Electronics

A large group of fiber optic lasers are powered by DC current. Laser drive is supplied by a current source with modulation added to the signal. The current source, although conceptually simple, constitutes an extraordinarily tricky design problem. There are a number of practical requirements for a fiber optic current source and failure to consider them can cause laser and/or optical component destruction. This publication describes ten laser current source circuits with a range of capabilities. High and low current types are presented, along with designs for grounded anode, cathode or floating operation. Each circuit also includes laser protection features. Appended sections cover laser load simulation and current source noise measurement techniques.
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