Ultrasonic transducer driven circuits, methods

Abstract

The invention discloses an ultrasonic non-transformer driving transducer circuit, which comprises a driving circuit, an isolation damping circuit, a receiving circuit and a transducer, and is characterized in that the driving circuit is connected with the transducer through the isolation damping circuit; the driving circuit comprises an ultrasonic chip, a resistor R2 and a capacitor C1, the resistor R2 is arranged between a DVS power supply end and a DV2 pin of the ultrasonic chip, and the capacitor C1 is connected between the resistor R2 and the DVS power supply end in parallel; the isolation damping circuit comprises a transistor, a resistor R1 and a capacitor C2, a collector electrode of the transistor is connected to a DV2 pin of the ultrasonic chip, an emitting electrode of the transistor is connected with the transducer, the resistor R1 is connected between a non-grounding end of the capacitor C1 and a base electrode of the transistor, and the capacitor C2 is connected between the emitting electrode and the base electrode of the transistor. According to the invention, through the driving circuit, the isolation damping circuit, the receiving circuit and the transducer, the functions of driving, isolation, damping, noise reduction and the like are realized through a simple circuit, and the problems of high voltage transformation cost, overlarge occupied space and the like are effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic devices, and particularly to an ultrasonic inverter-driven transducer circuit, method, and system. Background Art

[0002] With the progress of technology, ultrasonic technology has been widely used in many fields such as medical imaging, industrial inspection, and consumer electronics. As one of the core components, the driving method of ultrasonic transducers directly affects the system performance and application effects. Traditionally, it is common to use a transformer to drive ultrasonic transducers because this method can provide a high voltage gain and good impedance matching, thereby improving the energy transfer efficiency.

[0003] However, the presence of transformers also brings new challenges, such as increased costs, larger volumes, and higher design complexities, often involving the use of a large number of supporting devices, such as a large number of resistors, capacitors, inverters, transistors, and so on. To overcome these challenges, more and more application scenarios tend to adopt transformerless driving schemes. Transformerless driving not only helps reduce the overall system cost and device size but also simplifies the circuit design, making it more suitable for modern electronic products with a high degree of integration. However, this method also faces other technical challenges, including the effects of power supply voltage drop, false alarm problems, aftershock length control, electrical isolation, and noise interference. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to propose an ultrasonic inverter-driven transducer circuit, method, and system. Through a single transistor, the coupling connection between the transducer and the driving circuit can be completed, effectively eliminating the use of a transformer. Combined with the receiving circuit and anti-vibration devices, the operation of the ultrasonic inverter-driven transducer is achieved with a small number of components, integrating multiple advantages such as driving, isolation, anti-vibration, noise reduction, low cost, and small footprint.

[0005] It is achieved through the following technical solutions: First, a circuit for driving a transducer by an ultrasonic inverter is proposed, which includes a driving circuit, an isolation and vibration damping circuit, a receiving circuit, and a transducer. The driving circuit is connected to the transducer through the isolation and vibration damping circuit. The first end of the receiving circuit is connected to the driving control end of the ultrasonic chip, and the second end is used to receive the echo signal of the transducer. Among them, the driving circuit includes an ultrasonic chip for control and power supply, a resistor R2 for generating waveforms, and a capacitor C1 for energy storage. The resistor R2 is set between the DVS power supply terminal of the ultrasonic chip and the DV2 pin. The DV2 pin is used for switching control to generate a pulse waveform. The grounded capacitor C1 is connected in parallel between the resistor R2 and the DVS power supply terminal. The isolation and vibration damping circuit includes a transistor Q1, a resistor R1, and a capacitor C2. The collector of the transistor Q1 is connected to the DV2 pin of the ultrasonic chip. The emitter of the transistor Q1 is connected to the transducer. The resistor R1 is used to provide a static operating point for the transistor Q1. The resistor R1 is connected between the non-grounded end of the capacitor C1 and the base of the transistor Q1. The capacitor C2 is connected between the emitter and the base of the transistor Q1.

[0006] Preferably, the transducer includes a control end and a grounded end. The control end is connected to the isolation and vibration damping circuit, and the grounded end is grounded. A resistor R3 is also provided between the grounded end and the emitter of the transistor Q1, which is used as a residual vibration fine-tuning circuit. The resistor R3 can perform fine-tuning of the residual vibration to assist in eliminating the residual vibration.

