Stage lighting teardown

Anatomy of an RGB stage laser

A stage laser is a colour engine. Three diode banks are collimated, combined on dichroics, steered by a scanner and projected as a graphic; every loss between the diode and the output window is paid for in white-point budget. Pick a subsystem from the reference bill of materials and drop it on the cutaway to see the parameters and the catalogue parts behind it.

このページの使い方
  1. 1部品表から一つ選びます。
  2. 2モジュール上へドロップするか、カードをクリックします。
  3. 3その役割、パラメータ、そしてそれらを担う型番を読みます。

部品表

すべての部品を一つの光学バジェットで。カードを写真へドラッグするか、クリックしてください。隣のパネルがその部品のパラメータで埋まります。

A teaching cutaway of an RGB stage laser: three laser banks on the left, their collimating barrels, the dichroic combiner at the centre, the scanner and output optics on the right, the driver board and power supply below, all inside a vented case with a U-shaped mounting bracket

ここに部品をドラッグ または部品表のカードをクリック

A teaching cutaway, not an assembly drawing. The laser banks are on the left, the combining dichroics at the centre, the scanner and projection optics on the right, and the driver and PSU below.

部品の配置は教材用の図であり、組立図ではありません。配置と分解表示は目安です。パラメータ値はリンク先の仕様のものです。

すべての部品をパラメータ別に

インタラクティブ表示と同じ数値を、読む・検索する・引用できる表にまとめました。

450 nm blue laser Colour source

Sets the blue end of the colour gamut and the alignment reference for the first dichroic. In a white-light mix the blue channel usually carries the least visually efficient light, so its beam quality and stability matter more than its headline wattage.

450 nm blue laser - Collimated 5 - 5.5 W | fibre and alignment options
Wavelength range 430 - 463 nm
Rated output CW 5 - 5.5 W per emitter
Power offered on this line 5 - 5.5 W collimated | 3 W fibre | 30 mW reference
Package TO9 / LD bank (8 x LD + collimation)
Fibre delivery 400 um multimode, SMA (3 W version)
Alignment source 30 mW single-mode, FC/PC
Stage-fixture power class Collimated emitter | fibre module

520 nm green laser bank Colour source

Carries most of the perceived brightness, so a small loss here is a visible loss in the projected image. The combining dichroic passes or reflects the whole 510 - 532 nm band, and the emitter spread inside that band is what the white-point trim has to absorb.

520 nm green laser bank - Collimated multi-mode emitter or fibre-coupled module
Wavelength range 510 - 532 nm
Rated output CW 1 - 1.5 W per emitter / 13.5 W bank
Operating mode CW
Package TO9 / TO90 / LD bank
Beam Collimated; square or line spot after shaping
Operating case temperature 0 to +60
Qualified sources 3 - Sharp, HiLaser, Nichia
Spread across sources Peak wavelength 510 - 532 nm across sources; threshold 0.10 - 0.32 A; operating current 1.4 - 2.0 A at the rated output.

638 nm red laser bank Colour source

Supplies the red primary and, in a white mix, the colour that is easiest to clip without the eye noticing. That makes it tempting to under-power; the better trade is usually a larger red emitter and a colder heatsink, because the combining edge and the scanner aperture are fixed by the other two lines anyway.

638 nm red laser bank - Collimated emitter or single-mode fibre-coupled module
Wavelength range 632 - 644 nm
Rated output CW 500 mW - 1 W
Operating mode CW
Package TO56
Beam Collimated; square or line spot after shaping
Operating case temperature -10 to +40
Qualified sources 3 - Sharp, Mitsubishi Electric, HiLaser
Spread across sources Peak wavelength 632 - 644 nm across sources; threshold 90 - 180 mA; operating current 660 - 1200 mA at the rated output.

Fast-axis compression and collimation Beam shaping

Sets the beam height and divergence that every downstream optic sees. If the three channels leave this stage with different heights, the combiner can be aligned for one colour only; if their divergences differ, the spot grows at different rates across the scan field and the white point shifts with angle.

Fast-axis compression and collimation - FAC, collimating lens and beam shaping
Channels shaped here 450 nm | 520 nm | 638 nm
Function Fast-axis compression, collimation and pointing
Lens configuration FAC + collimator, one set per colour 設計で決まる値
Coating band Visible broadband: to be specified 設計で決まる値
Output divergence To be measured after assembly 設計で決まる値
Output beam size To be measured after assembly 設計で決まる値
Mounting Adjustable kinematic mounts 設計で決まる値

RGB dichroic combiner Colour combining

Turns three separate colour budgets into one white-point budget. Every reflection and transmission loss here is wavelength-dependent, so a coating that is 2 % low at 638 nm changes the colour balance even when the red laser is still at full power.

