Laser drive circuits

A laser drive circuit for rapidly turning on and off drive current to a laser source with a low-voltage command signal, said circuit comprising:

• a first stage comprising a VMOS transistor which amplifies the voltage level of said low-voltage command signal to a predetermined level;
• a complementary driver stage comprising a plurality of VMOS transistors arranged in a push-pull manner for providing a high-current capacity output signal in response to said amplified command signal;
• and
• an output stage coupled to said driver stage and to said laser source for receiving and amplifying said high-current capacity output signal in order to apply a high-current amplified output signal to said laser source, said high-current output signal having a short pulsewidth determined by said command signal, said laser source being turned on and off in a rapid fashion by said circuit on command from said command signal.

A laser drive circuit for rapidly turning on and off drive current to a laser source with a low-voltage command signal, said circuit comprising:

• a first stage comprising a VMOS transistor which amplifies the voltage level of said low-voltage command signal to a predetermined level;
• a complementary driver stage comprising a plurality of VMOS transistors arranged in a push-pull manner for providing a high-current capacity output signal in response to said amplified command signal;
• and
• an output stage comprising at least one VMOS transistor coupled to said driver stage and to said laser source for receiving and amplifying said high-current capacity output signal in order to apply a high-current amplified output signal to said laser source, said high-current output signal having a short pulsewidth determined by said command signal, said laser source being turned on and off in a rapid fashion by said circuit on command from said command signal.

Circuitry for producing a short-pulsewidth drive signal to a laser source in response to a low-voltage, short-pulsewidth command signal, said circuitry comprising:

• a VMOS amplifier stage comprising a VMOS transistor which amplifies the voltage level of said command signal to a predetermined voltage level;
• a complementary driver stage coupled to said amplifier stage comprising a plurality of VMOS transistors arranged in a push-pull manner for providing a high-current capacity output signal in response to said amplified command signal;
• and
• an output stage comprising a plurality of VMOS transistors arranged in a parallel configuration coupled to said driver stage and to said laser source for receiving and amplifying said high-current capacity output signal in order to apply an amplified output signal to said laser source as the drive signal of said laser source, said drive signal being a high-power, short-pulsewidth signal, the duration of said drive signal being determined by said command signal.

A laser drive circuit for rapidly turning on and off drive current to a laser source with a low-voltage command signal, said circuit comprising:

• a first stage comprising a VMOS transistor which amplifies voltage level of said low-voltage command signal to a predetermined level;
• a complementary driver stage comprising a plurality of VMOS transistors arranged in a push-pull manner for providing a high-current capacity output signal in response to said amplified command signal;
• and
• an output stage comprising a plurality of VMOS transistors coupled to said driver stage and to said laser source for receiving and amplifying said high-current capacity output signal in order to apply a high current amplified output signal to said laser source, said high-current output signal having a short pulsewidth determined by said command signal, said laser source being turned on and off in a rapid fashion by said circuit on command from said command signal.