[0007] Preferably, the receiving circuit includes a first branch and a second branch. The first branch includes a series-connected resistor RRN and capacitor CRN. The resistor RRN is connected to the RXN input terminal of the ultrasonic chip, and the capacitor CRN is connected to the collector of the transistor Q1. The second branch includes a series-connected resistor RRP and capacitor CRP. The resistor RRP is connected to the RXP input terminal of the ultrasonic chip, and the capacitor CRP is connected to the emitter of the transistor Q1. The two RC branches are respectively connected to the collector and emitter of the triode Q1, which can effectively eliminate common-mode noise and complete the function of the isolation circuit.

[0008] Next, a method for driving a transducer by an ultrasonic inverter is also proposed, which operates using the circuit described in any one of the above ultrasonic inverter driving transducer circuits, including the following steps: S1. Use the DVS power supply terminal of the ultrasonic chip to supply power and store energy for the grounded capacitor C1. Use the DV2 pin of the ultrasonic chip for switching conversion to drive a voltage change between the resistor R2 and the collector of the transistor Q1 in the isolation and vibration damping circuit, forming a pulse waveform and passing it through the emitter of the transistor Q1 as the driving ultrasonic waveform of the transducer. S2. Turn off the DVS power supply terminal of the ultrasonic chip in step S1. The capacitor C1 that has completed energy storage starts to supply power. After the transducer emits sound based on the driving timeout waveform, the residual vibration wave of the same frequency is loaded onto the base of the transistor Q1 through the capacitor C2 for active vibration damping. S3. After the transducer in step S2 emits sound, the received reflected echo signal is transmitted back to the input end of the ultrasonic chip via the receiving circuit.

[0009] Preferably, the transistor Q1 is a bipolar transistor; when the pulse waveform formed during the switching transformation at the control end of DV2 in step S1 is 0.6V higher than the emitter of the transistor Q1. When the bipolar transistor is operating in the forward direction, the voltage between the base and the emitter is 0.6V. Therefore, controlling the pulse waveform to be 0.6V higher than the emitter can make the voltage levels of the emitter and the collector of the transistor Q1 consistent.

[0010] Secondly, a system is proposed, which includes the ultrasonic inverter driving transducer circuit as described in any one of the above.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows: The technical solution of the present invention can complete the coupling connection between the transducer and the driving circuit through a simple isolation and vibration damping circuit composed of transistors, resistors and capacitors, effectively eliminating the use of transformers. Combined with the receiving circuit and vibration damping devices, the operation of the ultrasonic inverter driving the transducer is realized with a small number of components, integrating multiple advantages such as driving, isolation, vibration damping, noise reduction, low cost and small occupied space, and having broad application prospects. Description of the Drawings

[0012] Figure 1 It is a schematic circuit diagram of an ultrasonic inverter driving transducer circuit; Figure 2 It is an example diagram of an ultrasonic inverter driving transducer circuit. Detailed Embodiments

[0013] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] As Figure 1 shown, it is a schematic circuit diagram of an ultrasonic inverter driving transducer circuit; as Figure 2 shown, it is an example diagram of an ultrasonic inverter driving transducer circuit; combining Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, this circuit mainly includes a driving circuit, an isolation and vibration damping circuit, a receiving circuit and a transducer. The driving circuit supplies power and generates a pulse waveform, which is transmitted to the transducer via the isolation and vibration damping circuit for the output of ultrasonic signals. The receiving circuit is used for electromagnetic compatibility and signal reception, improving the quality of the reflected signal received by the transducer, thereby completing the construction of the ultrasonic inverter driving transducer circuit.

[0015] In the ultrasonic chip U1, the AVDD pin is the input pin of the analog power supply and is grounded through a storage capacitor; the AGND pin is the analog ground pin and is also grounded; the DGND pin is the digital ground pin, and the PGND pin is the power ground pin, both of which are directly grounded; the VT pin is an external power supply circuit used to supply power to the DVS pin of the ultrasonic chip U1. When an external power supply circuit is connected to the VT pin, a polarized grounding capacitor needs to be connected in parallel to stabilize the voltage; the NC pin, that is, the empty pin, can be left floating or grounded to prevent misconnection.

[0016] In this embodiment, the drive circuit is connected to the transducer through an isolation and anti-vibration circuit to drive the transducer to emit ultrasonic signals. The drive circuit includes the ultrasonic chip U1 for control and power supply, the resistor R2 for generating waveforms, and the capacitor C1 for energy storage. The resistor R2 is set between the DVS power supply terminal of the ultrasonic chip U1 and the DV2 pin. Here, the DV2 pin is used as the control terminal for switching changes. In actual use, the DV1 pin can also be used as the control terminal, and it can be freely selected. The grounded capacitor C1 is connected in parallel between the resistor R2 and the DVS power supply terminal for energy storage.

