Microprocessor controlled thermoelectric cooler and laser power controller

A process for maintaining a desired temperature of a laser comprising:

• a) a laser,
• b) a thermoelectric cooler responsive to a driving signal and operatively connected to said laser for maintaining a desired temperature of said laser,
• c) a temperature sensor being so constructed and arranged to sense a current thermoelectric cooler temperature and output a current temperature signal,
• d) means for storing at least two temperature range values and at least two temperature target value signals where each temperature range value has an associated temperature target value signal, one of the at least two temperature range values is a desired temperature range value, the desired temperature range value's associated temperature target value signal is a desired temperature target value signal which represents the desired temperature of said laser, the other temperature range values are non-desired temperature range values and the non-desired temperature range values' associated temperature target value signals are non-desired temperature target value signals which represent temperatures overshooting the desired temperature of said laser,
• e) sensing the current thermoelectric cooler temperature with said temperature sensor and outputting the current temperature signal,
• f) comparing the current temperature signal to the at least two temperature range values and determining within which temperature range the current temperature signal falls,
• g) retrieving the target value signal associated with the determined temperature range value,
• h) converting the retrieved target value signal into the driving signal,
• i) transmitting the driving signal to said thermoelectric cooler for operating said thermoelectric cooler, and
• k) repeating the process steps of e through i, if the determined temperature range value does not equal the desired temperature range value, until the determined temperature range value equals the desired temperature range value so that while the determined temperature range value does not equal the desired temperature range value the thermoelectric cooler is operated by a driving signal that is converted from a non-desired temperature target value signal to shorten the time for the thermoelectric cooler to reach the desired temperature range value by using a temperature target value signal which overshoots the desired temperature of the laser in comparison with using a temperature target signal which represents the desired temperature of the laser.