Serving North America, RPMC offers a range of lasers, laser amplifiers, and laser diodes used for free-space optical communications. These lasers are available with IR (eye-safe) wavelengths and with different output powers. We have experience with space qualification for intra-satellite free-space communications, and can provide standard and custom solutions to meet your exact requirements. Let RPMC help you find the right laser today!

For not too long distances (e.g. up to a few kilometers) and moderate data rates, one does not even need a laser transmitter, because light-emitting diodes can be used.

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One base, many possibilities. Our dreamcut is a true all-rounder! We have been selling the dreamcut model since 2019 and lasering has never been easier. And best of all: With our upgrade laser heads, you can always bring your Mr Beam up to date. Both the optimized [S] laser head and the new [x] are both compatible and can be easily removed and replaced! Thanks to the BeamOS software, the laser head is recognized immediately and the appropriate material settings are loaded in the background. Plug and play - through and through!

Especially for large transmission distances, it is essential to direct the energy of the transmitter in the form of a well-collimated laser beam to limit the often still very large power loss between transmitter and receiver. To limit the beam divergence, it is necessary to provide a large beam radius from an optical source with high beam quality. Ideally, one uses a diffraction-limited source and a large, high-quality large optical telescope to collimate the beam. Due to the short wavelength of the light, the beam divergence of an optical transmitter can be much smaller than that of a radio or microwave source of similar size. To use a term commonly used in the field of radio communications, the antenna gain of an optical telescope can be very high – well over 100 dB even for moderate telescope diameters of, say, 25 cm – and thus much higher than for any microwave antenna of limited size.

We don't want to make any general commitments because wood is very different and is a natural product. But in our long-term tests we found that 6 to 10 mm plywood is not a problem for the new laser head (you should also pay attention to good wood quality). EWe offer wood up to a thickness of 8mm in our shop. But we would rather focus on saving time. So if you already cut a lot of wood with your laser, you can now either produce twice as much output or save half the time.

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If you have a Mr Beam II dreamcut (sold from November 2019) or a Mr Beam II dreamcut [S] (sold from October 2021) then you can buy the upgrade laser head and take your laser to a whole new level!

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It is even possible to establish short-range optical data links without a direct line of sight. If ultraviolet light is used, it is highly scattered in the atmosphere, and it is possible to receive some of that light. This technology has become more interesting with the advent of deep-UV (UV-C) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and suitable semiconductor photodetectors.

We ship all orders within 1 to 3 business days. Our warehouse is located in Thuringia, so we can deliver super quickly throughout Germany. Shipping abroad takes on average 3 to 7 working days. You will receive an email with your DHl tracking number as soon as your order has left our warehouse!

An important issue is the power budget of a free-space link, including the transmitter power and all power losses. The remaining power at the receiver largely is a key factor for the possible data rate, although this is also influenced by the modulation format, the acceptable bit error rate, and various noise sources, in particular laser noise, amplifier noise, excess noise in the receiver (e.g. an avalanche photodiode), and background light. The latter can often be effectively suppressed with additional narrowband optical filters, since the optical bandwidth of the signal is quite limited, while background light is usually very broadband.

Some space applications require large amounts of data to be transmitted. An example is the transmission between different satellites in Earth orbit (inter-satellite communications), which was first demonstrated by ESA in 2001 (ESA). It is possible to transmit tens of megabits per second or more over many thousands of kilometers using moderate average laser power on the order of a few watts.

We recommend that all interested parties visit one of our online demos . There we explain all the important features of Mr Beam and show the software in detail. We also have a large knowledge database for all emerging questions and topics as well as a user group on Facebook moderated by us. Interested parties can also come visit us in the Munich showroom at Trappentreustrasse 23. Of course, we are represented at many different trade fairs throughout the year!

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We recommend the new laser head for all power users who are reaching their limits with the current device. You can cut much faster with the new head and also process thicker materials. If you are a beginner or your business is just beginning, then the [S] is just right for you. An upgrade is possible at any time.

Advantages offree spaceopticalcommunication

The main advantages of laser data links over radio frequency (RF) or microwave links are the possible high data rate, low power requirements, compact size, and lower probability of signal eavesdropping by unauthorized parties. In addition, there is no need for government frequency allocation and no risk of mutual interference between different laser data links.

Of course, high directionality also implies the requirement of high precision in the alignment of the transmitter and receiver. It may be necessary to stabilize the alignment with an automatic feedback system. For ground-based receivers of signals from remote satellites (see below), one may use adaptive optics to further increase the directionality by reducing the influence of atmospheric disturbances.

The required laser powers are very moderate, since a significant part of the transmitted power can hit the receiver (e.g. a photodiode). Therefore, there are usually no significant laser safety issues, especially if eye-safe lasers emitting in the 1.5μm spectral range are used. However, the availability of services is less than with a cable, as the link can be disturbed by either atmospheric influences (e.g. heavy rain, fog, snow, or strong wind) or flying objects such as birds and drones. In this respect, free space transmission is less robust than other wireless technologies such as radio links, but it has a higher potential for transmission capacity, is immune to electromagnetic interference, and does not raise concerns about electro smog. It also does not cause interference between different data links, so it does not require a license to operate, and it is superior in terms of data security, since it is more difficult to intercept a tightly collimated laser beam than a radio link. Finally, reliability can be improved in several ways, e.g. with multi-beam architectures, larger power margins, and backup systems, and security can be extremely high with certain schemes of quantum cryptography.

