WO2021143601A1

WO2021143601A1 - Pulse emission control circuit and control method

Info

Publication number: WO2021143601A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/070517
Authority: WO
Inventors: 何世栋; 蔡中华; 张化红; 高磊; 钱振海
Original assignee: 华为技术有限公司
Priority date: 2020-01-13
Filing date: 2021-01-06
Publication date: 2021-07-22
Also published as: CN113109788A

Abstract

The present application provides a pulse emission control circuit and control method, relating to the technical field of pulse control. The pulse emission control circuit comprises a pulse generation unit, a first switch subcircuit, and a power control subcircuit. A pulse generator is connected to a first node and the first switch subcircuit. An energy storage subunit is connected to the first node and a first voltage end. The first node is connected to a power supply voltage end. The first switch subcircuit is connected to the pulse generation unit, a first control signal end, and a second node. The pulse generation unit is used to control, when the pulse generator is connected to the second node, the pulse generator to generate a pulse signal. The power control subcircuit comprises an energy storage unit and a control unit. The energy storage unit is connected to the second node and a second voltage end. The control unit is connected to the second node and a second control signal end. The power control subcircuit is used to control a voltage at the second node. The pulse emission control circuit solves the problem of non-adjustable pulse energy.

Description

Pulse emission control circuit and control method

This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office, the application number is 202010033201.7, and the invention title is "Pulse Emission Control Circuit and Control Method" on January 13, 2020, the entire content of which is incorporated into this application by reference middle.

Technical field

This application relates to the technical field of pulse control, and in particular to a pulse emission control circuit and control method.

Background technique

Optical ranging (that is, measuring the time required for the light to travel back and forth from the target to calculate the distance to the target) is currently a commonly used method of distance measurement. Taking lidar as an example, the distance between the target object and the lidar can be accurately obtained by calculating the time from laser emission to receiving. In practice, in order to obtain a longer detection distance, it is necessary to increase the output light energy of the laser transmitter. The form of this light energy is pulsed. The duration of the pulse is from a few nanoseconds to tens of nanoseconds. In the pulse time, The peak power of light energy can reach tens of watts to hundreds of watts, and the current through the laser will reach tens of amperes to hundreds of amperes.

Because the laser transmitter has high requirements for power output and load driving capabilities, it is impossible to adjust the working voltage of the laser quickly and in real time through the power supply, so that the energy of the light pulse emitted by the laser is not adjustable, that is, the optical power of the laser is not adjustable; in this case When the lidar is used in the vehicle field, if the laser transmitter emits light pulse energy with high power to illuminate the near-end object, it will reflect very strong laser energy to the lidar photodetector, due to the dynamics of the photodetector The range is limited, and the light energy exceeds the maximum output limit of the photodetector, which will cause the output signal of the photodetector to saturate, which makes it impossible to effectively detect the return time of the light pulse, resulting in a limited detection range.

Summary of the invention

The embodiments of the present application provide a pulse emission control circuit and control method, which can solve the problem of non-adjustable pulse energy.

This application provides a pulse emission control circuit, which includes a pulse generation unit, a first switch sub-circuit, a power control sub-circuit, and a first control signal terminal; the pulse generation unit includes a pulse generator, an energy storage sub-unit, a power supply voltage terminal and The first voltage terminal; the pulse generator is connected to the first node and the first switch sub-circuit, the energy storage sub-unit is connected to the first node and the first voltage terminal, and the first node is connected to the power supply voltage terminal; the first switch The circuit is connected to the pulse generating unit, the first control signal terminal, and the second node; the first switch sub-circuit is used to control the on-off between the pulse generator and the second node through the first control signal of the first control signal terminal ; The pulse generating unit is used to control the pulse generator to generate a pulse signal when the pulse generator is connected to the second node; the power control sub-circuit includes an energy storage unit, a control unit, a second control signal terminal, and a second voltage terminal; The power unit is connected with the second node and the second voltage terminal; the control unit is connected with the second node and the second control signal terminal; the power control sub-circuit is used to control the voltage of the second node.

In the pulse transmission control circuit provided by this embodiment, the second control signal of the second control signal terminal is output to the second node through the control unit to control the charging and discharging of the energy storage unit, and the voltage of the second node is controlled (that is, the second The voltage of the node is controllable), so that when the first control signal at the first control signal terminal controls the conduction between the pulse generator and the second node through the first switch sub-circuit, the pulse signal generated by the pulse generator can be controlled. Control of the amount of energy.

In some possible implementation manners, the energy storage unit includes a second capacitor; the first pole of the second capacitor is connected to the second node, and the second pole of the second capacitor is connected to the second voltage terminal; the control unit includes a first resistor; One end of the first resistor is connected to the second node, and the other end of the first resistor is connected to the second control signal terminal.

In some possible implementations, the pulse generator is a laser diode.

In some possible implementation manners, the first switch sub-circuit includes a first transistor; the gate of the first transistor is connected to the first control signal terminal, the first pole of the first transistor is connected to the pulse generator, and the first transistor of the first transistor is connected to the pulse generator. The two poles are connected to the second node.

