A gain calculator and automatic gain control system

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of gain calculator and automatic gain control system.The gain calculator includes: gain calculation unit, for generating initial gain coefficient according to the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of variable gain amplifier;Polarity judging unit, for generating polarity signal according to the feedback signal of digital automatic gain controller;Hysteresis control unit, for generating gain coefficient adjustment value according to polarity signal;Gain adjustment unit, for generating gain coefficient according to initial gain coefficient and gain coefficient adjustment value.The technical scheme of the embodiment, by adding polarity judging unit, hysteresis control unit and gain adjustment unit, to generate corresponding gain coefficient adjustment value to correct gain coefficient when detecting that the signal strength of gain signal is abnormal, so as to adjust the signal strength of gain signal, which can realize effective correction of gain coefficient, and can ensure that the signal strength of gain signal is located in the working interval supported by digital automatic gain controller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a gain calculator and an automatic gain control system. Background Technology

[0002] In vehicular Ethernet wired communication, the receiver uses Automatic Gain Control (AGC) technology to adjust the signal strength of the received signal, which can ensure the stability of the received signal amplitude.

[0003] Currently, automatic gain control methods mainly include virtual AGC and digital automatic gain controller (AGC) methods. Analog AGC primarily adjusts the power of the received signal in the analog domain using a variable gain amplifier, characterized by large adjustment steps. Digital AGC, typically used as a supplement to analog AGC, adjusts the signal power by directly scaling the received digital signal, offering more continuous adjustment steps. However, digital AGC methods have a defined operating range. Therefore, in certain scenarios, such as an incorrect gain setting in the analog AGC method, the signal power of the gain signal may exceed the operating range supported by the digital AGC method, resulting in a loss of receiver performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a gain calculator and an automatic gain control system, which can correct the gain coefficient of virtual automatic gain control, ensure that the signal strength of the gain signal is within the operating range supported by the digital automatic gain controller, and improve the performance utilization of the receiver.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a gain calculator is provided, comprising a gain calculation unit, a polarity determination unit, a hysteresis control unit, and a gain adjustment unit;

[0006] The gain calculation unit is communicatively connected to the gain adjustment unit and is used to generate an initial gain coefficient based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and output the initial gain coefficient to the gain adjustment unit.

[0007] The polarity determination unit is communicatively connected to the hysteresis control unit and is used to generate a polarity signal based on the feedback signal output by the digital automatic gain controller, and output the polarity signal to the hysteresis control unit.

[0008] The hysteresis control unit is communicatively connected to the gain adjustment unit and is used to generate a gain coefficient adjustment value according to the polarity signal and output the gain coefficient adjustment value to the gain adjustment unit.

[0009] The gain adjustment unit is used to generate a gain coefficient based on the initial gain coefficient and the gain coefficient adjustment value, and output the gain coefficient to the variable gain amplifier.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, an automatic gain control system is provided, including the gain calculator and digital automatic gain controller described in any embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] The digital automatic gain controller is communicatively connected to the gain calculator and is used to generate a feedback signal based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and output the feedback signal to the gain calculator.

[0012] The gain calculator is used to generate a gain coefficient based on the feedback signal and the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and output the gain coefficient to the variable gain amplifier.

[0013] The technical solution of this invention involves a gain calculation unit generating an initial gain coefficient based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and a polarity determination unit generating a polarity signal based on the feedback signal output by the digital automatic gain controller. Then, a hysteresis control unit generates a gain coefficient adjustment value based on the polarity signal, and a gain adjustment unit generates a gain coefficient based on the initial gain coefficient and the adjustment value. By adding a polarity determination unit, a hysteresis control unit, and a gain adjustment unit, when an abnormal signal strength of the gain signal is detected based on the polarity determination result of the feedback signal corresponding to the gain signal by the polarity determination unit, a corresponding gain coefficient adjustment value is generated to correct the current gain coefficient, thereby adjusting the signal strength of the gain signal. This allows for the correction of the gain coefficient of the virtual automatic gain control, ensuring that the signal strength of the gain signal is within the operating range supported by the digital automatic gain controller, and improving the performance utilization of the receiver.

