Laser from DVD drive connection. Cutting laser from CDRW diode

Perhaps every lover of electronics and radio engineering at least once in his life dreamed of creating a laser with his own hands. Just a couple of decades ago it could only be done in a secret laboratory. However, thanks to progress and the general availability of components, it is now quite possible to create a laser from a regular DVD drive.

Briefly about the laser

A laser, or as it is scientifically called, an optical quantum generator, is a special device that converts incoming energy into a narrowly directed beam. IN modern world similar products are most often used in space and manufacturing. However, every fan of “digging” into electronics can do it on their own, that is, at home with their own hands and without the use of special devices.

As mentioned above, a laser can be made from a DVD drive. However, you should not hope that its power will be similar to the Death Star weapon from " Star Wars» . A do-it-yourself optical laser is unlikely to cope with iron or wood. However, it will be quite possible for them to cut:

If you don't need a thread, you can use a laser from a DVD drive to:

• Burn patterns or designs onto wooden surfaces.
• Highlight various objects located at a great distance.
• Use as decoration at home.
• Make straight lines (since the beam is clearly visible), which will be especially useful during construction and repairs.

In addition to the above options, you can create a wide variety of tasks with a laser made by yourself from a DVD drive. His potential is especially well revealed in the creative field.

Required Tools

To make a laser, you will need certain components. All of them are sold in regular electronics stores, so any extra effort you don't have to apply it. So, for production you will need:

As can be seen, to make a laser from a DVD drive, no complex components required.

DVD drive requirements

As mentioned above, it is very important that the laser diode in the device is in working order. Therefore, it would not be superfluous to make sure of this. Otherwise, you will have to buy components from people selling spare parts.

You should also pay attention to the brand of the product. Devices from Samsung are not suitable for creating lasers. The reason lies in the absence of a special building, due to which the diode is especially susceptible to mechanical damage, contamination and thermal stress. It is quite possible to break it with a simple touch of your hand.

The best option is disk drives from LG. In addition to protecting the optical diode, crystals of various powers are installed in them. This allows you to know how much power the laser itself will have.

In addition to the performance of the diodes and the brand of the product, it is also necessary to take into account the type of DVD drive. Regular drive designed purely for reading information from the media. Therefore, to make a laser, you will need a recording drive that has an infrared emitter.

To summarize, there are 3 main requirements for a disk drive:

• The device can write information to disk (recording models).
• Laser diodes are in working order.
• There is diode protection (the drive is not from Samsung).

Disassembling the drive

This process must be performed with extreme caution. If handled carelessly, you can not only damage the device, but also harm your eyes. The fact is that the laser can blind for some time and negatively affect visual acuity. Therefore, follow all the steps below slowly:

Power Supply

Some of the work is done. Now the homemade device must be provided with electric current. The power supply of a standard diode should be 3V, and the flow rate should be up to 400 mA. These values ​​may vary depending on how fast the disk is written.

There are 2 ways of eating, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. However, each one is powered by a battery(s).

First option

Distinctive feature The first method is voltage regulation using a resistor. The laser does not require high power. Thus, the drive components the write speed of which is 16X, 200 mA will be enough. You can increase this value to a maximum of 300 mA, otherwise there is a possibility of damaging the crystal and forgetting about the homemade laser.

The main advantages of this method are the reliability of the product and ease of manufacture. The main disadvantage is possible problems with batteries placed.

Second way

Create a laser by this option it will be more difficult. In addition, the finished device is more suitable for stationary placement. The problem is in the driver (chip LM-317), which is a board for creating a certain power, as well as limiting the electric current.

As you can see in the diagram, to create a laser you will need:

• Directly, the LM-317 chip.
• 2 resistors at 10 ohms.
• 1 variable resistor per 100 Ohm.
• 1 diode
• 100 µF capacitor.

Regardless environment, as well as the power supply, the driver will support 7V power.

Optics

The easiest way to make a homemade collimator is from a regular laser pointer. Even suitable the cheapest Chinese option. All that is required is to take out the optical lens from the “laser” (it is very noticeable).

The beam width will be greater than 5 mm. Of course, such an indicator is considered very large and cannot claim to be a laser. The stock collimator lens will help reduce the diameter to 1 mm. True, to achieve such a result you will have to work hard. The main thing is not to rush and not to lose composure.

In conclusion

Making a laser with your own hands is a very exciting process. It does not require any special components or large financial costs. Accuracy and a superficial knowledge of electrical engineering is sufficient. Once completed successfully, you can start using the device. The cutting laser easily bursts balloons, burns through paper and leaves marks on wood. However, when using, you should not forget about safety precautions.

It's no secret that each of us as a child wanted to have a device like a laser machine that could cut metal seals and burn through walls. In the modern world, this dream can easily come true, since it is now possible to build a laser with the ability to cut various materials.

Of course, at home it is impossible to make a laser machine so powerful that it will cut through iron or wood. But with the help homemade device Can cut paper, polyethylene seal or thin plastic.

