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From: tom@cs.utah.edu (Tom Blockovich)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Can lasers be deflected electroMAGNETically?
Message-ID: <1990Jan5.151624.29170@hellgate.utah.edu>
Date: 5 Jan 90 22:16:24 GMT
References: <6220004@hpcupt1.HP.COM> <1989Dec29.211335.2414@utzoo.uucp> <13100@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <1989Dec31.224613.23057@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
Lines: 18

In article <1989Dec31.224613.23057@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:

>Most are difficult to implement and give quite small deflections,
>which is why things like laser printers still use spinning mirrors.
>-                                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^- 

A laser printer that I am familiar with is the Xerox 8700 (DEC LN01), and yes
it does use a spinning mirror (polygon).  But there is a video modulator that
deflects the laser beam.  The deflection is not alot, only about 1/4" at a 
distance of less than a foot.  That could be considerable farther away though.
The video modulator is used to deflect the beam so that it will hit a stop,
in effect turning it off and on.


Tom Blockovich

at the U of U tom@cs.utah.edu   (801)581-5805
at Digital Tom Blockovich @ slo (801)565-3043