KR20190036020A - Apparatus for controlling multichannel laser diodes light source and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for controlling a multichannel laser diode light source which comprises: an interface board communicating with a PC by a RS-232 protocol; and a main board communicating with the interface board by a RS-485 protocol and controlling a laser diode according to an administrator command from the PC through the interface board in order to efficiently control the multichannel laser diode light source having a plurality of channels in which a plurality of laser diodes are included in one channel and a control method therefor. Thus, while main functions required for current supply, temperature control, and other laser diode operations are provided to multichannel laser diode light source, individual operation information on the laser diode and integrated operation information on the light source are provided to an administrator, thereby enabling the administrator to quickly and accurately monitor and manage the light source and increasing the use efficiency of normal laser diodes compared to broken laser diodes.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus and a control method thereof,

The present invention relates to a laser diode control apparatus and, more particularly, to a multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus capable of easily and efficiently controlling a multi-channel laser diode light source composed of a plurality of channels including a plurality of laser diodes in one channel, And a control method thereof.

A laser diode (LD) is one of semiconductor elements, and is a diode element that emits light in the same manner as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). LD is used for general household appliances such as optical storage medium such as CD / DVD, optical communication, solid laser light pumping, laser printing for image recording, entertainment, display device inspection and barcode scanner, Application of spatial communication such as optical integrated circuit, laser distance meter, inter-satellite communication, inter-building visible light communication such as integrated circuit, laser, optical modulator, optical detector and optical waveguide using photonic crystal structure, And applications to various measuring instruments.

LD has a small edge-emitter length of several hundreds of millimeters and a width of about 5 mm. It is not only cheap, but also has high efficiency compared to most solid / gas lasers and has a long service life of several 10,000 to 100,000 hours. And has a relative strength. In addition, the LD has a single wavelength with a narrow spectral width, outputs a light having a constant phase and high directivity, and has an advantage that energy control is easy.

In recent years, LDs have been used in the form of LDs for UV lasers and CO2 lasers for photolithography, which have been inherent applications of gas / solid-state lasers. Particularly, such an LD array (LDA) has been actively researched since it does not require a large and large installation site, large driving power, and a large cooling device, which were required in conventional gas / solid state lasers.

However, in addition to the advantages described above, LDs can have a current of several tens to several hundreds of mA depending on the voltage difference which is very weak due to the characteristics of the diode device, and the device can be destroyed by a voltage difference of 0.1 v. Constant Current, CC). In addition, since the LD can be easily broken by various causes such as static electricity, spike, noise, overcurrent, and high temperature, careful attention must be paid to driving and controlling.

A part of the LD constituting the LDA applied to various light sources stops operating frequently according to the characteristics of the LD described above. The LDA typically has a plurality of channels connected in series. When two or more LDs are turned off in one channel, a plurality of normal LDs remaining in the channel can not be used. There is a problem that the use efficiency is low.

KR 10-0600403 B1 (2006.07.05.) KR 10-2017-0100363E (2017.09.04.) KR 10-2015-0002667 A (2015.01.07.)

D.L. Begley, D.K. Wagner, D.S. Hill, Soc. Photo-Opt. Indtrum. Eng. 756, 19, 1987; R.S. Cross et al., Science 237,1305,1987. Qu, Yi, et al. "High-power InAlGaAs / GaAs and AlGaAs / GaAs semiconductor laser arrays at 808 nm." IEEE Photonics Technology Letters 16.2 (2004): 389-391. However, "High Power Semiconductor Laser Diode Array." The world of electricity 49.1 (2000): 27-31.

Accordingly, the present inventor has intensively solved the limitations and problems of the conventional LDA light source control device by taking the above-mentioned matters into consideration in order to maximize the utilization efficiency using the normally operating LD with respect to the malfunctioning LD As a result, the present invention has been invented as a result.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multichannel laser diode light source having a plurality of channels including a plurality of laser diodes in one channel, a main function for current supply, temperature control, and other laser diode operation A multi-channel laser diode light source (not shown) is provided to provide the manager with individual operation information on the laser diode and integrated operation information on the light source, and to control the light source including the normal laser diode other than the failed laser diode to operate normally And a control method therefor.

Herein, the technical object and object to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the technical object and purpose mentioned above, and another technical object and purpose not mentioned can be understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for controlling a multi-channel laser diode light source comprising a plurality of channels including a plurality of laser diodes in one channel, An interface board communicating with the RS-232 protocol; And a main board that communicates with the interface board through an RS-485 protocol and controls the laser diode according to an administrator command from the PC through the interface board.

