Pump diode driver circuit

1. A portable battery-powered laser marker/designator, comprising:

a solid state pulsed pump diode having a forward voltage;

an energy storage and conversion circuit having

a constant input current boost converter to raise a first voltage from a battery to a second voltage higher than the forward voltage of the pump diode;

a capacitor, and

a programmable high current multi-phase buck converter,

the boost converter configured to charge the capacitor up to the second voltage with sufficient stored energy to provide at least one pump pulse without causing the second voltage to drop below the forward voltage of the pump diode,

the programmable high current multi-phase buck converter configured to operate as a pulsed voltage controlled current source that can discharge the capacitor through the pump diode with a program-controlled current and pulse width.

2. The laser marker/designator of claim 1 , whereby each phase of the buck converter includes a pulse width modulator circuit, a first solid state power switch, an inductor, and a second solid state power switch.

3. The laser marker/designator of claim 1 , wherein an input current to the boost converter is configured to maintain a constant level that will minimize loading of the battery and in which there is no repetitive inrush current each time the capacitor is recharged.

4. The laser marker/designator of claim 1 , wherein the boost converter further comprises a voltage sensing and control circuit configured to turn off the boost converter if:

the first voltage from the battery is below a useable level;

the capacitor has been charged to a programmed level; or

the multi-phase buck converter is delivering energy to the pump diode.

5. The laser marker designator of claim 1 , wherein the multi-phase buck converter further includes a synchronized multiphase clock generator to drive each of said pulse width modulator circuits with approximately the same pulse width; current sense means for each phase; independent pulse width adjustment means for each phase responsive to said current sense means, such that each phase of said multi-phase buck converter will deliver essentially the same current.

6. The laser marker/designator of claim 1 , wherein the multi-phase buck converter further comprises an overall current sense circuit, a closed loop control circuit responsive to the overall current sense circuit, a pulse width control circuit responsive to the closed loop control circuit such that the overall current supplied to the pump diode is controlled.