Failure to observe the handling and operating instructions can cause severe degradation or permanent damage and will void the warranty.
Failure to use proper safety precautions may cause damage, injury, or loss of eyesight.
Safety Notes
Applied Optronics’s diode lasers emit invisible or visible radiation of sufficient optical power to present a hazard to the eye. Applied Optronics advises the user to operate all of its laser products with caution, and strongly recommends the use of protective eyewear. The classification of each diode laser product is specified in individual data sheets that ship with each laser. Since most Applied Optronics diode lasers are Class IV laser products, always use caution to avoid eye or skin exposure to a direct or reflected beam.
Due to the small size of the diode laser product, the Identification, Danger, and Aperture labels are not attached to the diode laser itself, but rather are affixed to the shipping container.
Handling Notes
- Laser diodes are sensitive to static discharge and precautions must be taken during unpacking and handling. Applied Optronics diodes arrive in anti-static plastic in sealed conductive containers. Personnel handling the devices should be grounded at all times.
- The drive current supplied to the laser diodes must be filtered, regulated, and conditioned. Voltage and current spikes can damage the laser. Use a power supply specifically designed for laser diodes as many standard power supplies can generate a spike when turning the supply on and off.
- Before turning on the laser diode, bolt the device to an appropriate heatsink, ensuring a good thermal path. Improper heatsinking causes the device to heat up and will result in sub-par performance and/or damage to the laser.
- If the diode laser package contains an internal Peltier thermo-electric cooler (TEC), ensure that the TEC is turned on before the laser diode.
- Although Applied Optronics laser diodes will operate at temperatures above 50C, both their output power and lifetime will drop at an increasingly faster rate as the temperature rises further above room temperature.
- Do not exceed the maximum drive current shown on the PI curves or tables supplied with all laser diodes. Unless otherwise noted, these data are gathered at 25C. If the temperature is reduced below 25C, the drive current should be reduced to maintain the output power at or below the maximum power shown on the supplied graph in order to prevent damage to the device.
- If the device has attached optical fiber, the user should take care to observe a minimum bend radius of 3 inches, unless otherwise noted.
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