Using a laser device, you can burn various patterns on sheets of plywood or wood. It can be used to illuminate objects located in remote areas. The scope of its application can be both entertaining and useful in construction and installation work, not to mention the implementation creative potential in the field of engraving on wood or plexiglass.

Cutting laser

Tools and accessories you will need to make your own laser:

Figure 1. Laser LED circuit diagram.

• faulty DVD-RW drive with a working laser diode;
• laser pointer or portable collimator;
• soldering iron and small wires;
• 1 Ohm resistor (2 pcs.);
• capacitors 0.1 µF and 100 µF;
• AAA batteries (3 pcs.);
• small tools such as a screwdriver, knife and file.

These materials will be quite sufficient for the upcoming work.

So, for a laser device, first of all, you need to select a DVD-RW drive with a mechanical breakdown, since the optical diodes must be in good condition. If you do not have a worn-out drive, you will have to purchase it from people who sell it for spare parts.

When purchasing, keep in mind that most drives from the manufacturer Samsung are unsuitable for the manufacture of cutting lasers. The fact is that this company produces DVD drives with diodes that are not protected from external influences. The lack of a special housing means that the laser diode is subject to thermal stress and contamination. It can be damaged with a light touch of your hand.

Figure 2. Laser from a DVD-RW drive.

The best option for a laser would be a drive from the manufacturer LG. Each model is equipped with a crystal with varying degrees of power. This indicator is determined by the writing speed of dual-layer DVDs. It is extremely important that the drive is a recording drive, since it contains an infrared emitter, which is needed to make a laser. A regular one will not work, since it is intended only for reading information.

DVD-RW with a 16X recording speed is equipped with a red crystal with a power of 180-200 mW. The 20X speed drive contains a 250-270 mW diode. High-speed recording devices of the 22X type are equipped with laser optics, the power of which reaches 300 mW.

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Disassembling the DVD-RW drive

This process must be done with great care, since the internal parts are fragile and can be easily damaged. Having dismantled the case, you will immediately notice the necessary part; it looks like a small piece of glass located inside the mobile carriage. Its base needs to be removed; it is shown in Fig. 1. This element contains an optical lens and two diodes.

At this stage, you should immediately warn that the laser beam is extremely dangerous to human vision.

If it hits the lens directly, it damages the nerve endings and the person may remain blind.

The laser beam is blinding even at a distance of 100 m, so it is important to watch where you point it. Remember that you are responsible for the health of others while such a device is in your hands!

Figure 3. LM-317 chip.

Before you begin, you need to know that the laser diode can be damaged not only by careless handling, but also by voltage surges. This can happen in a matter of seconds, which is why diodes operate based on a constant source of electricity. When the voltage increases, the LED in the device exceeds its brightness standard, as a result of which the resonator is destroyed. Thus, the diode loses its ability to heat, it becomes an ordinary flashlight.

The crystal is also affected by the temperature around it; as it drops, the laser performance increases at a constant voltage. If it exceeds the standard norm, the resonator is destroyed according to a similar principle. Less commonly, the diode is damaged by sudden changes, which are caused by frequent switching on and off of the device over a short period.

After removing the crystal, you must immediately tie up its ends with exposed wires. This is necessary to create a connection between its voltage outputs. To these outputs you need to solder a small capacitor of 0.1 µF with negative polarity and 100 µF with positive polarity. After this procedure, you can remove the wound wires. This will help protect the laser diode from transients and static electricity.

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Nutrition

Before creating a battery for the diode, it is necessary to take into account that it must be powered from 3V and consumes up to 200-400 mA, depending on the speed of the recording device. Avoid connecting the crystal directly to batteries as this will not simple lamp. It can deteriorate even under the influence of ordinary batteries. The laser diode is a self-contained element that is supplied with electricity through a regulating resistor.

The power supply system can be configured in three ways with varying degrees of complexity. Each of them requires recharge from a constant voltage source (batteries).

The first method involves electrical regulation using a resistor. The internal resistance of a device is measured by detecting the voltage as it passes through the diode. For drives with a 16X write speed, 200 mA will be sufficient. If this indicator increases, there is a possibility of damaging the crystal, so you should stick to the maximum value of 300 mA. It is recommended to use a telephone battery or AAA batteries as a power source.

The advantages of this power supply are simplicity and reliability. Among the disadvantages are the discomfort when regularly recharging the battery from the phone and the difficulty of placing batteries in the device. In addition, it is difficult to determine the right moment to recharge the power source.

Figure 4. LM-2621 chip.

If you use three AA batteries, this circuit can be easily installed in a Chinese-made laser pointer. The finished design is shown in Fig. 2, two 1 Ohm resistors in sequence and two capacitors.

For the second method, the LM-317 chip is used. This method of arranging a power system is much more complicated than the previous one; it is more suitable for stationary type laser installations. The scheme is based on the manufacture of a special driver, which is a small board. It is designed to limit the electric current and create the necessary power.

The connection circuit of the LM-317 microcircuit is shown in Fig. 3. It will require elements such as a 100 ohm variable resistor, 2 10 ohm resistors, a 1H4001 series diode and a 100 μF capacitor.