[0014] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1AThis is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gain calculator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of a hysteresis control unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 1C This is a schematic diagram illustrating the calculation process of a gain coefficient according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of an automatic gain control system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram of another automatic gain control system provided according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2C This is a schematic diagram of another automatic gain control system provided according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," "target," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] Figure 1AA structural diagram of a gain calculator is provided for Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The gain calculator 100 includes a gain calculation unit 110, a polarity determination unit 120, a hysteresis control unit 130, and a gain adjustment unit 140. The gain calculator 100 can be applied to the receiver of an in-vehicle Ethernet communication network. In this embodiment, the gain calculator 100 can be deployed between a digital automatic gain controller and an analog AGC variable gain amplifier (VGA). It can be used to determine the gain coefficient of the VGA based on the difference between the signal power of the received signal after VGA gain and the set signal power, thereby controlling the signal power of the received signal after VGA gain to be stable at the set signal power.

[0026] The gain calculation unit 110 is communicatively connected to the gain adjustment unit 140 and is used to generate an initial gain coefficient based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and output the initial gain coefficient to the gain adjustment unit 140.

[0027] In this embodiment, the output signal of the variable gain amplifier can be an analog gain signal after gain amplification of the received signal; correspondingly, the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier can be an analog gain signal after gain amplification of the received signal directly, or it can be a digital gain signal after analog-to-digital conversion of the analog gain signal.

[0028] In a specific example, the gain calculation unit 110 can first calculate the average power of the gain signal within a set time period, then calculate the power difference between the average power and the set average power, and use the power difference as the initial gain coefficient, and send the initial gain coefficient to the gain adjustment unit 140.

[0029] The polarity determination unit 120 is communicatively connected to the hysteresis control unit 130 and is used to generate a polarity signal based on the feedback signal output by the digital automatic gain controller and output the polarity signal to the hysteresis control unit 130.

[0030] In this embodiment, the digital automatic gain controller can determine the signal strength of the received signal and output a corresponding feedback signal to the polarity determination unit 120 based on the determination result. For example, when the received signal strength is detected to be too high, a negative feedback signal is output, such as -1, indicating that the gain coefficient needs to be reduced; when the received signal strength is detected to be too low, a positive feedback signal is output, such as +1, indicating that the gain coefficient needs to be increased; and when the received signal strength is detected to be moderate, a feedback signal of 0 is output, indicating that the gain coefficient does not need to be adjusted.

[0031] Optionally, feedback signals of different values ​​can be generated for received signals of different strengths. For example, if the strength of the received signal is greater than the set signal strength and exceeds 10% of the set signal strength, a feedback signal of -1 is output; if it exceeds 20% of the set signal strength, a feedback signal of -2 is output.

[0032] Specifically, after receiving the feedback signal output by the digital AGC, the polarity determination unit 120 can determine the polarity of the feedback signal and generate a corresponding polarity signal based on the polarity determination result. For example, if the polarity of the feedback signal is detected to be positive, a polarity signal of +1 can be generated; if the polarity of the feedback signal is detected to be negative, a polarity signal of -1 can be generated; and if the polarity of the feedback signal is detected to be neither positive nor negative, a polarity signal of 0 can be generated.

[0033] The hysteresis control unit 130 is communicatively connected to the gain adjustment unit 140 and is used to generate a gain coefficient adjustment value according to the polarity signal and output the gain coefficient adjustment value to the gain adjustment unit 140.

[0034] In this embodiment, the hysteresis control unit 130 can first determine the updated value of the gain coefficient adjustment value based on the polarity signal and the set adjustment step size; then, it can directly use the updated value to update the most recent gain coefficient adjustment value to obtain the current gain coefficient adjustment value; or, it can first compare the current polarity signal with the previous historical polarity signal, and if it is detected that the polarity of multiple consecutive historical polarity signals is the same as the polarity of the current polarity signal, then it can use the updated value to update the most recent gain coefficient adjustment value to obtain the current gain coefficient adjustment value.

[0035] The gain adjustment unit 140 is used to generate a gain coefficient based on the initial gain coefficient and the gain coefficient adjustment value, and output the gain coefficient to the variable gain amplifier.

