An open source remote monitoring system has been designed and built to address the needs of researchers to provide basic illuminated visual indication of laser operation for university research laboratories that are equipped with multiple types of high-powered lasers and have limited financial resources. The 3D printed remote monitoring system selectively monitors either the total current running through a laser or a TTL shutter signal to wirelessly indicate at the laboratory entrances that a laser is in use. Several lasers can be monitored in a single room and each room entrance can have its own wireless laser activity indicator. The wireless feature eliminates the expense of in-wall wiring for the system. An emergency shut off switch is included as an optional attachment.
The publication titled, “Open Source Remote Monitoring of Research Lasers,” describes the design of the readily deployed open source laser monitoring system, including how it was built and tested for integration into a microscopy research laboratory. This webpage includes CAD files, Altium PCB files, Arduino code, documents to get started, and a disclosure that use of this system or design in any way is entirely at your own risk, as this is an experimental monitoring system that requires electronics expertise and has not been tested outside of the research lab.