A driver based on this circuit maintains electrical power (7V) regardless of the power source and ambient temperature. Despite the complexity of the device, this circuit is considered the simplest for assembly at home.

The third method is the most portable, making it the most preferred of all. It provides power from two AAA batteries, maintaining a constant voltage level supplied to the laser diode. The system maintains power even when the battery level is low.

When the battery is completely discharged, the circuit will stop functioning, and a small voltage will pass through the diode, which will be characterized by a weak glow of the laser beam. This type of power supply is the most economical, its efficiency factor is 90%.

To implement such a power system, you will need an LM-2621 microcircuit, which is housed in a 3x3 mm package. Therefore, you may encounter certain difficulties during the period of soldering parts. The final size of the board depends on your skills and dexterity, since the parts can be placed even on a 2x2 cm board. The finished board is shown in Fig. 4.

The choke can be taken from a regular power supply for a desktop computer. A wire with a cross-section of 0.5 mm is wound onto it with a number of turns of up to 15 turns, as shown in the figure. The throttle diameter from the inside will be 2.5 mm.

Any Schottky diode with a value of 3 A is suitable for the board. For example, 1N5821, SB360, SR360 and MBRS340T3. The power supplied to the diode is adjusted by a resistor. During the setup process, it is recommended to connect it to a 100 Ohm variable resistor. When testing functionality, it is best to use a worn or unwanted laser diode. The current power indicator remains the same as in the previous diagram.

Once you find the most suitable method, you can upgrade it if you have the necessary skills to do so. The laser diode must be placed on a miniature heatsink so that it does not overheat when the voltage increases. After completing the assembly of the power system, you need to take care of installing the optical glass.

Probably everyone has had a dream since childhood to have their own powerful laser capable of burning through steel sheets, now we can get one step closer to the dream! Sheets of steel will not be cut, but bags, paper, and plastic are easy!
For our laser, we first need a broken or not very good cutter! and DVD-RW. The higher the DVD-R recording speed, the more powerful the laser is! 16 drives contain 200 mW red lasers, as well as an IR laser, but more on that later.

Disassembling the cutter,
take out the optical part. This is what this part of the cutter looks like:

The only valuable things there are the output lens and two lasers.

Now let's get to the most important thing!

And now safety precautions for you and for the laser!

DVD-RW laser belongs to class 3B, which means it is dangerous for your eyesight! Do not point the beam at your eyes! You won’t even have time to blink your eyes before you lose your sight! a guy accidentally showed himself on one forum and ended up with several thousand scams. Consider him lucky. With a focused beam you can blind from a hundred meters away! watch where you shine!

How can you ruin an LD?
Yes, very simple! Exceed the current and it's over! and a fraction of microseconds will be enough!
This is why LDs are afraid of static electricity. Protect LD from him!
In fact, the LD does not burn out, the optical resonator inside simply collapses and the LD turns into
regular LED. the resonator collapses not from current, but from light intensity, which in its
The queue depends on the current. You also need to be careful about the temperature. when cooling the laser
Its efficiency increases and at the same current the intensity increases and can destroy the resonator! Be careful!
It can also be easily killed by transient processes that occur when turning on and off! from
they are worth protecting.

Now let's continue disassembling the drive))
We take out the laser and its radiator, and immediately solder a small one to its legs.
a non-polar capacitor of 0.1 µF and a larger polar one! so we will save
it from statics and transient processes, which LDs really don’t like!
Now it's time to think about powering our laser. The LD is powered by approximately
from 3V and consumes 200mA. A laser is not a light bulb!! never connect
it directly to the batteries! without a limiting resistor they will kill him and
2 laser pointer batteries!! LD is a nonlinear element, so power it
You don't need voltage, but current! that is, current limiting elements are needed.
Let's look at three LD power supply schemes from the simplest to the most complex.
All circuits are powered by batteries.
1 option
current limitation by resistor. see picture

The resistance of the resistor is determined experimentally by the current through the LD.
It’s worth stopping at 200mA, further the risk of burning is greater.
although my LD worked perfectly at 300mA. any three will do for food
battery to the required capacity. It is also convenient to use the battery from
mobile phone (any).

Advantages: simple design, high reliability.
Disadvantages: the current through the LD gradually decreases. and it’s not really clear when
It's time to recharge the structure. using three batteries complicates
design and inconvenient charging.

This circuit is convenient to place in a Chinese flashlight, where there is a battery of three AAA (pinky) batteries

Option 2

In this scheme, everything is much more complicated, and it is perfect for a stationary version of the laser!
The driver uses an LM317 chip, which is included with a current stabilizer. See picture.

The driver maintains constant current through the LD regardless of power (at least 5V) and temperature.
I advise you to download the datasheet for this chip and understand it more thoroughly.