[0036] The gain adjustment unit 140 can be an adder. In a specific example, the gain adjustment unit 140 can add the initial gain coefficient and the adjusted gain coefficient value, and use the sum as the gain coefficient. For example, if the initial gain coefficient is 10dB and the adjusted gain coefficient value is 1dB, then the current gain coefficient is 11dB; or if the initial gain coefficient is 10dB and the adjusted gain coefficient value is -1dB, then the current gain coefficient is 9dB.

[0037] In this embodiment, after the gain adjustment unit 140 sends the gain coefficient to the VGA, the VGA can amplify the gain of the subsequently received signal according to the gain coefficient to adjust the signal strength of the received signal.

[0038] Optional, such as Figure 1B As shown, the hysteresis control unit 130 may include an adjustment value update subunit 131, a storage subunit 132, and an adjustment value calculation subunit 133;

[0039] The adjustment value update subunit 131 is communicatively connected to the adjustment value calculation subunit 133, and is used to generate a current gain coefficient update value based on the current polarity signal, and output the current gain coefficient update value to the adjustment value calculation subunit 133. The adjustment value update subunit 131 can be a multiplier. The current gain coefficient update value is used to update the historical gain coefficient adjustment values.

[0040] In a specific example, the adjustment value update subunit 131 can multiply the current polarity signal with the set adjustment step, and use the product as the current gain coefficient update value, which can then be sent to the adjustment value calculation subunit 133. The adjustment step value can be adaptively set according to accuracy requirements.

[0041] The storage subunit 132 is communicatively connected to the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 and is used to store the historical polarity signal output by the polarity determination unit 120 and the historical gain coefficient adjustment value output by the hysteresis control unit 130. The storage subunit 132 may be a random access memory (RAM). In this embodiment, the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 can generate and store the mapping relationship between the historical polarity signal and the historical gain coefficient adjustment value in the storage subunit 132.

[0042] The adjustment value calculation subunit 133 is used to generate a current gain coefficient adjustment value based on the current polarity signal, the current gain coefficient update value, and the historical polarity signal and historical gain coefficient adjustment value stored in the storage subunit 132, and output the current gain coefficient adjustment value to the gain adjustment unit 140.

[0043] It should be noted that, when generating feedback signals, digital automatic gain controllers typically perform statistical averaging of the received signals within a set time window to obtain the signal power, and then generate corresponding feedback signals based on the signal power. Therefore, the gain calculator 100 generates a gain coefficient every set time window. However, if the time window is set too small, the polarity of the feedback signal generated by the digital automatic gain controller can easily reverse, resulting in high-frequency changes in the gain coefficient.

[0044] To address the aforementioned issues, the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 of this embodiment can obtain multiple historical polarity signals adjacent to the current polarity signal from the storage subunit 132. If it is determined that the polarity of the multiple historical polarity signals is the same as the polarity of the current polarity signal, the current gain coefficient update value can be added to the most recently output historical gain coefficient adjustment value, and the sum can be used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value. Alternatively, if a set number of historical polarity signals among the multiple historical polarity signals have the same polarity as the current polarity signal, the current gain coefficient update value can be added to the most recently output historical gain coefficient adjustment value, and the sum can be used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value.

[0045] The advantage of the above settings is that they allow for delayed updates of the gain coefficient adjustment value, reducing the update frequency of the gain coefficient adjustment value and thus avoiding frequent fluctuations in the signal power of the VGA output signal.

[0046] Optionally, after generating the current gain coefficient adjustment value, the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 can generate a mapping relationship between the current polarity signal and the current gain coefficient adjustment value and store it in the storage subunit 132.

[0047] In one specific embodiment of this example, the gain coefficient calculation process of the gain calculator 100 can be as follows: Figure 1C As shown. Specifically, firstly, the gain calculation unit 110 generates an initial gain coefficient based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and outputs this initial gain coefficient to the adder. Simultaneously, the polarity determination unit 120 generates a polarity signal based on the feedback signal output by the digital automatic gain controller, and outputs the polarity signal to the multiplier and adjustment value calculation subunit 133 of the hysteresis control unit 130. The multiplier multiplies the current polarity signal by the set adjustment step to generate the current gain coefficient update value, and outputs this current gain coefficient update value to the adjustment value calculation subunit 133. The adjustment value calculation subunit 133 generates the current gain coefficient adjustment value based on the current polarity signal, the current gain coefficient update value, and the historical polarity signals and historical gain coefficient adjustment values ​​stored in the storage subunit 132, and outputs the current gain coefficient adjustment value to the adder. The adder adds the initial gain coefficient and the current gain coefficient adjustment value to obtain the gain coefficient.

