Granted Patent B2

US 7,457,335 · App. 11/356,598 · Granted Nov 25, 2008

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. A laser diode driver circuit comprising:

a laser diode;

a photodetector adapted to receive optical feedback from the laser diode;

a closed-loop driver portion to provide a part of the current for the laser diode, the closed-loop drive portion output being independent of the photodetector; and

a fast-loop driver portion to provide a second part of the current for the laser diode, the fast-loop driver portion using the output of the photodiode to determine the output of the fast-loop driver portion;

wherein the closed loop driver portion provides part of the current for the laser diode during a read mode.

2. The laser diode driver of claim 1 , wherein the closed-loop driver portion comprises multiple driver blocks.

3. The laser diode device of claim 2 , wherein the multiple driver blocks are substantially identical.

4. The laser diode device of claim 2 , wherein the multiple driver blocks combine their currents to provide the closed-loop driver portion output.

5. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein each of the driver blocks has essentially the same maximum output current.

6. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the laser diode driver has a number of channels with different currents provided to the laser diode for each channel.

7. The circuit of claims 1 , wherein the fast-loop drive portion delivers no more than approximately 20% of the total nominal current used to operate the laser.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the rise time of the circuit is no more than approximately one nanosecond.

9. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein driver operation modes include a read and write.

10. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein the driver operation modes further comprise a second write mode, an erase mode and an anneal mode.

11. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the laser diode driver client is used in a compact disc (CD) Player.

12. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the laser diode driver circuit is used in a digital versatile disc (DVD) Player.

13. A laser diode driver for connection to a laser diode and a photodetector comprising:

a closed-loop driver portion to provide a part of the current for the laser diode, the closed-loop driver portion output being independent of the photodetector; and

a fast-loop driver portion to provide a second part of the current for the laser diode, the fast-loop driver portion using the output of the photodiode to determine the output of the fast-loop driver portion;

wherein the closed loop driver portion provides part of the current for the laser diode during a read mode.

14. The laser diode driver of claim 13 , wherein the closed-loop driver portion comprises multiple driver blocks.

15. The laser diode device of claim 13 , wherein the multiple driver blocks are substantially identical.

16. The laser diode device of claim 13 , wherein the multiple driver blocks combine their currents to provide the closed-loop driver portion output.

17. The circuit of claim 13 , wherein each of the driver blocks has essentially the same maximum output current.

18. The circuit of claim 13 , wherein the laser diode driver has a number of channels with different currents provided to the laser diode for each channel.

19. The circuit of claims 13 , wherein the fast-loop drive portion delivers no more than approximately 20% of the total nominal current used to operate the laser.

20. The circuit of claim 13 , wherein the rise time of the circuit is no more than approximately one nanosecond.

21. The circuit of claim 13 , wherein driver operation modes include a read and write.

22. The circuit of claim 21 , wherein the driver operation modes further comprise a second write mode, an erase mode and an anneal mode.

Assignments (8)