Abstract: Attempting to obtain a large but controlled extinction ratio is ultimately the source of many problems with practical laser drivers. On the one hand the laser must never operate below the threshold current, because this will cause an unpredictable start-up delay and a poor waveform (due to relaxation oscillation), in addition to increased noise and degraded laser spectral properties ("chirp"). On the other hand, laser characteristics are somewhat variable from one to the next, and in any case they vary with temperature and age. The application note you have requested is available in Acrobat PDF format: APPLICATION NOTE 878: MAX3865: The MAX3865 Laser Driver with Automatic Modulation Control (PDF, 127kB) A free Acrobat PDF reader is available from: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html We Want Your Feedback! Automatic Updates Would you like to be automatically notified when new application notes are published in your areas of interest? Sign up for EE-Mail™. More Information   APP 878: Dec 12, 2001 MAX3865 2.5Gbps Laser Driver with Automatic Modulation Control Full Data Sheet (PDF, 796kB)   Download, PDF Format (127kB)  AN878, AN 878, APP878, Appnote878, Appnote 878