Printer head with linear array of individually addressable diode-lasers

A diode-laser array module, comprising:

• a diode-laser bar including a plurality of diode-lasers spaced-apart in a linear array, each of said diode-lasers emitting light in a forward and a reverse direction and each of said diode-lasers emitting said light in a single mode;
• a plurality of photodetectors spaced apart in integrated linear array, said plurality of photodetectors corresponding in number and spacing to said plurality of diode-lasers and arranged such that each thereof receives reverse-emitted light from a corresponding one of said diode-lasers;
• an application-specific integrated circuit, said integrated circuit including a plurality of sub-circuits each one thereof in electronic communication with a corresponding one of said photodetectors and said diode-lasers, each one thereof including a reference current generator individually calibrated by calibration data characteristic of said corresponding diode-laser and a desired nominal output power required to be delivered by all said diode lasers, and a drive current generator for supplying drive current to said corresponding diode-laser;
• wherein each of said sub-circuits is arranged to monitor current provided by the photodetector in response to reverse-emitted light received thereby from the diode-laser, compare the monitored photodetector current with a reference current provided by said reference current generator and, from said current comparison, adjust said drive current generator such that a first current supplied thereby to the diode-laser causes the diode-laser to emit about said nominal output-power in the forward direction;
• and
• wherein said application-specific integrated circuit is spaced apart from said photodetector array by less than about 10 millimeters.

A diode-laser array module, comprising:

• a diode-laser bar including a plurality of diode-lasers spaced-apart in a linear array, each of said diode-lasers emitting light in a forward and a reverse direction
• a plurality of photodetectors spaced apart in integrated linear array, said plurality of photodetectors corresponding in number and spacing to said plurality of diode-lasers and arranged such that each thereof receives reverse-emitted light from a corresponding one of said diode-lasers;
• an application-specific integrated circuit, said application-specific integrated circuit being spaced apart from said photodetector array by less than about 10 millimeters and said integrated circuit including a plurality of sub-circuits each one thereof in electronic communication with a corresponding one of said photodetectors and said diode-lasers, each one thereof including a reference current generator individually calibrated by calibration data characteristic of said corresponding diode-laser and a desired nominal output power required to be delivered by all said diode lasers, and a drive current generator for supplying drive current to said corresponding diode-laser;
• wherein each of said sub-circuits is arranged to monitor current provided by the photodetector in response to reverse-emitted light received thereby from the diode-laser, compare the monitored photodetector current with a reference current provided by said reference current generator and, from said current comparison, adjust said drive current generator such that a first current supplied thereby to the diode-laser causes the diode-laser to emit about said nominal output-power in the forward direction;
• and
• wherein an attenuator is located between each of said diode-lasers and each of said photodetectors for reducing the level of said reverse-emitted light received by said photodetectors for preventing saturation thereof by said reverse-emitted light.

A diode-laser array module, comprising:

• a diode-laser bar including a plurality of diode-lasers spaced-apart in a linear array, each of said diode-lasers emitting light at a wavelength of about 808 nm in a forward and a reverse direction and
• a plurality of photodetectors spaced apart in integrated linear array, said plurality of photodetectors corresponding in number and spacing to said plurality of diode-lasers and arranged such that each thereof receives reverse-emitted light from a corresponding one of said diode-lasers;
• an application-specific integrated circuit, said integrated circuit including a plurality of sub-circuits each one thereof in electronic communication with a corresponding one of said photodetectors and said diode-lasers, each one thereof including a reference current generator individually calibrated by calibration data characteristic of said corresponding diode-laser and a desired nominal output power required to be delivered by all said diode lasers, and a drive current generator for supplying drive current to said corresponding diode-laser;
• wherein each of said sub-circuits is arranged to monitor current provided by the photodetector in response to reverse-emitted light received thereby from the diode-laser, compare the monitored photodetector current with a reference current provided by said reference current generator and, from said current comparison, adjust said drive current generator such that a first current supplied thereby to the diode-laser causes the diode-laser to emit about said nominal output-power in the forward direction;
• and wherein said application-specific integrated circuit is spaced apart from said photodetector array by less than about 10 millimeters.