The PCO-7121 is a compact and economical OEM pulsed current laser diode driver module. It is designed to provide extremely fast high-current pulses for driving laser diodes in rangefinder, LIDAR, ADAS, atmospheric communications and other applications requiring high-current nanosecond pulses. This module offers variable output current from 5 A to 50 A with pulse widths from 22 ns to 1 µs at frequencies up to 1 MHz.
Mounting pads are provided to mount the laser diode directly to the driver. The four-hole mounting pattern accepts TO-18, TO-5, TO-52, 5.6 mm, and 9 mm packages.
To facilitate various packages and mounting preferences, two solder pads at the end of the board accept various laser diode packages mounted on-axis to the driver. Alternately, low-inductance stripline cable can be used to connect the board to a remotely-located diode.
The DC high voltage and +15 V DC power supplies are connected via J1, a six-pin male header connector, using the supplied control cable. Pulse current depends on HV supply voltage over the range of 0 V to +95 V (maximum).
Externally-generated pulses are fed to the gate input via either J1 or an SMB connector. The width and repetition rate of the gate pulses directly set the timing of the output pulses.
A current monitor output is provided to observe the diode current in real time with an oscilloscope.
The driver is supplied mounted on a ½ inch thick aluminum heat spreader to provide the cooling needed and to simplify mounting or installation of the driver.
Features
- 5 A To 50 A Output
- 22 ns to 1000 ns variable pulse width
- ≤12 ns Rise Time at 20 A to 50 A Output
- ≤10 ns Fall Time at 20 A to 50 A Output
Pulse Repetition Frequency To 1 MHz - Pulsed Current Monitor Output
Applications
The PCO-7121 is designed to provide extremely fast high-current pulses for driving laser diodes in:
- Rangefinders
- LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging)
- ADAS (Advanced driver-assistance systems)
- Other applications requiring high-current nanosecond pulses
