Life hacks - DIY Thorlabs compatible LEDs

[Benjamin Smith]

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Hey Microscopists,

I just wanted to share a trick where for under $50 and about 10 minutes of
work, you can make Thorlabs compatible LEDs.  This is especially useful for
custom wavelengths or powers, as well as to save a few dollars.

It turns out that a Starboard LED will fit quite snugly into the Thorlabs
SM1 end-cap (see following pictures):
Green alignment laser used to check LED position in end-cap -
http://bit.ly/2Iv6d4t
Heatsink and wire on back of LED end-cap - http://bit.ly/2KwiDeC
LED alignment setup - http://bit.ly/2N5DasB

Parts needed to assemble the LED:

   - Starboard LED - http://bit.ly/2L6L42b
   - Thorlabs SM1 end-cap -
   https://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=SM1CP2
   - Heatsink -
   https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/wakefield-vette/901-19-2-23-2-B-0/345-1149-ND/4815155
   - Thermal epoxy -
   https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/mg-chemicals/8329TCM-6ML/473-1220-ND/6035511
   - Wire
   - Shrink tubing
   - Solder

To assemble the LED, use the following steps:

   1. Drill a small hole near the inside rim of the cap to pass the wire
   through
   2. Solder the wires onto the Starboard
   3. Run the wires through the end cap, and use a piece of shrink tubing
   to protect the part that passes through the metal
   4. Spread a thin layer of thermal epoxy onto the back of the Starboard
   LED and attach it onto the inside of the cap pressing firmly (sliding side
   to side also helps to ensure a good bond)
   5. Spread a thin layer of thermal epoxy onto the back of the heatsink
   and attach it onto the outside of the cap pressing firmly  (sliding side to
   side also helps to ensure a good bond)
   6. (Optional) Either use an alignment laser or caliper to center the
   LED, although eyeballing should get you within a millimeter.
   7. Let the epoxy cure and you have yourself a Thorlabs compatible LED
   (minus the EEPROM of course)

A more elegant attachment method would be to drill and tap the end-cap, and
then bolt the Starboard onto the end-cap but that would be a bit more time
consuming.

Cheers,
   Ben Smith

--
Benjamin E. Smith, Ph. D.
Imaging Specialist, Vision Science
University of California, Berkeley
195 Life Sciences Addition
Berkeley, CA  94720-3200
Tel  [phone]
Fax [phone]
e-mail: [hidden email]
http://vision.berkeley.edu/?page_id=5635 <http://vision.berkeley.edu/>