Laser diode driver break-down protection scheme

A system adapted to mitigate breakdown of silicon of a laser diode driver by varying a bleed current through the laser diode, the system comprising:

• a digital-to-analog converter having a power terminal, a digital control input and an output terminal, the power terminal coupled to a power source, the output terminal coupled to an anode of the laser diode, the digital-to-analog converter configured to control the bleed current at output terminal based on a digital value provided at the digital control input, the bleed current being supplied by the power source and the bleed current being provided to the anode of the laser diode;
• an overvoltage detector circuit having a detector input configured to determine when a voltage between a cathode of the laser diode and a voltage source supply exceeds a predetermined voltage, the overvoltage detector circuit having an overvoltage output, the overvoltage detector circuit is configured to adjust a first digital value that configured to increase or decrease the first digital value in response to determining when the voltage between the cathode of the laser diode and the voltage source supply exceeds the predetermined voltage;
• and
• a control circuit having a digital output coupled to the digital control input of the digital-to-analog converter and the control circuit having a digital input coupled to the overvoltage output of the overvoltage detector circuit, the digital input for receiving the first digital value, the control circuit configured to further adjust the first digital value to generate a second digital value, wherein the adjustment to the first digital value to generate the second digital value is based on a type of laser diode or based on an operating mode of the system, wherein the second digital value causes the digital-to-analog converter to control the bleed current through the laser diode to maintain the laser diode in a safe operating area that is associated with the predetermined voltage.

A system adapted to mitigate silicon breakdown of a laser diode driver by controlling a bleed current through the laser diode, the system comprising:

• a bleed resistor circuit having a switch control input, a first power input coupled to a first voltage source, a second power input coupled to a voltage source supply, and a power output coupled to an anode of the laser diode, the bleed resistor circuit configured to control the bleed current through the laser diode when a control signal received at the switch control input is activated;
• and
• an overvoltage detector circuit having a detector input 161 configured to determine when a voltage between a cathode of the laser diode and the voltage source supply exceeds a predetermined voltage, the overvoltage detector circuit having an overvoltage output, the overvoltage detector circuit is configured to activate the control signal that is communicated from the overvoltage output to the switch control input in response to determining that the voltage between a cathode of the laser diode and a voltage source supply exceeds a predetermined voltage difference, wherein activation of the control signal causes a switch of the bleed resister circuit to selectively couple the first voltage source and the anode of the diode through one or more resistors that control the bleed current through the laser diode for mitigating silicon breakdown of the laser diode driver.