CN102594354A - Time-to-digital converter based on time-to-amplitude conversion method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a time-to-digital converter based on a time-to-amplitude conversion method. A triangle wave generation device, a data collection device and a data reception and processing device are employed to measure information of time difference between a trigger edge of a first trigger signal and a trigger edge of a second trigger signal. The time-to-digital converter is characterized in that: the triangle wave generation device outputs a symmetrical positive triangle wave voltage analog signal; when the trigger edge of the first trigger signal or the trigger edge of the second trigger signal comes, an A/D converter of the data collection device collects and maintains the voltage value of the symmetrical positive triangle wave voltage analog signal at the moment; within time from the trigger edge of the first trigger signal to the trigger edge of the second trigger signal, a signal peak and valley counter of the data collection device records information of the peak and the valley of the symmetrical positive triangle wave voltage analog signal; and the data reception and processing device receives and carries out processing on the data, so that a time-to-digital conversion result is obtained. According to the invention, the time-to-digital converter can be applied to correlated fields of laser range finding and laser three-dimensional measurement.

Description

A kind of time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of time-to-digit converter, particularly a kind of time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique.

Background technology

In order to satisfy the different application demand, people have been developed the different time digital conversion method, are divided into three kinds from design philosophy: direct counting method, delay collimation method and time-amplitude converter technique.The direct counting method principle is simple, but that the clock frequency that counter works needs is difficult to accomplish is very high, and this has directly influenced conversion accuracy.Postpone collimation method and utilize semiconductor technology to be easy to making and integrated, conversion accuracy is high, but the dynamic range of Measuring Time is restricted.

The time-amplitude converter technique utilizes the corresponding relation of time interval length and certain physical quantity changes in amplitude amount, and through the measuring amplitude variable quantity, indirect calculation goes out time interval length.The most frequently used is the RC circuit, and electric capacity is discharged and recharged, and measures the variable quantity of electric capacity voltage.There is capacity fall off in common RC circuit; Problems such as capacitor discharge time is long; The time amplifying technique that had proposed follow-on RC circuit afterwards and can obtain higher conversion accuracy; But on the whole,, there are bigger Dead Time (interval time of measurement) and the little shortcoming of Measuring Time dynamic range though this method can obtain higher conversion accuracy.

Summary of the invention

In order to solve the many shortcomings that exist in traditional time-amplitude converter technique; The invention provides a kind of time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude conversion; Utilize the characteristic of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of symmetry; Earlier tested time span is converted into the voltage variety of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of symmetry, handle the voltage data that obtains then, finally obtain the result of time figure conversion.

A kind of time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique provided by the invention, adopt following technical scheme:

A kind of time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique; Adopt triangular wave generating means, data acquisition unit and Data Receiving and processing unit to measure the time difference information on triggering edge with the triggering edge of second triggering signal of first triggering signal, it is characterized in that said triangular wave generating means comprises triangular-wave generator and control circuit thereof; Said data acquisition unit comprises A/D converter and signal wave crest trough counter; Said Data Receiving and processing unit comprise data transaction transmitting device and data computation device; Said triangular-wave generator is exported the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of symmetry under the control of control circuit; Said data acquisition unit is gathered the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of the symmetry of said triangular-wave generator output; The triggering of said first triggering signal along or the triggering of said second triggering signal when arriving, said A/D converter collection also keeps the magnitude of voltage of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of symmetry this moment; The triggering of said first triggering signal is along in the time on the triggering edge of said second triggering signal, the crest and the trough information of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of said signal wave crest trough counter records symmetry; The data that said Data Receiving and processing unit receive and the processing said data harvester obtains; Pass to said data computation device after the data transaction that said data transaction transmitting device obtains said data acquisition unit, calculate the time difference information on triggering edge with the triggering edge of second triggering signal of first triggering signal.

Wherein, the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of said triangular-wave generator output symmetry requires output signal frequency stability high, and nonlinear distortion is little.

Wherein, the operating state of said triangular-wave generator control circuit control triangular-wave generator is regulated the frequency and the peak value of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of the symmetry of being exported.