[0048] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 may be specifically used for:

[0049] Obtain a first preset number of adjacent historical polarity signals corresponding to the current polarity signal from the historical polarity signals stored in the storage subunit 132, and determine whether the polarity of each of the adjacent historical polarity signals is the same as the polarity of the current polarity signal.

[0050] If so, the current gain coefficient adjustment value is generated based on the current gain coefficient update value and the historical gain coefficient adjustment value most recently output by the hysteresis control unit 130.

[0051] The first preset quantity can be a pre-set quantity value, for example, it can be 5. The adjacent historical polarity signals can be the polarity signals output sequentially by the polarity determination unit 120 before outputting the current polarity signal. For example, if the current polarity signal is the 10th polarity signal output by the polarity determination unit 120, then the 9th polarity signal, the 8th polarity signal, etc., are sequentially obtained as adjacent historical polarity signals.

[0052] In one scenario, when calculating the current gain coefficient adjustment value, the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 can first obtain a first preset number of adjacent historical polarity signals in the storage subunit 132. When it is successfully detected that the polarity of each adjacent historical polarity signal is the same as the polarity of the current polarity signal, that is, when there are multiple consecutive polarity signals with the same polarity, the current gain coefficient update value is added to the historical gain coefficient adjustment value most recently output by the hysteresis control unit 130, and the sum is used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value.

[0053] Optionally, after determining whether the polarity of each of the adjacent historical polarity signals is the same as the polarity of the current polarity signal, the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 can also be used to:

[0054] If at least one abnormal adjacent historical polarity signal is detected to have a polarity different from that of the current polarity signal, then the most recently output historical gain coefficient adjustment value of the hysteresis control unit 130 is used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value.

[0055] Furthermore, if multiple abnormal adjacent historical polarity signals with different polarities than the current polarity signal are detected among the first preset number of adjacent historical polarity signals, the most recently output historical gain coefficient adjustment value of the hysteresis control unit 130 can be used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value, that is, the previous gain coefficient adjustment value can continue to be used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value.

[0056] In another optional embodiment of this example, the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 can also be used for:

[0057] The storage subunit 132 stores historical polarity signals and obtains a second preset number of adjacent historical polarity signals corresponding to the current polarity signal, and obtains the number of target adjacent historical polarity signals with the same polarity as the current polarity signal.

[0058] Determine whether the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is greater than or equal to a preset number threshold; if it is determined that the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is greater than or equal to the preset number threshold, then generate a current gain coefficient adjustment value based on the current gain coefficient update value and the most recent historical gain coefficient adjustment value output by the hysteresis control unit 130.

[0059] The second preset quantity can be a pre-set quantity value, for example, 7. The preset quantity threshold can be a pre-set quantity value, for example, 5, used to determine whether the number of adjacent historical polarity signals with the same polarity as the current polarity signal meets the quantity requirement.

[0060] In another scenario, multiple adjacent historical polarity signals corresponding to the current polarity signal can be obtained first. If a certain number of these adjacent historical polarity signals have the same polarity as the current polarity signal, then the gain coefficient adjustment value of the most recent output needs to be updated. Note that the adjacent historical polarity signals do not necessarily have to be adjacent to each other.

[0061] Specifically, the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 can first filter out a second preset number of adjacent historical polarity signals from the storage subunit 132, and then sequentially determine whether the polarity of each adjacent historical polarity signal is the same as the polarity of the current polarity signal. If so, the adjacent historical polarity signal can be determined as the target adjacent historical polarity signal. After completing the detection of all adjacent historical polarity signals, the number of target adjacent historical polarity signals obtained is counted.

[0062] Furthermore, it is determined whether the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is greater than or equal to a preset number threshold. If it is determined that the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is greater than or equal to the preset number threshold, the historical gain coefficient adjustment value of the most recent output of the hysteresis control unit 130 can be updated using the current gain coefficient update value. That is, the current gain coefficient update value is added to the historical gain coefficient adjustment value, and the sum is used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value.