[0017] In this embodiment, the isolation and anti-vibration circuit includes the transistor Q1, the resistor R1, and the capacitor C2. The collector of the transistor Q1 is connected to DV2, and the emitter of the transistor Q1 is connected to the transducer; the resistor R1 is used to provide a static operating point for the transistor Q1. The resistor R1 is connected between the non-grounded end of the capacitor C1 and the base of the transistor Q1, and the capacitor C2 is connected between the emitter and the base of the transistor Q1.

[0018] When a switching action is performed at the DV2 control terminal of the ultrasonic chip U1, the voltage between the resistor R2 and the collector of the transistor Q1 changes. With the continuous switching of the DV2 control terminal, a set of pulse waveforms can be formed. After this set of pulse waveforms pass through the emitter of the transistor Q1, they provide the driving ultrasonic waveform of the required frequency for the transducer, so that the transducer emits corresponding ultrasonic signals. The resistor R1 can provide a static operating point for the transistor Q1. After the pulse waveforms are generated, the capacitor C2 can couple this pulse waveform to cause a waveform that changes at the static operating point to be generated at the base of the transistor Q1. Similarly, after the driving pulse ends, due to the characteristics of the transducer, aftershock occurs, which is also coupled to the base of Q1 through C2, causing a waveform change similar to the aftershock to be generated at the base, thereby controlling the absorption, charging, and discharging of the collector of the transistor Q1 to the emitter, and actively reducing the aftershock.

[0019] In this embodiment, the transducer includes a control terminal and a grounding terminal. The control terminal is connected to the emitter of the transistor Q1 in the isolation and anti-vibration circuit, and the grounding terminal is grounded for protection; a resistor R3 is also provided between the grounding terminal and the emitter of the transistor Q1 to adjust the frequency response and is used as an aftershock fine-tuning circuit to reduce the influence of the aftershock that continues due to inertia after the transducer emits ultrasonic signals.

[0020] In this embodiment, the first end of the receiving circuit is connected to the drive control end of the ultrasonic chip U1, and the second end is used to receive the echo signal of the transducer. The receiving circuit includes a first branch and a second branch. The first branch includes a series-connected resistor RRN and capacitor CRN. The resistor RRN is connected to the RXN input end of the ultrasonic chip U1, and the capacitor CRN is connected to the collector of the transistor Q1. The second branch includes a series-connected resistor RRP and capacitor CRP. The resistor RRP is connected to the RXP input end of the ultrasonic chip U1, and the capacitor CRP is connected to the emitter of the transistor Q1. The two RC branches are respectively connected to the collector and emitter of the triode Q1, which can effectively eliminate common-mode noise and complete the function of the isolation circuit.

[0021] On the side where the resistor RRN and the resistor RRP are respectively connected to the input end of the ultrasonic chip U1, a capacitor CNP can also be connected in parallel to ensure signal quality, filter out common-mode noise, reduce circuit interference and protect the ultrasonic chip U1.

[0022] Next, a method for driving a transducer by an ultrasonic inverter is also proposed. The circuit described in any one of the above ultrasonic inverter driving transducer circuits is used for operation, including the following steps: S1. Use the DVS power supply terminal of the ultrasonic chip U1 to supply power and store energy for the grounded capacitor C1; use the DV2 control terminal of the ultrasonic chip U1 to perform switching transformation, driving a voltage change between the resistor R2 and the collector of the transistor Q1 in the isolation and anti-vibration circuit, forming a pulse waveform and passing it through the emitter of the transistor Q1 as the driving ultrasonic waveform of the transducer; S2. Turn off the DVS power supply terminal of the ultrasonic chip U1 in step S1, and the capacitor C1 that has completed energy storage starts to supply power; after the transducer emits sound based on the driving timeout waveform, the aftershock wave of the same frequency is loaded onto the base of the transistor Q1 via the capacitor C2 for active anti-vibration; S3. After the transducer in step S2 emits sound, the received reflected echo signal is transmitted back to the input end of the ultrasonic chip U1 via the receiving circuit.

