About MatchBox CW Lasers

There are more than 150 CW laser configurations in the MatchBox® product family. Both direct diode and DPSS laser principles are implemented in the World's smallest MatchBox® footprint. Single-frequency (or singe-longitudinal mode) options are available for the majority of wavelengths.

Features

SM/PM/MM fiber coupling options
Ultra-compact All-in-One design*
Thermally stabilized optics
Monolithic design
Hermetically sealed
Automatic power control
+5VDC input voltage (voltage is upconverted internally to make it suitable for various laser diodes)

*The laser head includes optics and driving electronics within a single enclosure.

High-Performance Compact Lasers

CW Matchbox lasers were developed for spectroscopy applications.

Control Interface

MatchBox® series lasers feature a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) controller interface. The pinout is explained below - separately for diode and DPSS lasers.

Diode Laser with a regular spectrum

Tx and Rx pins are used for communication, error read-out and change of parameters
GND pin is common to the enclosure
Vcc pin is used for +VDC power
TTL pin can have two purposes: TTL ON/OFF digital modulation of the laser (in case of regular diodes) or control of a variable speed fan*** (in case of wavelength-stabilized diodes)

***TTL or FAN setting is factory pre-configured.

DPSS / narrow spectrum diode / high power diode lasers

Tx and Rx pins are used for communication, error read-out and change of parameters
GND pin is common to the enclosure
Vcc pin is used for +VDC power
FAN ctrl. pin is used for variable speed control of a fan***

***Can be configured into virtual TTL modulation having up to 500 Hz modulation bandwidth.

Break-out-Box Explanation

The Break-out-Box (sold separately) contains UART-USB converter circuit and conventional connection ports in a robust anodized aluminium housing.

Data USB-micro port is used for communication with a computer.
Interlock has two pins - INT-GND and INT. When the pins are shortened with an interlocking loop, the laser can be operated.
TTL modulation signal wires shall be connected to TTL and GND slots.
Power USB-C port is used for the provision of PD (Power Delivery) power. The break-out box requests +9VDC or +12VDC from the power supply and convert it to +5VDC, thus ensuring a reliable and stable voltage supply to the laser.
FAN and +5V slots are compatible with all our fan-cooled heat sinks. FAN slot is used for fan-heatsink GND.

Software Interface

The MatchBox® laser control software is used for checking preset parameters, such as the max. laser diode current, target temperatures for laser internal diode, laser body, and actual measured values of these parameters, as well as the load percentage of the Peltier elements. This is very helpful for laser diode age tracking and other troubleshooting actions.

The software window is divided into four segments. Each segment represents a different control field of the MatchBox® laser:

Right above the first segment, you can see a port number, an item name, a serial number, and a hardware version.

The first segment is used for turning on the power of the laser, but the laser isn't emitting light. A warning sign can be seen in the segment too. It indicates whether the laser power is on or off. The next parameter seen in this segment is the operating mode of the laser.

The second section of the software window is used for laser power control. You can enable or disable laser radiation, change units of optical power setting. This column also shows the current of the laser diode - its maximum value and the actual current. In the status bar, if the circle is green, the laser is emitting light, if it is grey, laser radiation is turned off.

The third section is for controlling operation modes of the laser - ACC/APC, Auto-Warm-up, Auto-Start.

The last section is for observing the temperature of the laser body and the laser internal diode, cooler status, fan load, and laser voltage.

Click the button below to download the software:

Heatsinks

A low profile forced-air cooler has an integrated centrifugal fan. Very efficient for dissipation of a large amount of excess heat.

A compact TEC-cooled mounting adapter plate is a great cooling unit for good thermal and mechanical stability requiring lasers and setups.

A cost-efficient high-capacity forced air-cooler. It is used mainly for direct diode and low power DPSS lasers.

A very efficient, TEC and fan-based, cooler. It is used mainly with high-power DPSS and high parameter stability requiring lasers.

Power Supplies

A low-cost power supply for diode lasers.

A power supply for high-power continuous-wave, Q-switch, and DPSS lasers.

Advantages

Easy to integrate (smallest enclosure on the market)
Convenient to arrange in the proximity of a working area (use of fiber pigtails is often not necessary)
Standard Package (MatchBox®)
User-friendly software with multiple parameter monitoring
Low power consumption in standby-mode (important for battery-powered applications)
Excellent beam pointing angle and beam position accuracy
High cooling capacity
Rugged enclosure
Operational hours counter
On/Off cycle counter
Smart over-heat protection
Black surface finish absorbs reflections
Power delivery (PD) based power supplies
Variety of accessories
Space-saving pinhead connector

What's in the Box?

Laser Source (integrated power electronics in the same enclosure)
One thermal film. If a laser is sent mounted on a heatsink with a thermal film, an additional 1 g of thermal grease is included.
2 screws of M2.5x20 mm for fixing the laser to a mounting plate. Tightening torque 0.25 - 0.35 N·m
Hex key: 1.5 mm; BN:1169; DIN:911