Option 3

this is what you need! Powered by two batteries, stable voltage (and therefore current) on the LD,
which does not depend on the battery charge level! When the batteries are depleted, the circuit will turn off
and a small current will flow through the LD (weak glow). The smartest and most economical driver! Efficiency is about 90%.
and all this on one LM2621 in a tiny 3x3mm package!! It's hard to solder, but I ended up with a 16x17mm board! See picture

I wound the L1 throttle on the ball) the mikruha is smart, she will figure everything out on her own. I wound 15 turns
0.5mm wire to the inductor from the computer power supply. throttle internal diameter 2.5mm,
The permeability of ferrite is unknown. any 3-amp Schottky diode. For example
1N5821,30BQ060,31DQ10,MBRS340T3,SB360,SK34A,SR360.
Resistor R1 adjusts the diode current. I advise you to connect a 100k variable there when setting up.
By the way, it is advisable to carry out all tests on a dead LD! electrical parameters remain unchanged.

Having chosen a suitable scheme for yourself, we assemble it!

Now about the optics.

It is convenient to use a laser pointer as a basis for a collimator. It has a good lens.
but the beam turns out to be approximately 5mm in diameter, which is a lot. the best results are shown by native optics (output lens)
but it has its own difficulties. The focal length is short, which means the focus is very difficult to adjust. but at the same time it allows
get a beam with a diameter of 1mm!! By the way, the narrower the beam, the more energy is applied to 1mm^2 by such a beam
you can easily shred black bags)) if you focus not on the beam, but on a point, then at this point
melts plastic, cuts electrical tape and much more!! By the way, the matches are lit in flight!!

here are some personal photos.

And this is what my laser looks like now!

All aluminum body, never overheat, excellent focusing
DVD lens, powered by two AA batteries. Melts bags, lights matches,
cuts electrical tape, makes paper smolder! And all this without focusing to a point!
that is, with an ordinary beam!

Do-it-yourself laser from a CD-DVD drive

Assembling such a device is no secret to many. This is probably one of the things we collect. DIY laser from a disk drive. It differs from cheap Chinese pointers and other things in that it has a certain power. To make it we only need the basics, and cd or dvd drive.And if it is also a writer, then its power is much greater.

The first thing we will ask ourselves is how remove the diode from the drive.

We disassemble the cutter and take out the optical part. This is what this part of the cutter looks like:

I ask for your attention:

While you haven't started yet play with a new toy, let me describe the safety precautions for you. Laser from DVD-RW drive belongs to class 3B, which means it is very dangerous for eyesight! Don't point the beam at your eyes and in the mirror! Before you even have time to blink your eyes, your vision will become significantly worse! A guy accidentally showed himself on one forum and ended up with several thousand scams. Consider him lucky. A focused beam can damage your vision even from a hundred meters away! Watch where you shine!

Is it possible to damage a laser diode?? Can! Even very simple. One has only to exceed current and the diode will end. Moreover, a fraction of microseconds will be enough! This is why LDs are afraid of static electricity. Protect LD from him! In fact, the LD does not burn out, the optical resonator inside simply collapses and the LD turns into a regular LED. The resonator does not collapse due to current, but on the light intensity, which in turn depends on the current. You also need to be careful about the temperature. When the laser cools down, its efficiency increases, and at the same current the intensity increases and can destroy the resonator! Be careful! It can also be easily killed by transient processes that occur when turning on and off! It's worth protecting yourself from them.

We take out the laser and immediately wrap a thin strand of stranded wire around its legs so that the LD terminals are electrically connected. We solder a small non-polar capacitor of 0.1 µF and a polar capacitor of 100 µF to its legs and only then remove the core that we wound! This way we will save it from statics and transient processes, which LDs really don’t like!

Now it's time to think about powering our laser. The laser diode is powered by approximately 3V and consumes 200-400mA depending on the power (drive speed). A laser is not a light bulb! Never connect it directly to batteries! Without a limiting resistor, 2 batteries from a laser pointer will quickly kill it! LD is a nonlinear element, so it must be powered not by voltage, but by current! that is, current limiting elements are needed.

So. Now we just need to power our laser. Let's consider several options.

First option.

There will be a current limitation with a resistor, just like a regular diode.

The resistance of the resistor is determined experimentally by the current through the LD. You should stop at 200mA for 16x, further the risk of burning is greater. although my LD worked perfectly at 300mA. Any three batteries of the required capacity will be suitable for power supply. It is also convenient to use a mobile phone battery.

Disadvantages: the current through the LD gradually decreases. And it’s not really clear when it’s time to recharge the structure. Using three batteries complicates the design and makes charging inconvenient.

This diagram can be conveniently placed in Chinese lantern, where there is a battery of three AAA (pinky) batteries

The collection will contain the following.

Two 1 Ohm resistors in series and two capacitors.

Second option.

Using the LM317 chip.

In this scheme, everything is much more complicated, and it is perfect for a stationary version of the laser! The driver uses an LM317 chip, which is included with a current stabilizer. The driver maintains constant current through the LD regardless of power supply (at least 7V) and temperature. I advise you to download the datasheet for this chip and understand it more thoroughly, otherwise this is the best driver for the home!

Probably everyone has had a dream since childhood to have their own powerful laser capable of burning through steel sheets, now we can get one step closer to the dream! Sheets of steel will not be cut, but bags, paper, and plastic are easy to cut!

