- May 21, 2001
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I need to get light into eight different fiber optic cables (typically blue at ~470 nm). Currently, I have this LED light source. However at a cost of $499 each for one LED or $699 for dual LEDs and $100 to change the LED color, it is cost prohibitive. It'll cost me over $3k to do it.
So instead, I bought some ~$1 blue LEDs and machined a part to hold the fiber optic cable up close to the LED. Unfortunately, I get only one fourth the brightness I need with this method.
[*]I considered brighter LEDs, but I haven't found any yet. They certainly should exist. Maybe someone here knows of a good LED supplier.
[*]I considered Laser Diodes, but for blue I haven't yet found anything inexpensive. Any idea on where to find cost effective blue laser diodes?
[*]I considered lenses to focus the LED light onto the fiber optic cable. But I haven't pursued this path much so far. Would that help significantly? Any idea on where to get good inexpensive lenses?
[*]Are there any other off-the-shelf products that you know of that lets you shine an LED onto a fiber optic cable?
So instead, I bought some ~$1 blue LEDs and machined a part to hold the fiber optic cable up close to the LED. Unfortunately, I get only one fourth the brightness I need with this method.
[*]I considered brighter LEDs, but I haven't found any yet. They certainly should exist. Maybe someone here knows of a good LED supplier.
[*]I considered Laser Diodes, but for blue I haven't yet found anything inexpensive. Any idea on where to find cost effective blue laser diodes?
[*]I considered lenses to focus the LED light onto the fiber optic cable. But I haven't pursued this path much so far. Would that help significantly? Any idea on where to get good inexpensive lenses?
[*]Are there any other off-the-shelf products that you know of that lets you shine an LED onto a fiber optic cable?