In some possible implementation manners, the energy storage subunit includes a first capacitor; the first pole of the first capacitor is connected to the first node, and the second pole of the first capacitor is connected to the first voltage terminal.

The application also provides a pulse emission control circuit including a pulse generating unit, a first switch sub-circuit, a power control sub-circuit, and a first control signal terminal; the pulse generating unit includes a pulse generator, an energy storage sub-unit, a power supply voltage terminal, and a first control signal terminal. A voltage terminal; the pulse generator is connected to the first node and the first switch sub-circuit, the energy storage sub-unit is connected to the first node and the first voltage terminal, and the first node is connected to the power supply voltage terminal; the first switch sub-circuit is connected to the pulse The generator, the first control signal terminal, and the second node are connected; the first switch sub-circuit is used to control the on and off between the pulse generator and the second node through the first control signal of the first control signal terminal; the pulse generating unit is used When the pulse generator is connected to the second node, the pulse generator is controlled to generate a pulse signal; the power control sub-circuit includes an energy storage unit, a control unit, a second control signal terminal, a second voltage terminal, and a third voltage terminal; The power unit is connected with the second node and the second voltage terminal; the control unit is connected with the second node, the second control signal terminal, and the third voltage terminal; and the power control sub-circuit is used to control the voltage of the second node.

The pulse transmission control circuit provided in this embodiment realizes the conduction between the pulse generator and the second node through the control of the first switch sub-circuit by the first control signal terminal, and controls the pulse generator to send out the second node in the pulse generating unit Before a pulse signal, the control unit controls the conduction time between the second voltage terminal and the first node through the second control signal at the second control signal terminal, so as to control the discharge time of the energy storage unit, and realize the control of the voltage level of the second node. Control (that is, the voltage of the second node is controllable), so as to realize the control of the energy level of the first pulse signal generated by the pulse generator.

In some possible implementations, the energy storage unit includes a second capacitor; the first electrode of the second capacitor is connected to the second node, and the second electrode of the first capacitor is connected to the second voltage terminal; the control unit includes a second transistor and The second resistor; the gate of the second transistor is connected to the second control signal terminal, the first pole of the second transistor is connected to one end of the second resistor, and the second pole of the second transistor is connected to the third voltage terminal; the second resistor The other end is connected to the second node.

In some possible implementations, the pulse generator is a laser diode.

The present application also provides a control method of any of the foregoing pulse emission control circuits, including: generating a first control signal and a second control signal; and inputting the first control signal and the second control signal to the first control signal terminal respectively And the second control signal terminal to control the energy level of the pulse signal sent by the pulse generator.

In some possible implementation manners, the first control signal is a pulse wave; the second control signal is a modulated continuous wave.

In some possible implementation manners, the first control signal is a pulse wave; the second control signal is a sine wave, and any adjacent peaks and troughs of the sine wave respectively correspond to two adjacent pulse periods of the first control signal.

In some possible implementations, the first control signal is a multi-pulse wave in the same direction, and the second control signal is a single pulse wave; the pulse of the single pulse wave corresponds to the multi-pulse wave in the same direction and is located between two pulse waves in the same period. Time period.

In some possible implementation manners, the first control signal is the same direction double pulse wave, and the same direction double pulse wave includes multiple sets of the same direction double pulse signal; the second control signal is a single pulse wave; any adjacent single pulse wave The two pulses respectively correspond to the interval between two adjacent sets of the same direction double pulse in the same direction double pulse wave.

The present application also provides a pulse transmitter, including the pulse transmission control circuit provided in any of the foregoing possible implementation manners.

The present application also provides a radar, including a light detector, a signal processing module, and a pulse transmitter provided in any one of the foregoing possible implementation modes; both the light detector and the pulse transmitter are connected to the signal processing module.

Description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a radar provided by an embodiment of the application;

2 is a schematic diagram of a pulse emission control circuit provided in Embodiment 1 of this application;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control method of a pulse emission control circuit provided by an embodiment of the application;

4 is a schematic diagram of a control signal of a pulse emission control circuit provided in Embodiment 1 of the application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a pulse emission control circuit provided in the second embodiment of the application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of control signals of a pulse emission control circuit provided in the second embodiment of the application.

Detailed ways

In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in this application will be clearly described below in conjunction with the drawings in this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, and Not all examples. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification embodiments, claims, and drawings of this application are only used for the purpose of distinguishing description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor can it be understood as indicating Or imply the order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations of them are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, including a series of steps or units. The method, system, product, or device need not be limited to those clearly listed steps or units, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or are inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

The embodiment of the present application provides a pulse transmitter, which may be an optical pulse transmitter, an acoustic pulse transmitter, or other types of pulse transmitters, which is not specifically limited in this application.

It can be understood that, for the pulse transmitter, a pulse emission control circuit is provided inside, and the pulse emission is controlled by the pulse emission control circuit.

