Tech Question of the Week:
Q: I have a Gecko G540 and want to connect a 15-watt laser to the output 2.
According to the laser manufacturer, the current is less than 4 amp (but can possibly be higher than 1A). Now, I was wondering will the G540 only put out a maximum of 1A or, will it start smoking when currents get higher than 1A?
Is there a fuse to protect the G540 for this?
Thanks in advance for your help.
A: Current loads in excess of 1A will damage the MOSFETs that drive the OUTPUTs on the G540.
We would recommend using a relay to drive that load, which will allow much higher current than the G540 can run. The OUTPUTs are functionally SPST switches to GND so just wire your relay with its GND going to the G540.