In the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention, the interface board may include an RS-485 connector for RS-485 protocol communication with the main board, an RS-232 An external trigger signal input connector for inputting an external trigger signal and controlling the laser diode with an external pulse signal; A trigger signal input display LED and a trigger signal output display LED for indicating a state in which the control mode based on the external trigger signal is selected by the manager and the external trigger signal is being output to the main board .

In the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention, the main board may include an RS-485 connector for RS-485 protocol communication with the interface board, and four laser diode output connectors for one channel A variable resistor for variably setting a maximum drive current for outputting the laser diode in hardware, a laser diode for indicating the ON / OFF state of the laser diode, An on / off indicator LED, a laser diode error indication LED that indicates when the laser diode is in error and is turned off during normal operation, a pulse mode indicator LED that indicates when the pulse mode operation is performed by an external trigger signal, A power supply input connector for receiving, and a firmware supply unit And a temperature sensor connector connected to an ISP port and a temperature sensor mounted on the light source to check the temperature of the light source.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a multi-channel laser diode light source comprising a plurality of channels including a plurality of laser diodes in one channel, Registering an ID number of the main board when one or more main boards are connected to a PC via an interface board in correspondence with a multi-channel laser diode light source and connected to a laser diode; Driving and monitoring the light source according to driving control of the light source from the PC after the ID number registration of the main board is completed; Transmitting an alarm signal to the PC when a channel in which current supply is interrupted is detected; When an Auto Run command signal is applied from the PC, the operation of the light source is temporarily stopped, and a predetermined current is applied to all the laser diodes connected to the main board to one laser diode, Detecting a number of laser diodes failing; And displaying the detected laser diode when the failed laser diode is detected and driving the light source by supplying a driving current to the remaining normal laser diode by bypassing the current applied to the failed laser diode .

As described above, the present invention provides main functions required for current supply, temperature control, and other laser diode operations to a multi-channel laser diode light source, and also provides individual operation information on a laser diode and integrated operation information on a light source to a manager So that the manager can monitor and manage the light source quickly and accurately.

In addition, the present invention can increase the efficiency of use of a normal laser diode compared to a failed laser diode, thereby increasing the effective life of the light source, thereby improving the production efficiency.

1 is a block diagram of a multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an interface board in the control apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a main board in the control apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a control flowchart illustrating a laser diode control process of the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention.
Fig. 5 is an exemplary view of a control screen for displaying and managing the state of the control apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a multi-channel laser diode light source control device and a control method thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The same features of the Figures represent the same reference symbols wherever possible. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives. In the following description of the present invention, detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

Hereinafter, the attached drawings are exaggerated or simplified in order to facilitate understanding and clarification of the structure and operation of the technology, and it is to be understood that each component does not exactly coincide with the actual size.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like are used to specify that there is a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component or a combination thereof described in the specification, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

In addition, when an element is referred to as including an element, it is understood that the element may include other elements, not the other element, unless specifically stated otherwise, and the meaning of the term " Means a unit or module type that processes at least one function or operation, and may be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It is to be understood that the same terms as those defined in the commonly used terms are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention and are to be construed in accordance with the technical idea of the present invention and the meaning commonly understood or commonly recognized in the technical field And is not to be construed as an ideal or overly formal sense unless expressly defined to the contrary.

Each block of the accompanying block diagrams and combinations of steps of the flowchart may be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded into a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus so that the instructions, which may be executed by a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, And means for performing the functions described in each step are created.

It should be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions mentioned in the blocks or steps may occur out of order. For example, two blocks or steps shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially concurrently, or the blocks or steps may sometimes be performed in reverse order according to the corresponding function.

1 is a block diagram of a multichannel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention. The multichannel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention includes an interface for communicating with the PC 10 via the RS-232 protocol (L1) A main board 100 for controlling the LD 20 in accordance with an administrator command from the PC 10 via the interface board 200 and an interface board 200 for communicating with the interface board 200 via the RS- ).

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of main boards 100 may be connected to an interface board 200 through an RS-485 protocol (L2), and the first main boards # 1 and # 2 main boards (# 2) may be connected to each other via an RS-485 protocol (L3). The plurality of main boards 100 operate by being supplied with power from the power supply 30, and the operation power supplied to the main board 100 may be DC 20-24V. In FIG. 1, three main boards 100 constitute one main board module 101, and a total of 144EA (48EA * 3) LD 20 can be controlled.

In particular, since the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention can be connected to the PC 20 in the form of a board, it is simple to mount, requires no separate mounting space, do.