Wherein, Described A/D converter has two, and A/D conversion accuracy satisfies the requirement of time figure conversion accuracy, and the analog-to-digital conversion time is satisfied the requirement of interval time of measurement; And possesses the external trigger controlled function, through the operating state of first triggering signal or second triggering signal control A/D converter.

Wherein, The type (no counting or crest or trough) of first counting of said signal wave crest trough counter records signal wave peak number, trough number and differentiation record; And possesses the counting controlled function, through the operating state of first triggering signal and the second triggering signal control signal Wave crest and wave trough counter.

Wherein, said data transaction transmitting device possesses the function of Data Format Transform and transmission, and the data format of output satisfies the requirement of said data computation device.

Main characteristic of the present invention: it is high to have the time figure conversion accuracy, the advantage that interval time of measurement the range of dynamic measurement short and time is greatly expanded.

Benefit of the present invention and application prospect: the present invention is on the basis of time-amplitude converter technique; Make full use of the characteristic of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of symmetry, realized the big time figure conversion of high accuracy, short interval time of measurement and time range of dynamic measurement.The present invention can be applied to laser ranging and 3-d laser measurement association area.

Description of drawings

Below in conjunction with accompanying drawing and embodiment the present invention is done further explain.

Fig. 1 is the structured flowchart of a kind of time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique of the present invention

Fig. 2 is the signal timing diagram of a kind of time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique of the present invention

Embodiment

Fig. 1 has shown the structured flowchart of a kind of time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique of the present invention, in the invention embodiment, comprises triangular wave generating means 1, data acquisition unit 2 and Data Receiving and processing unit 3.Triangular-wave generator 12 is under the control of control circuit 11, and the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal SGN-0 of output symmetry is as the data input signal of A/D converter 21 with A/D converter 22 and signal wave crest trough counter 23.The first triggering signal SGN-1 links to each other with the external trigger control end of A/D converter 21 and the counting control end of signal wave crest trough counter 23.When the triggering of the first triggering signal SGN-1 when arriving, A/D converter 21 is started working, and gathers and keep the magnitude of voltage of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal SNG-0 of this moment symmetry, and control signal Wave crest and wave trough counter 23 begins to count; The second triggering signal SGN-2 links to each other with the external trigger control end of A/D converter 22 and the counting control end of signal wave crest trough counter 23.When the triggering of the second triggering signal SGN-2 when arriving, A/D converter 22 is started working, and gathers and keep the magnitude of voltage of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal SNG-0 of this moment symmetry, and control signal Wave crest and wave trough counter 23 stops to count.Data transaction transmitting device 31 is transferred to data computation device 32 to the data that data acquisition unit 2 obtains through after the format conversion, calculates the time difference information of the triggering edge of the first triggering signal SGN-1 to the triggering edge of the second triggering signal SGN-2.

Fig. 2 has shown a kind of signal timing diagram of the time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique, and the cycle of establishing the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal SGN-0 of symmetry is T, and peak value is V _pAt t ₁Constantly, the triggering of the first triggering signal SGN-1 is along arrival, and A/D converter 21 is started working, and the magnitude of voltage of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal SGN-0 of the symmetry of collection and maintenance is V ₁At t ₂Constantly, the triggering of the second triggering signal SGN-2 is along arrival, and A/D converter 22 is started working, and the magnitude of voltage of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal SGN-0 of the symmetry of collection and maintenance is V ₂t ₁The time be carved into t ₂Constantly, the crest number of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal SGN-0 of the symmetry noted of signal wave crest trough counter 23 is n _P1, the trough number is n _P2, the type of first counting is type (0 representative does not have counting, and 1 represents crest, and 2 represent trough).T then ₁The time be carved into t ₂Time difference T constantly _T2-t1:

