Osram Opto SPL TR85 IR Laser Diode 850nm 220mW, 3-Pin TO-56 package

Virtual Reality (VR) enables users to completely immerse themselves in a virtual world and interact with it. In order to respond smoothly to the users’ actions, the VR system needs to know their positions and movements within the space as accurately as possible. Infrared sensors are commonly used to track the users. One such method is to scan the room with infrared laser light. This light is registered by the photodetectors mounted around the VR headset and on controllers. The SPL TR85 delivers sufficient optical power to scan a play area, which is a couple of meters wide and long, and also provides the right wavelength to function with standard photodetectors. The SPL TR85 is a single mode, edge-emitting, 850 nm laser diode mounted in a TO56 package. It delivers 200 milliwatts of output power in continuous wave operation at 225 milliamps. Another notable property is its very long life time of about 10,000 hours. This results from Osram’s long-term record of quality and reliability for laser diodes. The company has been supplying laser diodes to the automotive industry for more than 15 years and is now expanding its portfolio for the consumer market.