For our laser, we first need a broken or not very good cutter! The less broken the cutter is and the faster it can burn discs, the better, and by the way, it should be DVD-RW. If the drive writes DVD+/-R at 16x speed, then there are 200mW red lasers, in 20x drives there is a 270mW laser, and in drives with 22x speed the power can reach up to 300mW. All DVD drives also have an IR laser, but you will learn how to determine it later. So let's get started! We disassemble the cutter and take out the optical part. This is what this part of the cutter looks like:

The only valuable things there are the output lens and two lasers. Now we take out the most important thing - the DVD laser:

Now attention! Before you start playing with the new toy, let me tell you the safety precautions. The laser from the DVD-RW drive belongs to class 3B, which means it is very dangerous for your eyesight! Do not direct the beam into your eyes or mirror! You won’t even have time to blink your eyes before you lose your sight! a guy accidentally showed himself on one forum and ended up with several thousand scams. Consider him lucky. With a focused beam you can blind from a hundred meters away! watch where you shine!

Is it possible to damage an LD (laser diode)? Can! Even very simple. Once the current is exceeded, the diode will end. Moreover, a fraction of microseconds will be enough! This is why LDs are afraid of static electricity. Protect LD from him!In fact, the LD does not burn out, the optical resonator inside simply collapses and the LD turns into a regular LED. the resonator collapses not from the current, but from the light intensity, which in turn depends on the current. You also need to be careful about the temperature. As the laser cools, its efficiency increases, and at the same current the intensity increases and can destroy the resonator! Be careful! It can also be easily killed by transient processes that occur when turning on and off! It's worth protecting yourself from them.

We take out the laser and immediately wrap a thin strand of stranded wire around its legs! so that the LD terminals are electrically connected! We solder a small non-polar capacitor of 0.1 µF and a polar capacitor of 100 µF to its legs and only then remove the core that we wound! This way we will save it from statics and transient processes, which LDs really don’t like!
Now it's time to think about powering our laser. The LD is powered by approximately 3V and consumes 200-400mA depending on the power (drive speed). A laser is not a light bulb! Never connect it directly to batteries! Without a limiting resistor, 2 batteries from a laser pointer will quickly kill it! LD is a nonlinear element, so it must be powered not by voltage, but by current! that is, current limiting elements are needed.

This is what the laser looks like from the inside:

So, we need to power our laser!

Let's consider three LD power supply schemes from the simplest to the most complex. All circuits are powered by DC sources such as batteries.

Option 1. Current limitation by resistor.

The resistance of the resistor is determined experimentally, based on the current through the LD. It is worth stopping at 200mA for 16x, further the risk of burning is greater. although my LD worked perfectly at 300mA. Any three batteries of the required capacity will be suitable for power supply. It is also convenient to use a battery from a mobile phone (any).

Advantages: simple design, high reliability.
Disadvantages: the current through the LD gradually decreases. And it’s not really clear when it’s time to recharge the structure. Using three batteries complicates the design and makes charging inconvenient.

This circuit can be conveniently placed in a Chinese flashlight, which contains a battery of three AAA (pinky) batteries.

And this is what it looks like assembled:

Two 1 Ohm resistors in series and two capacitors.

Option 2. Using the LM317 chip

In this scheme, everything is much more complicated, and it is perfect for a stationary version of the laser! The driver uses an LM317 chip, which is included with a current stabilizer. See picture.

The driver maintains constant current through the LD regardless of power supply (at least 7V) and temperature. I advise you to download the datasheet for this chip and understand it more thoroughly, otherwise this is the best driver for the home!

Option 3. Compact.

This is what you need! Powered by two batteries, stable voltage (and therefore current) on the LD, which does not depend on the battery charge level! When the batteries are discharged, the circuit will turn off and a small current will flow through the LD (weak glow). The smartest and most economical driver! Efficiency is about 90%. And all this on one LM2621 in a tiny 3x3mm package!! It's hard to solder, but I ended up with a 16x17mm board! And this is not the limit! See picture

I wound the L1 throttle on the ball, the mikruha is smart, she will figure it out on her own). I wound 15 turns of 0.5mm wire on the inductor from a computer power supply. Throttle internal diameter 2.5mm,
The permeability of ferrite is unknown. Any 3-amp Schottky diode. For example 1N5821,30BQ060,31DQ10,MBRS340T3,SB360,SK34A,SR360. Resistor R1 adjusts the diode current. I advise you to connect a 100k variable there when setting up. By the way, it is advisable to carry out all tests on a dead LD! electrical parameters remain unchanged. Having chosen a suitable scheme for yourself, we assemble it! Well, then the flight is up to the imagination!! I need to figure out how to secure the optics! Moreover, the LD must be placed on the radiator! At high current it heats up very well! so think about the design in advance.

Now about the optics.