$T_{t2-\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="1"\; label="t"\; filenames="HDA0000140125390000011.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">t</figure-callout>}1}=\left\{\begin{array}{cc}\frac{T|V_1-V_2|}{2V_p}& \mathrm{type}=0,{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="1"\; label="n\; p"\; filenames="HDA0000140125390000011.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">n</figure-callout>}}_p={\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="n\; p"\; filenames="HDA0000140125390000011.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">n</figure-callout>}}_p=0\\ \frac{T(V_p+V_2-V_1)}{2V_p}+(n-\frac{1}{2})T& \mathrm{type}=1,{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="1"\; label="n\; p"\; filenames="HDA0000140125390000011.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">n</figure-callout>}}_p={\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="n\; p"\; filenames="HDA0000140125390000011.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">n</figure-callout>}}_p=n,n=\mathrm{1,2,3},...\\ \frac{T(V_p+V_1-V_2)}{2V_p}+(n-\frac{1}{2})T& \mathrm{type}=2,{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="1"\; label="n\; p"\; filenames="HDA0000140125390000011.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">n</figure-callout>}}_p={\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="n\; p"\; filenames="HDA0000140125390000011.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">n</figure-callout>}}_p=n,n=\mathrm{1,2,3},...\\ \frac{T(2V_p-V_1-V_2)}{2V_p}+(n-1)T& \mathrm{type}=1,n_{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="1"\; label="p"\; filenames="HDA0000140125390000011.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">p</figure-callout>}1}=n,n_{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="p"\; filenames="HDA0000140125390000011.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">p</figure-callout>}2}=n-1,n=\mathrm{1,2,3},...\\ \frac{T(V_1+V_2)}{2V_p}+(n-1)T& \mathrm{type}=2,n_{p1}=n-1,n_{p2}=n,n=\mathrm{1,2,3},...\end{array}\right.$

The above is embodiments of the invention, and according to content disclosed by the invention, the equalization of being done changes and modifies, and all should fall within protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (6)

1. time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique; Adopt triangular wave generating means, data acquisition unit and Data Receiving and processing unit to measure the time difference information on triggering edge with the triggering edge of second triggering signal of first triggering signal, it is characterized in that said triangular wave generating means comprises triangular-wave generator and control circuit thereof; Said data acquisition unit comprises A/D converter and signal wave crest trough counter; Said Data Receiving and processing unit comprise data transaction transmitting device and data computation device; Said triangular-wave generator is exported the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of symmetry under the control of control circuit; Said data acquisition unit is gathered the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of the symmetry of said triangular-wave generator output; The triggering of said first triggering signal along or the triggering of said second triggering signal when arriving, said A/D converter collection also keeps the magnitude of voltage of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of symmetry this moment; The triggering of said first triggering signal is along in the time on the triggering edge of said second triggering signal, the crest and the trough information of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of said signal wave crest trough counter records symmetry; The data that said Data Receiving and processing unit receive and the processing said data harvester obtains; Pass to said data computation device after the data transaction that said data transaction transmitting device obtains said data acquisition unit, calculate the time difference information on triggering edge with the triggering edge of second triggering signal of first triggering signal.

2. a kind of time-to-digit converter based on the time-amplitude converter technique according to claim 1 is characterized in that the symmetrical positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of said triangular-wave generator output, requires output signal frequency stability high, and nonlinear distortion is little.

3. a kind of time-to-digit converter according to claim 1 based on the time-amplitude converter technique; It is characterized in that the operating state of said triangular-wave generator control circuit control triangular-wave generator, regulate the frequency and the peak value of the positive triangle wave voltage analog signal of the symmetry of being exported.

4. a kind of time-to-digit converter according to claim 1 based on the time-amplitude converter technique; It is characterized in that described A/D converter has two; A/D conversion accuracy satisfies the requirement of time figure conversion accuracy; The analog-to-digital conversion time is satisfied the requirement of interval time of measurement, and possesses the external trigger controlled function, through the operating state of first triggering signal or second triggering signal control A/D converter.

5. a kind of time-to-digit converter according to claim 1 based on the time-amplitude converter technique; It is characterized in that said signal wave crest trough counter records signal wave peak number, trough number and distinguish the type (no counting or crest or trough) of first counting of record; And possesses the counting controlled function, through the operating state of first triggering signal and the second triggering signal control signal Wave crest and wave trough counter.

6. a kind of time-to-digit converter according to claim 1 based on the time-amplitude converter technique; It is characterized in that said data transaction transmitting device possesses the function of Data Format Transform and transmission, the data format of output satisfies the requirement of said data computation device.

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