Laser projector

Lasers offer potentially brighter projected images as compared to a conventional projector, with more vibrant colors.

Galvanometers (also called "scanners" or "galvos") are computer-controlled electromagnetic devices that move mirrors mounted on the end of rotary shafts.

Placing the galvanometers close together at 90 degrees to each other allows full movement of the laser beam within a defined square area.

DMX was originally designed to control theatrical lighting, but has spread to laser projectors over the years.

However, DMX does not allow the user to design and display their own graphics/animations, it is simply a way of controlling the patterns included in the laser projector.

The individual red, blue and green lasers are then controlled in brightness (modulated) to produce any desired color in the final beam.

Blanking is a state in which the laser beam turns off while the mirrors change position while creating the image.

With gas lasers, such as argon or krypton, this was not possible, and blanking was carried out using a third galvanometer that mechanically interrupted the beam.

New technology brought a Poly-Chromatic Acousto-Optic Modulator, or PCAOM, which provided high-speed electronic blanking, intensity control, and color selection of a multi-color laser beam.

This signal is usually a voltage in the range of 0 V to 5 V. With an RGB laser and analog modulation there are, with an 8 bit system, 16.7 million total colors available.

With an RGB laser and TTL blanking there seven colors available: red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, and white.