With the pulse transmitter of this application, the pulse energy can be adjusted through the internal pulse transmission control circuit, that is, the pulse power can be adjusted, so that the application field of the pulse transmitter can be selected and set according to actual needs; for example, Lidar, communications, industrial automation control, consumer electronics and other fields.

Take the application of the above-mentioned pulse transmitter in the field of radar as an example. As shown in Figure 1, the radar includes the aforementioned pulse transmitter 01 (which can be a laser pulse transmitter or also called a laser transmitter), a photodetector 02, and a signal Processing module 03; Among them, the light detector 02 and the pulse transmitter 01 are both connected to the signal processing module 03. Of course, the radar includes some other components, such as a light collimation structure, etc., which are not specifically limited in this application, and can be set according to actual needs.

When using the above-mentioned radar to measure the distance of the target object 04, the pulse transmitter 01 emits laser light to the target object 04, and receives the laser light reflected by the target object 04 through the photodetector 02, and the signal processing module 03 emits laser light according to the pulse transmitter 01 From the time to the time when the light detector 02 receives the reflected laser light, the actual distance between the target object 04 and the radar can be calculated.

It should be noted here that the types of radars in this application include, but are not limited to, gas lidar, solid-state lidar, semiconductor lidar, and diode laser-pumped solid-state lidar. The laser waveband emitted by the radar of this application includes but is not limited to 905nm band laser, 1550nm band laser, ultraviolet laser, visible laser and infrared laser, etc.; the application scope of the radar of this application includes but not limited to vehicle laser radar, surveying and mapping radar, weather radar, etc. Wait.

Since the interval between the laser pulses emitted by the radar is only a few microseconds to tens of microseconds, in order to make the luminous power of each laser pulse adjustable, if the energy (power) of the laser pulse is adjusted by adjusting the power supply voltage, the power supply voltage has Larger load driving capability will cause the design difficulty of the power supply voltage to be doubled. In contrast, the radar of the present application does not need to change the power supply voltage, and the energy of the emitted laser pulse can be quickly adjusted only through the pulse emission control circuit itself, so that the detection of the radar can be achieved without increasing the design difficulty. The further expansion of the range can not only satisfy long-distance detection, but also meet short-distance detection, that is, the detection dynamic range of the radar has been effectively improved.

The specific structure and working principle of the pulse emission control circuit in the present application will be described below through specific embodiments.

Example one

This embodiment provides a pulse emission control circuit. As shown in FIG. 2, the pulse emission control circuit may include a pulse generation unit 100, a first switch sub-circuit 200, a power control sub-circuit 300, and a first control signal terminal Ctrl1.

The above-mentioned pulse generating unit 100 may include a pulse generator 101, an energy storage sub-unit 102, a power supply voltage terminal VDD, and a first voltage terminal U1. The pulse generator 101 is connected to the first node N1 and the first switch sub-circuit 200, the energy storage sub-unit 101 is connected to the first node N1 and the first voltage terminal U1, and the first node N1 is connected to the power supply voltage terminal VDD.

It should be noted that the voltage of the above-mentioned first voltage terminal U1 may be less than the voltage of the power supply voltage terminal VDD. In some possible implementation manners, the first voltage terminal U1 may be connected to the ground terminal; in practice, the first voltage terminal U1 may be selected according to needs. The specific voltage of a voltage terminal U1 is not specifically limited in this application. The following embodiments and drawings are all taken as an example for the connection between the first voltage terminal U1 and the ground terminal for schematic description.

In some possible implementation manners, referring to FIG. 2, the above-mentioned pulse generator 101 may be a laser diode D1. The anode of the laser diode D1 is connected to the first node N1, and the cathode of the laser diode D1 is connected to the first switching sub-circuit 200. It can be understood here that the current flowing through the laser diode D1 is proportional to the luminous power of the laser diode D1, and the luminous power of the laser diode D1 is proportional to the voltage applied to the cathode and anode of the laser diode D1.

In some possible implementation manners, the aforementioned energy storage subunit 102 may include a first capacitor C1. The first pole of the first capacitor C1 is connected to the first node N1, and the second pole of the first capacitor C1 is connected to the first voltage terminal U1. Among them, one of the first pole and the second pole of the first capacitor C1 is a positive electrode and the other is a negative electrode; for example, the first electrode can be a positive electrode and the second electrode can be a negative electrode; in addition, the first capacitor C1 can be a capacitor or It can be multiple capacitors connected in series or in parallel, which is not limited in this application.

Referring to FIG. 2, the above-mentioned first switch sub-circuit 200 is connected to the pulse generating unit 100, the first control signal terminal Ctrl1, and the second node N2. The first switch sub-circuit 200 is used to control the on-off between the pulse generator 101 and the second node N2 through the first control signal of the first control signal terminal Ctrl1.

