Silanna Semiconductor has launched the second product in its FirePower family of laser driver ICs. Claiming a new standard in performance, integration, and efficiency, the new SL2002 is optimized for low-voltage operation in small-form-factor systems, enabling high laser performance from a standard 3-V battery supply.

“Many portable rangefinder systems rely on bulky, inefficient boost circuits to operate from low-voltage batteries,” said Ken Boyden, product marketing director, Silanna Semiconductor, in a statement. “The SL2002 changes that, delivering compact, high-performance laser driving in a single chip that simplifies design, improves overall system efficiency and drastically lowers cost.”

(Source: Silanna Semiconductor)

Designed for small and low-cost battery-powered range finding and measurement systems, the SL2002 laser driver targets applications such as portable 3D mapping, sports rangefinders, scopes, and industrial sensors.

Silanna said the FirePower series is the industry’s first to combine resonant capacitor charging and high-current laser diode firing on a single chip. This eliminates the need for external discrete components, significantly reducing PCB footprint and simplifying system design, while reducing bill-of-materials costs and power losses.

The SL2002 can generate light pulses exceeding 1,000-W peak power. It offers a Vin-to-laser efficiency of 86%. This is a 73% improvement over traditional architectures, which typically offer efficiencies of 50% or less, Silanna said.

The SL2002, housed in a compact 14-pin, 3.5 mm² WLCSP package, is now available in sample quantities and as part of a complete evaluation kit. Silanna will showcase the SL2002 laser driver ICs at The Laser World of Photonics 2025 Exhibition, Munich, Germany, June 24-27.

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