- Q: How long will the laser last before “running out of gas”
- A: The gas life of our lasers will vary based on the ballast size associated with the different models available and their mode of operation when used. On average we’ve seen lifespans up to 20,000 hours of ownership. Once the laser has reached the end of its gas life, a simple gas refill done by ALC technicians will restore its original performance.
- Q: What is Duty Cycle?
- A: Duty Cycle is the percentage of a signal’s period during which the laser is active. Our lasers provide the ability for users to modify this input signal, enabling a pulsed output. When operating at 100% the laser is outputting a Continuous-Wave down to 0% where the signal would always be off.
- Q: What is Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF)?
- A: PRF is how often a RF signal is exciting the laser mixture , ALC’s laser controllers operate natively at 2.5 kHz. This means that every 0.4ms the signal’s period will repeat. Our lasers can generally operate in the range of 100Hz up to 100kHz, for higher frequencies ask our sales team!
- Q: What is Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)?
- A: PWM refers to the ability to change Duty Cycle and Pulse Repetition Frequency dynamically to achieve specific pulse lengths. Additionally, using these same inputs the peak and average power can be selected.
- Q: Can the laser change its CW power?
- A: While the average power can be adjusted through PWM changes, RF excited gas lasers can only provide true CW output at a single power level. However, ALC works with our customers to find post-laser optical solutions to enable customers to achieve their full value from our products.