Illustratively, in some possible implementation manners, referring to FIG. 2, the above-mentioned first switch sub-circuit 200 may include a first transistor SW1. The gate of the first transistor SW1 is connected to the first control signal terminal Ctrl1, the first electrode of the first transistor SW1 is connected to the pulse generator 101 (for example, the cathode of the laser light emitting diode D1), and the second electrode of the first transistor SW1 is connected to the The two nodes N2 are connected; among the first and second electrodes of the first transistor SW1, one is the source and the other is the drain, which can be determined according to the type (N-type or P-type) of the first transistor SW1 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the aforementioned power control sub-circuit 300 may include an energy storage unit 301, a control unit 302, a second control signal terminal Ctrl2, and a second voltage terminal U2. The energy storage unit 301 is connected to the second node N2 and the second voltage terminal U2; the control unit 302 is connected to the second node N2 and the second control signal terminal Ctrl2. The power control sub-circuit 300 is used to control the voltage of the second node N2 through the energy storage unit 301 and the control unit 302.

In some possible implementation manners, the voltage of the above-mentioned second voltage terminal U2 is less than the voltage of the power supply voltage terminal VDD; for illustration, in some possible implementation manners, the second voltage terminal U2 can be connected to the ground terminal; in practice, it can be The specific voltage size of the second voltage terminal U2 is selected according to needs, and this application does not make specific restrictions on this. The following embodiments and drawings all take the connection of the second voltage terminal U2 and the ground terminal as an example for schematic description.

On this basis, the above-mentioned pulse generating unit 100 is used to control the pulse generator 101 to generate a pulse signal when the pulse generator 101 is connected to the second node N2; that is, the pulse generator 101 operates between the first node N1 and the second node N2. The pulse signal is generated under the voltage control of N2.

In summary, the pulse emission control circuit provided in the first embodiment can output the second control signal of the second control signal terminal Ctrl2 to the second node N2 to control the charging and discharging of the energy storage unit 301 through the control unit 302, thereby achieving The voltage of the second node is controlled (that is, the voltage of the second node is controllable), and the first control signal at the first control signal terminal Ctrl1 can control the pulse generator 101 and the second switch sub-circuit 200 through the first switch sub-circuit 200. When the nodes N2 are turned on, the energy level of the pulse signal generated by the pulse generator 101 is controlled, that is, the pulse energy of the pulse generator 101 is adjustable.

The specific circuit structures of the energy storage unit 301 and the control unit 302 in the above-mentioned power control sub-circuit 300 are schematically described below.

In some possible implementation manners, referring to FIG. 2, the aforementioned energy storage unit 301 may include a second capacitor C2. The first pole of the second capacitor C2 is connected to the second node N2, and the second pole of the second capacitor N2 is connected to the second voltage terminal U2. Illustratively, the second capacitor C2 may be one capacitor, or multiple capacitors connected in series or in parallel, which is not limited in this application.

In some possible implementation manners, referring to FIG. 2, the control unit 302 may include a first resistor R1. Wherein, one end of the first resistor R1 is connected to the second node N2, and the other end of the first resistor R1 is connected to the second control signal terminal Ctrl2. Illustratively, the first resistor R1 may be one resistor, or multiple resistors connected in series or in parallel, which is not limited in this application.

The following is a schematic description of the control method of the pulse emission control circuit (refer to FIG. 2) provided in the first embodiment; as shown in FIG. 3, the control method includes:

Step 101: Generate a first control signal and a second control signal.

Illustratively, the first control signal and the second control signal may be generated by controlling the timing controller.

Step 102: Input the first control signal and the second control signal to the first control signal terminal Ctrl1 and the second control signal terminal Ctrl2, respectively, to control the energy level of the pulse signal sent by the pulse generator 101.

Schematically, referring to FIG. 2, under the control of the first control signal input from the first control signal terminal Ctrl1, the pulse generator 101 is connected to the second node N2, and the second control signal terminal Ctrl2 inputs the second Under the control of the control signal, the voltage level of the second node N2 is controlled by the charging and discharging of the energy storage unit 301, so as to realize the adjustment of the energy level of the pulse signal (that is, power) generated by the pulse generator 101.

In some possible implementation manners, as shown in FIG. 4, the first control signal input from the first control signal terminal Ctrl1 may be a pulse wave; the voltage of the second control signal input from the second control signal terminal Ctrl2 and the second voltage terminal The voltage of U2 is different, so that the charge and discharge of the energy storage unit 301 are controlled by setting the voltage of the second control signal to control the voltage of the second node N2 to control the energy of the pulse signal generated by the pulse generator 101.

Considering that the charging and discharging of the energy storage unit 301 takes a certain amount of time, the energy storage unit 301 can be controlled by the second control signal before the first control signal sends out the pulse wave (that is, before the control pulse generator 101 sends out the pulse signal) Charge and discharge.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the second control signal input from the second control signal terminal Ctrl2 may be a modulated continuous wave. Illustratively, the modulated continuous wave may be a sine wave, wherein any adjacent peaks and troughs of the sine wave correspond to two adjacent pulse periods of the first control signal; for example, at t1 and t2, the second control signal The moments of adjacent peaks and valleys correspond to two adjacent pulses of the first control signal, respectively.