It is convenient to use a laser pointer as a basis for a collimator. It has a good lens. But the beam turns out to be approximately 5mm in diameter, which is a lot. The best results are shown by native optics (output lens), but it has its own difficulties: the focal length is small, which means the focus is very difficult to adjust, but at the same time it allows you to get a beam with a diameter of 1mm!! By the way, the narrower the beam, the more energy is applied to 1mm^2 with such a beam you can easily shred black bags)) if you focus not on the beam, but on a point, then at this point the plastic melts, the electrical tape is cut, the wood begins to glow white light from heating! (6000 degrees is no joke :)) and much more!!

Here are a few photos of the beam and the pointer itself:

Many people had laser pointers as children, which could be purchased in toy stores. But with development modern technologies it became possible to create such a laser from DVD drive with your own hands. To do this, you just need a faulty DVD drive (it is important that the LED itself remains working), a screwdriver and a soldering iron.

It should be remembered that it is better to use a non-working DVD to create a laser! This is due to the fact that after disassembling and removing the LED, it fails. Do not forget that such a laser from a drive is much more powerful than a conventional pointer and can cause irreparable harm to health, so you should never direct the beam at a person or animal.

When the beam of such a device is pointed at the human eye, the retina is burned out, and the person may partially or completely lose vision.

So, let's create a laser from a DVD drive with our own hands. To do this, you need to carefully unscrew the bolts on the back of the case to get to the LED of the future laser. Under the cover there is a unit that drives the carriage. In order to remove it, you need to unscrew the screws and disconnect all the cables. Then the carriage is removed.

Now you need to disassemble it, for which you need to unscrew many screws. Next, two LEDs will be detected. One of them is infrared, it is responsible for reading information from the disk.

You need red, with the help of which information is burned onto the disk. There will be attached to the red LED printed circuit board. In order to disable it, you need to use a soldering iron. To check the functionality of the diode, it is enough to connect two AA batteries to it, but it is important to take into account their polarity. Remember that the laser diode is fragile, so you need to be very careful with it.

Next, you need to purchase any laser pointer. When creating a laser from a DVD drive with your own hands, use it as a “donor” for the case. After purchase, you need to carefully unscrew the pointer into two parts and remove it from the upper half. You can use a knife to do this. It is important to do everything carefully, because the diode may be damaged. Using a small screwdriver, select the emitter. Using hot melt adhesive, install the new LED into the housing. And to ensure that it is firmly installed, you can use pliers, pressing them on the edges of the diode.

The DIY laser from a DVD drive is almost ready. Before you run it, you need to check if the polarity is correct. Now you can safely connect the power. After the first launch, you may need to adjust the focus. Next, you can install the pointer in the flashlight and connect AA batteries. Do not forget that the laser can burn through various objects, so you need to remove the plexiglass from the diffuser.

A well-tuned drive can not only burn paper or light matches, but also leave a mark on plexiglass, explode balls (it is better if they are black) and leave visible marks on plastic. If you install a diode in the plotter head, you can engrave on plexiglass.

The development of technology does not stand still and every day you can learn about a new invention or scientific breakthrough. However, this does not change children's dreams and, probably, every child or adult once dreamed of having a real laser at home. If you have not been able to realize your old dream, then we will help you. In our article we will tell you how to make a laser from a disk drive, an item that can be found very easily.

So, if we managed to intrigue you with such an offer, then we can move on to the details.

How to choose the best disk drive?

Before moving directly to the instructions, which explain how to make a laser, we will talk about the properties of the disk drive, on which the characteristics of our device will depend.

1. The device must have a disc burning function, otherwise you will not succeed.
2. It is desirable that the drive is not working, ideally there is a mechanical problem. You can borrow a device you don’t need from a friend.
3. Take a very fast disk drive; the faster, the greater the laser power.

In addition, you will need some parts: resistors, batteries, capacitors. During the laser manufacturing process, you will be faced with the need to solder the circuit, so stock up on a soldering iron, rosin and solder.

So, you have selected an unnecessary disk drive and are ready to make a laser. Below we provide manufacturing instructions:

1) Start disassembling the drive. Unscrew the cover so that you can see the module that is responsible for the operation of the recording device.

2) Pull it out and carefully disconnect the laser module, and remove the recording head from it. For this, it is best to use tweezers - with its help you can easily “unscrew” the head (it just fits very well and is easy to damage).

3) Before you remove the module, you will need to short-circuit all its leads. To do this, you can use copper wire, which will remain later. If you do everything correctly, then you should end up with something similar to what is shown in the figure.

4) After this, you will have to solder a small circuit, which will have one resistor, two capacitors, a switch and a battery. Why this scheme? This is necessary to ensure that the module does not burn out. The battery can be taken at 3.6 volts. The resistance value can range from two to five ohms. You shouldn't have any problems with these elements. It will be more difficult with capacitors, since one of them is polar (the one with 2200 nF). When you solder it, the main thing is not to reverse the polarity, otherwise it may explode. The second capacitor is an ordinary one and I will have problems with it. Below, in the picture, you see a diagram.

5) Soldering the circuit is not difficult, and you don’t even have to bother and do everything in the form of a surface-mounted installation. This way you will definitely save energy and time.