For example, the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention can control up to 48EA (12 channels, 4 serial) LDs 20 through a single main board 100 in a constant current mode, 1000mA (default setting 600mA) can be accommodated. In addition, the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention provides two control modes, and an administrator can select the control mode through the PC 10. [ Two control modes are available: control mode (continuous mode) via RS-485 protocol and control mode (pulse mode) via external trigger signal. The control mode via the external trigger signal can be selected when an LDA light source is to be driven quickly using an external pulse.

The main functions of the multi-channel laser diode light source control device according to the present invention include LD output control, LD on / off control, temperature check of light source and board, real time measurement of LD current, input voltage measurement and LD status check This is possible. In addition, the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention may include a function of forcibly terminating the LD when the LDA light source exceeds a preset limit temperature.

Hereinafter, the interface board 200 and the main board 100 of the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the interface board of the control apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the main board of the control apparatus of FIG. 2 and 3, the interface board 200 communicates with the main board 100 through the RS-485 protocol (L2), communicates with the PC 10 via the RS-232 protocol (L1) 100) with the PC 10 or the PLC.

To this end, the interface board 200 includes RS-485 connectors 210 and 220 and an RS-232 connector 230. Here, one of the RS-485 connectors 210 and 220 may include a power port, and the other one may not include a power port.

The interface board 200 further includes a JTAG connector 240 for downloading firmware and an external TRIG_IN connector 250 for receiving an external trigger signal and controlling the LD 20 with an external pulse signal. Accordingly, the interface board 200 includes an LED (TRIG IN, 260) for displaying a status so that when an external signal is being input, an LED (TRIG IN, 260) And an LED (TRIG OUT) 270 for displaying an external trigger signal when the external trigger signal is output to the main board 100 may be further provided.

The main board 100 receives a communication signal and an external trigger signal through an RS-485 protocol (L2) through the interface board 200 according to a control command of the PC 10 and selectively controls and monitors the LD 20 And an RS-485 connector (110) To this end, the main board 100 includes a total of 48 LD output connectors 160 including 12 channels in which four LD output connectors form one channel. At this time, each LD output connector 160 includes a bypass circuit so that when one LD is off and no current is supplied, the circuit is bypassed according to a control to be described later so that the remaining LD can operate normally .

The main board 100 further includes a variable resistor 120 that can variably set a maximum driving current for outputting the LD by hardware and includes an LED (not shown) LD (On) / Off (Off)) 170, an LED (Error, 180) for displaying an LD error and turning off during normal operation, and an LED .

The main board 100 includes an RS-485 connector 140 for receiving power from the power supply 30, an ISP port 130 for connecting the firmware supply unit when the firmware is downloaded, And a temperature sensor connector 150 connected to the sensor to check the temperature of the light source.

FIG. 4 is a control flowchart illustrating a laser diode control process of the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the laser diode control process of the multichannel laser diode light source control apparatus Will be described in detail. 4 may be performed by a control program installed in the PC 10 and an MCU mounted on the main board 100 driven by the control program.

First, one or more main boards 100 corresponding to the LDA light source are mounted on the PC 10 via the interface board 200 and connected to the LD 20 to register the ID number of the main board 100 (301 step).

The ID number registration of the motherboard 100 in step 301 is completed and the light source is driven in step 303 according to the driving control of the LDA light source from the PC 10 and monitoring is started. Thereafter, when a channel in which current supply is interrupted is detected (step 305), an alarm signal is transmitted to the PC 10 and a command signal is awaited (step 307).

If an Auto Run command signal is applied from the PC 10 in step 309 and after step 307, the flow advances to step 311 to execute an auto run. The autorun temporarily suspends the operation of the LDA light source and applies a predetermined current to all the LDs connected to the main board 100 to detect the failure of the LD of the channel in which the problem occurs .

If it is determined in step 311 that the off-state LD is detected, the process proceeds to step 313 where a fault LD is displayed. In step 315, a current supplied to the fault LD is bypassed to supply a driving current to the remaining normal LD Drive the light source. Accordingly, the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention can normally drive the light source even if two of the four LDs constituting one channel are turned off.

As described above, the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention not only detects a faulty LD very quickly, but also can supply a current to the remaining normally operating LD except for the detected fault LD, The ratio of the available LD can be increased.

FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a control screen for displaying and managing the state of the control apparatus of FIG. 1. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the details of the control program of the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention Will be described in detail.

The control program 300 of the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention includes a communication setting unit 310, a main board control unit 320, an LD control unit 330, a channel control unit 340, an LD status display unit 350, An error display unit 360, an LD output value display unit 370, a communication information display unit 380, and a real time communication information display unit 390.

The communication setting unit 310 includes a communication setting unit 310 for setting an RS-232 protocol (L1) between the PC 10 and the interface board 200. The communication setting unit 310 can set a port and a communication speed for communication, set a network environment with the server, and display the set communication information.