For another example, the second control signal input from the second control signal terminal Ctrl2 may be a discontinuous wave; for example, the discontinuous wave may be a two-way wave, in which two adjacent pulses have different directions, and one is a positive pulse. , One is a negative pulse; any two adjacent pulses of the bidirectional wave can be set to correspond to the time period before the arrival of the two adjacent pulses of the first control signal.

Illustratively, the following takes the first control signal and the second control signal shown in FIG. 4 as an example, and combines the specific circuit in FIG. 2 to describe the control process of the pulse emission control circuit in this embodiment in detail.

Assuming that the pulse voltage of the first control signal input from the first control signal terminal Ctrl1 is V1, the second control signal input from the second control signal terminal Ctrl2 charges or discharges the second capacitor C2 to control the voltage of the second node N2 to reach V2; V1-V2 should be greater than the gate-source voltage Vgs of the first transistor SW1 to ensure that the first transistor SW1 is turned on under the control of the pulse voltage V1 of the first control signal; the voltage of the first node N1 is equal to the voltage of the power supply voltage terminal VDD Vdd.

Under the control of the pulse voltage of the first control signal input from the first control signal terminal Ctrl1, the moment the first transistor SW1 is turned on, the first capacitor C1 is discharged instantaneously, and a large current I _{D1 is} provided to the laser light emitting diode D1. At this time, the laser The operating voltage of the light emitting diode D1 is Vdd-V2, and this voltage (Vdd-V2) determines the _{peak value of the current ID1} (that is, the energy of the output light pulse) flowing through the laser light emitting diode D1.

As shown in Figure 4, by controlling the level of the peaks (t1, t3) and troughs (t2, t4) of the second control signal, the operating voltage of the laser light-emitting diode D1 can be controlled to make the laser light-emitting diode D1 generates light pulses with energy that meets actual needs. Taking the peak (t1, t3) and trough (t2, t4) voltages of the second control signal as an example, the voltage of the first control signal is v1 and -v1. When the pulse voltage of the first control signal arrives at t1 and t3, the laser light emitting diode D1 The working voltage of D1 is Vdd-v1; when the pulse voltage at t2 and t4 arrives, the working voltage of the laser light emitting diode D1 is Vdd+v1.

It should be noted that at the moment when the first transistor SW1 is turned on, although the first capacitor C1 is discharged instantaneously to provide a large current flowing through the laser light emitting diode D1, this current will instantaneously charge the second capacitor C2 through the second node N2, but At the moment of charging, it can be considered that the voltage of the second node V2 has basically no change; at the same time, due to the existence of the first resistor R1, the first resistor R1 will have a certain isolation effect on the large current flowing through the laser light emitting diode D1, thereby avoiding the flow The large current through the laser light emitting diode D1 affects the stability of the second control signal input from the second control signal terminal Ctrl2.

Example two

This embodiment provides a pulse emission control circuit. As shown in FIG. 5, the pulse emission control circuit may include a pulse generation unit 100, a first switch sub-circuit 200, a power control sub-circuit 300, and a first control signal terminal Ctrl1.

Referring to FIG. 5, the above-mentioned pulse generating unit 100 may include a pulse generator 101, an energy storage sub-unit 102, a power supply voltage terminal VDD, and a first voltage terminal U1. The pulse generator 101 is connected to the first node N1 and the first switch sub-circuit 200, the energy storage sub-unit 101 is connected to the first node N1 and the first voltage terminal U1, and the first node N1 is connected to the power supply voltage terminal VDD.

It should be noted that the voltage of the first voltage terminal U1 is less than the voltage of the power supply voltage terminal VDD. In some possible implementation manners, the first voltage terminal U1 can be connected to the ground terminal; in practice, the first voltage can be selected according to needs. The specific voltage of the terminal U1 is not limited in this application. The following embodiments and drawings all take the first voltage terminal U1 as the ground terminal as an example for schematic description.

In some possible implementation manners, referring to FIG. 5, the above-mentioned pulse generator 101 may be a laser diode D1. The anode of the laser diode D1 is connected to the first node N1, and the cathode of the laser diode D1 is connected to the first switching sub-circuit 200. It can be understood here that the current flowing through the laser diode D1 is proportional to the luminous power of the laser diode D1, and the luminous power of the laser diode D1 is proportional to the voltage applied to the cathode and anode of the laser diode D1.

Referring to FIG. 5, the above-mentioned first switch sub-circuit 200 is connected to the pulse generating unit 100, the first control signal terminal Ctrl1, and the second node N2. The first switch sub-circuit 200 is used to control the on-off between the pulse generator 101 and the second node N2 through the first control signal of the first control signal terminal Ctrl1.

