, most include TTL driver cards. They also sell aluminum laser projector cases. Now, you have the innards of inexpensive laser projectors... except for the necessary heatsink & cooling fans.
* Arduino, ESP32, Teensy, or Raspberry Pi DIY image/waveform generators.
* XYRGB DAC + op amp circuits to convert the previous digital outputs into analog ILDA signals.
Stanley Projects and atomic14 have already developed ESP32 PCBs and share their software open source.
Hope this info helps you to get started on your journey.
Roj