Optimizing flying‐spot display designs based on the upcoming edition of the laser safety standard

The evaluation concept of the laser safety standard International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60825 for scanning-beam projectors is presented. The most important parameters are identified as well as the impact of the expected changes to the laser safety standard IEC 60825 Edition 2. Vital differences are pointed out, and the maximum permissible output power for class 2 lasers is discussed in detail. In special focus is the case of two pulses falling into the aperture within the thermal confinement time, because this is one of the major scenarios being affected by the revision. It is shown that the upcoming third edition of the standard allows significantly more power for flying-spot projectors, and finally, we provide a quick way to determine the permitted laser power depending on typical design parameters.