[0063] Optionally, after determining whether the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is greater than or equal to a preset number threshold, the adjustment value calculation subunit 133 can also be used to:

[0064] If it is determined that the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is less than a preset number threshold, then the most recently output historical gain coefficient adjustment value of the hysteresis control unit 130 is used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value.

[0065] Furthermore, if the number of adjacent historical polarity signals detected is less than a preset threshold, the most recent historical gain coefficient adjustment value output by the hysteresis control unit 130 can be directly used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value without updating the gain coefficient adjustment value.

[0066] The technical solution of this invention involves a gain calculation unit generating an initial gain coefficient based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and a polarity determination unit generating a polarity signal based on the feedback signal output by the digital automatic gain controller. Then, a hysteresis control unit generates a gain coefficient adjustment value based on the polarity signal, and a gain adjustment unit generates a gain coefficient based on the initial gain coefficient and the adjustment value. By adding a polarity determination unit, a hysteresis control unit, and a gain adjustment unit, when an abnormal signal strength of the gain signal is detected based on the polarity determination result of the feedback signal corresponding to the gain signal by the polarity determination unit, a corresponding gain coefficient adjustment value is generated to correct the current gain coefficient, thereby adjusting the signal strength of the gain signal. This allows for the correction of the gain coefficient of the virtual automatic gain control, ensuring that the signal strength of the gain signal is within the operating range supported by the digital automatic gain controller, and improving the performance utilization of the receiver.

[0067] Example 2

[0068] Figure 2A This invention provides a structural diagram of an automatic gain control system 200, which includes the gain calculator 100 and digital automatic gain controller 210 described in embodiment one. The automatic gain control system 200 can be applied to a receiver in an in-vehicle Ethernet communication network.

[0069] The digital automatic gain controller 210 is communicatively connected to the gain calculator 100 and is used to generate a feedback signal based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and output the feedback signal to the gain calculator 100.

[0070] In this embodiment, the digital automatic gain controller 210 can determine the signal strength of the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and generate a corresponding feedback signal based on the strength determination result, and then send the feedback signal to the gain calculator 100. For example, if the signal strength of the gain signal is moderate, a feedback signal of 0 is generated; if the signal strength of the gain signal is too low, a feedback signal of +1 is generated; if the signal strength of the gain signal is too high, a feedback signal of -1 is generated.

[0071] The gain calculator 100 is used to generate a gain coefficient based on the feedback signal and the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and output the gain coefficient to the variable gain amplifier.

[0072] Specifically, after receiving the feedback signal, the gain calculator 100 can process the feedback signal using a polarity determination unit 120 and a hysteresis control unit 130 to obtain the gain coefficient adjustment value. Simultaneously, the gain calculation unit 110 can process the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier to obtain the initial gain coefficient. Furthermore, the gain adjustment unit 140 can add the initial gain coefficient and the gain coefficient adjustment value, using the sum as the gain coefficient.

[0073] Optional, such as Figure 2B As shown, the automatic gain control system 200 may further include a variable gain amplifier 220; the variable gain amplifier 220 is communicatively connected to the gain calculator 100, and is used to adjust the gain of the analog received signal according to the gain coefficient output by the gain calculator 100 when receiving the gain coefficient, so as to obtain an analog gain signal, and output the analog gain signal to the gain calculator 100; the gain calculator 100 is specifically used to generate a gain coefficient according to the feedback signal and the analog gain signal.

[0074] In one scenario, after generating an analog gain signal based on the gain coefficient, the VGA220 can directly send the analog gain signal to the gain calculator 100. The gain calculator 100 can then calculate the subsequent gain coefficient based on the analog gain signal and the feedback signal sent by the digital automatic gain controller 210.

[0075] Specifically, after receiving the gain coefficient from the gain calculator 100, the VGA220 can amplify the gain of subsequent received analog signals (signal power adjustment) based on this gain coefficient to obtain an analog gain signal, and then send this analog gain signal to the gain calculator 100. The gain calculator 100 can calculate the subsequent gain coefficient based on the received analog gain signal and the feedback signal.