Illustratively, in some possible implementation manners, referring to FIG. 5, the above-mentioned first switch sub-circuit 200 may include a first transistor SW1. The gate of the first transistor SW1 is connected to the first control signal terminal Ctrl1, the first electrode of the first transistor SW1 is connected to the pulse generator 101 (for example, the cathode of the laser light emitting diode), and the second electrode of the first transistor SW1 is connected to the second The node N2 is connected; among the first and second electrodes of the first transistor SW1, one is the source and the other is the drain, which can be determined according to the type (N-type or P-type) of the first transistor SW1.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the aforementioned power control sub-circuit 300 may include an energy storage unit 301, a control unit 302, a second control signal terminal Ctrl2, a second voltage terminal U2, and a third voltage terminal U3. The energy storage unit 301 is connected to the second node N2 and the second voltage terminal U2; the control unit 302 is connected to the second node N2, the second control signal terminal Ctrl2, and the third voltage terminal U3. The power control sub-circuit 300 is used to control the voltage of the second node N2 through the energy storage unit 301 and the control unit 302.

In some possible implementation manners, the voltages of the second voltage terminal U2 and the third voltage terminal U3 are all less than the voltage of the power supply voltage terminal VDD; for illustration, the second voltage terminal U2, the third voltage terminal U3 and the ground terminal Connection; in practice, the specific voltages of the second voltage terminal U2 and the third voltage terminal U3 can be selected according to needs, and this application does not specifically limit this. The following embodiments and drawings all take the second voltage terminal U2 and the third voltage terminal U3 connected to the ground as an example for schematic description.

On this basis, the above-mentioned pulse generating unit 100 is used to control the pulse generator 101 to generate a pulse signal when the pulse generator 101 is connected to the second node N2; that is, the pulse generator 101 is connected between the first node N1 and the second node N2. The pulse signal is generated under the voltage control of N2.

In summary, the pulse emission control circuit provided by the second embodiment realizes the conduction between the pulse generator 101 and the second node N2 through the control of the first control signal terminal Ctrl1 on the first switch sub-circuit 200, and Before the pulse generator 100 controls the pulse generator 101 to send the first pulse signal, the control unit 302 controls the conduction time between the second voltage terminal U2 and the first node N1 through the second control signal of the second control signal terminal Ctrl2, to Control the discharge duration of the energy storage unit 301 to realize the control of the voltage of the second node N2 (that is, the voltage of the second node N2 is controllable), so as to realize the control of the energy of the first pulse signal generated by the pulse generator .

In some possible implementation manners, referring to FIG. 5, the above-mentioned energy storage unit 301 may include a second capacitor C2. Wherein, the first pole of the second capacitor C2 is connected to the second node N2, and the second pole of the second capacitor N2 is connected to the second voltage terminal U2; wherein, one of the first pole and the second pole of the second capacitor C2 It is the positive electrode and the other is the negative electrode; for example, the first electrode can be the positive electrode and the second electrode is the negative electrode. In addition, the second capacitor C2 may be one capacitor, or multiple capacitors connected in series or in parallel, which is not limited in this application.

In some possible implementation manners, referring to FIG. 5, the above-mentioned control unit 302 may include a second transistor SW2 and a second resistor R2. Wherein, the gate of the second transistor SW2 is connected to the second control signal terminal Ctrl2, the first electrode of the second transistor SW2 is connected to one end of the second resistor R2, and the second electrode of the second transistor SW2 is connected to the third voltage terminal U3 ; The other end of the second resistor R2 is connected to the second node N2.

Among the first and second electrodes of the second transistor SW2, one is a source and the other is a drain, which can be specifically determined according to the type (N-type or P-type) of the second transistor SW2.

The above-mentioned second resistor R2 may be one resistor, or multiple resistors connected in series or in parallel, which is not limited in this application.

The following is a schematic description of the control method of the pulse emission control circuit (refer to FIG. 5) provided in the second embodiment; referring to FIG. 3, the control method includes:

Step 101: Generate a first control signal and a second control signal.

Referring to FIG. 5, under the control of the first control signal input from the first control signal terminal Ctrl1, the pulse generator 101 is connected to the second node N2. Before the pulse generator 101 sends the first pulse signal, the control unit 302 passes The second control signal input from the second control signal terminal Ctrl2 controls the discharge duration of the energy storage unit 301, and controls the voltage of the second node N2, so as to realize the control of the pulse signal (that is, the power) generated by the pulse generator 101 The amount of energy is adjusted.

It can be understood that before the first pulse signal is sent, the energy of the first pulse signal is controlled by controlling the discharge duration of the energy storage unit 301, so there must be a precharge before the energy storage unit 301 is discharged. In this application, the pre-charging method of the energy storage unit 301 is not specifically limited.

In some possible implementation manners, a pre-charging circuit may be separately provided for the energy storage unit 301.

In some possible implementation manners, in order to avoid complicating the circuit, the pre-charging of the energy storage unit 301 can be realized by adjusting the control signal without changing the circuit.

For example, it is possible to set the first control signal to be a multi-pulse wave in the same direction, and the second control signal to be a single pulse wave; wherein, the single pulse wave corresponds to the period in which the multi-pulse wave in the same direction is located between any two pulse waves in the same cycle, Therefore, when the first pulse of the two pulse signals arrives, the energy storage unit 301 is precharged. During the period between the two pulse signals, the discharge duration of the energy storage unit 301 is controlled by a single pulse of the second control signal. The voltage level of the two nodes N2 is used to control the energy level of the pulse signal generated by the pulse generator 101 when the second pulse of the two pulse signals arrives.

