Abstract: Providing thermal compensation for laser diodes used in intensity modulated applications by using active feedback. A PIN diode serves as a laser light output sensor for the closed loop feedback system. The input from the PIN diode is convened into a voltage and then fed into a feedback amplifier. The PIN diode current is slightly dependent upon the temperature due to transmission effects of materials within the laser diode assembly. A temperature voltage signal generated by a semiconductor temperature sensor may be used as a second input to the feedback amplifier. The output of this amplifier is sampled at periodic intervals such as once a scan line, by a sample and hold amplifier. The output of the sample and hold amplifier is added to a data dependent modulated current reference in a summing amplifier. The output of the summing amplifier is the resultant sensor and provides an input reference to the laser driver integrated circuit.