[0076] Optional, such as Figure 2C As shown, the automatic gain control system 200 may further include an analog-to-digital converter 230, which is communicatively connected to the variable gain amplifier 220, the digital automatic gain controller 210, and the gain calculator 100, respectively; the variable gain amplifier 220 is also used to output the analog gain signal to the analog-to-digital converter 230.

[0077] The analog-to-digital converter 230 is used to convert the analog gain signal into a digital gain signal, and output the digital gain signal to the gain calculator 100 and the digital automatic gain controller 210 respectively; wherein, the analog-to-digital converter 230 is used to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the input analog signal and output the converted digital signal.

[0078] The digital automatic gain controller 210 is specifically used to generate a feedback signal based on the digital gain signal and output the feedback signal to the gain calculator 100; the gain calculator 100 is also used to generate a gain coefficient based on the feedback signal and the digital gain signal.

[0079] In another scenario, after generating the analog gain signal, the VGA220 can first send the analog gain signal to the analog-to-digital converter 230, so that the analog gain signal can be converted from analog to digital by the analog-to-digital converter 230, and then the digital gain signal obtained after analog-to-digital conversion can be sent to the gain calculator 100 and the digital automatic gain controller 210.

[0080] Furthermore, when the digital automatic gain controller 210 receives the digital gain signal sent by the analog-to-digital converter 230, it can determine the signal strength of the digital gain signal and generate a feedback signal corresponding to the digital gain signal based on the determination result. After receiving the digital gain signal sent by the analog-to-digital converter 230, the gain calculator 100 can calculate the gain coefficient based on the digital gain signal and the feedback signal sent by the digital automatic gain controller 210.

[0081] In this embodiment, by correcting the gain coefficient based on the feedback signal output by the digital automatic gain controller 210, the quantization noise of the analog-to-digital converter 230 can be reduced while avoiding the signal strength of the gain signal from exceeding the operating range supported by the digital automatic gain controller 210.

[0082] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the digital automatic gain controller 210 may be specifically used for:

[0083] The signal power of the digital gain signal is obtained, and a feedback signal is generated based on the signal power of the digital gain signal and the lower and upper limits of the preset power range.

[0084] The preset power range can be a pre-set power range, including a lower power limit and a higher power limit. In this embodiment, the preset power range can be set according to the power range supported by the digital automatic gain controller 210.

[0085] Specifically, when the digital automatic gain controller 210 receives a digital gain signal, it can perform a statistical average of the digital gain signal within a set time window to obtain the signal power of the digital gain signal. Then, it can compare the signal power with the lower and upper limits of a preset power range and generate a feedback signal based on the comparison result. For example, if the detected signal power is less than or equal to the lower limit of the preset power range, it can be determined that the signal strength is too low, and a feedback signal of +1 is generated; if the detected signal power is greater than or equal to the upper limit of the preset power range, it can be determined that the signal strength is too high, and a feedback signal of -1 is generated; if the detected signal power is between the lower and upper limits of the preset power range, it can be determined that the signal strength is moderate, and a feedback signal of 0 is generated.

[0086] The technical solution of this invention generates a feedback signal based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier using a digital automatic gain controller. A gain calculator generates a gain coefficient based on the feedback signal and the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier. The gain coefficient is then corrected based on the feedback signal output by the digital automatic gain controller, thereby adjusting the signal strength of the gain signal. This avoids the signal strength of the gain signal from exceeding the operating range supported by the digital automatic gain controller, prevents performance loss of the receiver in the vehicle Ethernet communication network, and improves the stability of the receiver.