Schematically, as shown in FIG. 6, the first control signal input from the first control signal terminal Ctrl1 can be set to the same direction double pulse wave. The same direction double pulse wave includes multiple sets of same direction double pulse signals, and the second control signal The second control signal input from the terminal Ctrl2 is a single pulse wave; the pulse signal in the single pulse wave can correspond to the period between the double pulse signals in the first control signal, so that when the first pulse of the double pulse signal arrives, it is stored The energy unit 301 is precharged. During the period between the double pulse signals, the discharge duration of the energy storage unit 301 is controlled by the single pulse of the second control signal to control the voltage of the second node N2. When it arrives, the energy level of the pulse signal generated by the pulse generator 101 is controlled.

In some possible embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, any two adjacent pulses in the single pulse wave of the second control signal can be set to correspond to the same direction double pulse wave of the first control signal. The interval of the double pulse, so that when each group of the same direction double pulse wave sent by the first control signal, the energy storage unit 301 is charged and discharged once, and the second pulse in each group of the same direction double pulse wave arrives At this time, the pulse generator 101 is controlled to generate the required pulse signal.

Schematically, referring to the first control signal and the second control signal shown in FIG. 6 and the specific circuit in FIG. 5, the control process of the pulse emission control circuit in this embodiment will be described in detail below.

When the first pulse of the double pulse signal of the first control signal arrives (t1), the first transistor SW1 is turned on, the first capacitor C1 is discharged instantaneously to provide a large current I _D1 to the laser light emitting diode D1, and the second capacitor C2 is charged ; In the period between double pulse signals (between t1 and t2), under the single pulse control of the second control signal, the second transistor SW2 is turned on, and the third voltage terminal U3 (grounding terminal) is turned on with the second node N2 , The second capacitor C2 discharges, the discharge duration of the second capacitor C2 is determined by the pulse width of the single pulse, and the discharge duration determines when the second pulse of the double pulse signal of the first control signal arrives (t2), the first The magnitude of the voltage V2 of the two nodes N2, which is raised compared to the arrival of the first pulse (t2), that is to say, the current flowing through the laser light-emitting diode D1 when the second pulse (t2) arrives I _{D1 is} _{smaller than the current I D1} flowing through the laser light-emitting diode D1 when the first pulse arrives (t1); that is, the energy of the pulse signal generated by the pulse generator 101 when the second pulse arrives (t2) is smaller than the first pulse. The energy of the pulse signal generated by the pulse generator 101 when a pulse arrives (t1). In this way, in practice, the pulse width of the single pulse of the second control signal can be selected to control the discharge time of the second capacitor C2, and then the voltage V2 of the second node N2 can be controlled according to the actual needs, so that the laser light emitting diode D1 generates The light pulse whose energy meets the actual needs; that is, the pulse power of the laser light-emitting diode D1 can be adjusted.

It should be noted that, compared to the first embodiment, the second control signal input from the second control signal terminal Ctrl2 directly controls the second node N2 through the first resistor R1, which requires a certain load driving capability; in the second embodiment, The second control signal input from the second control signal terminal Ctrl2 only needs to control the on and off of the second transistor SW2, so that no driving capability is required, which simplifies the design requirements of the second control signal (for example, a simple circuit can be used A second control signal can be generated).

In addition, the transistors SW1 and SW2 in the embodiments of the present application (including the first and second embodiments) may be N-type transistors or P-type transistors; they may be enhancement transistors or depletion transistors. The first electrodes of the above-mentioned transistors SW1 and SW2 may be source electrodes and the second electrodes may be drain electrodes; or the first electrodes may be drain electrodes and the second electrodes may be source electrodes. The present invention does not limit this. The transistors are connected according to the actual types of transistors. Can. In the foregoing embodiments, the transistors SW1 and SW2 are all N-type transistors (for example, N-type GaN transistors) as an example. In the case that the transistors SW1 and SW2 are both P-type transistors, the foregoing related control signals can be inverted.

The values of the resistance and capacitance in this application (including the first and second embodiments) can be set according to actual needs. Taking the laser pulse as an example, it can be set according to the actual required duty ratio, pulse duration, laser pulse current, and time interval between adjacent laser pulses, which will not be repeated here.

In summary, for the radar using the pulse emission control circuit of the present application, when performing optical ranging, the pulse transmitter emits lasers with different energy levels to the target object (refer to I _D1 in Figure 4 and Figure 6) After being reflected by the target object, the passing detector receives it, modulates and recognizes it through the signal processing module, and filters the saturated and distorted interference signal, so as to obtain the actual distance of the target object.