The main board controller 320 sets and stores the IDs of the main board 100, the control mode and the channel ID, the ID of the main board 100 to be changed, the control mode to be changed and the channel ID to be changed And a setting button. In addition, the main-board control unit 320 includes buttons for turning on / off the entire output of the selected main board 100 and for setting a bridge for checking and bypassing all the LDs constituting the light source And has an auto scan button.

The LD control unit 330 includes an 'Intensity' menu for controlling the output of the entire LD through 12-bit control, a 'Current' menu for controlling the output of the LD through the current control, A 'Temperature' menu for setting an external temperature value of the LDA light source, the interface board 200, and the main board 100, and a pulse mode control based on an external trigger signal. The frequency of the external trigger signal and the duty value Quot; Trigger "

The channel controller 340 includes a setting unit and an on / off button for individually setting and turning on / off the output of each channel constituting the LDA light source.

The LD status display unit 350 displays information related to the statuses of all the LDs of the main board 100 selected by the main board control unit 320 and displays the status of the bad, Indicate at a glance.

The error display unit 360 displays an error message when an error occurs in the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus according to the present invention.

The LD output value display unit 370 displays graphically the output value of the LD being scanned in the selection or auto scan.

The communication information display unit 380 displays transmission / reception data generated during driving of the control program, and the real-time communication information display unit 390 displays real-time information and received data that are being monitored in relation to the status of the LD.

As described above, the multi-channel laser diode light source control apparatus and the control method thereof according to the present invention provide main functions necessary for current supply, temperature control, and other laser diode operation to a multi-channel laser diode light source, And provides integrated information about the operation and the light source to the manager so that the manager can monitor and manage the light source quickly and accurately.

Also, the multi-channel laser diode light source control device and the control method thereof according to the present invention can increase the efficiency of use of the normal laser diode compared to the failed laser diode, thereby increasing the effective life of the light source, thereby increasing the production efficiency.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited by the described embodiments, but should be determined by the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

10: PC 20: Laser diode (LD)
30: Power supply 100: Main board
200: Interface board 300: Control program
L1: RS-232 protocol L2, L3: RS-485 protocol

Claims (4)

An apparatus for controlling a multi-channel laser diode light source comprising a plurality of channels including a plurality of laser diodes in one channel,
An interface board communicating with the PC via an RS-232 protocol; And
And a main board that communicates with the interface board through an RS-485 protocol and controls the laser diode according to an administrator command from the PC through the interface board.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface board comprises:
An RS-485 connector for RS-485 protocol communication with the main board,
An RS-232 connector for RS-232 protocol communication with the PC,
A JTAG connector for firmware download,
An external trigger signal input connector for receiving an external trigger signal and controlling the laser diode with an external pulse signal,
A trigger signal input display LED for indicating a state in which the external trigger signal is being input,
And a trigger signal output display LED for indicating a state in which the control mode based on the external trigger signal is selected by the manager in the PC and the external trigger signal is being output to the main board. Light source control device.
The apparatus of claim 1,
An RS-485 connector for RS-485 protocol communication with the interface board,
A total of 48 laser diode output connectors, including four channels of 12 laser diode output connectors,
A variable resistor for variably setting a maximum driving current for outputting the laser diode in hardware,
A laser diode ON / OFF display LED for indicating an ON / OFF operation state of the laser diode,
A laser diode error indication LED that indicates when a laser diode error occurs and is turned off during normal operation,
A pulse mode display LED for displaying a pulse mode operation by an external trigger signal,
A power input connector for receiving power from the power supply,
And a temperature sensor connector connected to an ISP port connected to the firmware supply device when the firmware is downloaded and a temperature sensor mounted on the light source to check the temperature of the light source.
A method of controlling a multi-channel laser diode light source including a plurality of channels including a plurality of laser diodes in one channel,
Registering an ID number of the main board when one or more main boards are connected to a PC via an interface board in correspondence with a multi-channel laser diode light source and connected to a laser diode;
Driving and monitoring the light source according to driving control of the light source from the PC after the ID number registration of the main board is completed;
Transmitting an alarm signal to the PC when a channel in which current supply is interrupted is detected;
When an Auto Run command signal is applied from the PC, the operation of the light source is temporarily stopped, and a predetermined current is applied to all the laser diodes connected to the main board to one laser diode, Detecting a number of laser diodes failing; And
And displaying the detected laser diode when the malfunctioning laser diode is detected and driving the light source by supplying a driving current to the remaining normal laser diode by bypassing the current applied to the malfunctioning laser diode. Channel laser diode light source control method.

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