6) As a source of 3.7 volts, you can use two batteries from mobile phones, which must be connected in parallel - this will increase their total charge. In principle, the laser is ready, but before a test run you need to protect your eyesight. Therefore, if you do not have special safety glasses, it is better not to point the laser beam into the eyes of other people.
7) Once you are done with the safety issues, you can turn on the laser. It is worth noting that the first launch will not surprise you. The most you will get is just light. Congratulations - you have made a flashlight. But how to turn it into a laser?

8) The problem is that we have an unfocused beam. To turn it into a real laser, you need a lens. Such a lens can be obtained from a computer drive.

9) Attaching it to our laser everything will go much better. True, the problem remains - the lack of a normal body.

10) You can use ready-made gizmos as a housing for our device. For example, a housing from a laser pointer, a small flashlight, and similar things are perfect. However, if you like the manufacturing process itself, then you can do it yourself. An aluminum profile is perfect for such purposes. By adjusting the lens, you can create a highly focused beam that can melt thin plastic and even light matches.

We hope that our instructions on how to make a laser from a disk drive will be useful and of interest to you. Good luck and success to you!

Turn your MiniMag laser pointer into a cutting laser with a DVD burner emitter! This 245mW laser is very powerful and is the perfect size for the MiniMag pointer! Watch the attached video. PLEASE NOTE: you can't do this yourself WITH ALL CDRW-DVD cutter diodes!

Warning: CAUTION! As you know, lasers can be dangerous. Never point the pointer at a living creature! This is not a toy and cannot be treated like a regular laser pointer. In other words, don't use it for presentations or playing with animals, and don't let children play with it. This device should be in the hands of a reasonable person who understands and is responsible for the potential hazards posed by the pointer.

Step 1 - What you will need...

You will need the following:

1. 16X DVD cutter. I used an LG drive.

step 2 - And...

2. The MiniMag laser pointer can be purchased at any store selling hardware, sports or household goods.

3. AixiZ case with AixiZ for $4.5

4. Small screwdrivers (hourly), a utility knife, metal scissors, a drill, a round file and other small tools.

Step 3 - Remove the laser diode from the DVD drive

Remove the screws from the DVD drive and remove the cover. Below it you will find the laser carriage drive assembly.

Step 4 - Take out the laser diode...

Although DVD drives are different, each has two guides along which the laser carriage moves. Remove the screws, release the guides and remove the carriage. Disconnect the connectors and ribbon cables.

Step 5 - Continue to disassemble...

Having removed the carriage from the drive, begin disassembling the device by unscrewing the screws. There will be a lot of small screws, so be patient. Disconnect the cables from the carriage. There may be two diodes, one for reading the disc (infrared diode) and the actual red diode, which is used for burning. You need a second one. A printed circuit board is attached to the red diode using three screws. Use a soldering iron to CAREFULLY remove the 3 screws. You can test the diode using two AA batteries, taking into account the polarity. You will have to remove the diode from the housing, which will vary depending on the drive. The laser diode is a very fragile part, so be extremely careful.

step 6 - Laser diode in a new guise!

This is what your diode should look like after being “released”.

step 7 - Preparing the AixiZ body...

Remove the sticker from the AixiZ body and unscrew the body into upper and lower parts. Inside the top there is a laser diode (5mW), which we will replace. I used an X-Acto knife and after two light strikes, the original diode came out. In fact, such actions can damage the diode, but I have managed to avoid this before. Using a very small screwdriver, I knocked out the emitter.

step 8 - Assembling the body...

I used some hot glue and carefully installed the new DVD diode into the AixiZ case. Using pliers, I SLOWLY pressed the edges of the diode towards the body until it was flush.

step 9 - Install it in MiniMag

Once the two conductors are soldered to the positive and negative terminals of the diode, you can install the device in the MiniMag. After disassembling the MiniMag (remove the cap, reflector, lens and emitter), you will need to enlarge the MiniMag reflector using a round file or drill, or both.

step 10 - final step

Remove the batteries from the MiniMag and after checking the polarity, carefully place the DVD laser housing on the top of the MiniMag where the emitter was previously located. Assemble the top of the MiniMag housing and attach the reflector. You won't need the plastic MiniMag lens.

Make sure the polarity of the diode is correct before you install it and connect power! You may need to shorten the wires and adjust the beam focus.

Step 11 - Measure seven times

Replace the batteries (AA) and screw on the top of the MiniMag, including your new laser pointer! Attention!! Laser diodes are dangerous, so do not point the beam at people or animals.

Many of us have once wanted to have a real laser. As children, we bought laser pointers, played with them, scared birds and animals, but quickly became disappointed in their power. They didn't look like a Jedi sword. A laser pointer for 50 rubles, bought in a tent with a bunch of attachments, could neither burn through plastic and paper nor shine for hundreds of meters during the day!
For more impressive results, we will need:

1. DVD drive (RW)
2. Driver (Power for laser)
3. Optics

Let's start creating a DVD laser! First you need to buy a DVD-RW drive. You can look on the radio market for a dead DVD for 100 rubles, or you can buy a new drive - LG GH22. This article on disassembling the drive will be based on this DVD-RW drive. This fast drive can record DVD discs at 22x speed - an absolute recording speed record! And it costs only 600 rubles....