RGB dichroic combiner - Two or three dichroics on a common axis
Combiner type Dichroic mirror set on a common axis 設計で決まる値
Channels combined 450 nm | 520 nm | 638 nm
Coating edges To be specified from measured source bands 設計で決まる値
Transmission / reflection loss To be measured per channel 設計で決まる値
Clear aperture To be specified with the beam size 設計で決まる値
Alignment tolerance To be specified with the scanner aperture 設計で決まる値
Function Combine three colours onto one axis

Scanning galvo and output optics Beam steering

Defines the scan field, the spot size across that field and the maximum angular speed. A beam that fits the combiner but overfills the galvo mirror loses power at the edges of the scan and clips the graphic; a beam that is too small makes the spot diverge faster than the projection lens can correct.

Scanning galvo and output optics - Two-axis galvo, relay and output window
Scanner type Two-axis galvanometer 設計で決まる値
Scan angle To be specified with the projection lens 設計で決まる値
Scan speed To be specified with the graphic and ILDA signal 設計で決まる値
Input aperture To be specified from the combined beam 設計で決まる値
Mirror coating Visible broadband: to be specified 設計で決まる値
Output optics Relay / expander and output window 設計で決まる値
Safety shutter Required by the final laser class 設計で決まる値

Laser driver and modulation board Drive electronics

Sets the operating point of every emitter. A driver that is stable at full power but noisy at 5 % will make the low end of the dimming curve look dirty; one without a hard current limit can destroy a laser during a scan fault. Protection is part of the colour performance, not a separate safety feature.

Laser driver and modulation board - Three colour channels plus scan and safety logic
Colour channels 3: 450 nm | 520 nm | 638 nm
Modulation Analog or PWM: to be specified 設計で決まる値
Control interface DMX / ILDA / custom: to be specified 設計で決まる値
Current stability To be measured over case temperature 設計で決まる値
Protection Over-current, over-temperature, interlock 設計で決まる値
Blanking To be specified with the scan speed 設計で決まる値
Function Drive, modulate and protect the three colour channels

Power supply and thermal system Power and thermal

Holds the emitters at a stable case temperature. Wavelength drift and output power both move with temperature, and the three colours do not move equally; a thermal design that lets the red bank run hotter than the green will change the white point over a show even if every driver current is constant.

Power supply and thermal system - AC input, DC rails, heatsink and fan
Input power To be specified from the fixture rating 設計で決まる値
DC rails Driver and scanner rails: to be specified 設計で決まる値
Cooling Heatsink with fan or ducted air 設計で決まる値
Thermal control TEC optional; case sensors required 設計で決まる値
Operating temperature To be specified for the complete fixture 設計で決まる値
Acoustic noise To be measured at the audience position 設計で決まる値
Function Supply, cool and hold the colour channels at their operating point

Housing, vents and mounting yoke Mechanical

Turns the optical bench into a product. Vibration from the fan, flex in the yoke and thermal expansion of the case all reach the alignment; a housing that is stiff enough for shipping but transmits fan vibration to the galvo will show up as jitter in the projected graphic.

Housing, vents and mounting yoke - Sheet-metal case, output window and U bracket
Material and finish Sheet metal: to be specified 設計で決まる値
Output window 450 - 660 nm AR coated: to be specified 設計で決まる値
Aperture To be specified from the maximum scan angle 設計で決まる値
Mounting U-shaped yoke with locking tilt 設計で決まる値
Cooling path Intake and exhaust separated from the beam 設計で決まる値
Dimensions and weight To be specified with the optical bench 設計で決まる値
Ingress protection To be specified and tested 設計で決まる値

このページのすべてのパラメータ値は、リンク先の製品ページを生成するカタログ記録から取得しているため、両者が食い違うことはありません。

このパラメータを支える部品

以下の数値はすべて、製品ページを生成しているのと同じカタログ記録から読み出しています。本ページで打ち直した数値はありません。

From three diodes to one white beam

The blue line is the 450 nm used by RGB stage engines: a collimated 5 - 5.5 W emitter for the main channel, a 3 W module with 400 um fibre for fibre delivery, and a 30 mW single-mode reference for alignment. The 520 nm group adds a collimated 1 - 1.5 W emitter (13.5 W in a bank) and a 50 mW fibre module; 638 nm covers 0.5 - 1 W collimated and 70 / 100 mW fibre-coupled parts. This is a colour engine, so the three channels are budgeted together rather than treated as interchangeable power classes.

Send the colour budget, not just a wavelength

Tell us the output power per colour, the white point, the scan angle and the aperture, and we will work back to the emitters, the combining edges and the thermal design the fixture needs.

エンジニアに質問