Data can also be exchanged between a more distant spacecraft and a station on or near Earth. For example, planetary probes can generate large amounts of image data, and a major challenge is to send large amounts of data back to Earth. Until recently, the only available technology was radio links operating in the X- or Ka-band. Currently, optical data links are being considered primarily for the downlink, where the desired data volumes are much larger than for the uplink, and optical communications could greatly increase the transmission capacity to many megabits per second. The spacecraft then has a pulsed laser source (e.g. using pulse position modulation) and a moderate-sized optical telescope aimed at the receiver. The latter may be a large ground-based telescope or an Earth-orbiting transceiver.

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The Mr Beam is operated via a web application in your browser, so no software installation is necessary. In addition, no active Internet connection is required. So you can laser at trade fairs, markets or in your workshop in the basement without worrying about a good WiFi connection. During the development of the Mr Beam laser cutter, a focus was placed on the easy use of the device. With the Mr Beam it is possible to edit all standard formats easily. For example, you can photograph your own handwriting with your cell phone, load it into BeamOS and engrave it immediately. If you want to cut something, you simply have to create your individual design in a program of your choice or use our integrated template library with hundreds of designs for all kinds of occasions. Based on a drag and drop system, you can simply drag your template into the web interface and position it within the workspace. For user-friendly use of the device, the Mr Beam has an integrated camera on the security cover. As soon as you open it, a photo of the entire work area is taken every few seconds and enables precise placement of the materials to be processed. The process saves a lot of time, since the position of the laser template does not always have to be measured exactly in advance - just put it in and laser! Thanks to the supplied material settings, settings are suggested directly and you can get started right away.

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Ask RP Photonics for advice on free-space communication systems – e.g. concerning the selection or design of a suitable laser source, various noise issues, or beam quality requirements.

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We are honest and transparent: The filter will fill up faster because twice as much can be lasered in the same time. In the case of wood, this means twice the amount of material abrasion. But we are already working on a larger filter system. This will be available later this year and will be compatible with the dreamcut system. So feel free to follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss the launch!

Yes and no. It's not a problem for materials like felt, but for wood you should switch to magnets or our popular Cutting Sti[x]. Because the new laser head has more power, the cutting mat is no longer suitable. There would be too many smoke marks on the back of your workpiece. The cutting mat is ideal for engraving pencils, for example.

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The basic advantage of optical technology over radio is that the much shorter wavelength allows much more directional sending and receiving of information, resulting in much lower power requirements and higher data rates. This is especially important for bridging interplanetary distances. On the other hand, optical links are substantially more sensitive to weather conditions.

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The new laser head has twice the power! Thanks to the coupling of two diodes, we now have an output of 10 watts. In addition, we have completely revised the cooler design to make maintenance even more customer-friendly. Unlike the previous laser heads, all you have to do to clean the laser head is remove the bezel and clean the laser head. Disassembly is no longer necessary.

Evolution of output power and gain when an Yb-doped fiber laser is switched on. One can see the relaxation oscillations, with convergence towards the steady state. Each red or gray segment corresponds to 0.2 μs.

Discover the Mr Beam laser cutters and be inspired by their possibilities. Whether for hobby, work or your own business: the Mr Beam convinces with its advantages and its safety.

Mr Beam is a European pioneer when it comes to desktop laser cutters. With the Mr Beam II dreamcut [S] and Mr Beam II dreamcut [x], not only are devices on the market that take all safety aspects into account and can also be used indoors without any problems with the air filter, but also a "desktop laser cutter for everyone" is now available . With its in-house software, Mr Beam stands out from the crowd - BeamOS is intuitive and user-friendly.

Much less technologically challenging are data links between buildings in large cities (LAN-to-LAN connections), where a free-space laser data link over distances of hundreds of meters or even a few kilometers can be much easier and less expensive to install than any kind of cable, especially if a road or other barrier has to be crossed, or if the connection is only needed for a limited period of time. It is then possible, for example, to provide fast Internet access to all buildings involved, even if only one of them has direct access to a fiber optic network.

Free spaceoptical

The TILBA product line improves the reliability of laser communications. TILBA-ATMO optimizes free-space optical links with its simple yet robust high-performance solution to compensate for atmospheric turbulence.

Please make sure that your ribbon cable or the pins of your ribbon cable are intact. The device should also be in a very clean condition when you insert the new laser head. Small material residues, but also dirt in the interior can impair the cutting performance. Please also check if you have a 90W power supply. If you still have a 60W power supply, it is imperative that you exchange it. You can reorder the power pack at any time or order it directly with the new head.

In most cases, optical data transmission on Earth is done using fiber optics, because these allow transmission over relatively long distances without excessive power loss, alignment problems, and interference from the atmosphere. However, it is also possible to transmit data optically through free space (or similarly through water) without using any kind of waveguide structure. This type of optical communication has early origins, e.g. Alexander Graham Bell's “photophone” patent in the 1870s and the optical telegraph, and is now increasingly used both in space and on Earth. It usually requires an unobstructed line of sight between sender and receiver, and usually also some special free-space optics such as telescopes. The light source used nowadays is almost always some kind of laser (possibly combined with an amplifier), because the high directionality of a laser beam is obviously an essential ingredient for high-performance communication. The prominent role of a laser is emphasized by the term laser communications.

Severe challenges can arise from the effects of atmospheric disturbances such as clouds, dust, and fog, which can cause not only strong signal attenuation but also intersymbol interference. To solve this problem, sophisticated digital signal processing techniques have been developed that, amazingly, allow reliable high-capacity optical links even through dense clouds. In some situations, adaptive optics can also be very helpful.

It is also advantageous to have a high directionality on the receiver side: it is important not only to collect as much of the transmitter power as possible, but also to minimize interference, e.g. from background light, which introduces noise and thus reduces the data transmission capacity. Both high sensitivity and high directionality can be achieved by using a large telescope at the receiver end.