testing ps2 lasers

[scampo77]

is it possible to test a laser on any consoles? if so how do i do this? it seems that just getting a disk to bot and play isnt enough to send the console out as repaired, they seem to fail after a few hours of use.

is there anyway to distinguish between a laser that is 63% good and one that is 62% good?

im mostly wondering for ps2,gamecube and xbox but any info on any console would help me out.

[l_oliveira]

There's multiple causes for DVD laser failures.

The most common one is the laser diode being worn out, which causes the laser beam to be too weak to properly read DVD discs. The PS2 was designed to read silver discs but most people insist on using DVD-R media in them.

The PS2 is purposely designed to stop working fast if you insist on using DVD-R with it.

Other cause for failure is the shoting of the tracking coil from over current.  A firmware bug on the DVD Drive controller firmware could cause the  DVD drive to freeze with the tracking coil activated, causing it to burn down.

With  the worn out DVD laser the unit will still read CDs just fine. With the burnt/shorted tracking coils nothing will be read.  Laser diodes can also overheat which mean they will read discs for a while but then stop working.

For any of these cases a optical pickup replacement is the only remedy. If the coil was burnt, it may also be necessary to replace the actuator driver IC (BA5810-BA5815 or LA6507) for one of the same kind.

[scampo77]

is there a way to verufy weather a laser is good or bad other then just putting in a disc and if it boots its good if it doesnt boot its bad? this seems like kind of a fredflintstone way of diagnosing a laser.

is there a way to test the laser brightness compared to other lasers or is there a way to measure voltage drop across a diode? what i am looking for is a reliable way to "measure" a laser and if it is X volts or ohms or candella then it is bad and if it measures up at Y then it is good

this is a queston i have been dying to find out where can i buy just the laser diodes from? i would like to be able to replace just the diodes instead of the entire assembly but i cant seem to find anyone who can sell me just that piece.

[l_oliveira]

For what you ask, there's professional tools designed with the said purpose in mind.
For example, just the adjustment DVD disc (which is made of glass by the way) costs somewhere around 150 USD.
There's also diagnosis DVD discs which are made in normal plastic materials but have specially purposely made scratches which are meant to test the laser alignment and error correction capabilities of the unit.

Also the optical tool that is used to measure the output of the laser diodes cost somewhere around two thousand dollars. Not very practical for someone who is looking to repair two or three consoles, to be honest.

Finally the lasers on the PS2 optical pickups are custom made. Highly integrated ICs which contain both LASER diodes and the receiver photodiodes in a single die plus prismatic mirrors and lens. The laser has only a prismatic mirror and the focusing assembly.  Very impressive technology.

They dropped the single IC design on the PS2 slim due to costs.
Turned out the single IC design isn't practical if they want to purchase dirty cheap lasers from Chinese companies instead of making their own.

[scampo77]

if i buy one of these test discs is it only for the ps2 or can i use it on other apps like a dvd player or a gamecube?

what is the the name of the tool used for testing the brightness of the laser? i would be willing to spend the money

[l_oliveira]

The glass adjust disc is generic and it may be possible to get one as they're used for generic DVD player servicing.
The test discs I mentioned are PS2-specific and you won't be able to purchase them.