The above are only specific implementations of this application, but the protection scope of this application is not limited to this. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application. Should be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

A pulse emission control circuit, characterized by comprising a pulse generating unit, a first switch sub-circuit, a power control sub-circuit, and a first control signal terminal;

The pulse generating unit includes a pulse generator, an energy storage subunit, a power supply voltage terminal and a first voltage terminal; the pulse generator is connected to the first node and the first switch subcircuit, and the energy storage subunit is connected to The first node is connected to the first voltage terminal, and the first node is connected to the power supply voltage terminal;

The first switch sub-circuit is connected to the pulse generating unit, the first control signal terminal, and the second node; the first switch sub-circuit is used to control the signal through the first control signal of the first control signal terminal The on-off between the pulse generator and the second node;

The pulse generating unit is used to control the pulse generator to generate a pulse signal when the pulse generator is connected to the second node;

The power control sub-circuit includes an energy storage unit, a control unit, a second control signal terminal, and a second voltage terminal;

The energy storage unit is connected to the second node and the second voltage terminal; the control unit is connected to the second node and the second control signal terminal;

The power control sub-circuit is used to control the voltage of the second node.
The pulse emission control circuit according to claim 1, wherein:

The energy storage unit includes a second capacitor; a first pole of the second capacitor is connected to the second node, and a second pole of the second capacitor is connected to the second voltage terminal;

The control unit includes a first resistor; one end of the first resistor is connected to the second node, and the other end of the first resistor is connected to the second control signal terminal.
The pulse emission control circuit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pulse generator is a laser diode.
The pulse emission control circuit according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that,

The first switch sub-circuit includes a first transistor; the gate of the first transistor is connected to the first control signal terminal, the first electrode of the first transistor is connected to the pulse generator, and the first transistor is connected to the pulse generator. The second pole of a transistor is connected to the second node.
The pulse emission control circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the energy storage subunit comprises a first capacitor; the first pole of the first capacitor is connected to the first node, so The second pole of the first capacitor is connected to the first voltage terminal.
A pulse emission control circuit, characterized by comprising a pulse generating unit, a first switch sub-circuit, a power control sub-circuit, and a first control signal terminal;

The pulse generating unit includes a pulse generator, an energy storage subunit, a power supply voltage terminal and a first voltage terminal; the pulse generator is connected to the first node and the first switch subcircuit, and the energy storage subunit is connected to The first node is connected to the first voltage terminal, and the first node is connected to the power supply voltage terminal;

The first switch sub-circuit is connected to the pulse generator, the first control signal terminal, and the second node; the first switch sub-circuit is used to control the pulse generator by the first control signal of the first control signal terminal The on-off between the pulse generator and the second node;

The pulse generating unit is used to control the pulse generator to generate a pulse signal when the pulse generator is connected to the second node;

The power control sub-circuit includes an energy storage unit, a control unit, a second control signal terminal, a second voltage terminal, and a third voltage terminal;

The energy storage unit is connected to the second node and the second voltage terminal; the control unit is connected to the second node, the second control signal terminal, and the third voltage terminal;

The power control sub-circuit is used to control the voltage of the second node.
The pulse emission control circuit according to claim 6, wherein:

The energy storage unit includes a second capacitor; a first pole of the second capacitor is connected to the second node, and a second pole of the first capacitor is connected to the second voltage terminal;

The control unit includes a second transistor and a second resistor;

The gate of the second transistor is connected to the second control signal terminal, the first electrode of the second transistor is connected to one end of the second resistor, and the second electrode of the second transistor is connected to the first terminal. Three voltage terminal connection;

The other end of the second resistor is connected to the second node.
The pulse emission control circuit according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the pulse generator is a laser diode.
The pulse emission control circuit according to any one of claims 6-8, wherein:

The first switch sub-circuit includes a first transistor; the gate of the first transistor is connected to the first control signal terminal, the first electrode of the first transistor is connected to the pulse generator, and the first transistor is connected to the pulse generator. The second pole of a transistor is connected to the second node.
The pulse emission control circuit according to any one of claims 6-9, wherein:

The energy storage subunit includes a first capacitor; a first pole of the first capacitor is connected to the first node, and a second pole of the first capacitor is connected to the first voltage terminal.
A method for controlling a pulse emission control circuit according to any one of claims 1-5 or 6-10, characterized in that it comprises:

Generating a first control signal and a second control signal;

The first control signal and the second control signal are respectively input to the first control signal terminal and the second control signal terminal to control the energy level of the pulse signal sent by the pulse generator.
The control method of the pulse emission control circuit according to claim 11, wherein:

The first control signal is a pulse wave;

The second control signal is a modulated continuous wave.
The control method of the pulse emission control circuit according to claim 11, wherein:

The first control signal is a multi-pulse wave in the same direction;

The second control signal is a single pulse wave; the pulse of the single pulse wave corresponds to the time period when the same direction multi-pulse wave is located between any two pulse waves in the same period.
A pulse transmitter, characterized by comprising the pulse transmission control circuit according to any one of claims 1-10.
A radar, characterized by comprising a light detector, a signal processing module and the pulse transmitter according to claim 14; both the light detector and the pulse transmitter are connected to the signal processing module.