[0087] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0088] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A gain calculator, characterized in that, It includes a gain calculation unit, a polarity determination unit, a hysteresis control unit, and a gain adjustment unit; The gain calculation unit is communicatively connected to the gain adjustment unit and is used to generate an initial gain coefficient based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and output the initial gain coefficient to the gain adjustment unit. The polarity determination unit is communicatively connected to the hysteresis control unit and is used to generate a polarity signal based on the feedback signal output by the digital automatic gain controller, and output the polarity signal to the hysteresis control unit. The hysteresis control unit is communicatively connected to the gain adjustment unit and is used to generate a gain coefficient adjustment value according to the polarity signal and output the gain coefficient adjustment value to the gain adjustment unit. The gain adjustment unit is used to generate a gain coefficient based on the initial gain coefficient and the gain coefficient adjustment value, and output the gain coefficient to the variable gain amplifier. The hysteresis control unit includes an adjustment value update subunit, a storage subunit, and an adjustment value calculation subunit. The adjustment value update subunit is communicatively connected to the adjustment value calculation subunit, and is used to generate a current gain coefficient update value based on the current polarity signal, and output the current gain coefficient update value to the adjustment value calculation subunit; The storage subunit is communicatively connected to the adjustment value calculation subunit and is used to store the historical polarity signal output by the polarity determination unit and the historical gain coefficient adjustment value output by the hysteresis control unit. The adjustment value calculation subunit is used to generate a current gain coefficient adjustment value based on the current polarity signal, the current gain coefficient update value, and the historical polarity signal and historical gain coefficient adjustment value stored in the storage subunit, and output the current gain coefficient adjustment value to the gain adjustment unit.

2. The gain calculator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment value calculation subunit is specifically used for: Obtain a first preset number of adjacent historical polarity signals corresponding to the current polarity signal from the historical polarity signals stored in the storage subunit, and determine whether the polarity of each of the adjacent historical polarity signals is the same as the polarity of the current polarity signal. If so, the current gain coefficient adjustment value is generated based on the current gain coefficient update value and the historical gain coefficient adjustment value most recently output by the hysteresis control unit.

3. The gain calculator according to claim 2, characterized in that, After determining whether the polarity of each of the adjacent historical polarity signals is the same as the polarity of the current polarity signal, the adjustment value calculation subunit is further configured to: If at least one abnormally adjacent historical polarity signal is detected to have a polarity different from that of the current polarity signal, then the most recently output historical gain coefficient adjustment value of the hysteresis control unit is used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value.

4. The gain calculator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment value calculation subunit is also used for: Obtain a second preset number of adjacent historical polarity signals corresponding to the current polarity signal from the historical polarity signals stored in the storage sub-unit, and obtain the number of target adjacent historical polarity signals with the same polarity as the current polarity signal; Determine whether the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is greater than or equal to a preset number threshold; If it is determined that the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is greater than or equal to a preset number threshold, then the current gain coefficient adjustment value is generated based on the current gain coefficient update value and the most recent historical gain coefficient adjustment value output by the hysteresis control unit.

5. The gain calculator according to claim 4, characterized in that, After determining whether the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the adjustment value calculation subunit is further configured to: If it is determined that the number of adjacent historical polarity signals of the target is less than a preset number threshold, then the most recent historical gain coefficient adjustment value output by the hysteresis control unit is used as the current gain coefficient adjustment value.

6. An automatic gain control system, characterized in that, Includes the gain calculator and digital automatic gain controller as described in any one of claims 1-5; The digital automatic gain controller is communicatively connected to the gain calculator and is used to generate a feedback signal based on the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and output the feedback signal to the gain calculator. The gain calculator is used to generate a gain coefficient based on the feedback signal and the gain signal corresponding to the output signal of the variable gain amplifier, and output the gain coefficient to the variable gain amplifier.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes variable gain amplifiers; The variable gain amplifier is communicatively connected to the gain calculator and is used to adjust the gain of the analog received signal according to the gain coefficient output by the gain calculator when it receives the gain coefficient, so as to obtain an analog gain signal and output the analog gain signal to the gain calculator. The gain calculator is specifically used to generate gain coefficients based on the feedback signal and the analog gain signal.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes an analog-to-digital converter, which is communicatively connected to the variable gain amplifier, the digital automatic gain controller and the gain calculator, respectively. The variable gain amplifier is also used to output the analog gain signal to the analog-to-digital converter; The analog-to-digital converter is used to convert the analog gain signal into a digital gain signal, and output the digital gain signal to the gain calculator and the digital automatic gain controller respectively. The digital automatic gain controller is specifically used to generate a feedback signal based on the digital gain signal and output the feedback signal to the gain calculator. The gain calculator is also used to generate gain coefficients based on the feedback signal and the digital gain signal.

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The digital automatic gain controller is specifically used for: The signal power of the digital gain signal is obtained, and a feedback signal is generated based on the signal power of the digital gain signal and the lower and upper limits of the preset power range.

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