[0023] In this method, if the transistor Q1 is a bipolar transistor; then when the DV2 control terminal performs switching transformation in step S1, the formed pulse waveform is coupled to the base through the emitter of Q1 and the capacitor C2, so that the base voltage is higher than the emitter; and when the capacitor C2 performs coupling, it also has the function of bootstrap boosting. Combining with the static operating point provided by the resistor R1, a bootstrap network is formed to effectively maintain the conducting state. When the bipolar transistor is operating in the forward direction, the voltage of the base higher than the emitter is 0.6V. Therefore, controlling the pulse waveform to be 0.6V higher than the emitter can make the voltage level of the emitter of the transistor Q1 consistent with the voltage level of the collector.

[0024] Secondly, a system is proposed, which includes an ultrasonic inverter driving transducer circuit as described in any one of the above.

[0025] In summary, the present invention can complete the coupling connection between the transducer and the driving circuit through a simple isolation and vibration damping circuit composed of transistors, resistors and capacitors, effectively eliminating the use of transformers. Combined with the receiving circuit and vibration damping devices, the operation of the ultrasonic inverter driving the transducer is realized with a small number of components, integrating multiple advantages such as driving, isolation, vibration damping, noise reduction, low cost and small occupied space, and has a wide application prospect and remarkable progressiveness.

[0026] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical idea of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention cannot be limited thereby. Any modification made on the basis of the technical solution according to the technical idea proposed by the present invention falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic inverter-driven transducer circuit, characterized in that, It includes a drive circuit, an isolation and anti-vibration circuit, a receiving circuit, and a transducer. The drive circuit is connected to the transducer through the isolation and anti-vibration circuit. The first end of the receiving circuit is connected to the drive control end of the ultrasonic chip, and the second end is used to receive the echo signal of the transducer. Among them, the drive circuit includes an ultrasonic chip for control and power supply, a resistor R2 for generating waveforms, and a capacitor C1 for energy storage. The resistor R2 is set between the DVS power supply terminal and the DV2 pin of the ultrasonic chip. The DV2 pin is used for switch control to generate a pulse waveform. The grounded capacitor C1 is connected in parallel between the resistor R2 and the DVS power supply terminal. The isolation and anti-vibration circuit includes a transistor Q1, a resistor R1, and a capacitor C2. The collector of the transistor Q1 is connected to the DV2 pin of the ultrasonic chip. The emitter of the transistor Q1 is connected to the transducer. The resistor R1 is used to provide a static operating point for the transistor Q1. The resistor R1 is connected between the non-grounded end of the capacitor C1 and the base of the transistor Q1. The capacitor C2 is connected between the emitter and the base of the transistor Q1.

2. The ultrasonic inverter-driven transducer circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transducer includes a control end and a grounded end. The control end is connected to the isolation and anti-vibration circuit, and the grounded end is grounded. A resistor R3 is also set between the grounded end and the emitter of the transistor Q1, serving as an after-vibration fine-tuning circuit.

3. The ultrasonic inverter-driven transducer circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that The receiving circuit includes a first branch and a second branch. The first branch includes a series-connected resistor RRN and capacitor CRN. The resistor RRN is connected to the RXN input terminal of the ultrasonic chip, and the capacitor CRN is connected to the collector of the transistor Q1. The second branch includes a series-connected resistor RRP and capacitor CRP. The resistor RRP is connected to the RXP input terminal of the ultrasonic chip, and the capacitor CRP is connected to the emitter of the transistor Q1.

4. A method for driving a transducer by an ultrasonic inverter, which operates using the circuit described in any one of the above-mentioned claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: S1. Use the DVS power supply terminal of the ultrasonic chip to supply power and store energy for the grounded capacitor C1. Use the DV2 pin of the ultrasonic chip for switch conversion to drive a voltage change between the resistor R2 and the collector of the transistor Q1 in the isolation and anti-vibration circuit, forming a pulse waveform and passing it through the emitter of the transistor Q1 as the drive ultrasonic waveform of the transducer. S2. Turn off the DVS power supply terminal of the ultrasonic chip in step S1. The capacitor C1 that has completed energy storage starts to supply power. After the transducer emits sound based on the drive timeout waveform, the after-vibration wave of the same frequency is loaded onto the base of the transistor Q1 through the capacitor C2 for active anti-vibration. S3. After the transducer in step S2 emits sound, transmit the received reflected echo signal back to the input terminal of the ultrasonic chip through the receiving circuit.

5. A method for driving a transducer by an ultrasonic inverter, characterized in that, The transistor Q1 is selected as a bipolar transistor. The pulse waveform formed when the DV2 control terminal performs switch conversion in step S1 is 0.6V higher than the emitter of the transistor Q1.

6. A system, characterized in that, This system includes an ultrasonic inverter drive transducer circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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