We have had a lot of questions on if our drivers can be put in parallel to allow more current. The short answer is YES!
The unique design of the J Tech driver is built around parallel linear regulators all sharing the output load. Because of this, they can be paralleled with multiple boards as well. We tested two drivers together in the lab just to show the possibilities of what can be achieved. We suggest you set each driver to be equal to each other when setting the current. For example, if you want 4 amps total then set both drivers to 2 amps (2 + 2 = 4). If you want 5 amps total then set each to 2.5 amps (2.5 + 2.5 = 5).
To set it up, simply connect the output screw terminal H1 of each driver together in parallel with a minimum of 22 AWG wire (we used 18 AWG in our tests). Then put your laser on the output terminal H3 Molex Mini Fit Jr. connection on one of the drivers. The laser will see the current from both of the drivers combined.
To control the input you will need to splice your input signal to BOTH drivers so each one will get the input signal.
If you want to connect more than two drivers together, then just make sure you parallel all of the drivers. In theory, you can make a 100 amps combined driver!
Here is the test showing the connection and the output current of 5 amps.
Using the dual driver setup on an X Carve – Example
The 3.8W laser we are shipping actually can go a bunch higher in power, but the driver maxes out at 2.5amps. Overdriving the laser will reduce the lifetime, however in some cases this doesn’t matter when production time is critical or if you can cut something you couldn’t at lower power. Here is an example of using the dual drivers to push a 3.8W up to 6W on the x carve.
We recommend setting balancing the two drivers and only increasing the current to a point where your application has enough extra power to continue.
As always, contact us if you have questions setting this up.
What is the benefit in having dual drivers and more current?
Some University research labs are overdriving the 3.8W laser to over 6W of output power using two J Tech drivers in parallel. It reduces lifetime, but you can get a lot of power out of the laser.