Requirements
The task was to design the electronics to control up to 3 lasers, while regulating their temperature with a Peltier element. To provide ease of integration, the device had to be compact and needed to have several interfaces, both analog and digital. It was required for the laser drivers to control the optical power of the lasers (constant current or modulation) and be able to pulse them.
Development
The challenge was thus to build a feature-packed device that could fit the mechanical and thermal requirements of the customer. Designing a triple-channel miniaturized laser driving and optical power control circuit required more integration, which proved more challenging since several laser types and driving modes needed to be supported.
To design the TEC Control system, we could rely on our proven IP to deliver a TEC Controller that fits in a compact form factor. The closed case and the complex landscape inside of it pushed mechanical concerns such as component size, PCB mounting, connectivity and thermal dissipation to the forefront.
These could be overcome through close teamwork with the client’s design staff.
Result
The result is a highly configurable device, which can be used stand-alone, via serial communication, or through a service software with a GUI. It can be integrated into diverse systems, as it’s possible to set it up and then set target currents and activate the lasers via external signals, or it can be controlled fully digitally via its interface.