Before disassembling the drive, open the tray by applying power to it from the computer:

Turn the drive over and unscrew the 4 screws circled in red:

We remove the cover and see the board that controls the entire drive:

Turn the DVD over again and remove the aluminum top, unscrew the 2 screws circled in red:

We disconnect the cables connecting the drive chassis and the drive itself:

Unscrew 1 screw circled in red:

We unscrew 3 more circled screws and try to pull out the crap that contains the diodes and optics:

We break off the soldered protection of optics and diodes:

We safely remove the protection and see 2 diodes - CD and DVD:

We take out the cooled diode with pliers, tie its legs with wire or solder the capacitor to the legs.... or use an antistatic bracelet:

Using a knife, carefully pry up the diode in the circled area and slowly and carefully try to remove it:

Congratulations! You have removed the laser diode from the DVD drive! But that's half the battle. The main thing is to protect the diode from static electricity by tying its legs with wire or soldering a capacitor. You can also use antistatic equipment, such as an antistatic wrist strap and an antistatic soldering iron.

Driver.

What is this, driver? why is it needed? The light bulbs work without it! The fact is that a laser diode is a very delicate element! This is not an oak light bulb, which doesn’t care what it’s powered by.

A laser diode (LD) driver is a small circuit that sets the laser power mode. it ensures that the current through the LD does not exceed the set level. The thing is that the LD is a semiconductor element, which means it is terribly nonlinear... that is, the LD current does not increase in direct proportion to the voltage, but much faster! This is why it is worth using current stabilizers to power the laser diode.

Well, the first driver... is not the ultimate dream, of course, but it will do for the first time!

What do we see? firstly the battery. This is either a battery from any phone, or made up of three AA batteries. not to be confused with batteries!!
Then a button... actually any button.
A resistor... its resistance is selected experimentally; in principle, for a 16X drive its resistance should be two Ohms, then the current through the LD will be approximately 250 mA. you can either buy a resistor or find it on the drive board... often there are 1 Ohm resistors, connecting two in series we have two Ohms. if this current value does not suit you, you will have to select a resistor. For this you need an ammeter, which is connected to the positive wire of the battery and by changing the resistance we select the required current.
The capacitor is 100nF.. this is a ceramic capacitor, if there is a capacitance meter you can find it on the drive board! By the way, if you have old boards, you can look for orange round parts on them with the inscription 104, this is such a capacitor.
An electrolytic capacitor of 2200 μF... of course, such a capacitance is an ideal option, but often a 100 μF capacitor of 6.3 volts is sufficient. By the way, the voltage can be 10V or 16 or 25! it doesn't matter! Well, and actually LD itself! We solder the LD last with the legs wrapped in wire (remember about static, right?) When the installation is finished, remove the wire! That's it, the first driver is ready!

The simplest driver does not stabilize the current, it only limits it... which means your laser will be like a flashlight; the thinner the batteries, the dimmer it will shine! and the worst thing is that it is very difficult to understand exactly when the batteries begin to run out, because the beam is always bright to the eye... so as soon as the bags stop melting, it’s time to charge! Disadvantages are disadvantages, but the driver is very simple and miniature!

Option 2.

Using the LM317 chip.

In this scheme, everything is much more complicated, and it is perfect for a stationary version of the laser! The driver uses an LM317 chip, which is included with a current stabilizer.

See picture.

Optics are a very important component of a laser or laser pointer. Without optics, the laser will shine approximately like a regular light bulb and will neither burn nor shine for hundreds of meters! You can't go anywhere without a collimator!
What is it? assembled a laser, and it just glows like a spotlight? where is the expected “ray”? But no! The point here is this... the laser diode crystal is very small... accordingly, the resonator is too! Well, since the range of the photons is small, they fly not strictly parallel to the crystal axis, but also a little to the side... which means our laser diode shines not as a beam, but as a cone of laser radiation...
Don't despair, people have invented lenses! lenses allow you to transform this cone into a parallel beam, collimating it! But the lens must be installed so that the laser diode is at the focal distance of this very lens, otherwise nothing will work. And since it is very difficult to position the lens accurately, we come up with different ways adjusting the distance to the LD, for example, as in a laser pointer, where the lens is recessed into the body under the action of a screw.
It is convenient to use a laser pointer as optics. Also, a laser pointer can be used as a basis for a collimator. It has a good lens. But the beam turns out to be approximately 5mm in diameter, which is a lot.

The native optics from the DVD-RW drive show very good results, namely the latest lens that directly focuses laser radiation onto the surface of the disc. But it has its own difficulties. The focal length is short, which means the focus is very difficult to adjust. but at the same time this allows you to get a beam with a diameter of 1mm!! By the way, the narrower the beam, the more energy is applied to 1mm^2 with such a beam you can easily shred black bags)) if you focus not on the beam, but on a point, then at this point the plastic melts, the electrical tape is cut, the wood begins to glow white light from heating! (6000 degrees is no joke) and much more!!