Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ut-sally!husc6!necntc!ci-dandelion!bunny!jaf1 From: jaf1@bunny.UUCP (Jeff Fried) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: Laser Deflection & Modulation Message-ID: <3688@bunny.UUCP> Date: Mon, 6-Jul-87 16:36:33 EDT Article-I.D.: bunny.3688 Posted: Mon Jul 6 16:36:33 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Jul-87 01:40:25 EDT References: <230@ndmath.UUCP> <204600002@prism> Organization: GTE Laboratories, Waltham, MA Lines: 28 Summary: Source for laser deflection and modulation stuff In article <204600002@prism>, billc@prism.UUCP writes: > /* ---------- "Laser Deflection & Modulation" ---------- */ > Would anyone out there happen to know of someplace where I could get > some relatively inexpensive laser beam deflection hardware of the type used > to create laser light shows? > /*---------------------------------------------------------------- */ (somebody else asked for the same info, so I thought I'd post it) about 5 years ago, a group of 3 of us built a pair of laser light show setups: one was a single laser, the other a 3-color show built with two lasers. We used two galvonometers per beam (one x, one y) to deflect the light. They came from General Scanning, Inc. of Waltham, MA, and I think they cost about $300 each at the time. The drive electronics were pretty simple, but had to be very precise to keep registration between colors. We modified the electronics that were developed by a group under Paul Earles at the Center for Visual Studies at MIT; each x-y pair took a small (about 4x6") board which mostly did A-D, limiting, amplification, and a little preprocessing. At the time, there were no applicable electronics available commercially. Special jigs were needed to mount mirrors on the shaft of the galvos, but that was pretty simple; We just used a microscope slide mount and glued a flange onto it. Have fun and good luck. Jeff Fried (jaf1@get-labs.csnet or harvard!bunny!jaf1 or jeff@theory.mit.edu)