Transducer excitation circuit, ultrasonic metering device and ultrasonic gas meter

Abstract

The invention discloses a transducer excitation circuit, an ultrasonic metering device and an ultrasonic gas meter. The transducer excitation circuit comprises a transceiving switching module and a bidirectional excitation module, the transmit-receive switching module is respectively connected with the first transducer and the second transducer, accesses a switching control signal, and is used for controlling one of the first transducer and the second transducer to be an excitation transducer and the other to be a receiving transducer according to the switching control signal; the bidirectional excitation module is connected with the transmit-receive switching module and accesses a clock signal. And the transmission module is used for transmitting the first power supply signal to the positive end of the excitation transducer and transmitting the second power supply signal to the negative end when the clock signal is at the first level, and transmitting the second power supply signal to the positive end of the excitation transducer and transmitting the first power supply signal to the negative end when the clock signal is at the second level. According to the embodiment of the invention, two-way excitation can be utilized, compared with traditional one-way excitation, the amplitude can be doubled, a booster circuit is not needed, and related switching noise cannot be brought.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic metering, and in particular to a transducer excitation circuit, an ultrasonic metering device and an ultrasonic gas meter. Background Art

[0002] The power supply voltage of the ultrasonic gas meter and the pulse wave voltage of the ultrasonic transducer transmitting circuit in the ultrasonic gas meter are usually small, so that the original ultrasonic signal received at the receiving end of the ultrasonic transducer is also small, and the signal-to-noise ratio is also low, especially when applied in specific scenarios. For example, when the ultrasonic signal is transmitted in methane and hydrogen, the attenuation is more serious than when it is transmitted in the air, so the received ultrasonic signal is lower, which brings difficulties to the back-end amplification circuit and signal processing. In response to the above problems, the amplitude of the ultrasonic signal is usually increased by increasing the voltage of the excitation circuit or increasing the sensitivity of the transducer; however, the former requires the use of a boost circuit, which increases the cost and the board area occupied, and there is a problem of switching noise interference; the latter requires adjusting the parameters of the transducer to increase the output signal amplitude, but it will change many other parameters of the transducer such as the resonant frequency and bandwidth, making the performance of the transducer unstable, and the amplitude increase effect is limited. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention provides a transducer excitation circuit, an ultrasonic metering device and an ultrasonic gas meter. Bidirectional excitation is used to double the amplitude compared with traditional unidirectional excitation while ensuring the stability of the transducer. A boost circuit is not required and related switching noise will not be generated.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transducer excitation circuit, comprising:

[0005] a transceiver switching module, connected to the first transducer and the second transducer respectively, and connected to a switching control signal; the transceiver switching module is used to control one of the first transducer and the second transducer to be an excitation transducer and the other to be a receiving transducer according to the switching control signal;

[0006] A bidirectional excitation module is connected to the transceiver switching module and is connected to a clock signal, a first power signal and a second power signal; the bidirectional excitation module is used to transmit the first power signal to the positive end of the excitation transducer through the transceiver switching module and transmit the second power signal to the negative end of the excitation transducer when the clock signal is at a first level, and to transmit the second power signal to the positive end of the excitation transducer and transmit the first power signal to the negative end of the excitation transducer through the transceiver switching module when the clock signal is at a second level; wherein the first level is different from the second level, and the voltages of the first power signal and the second power signal are different.

[0007] Optionally, the bidirectional excitation module includes:

[0008] a first excitation unit, wherein the control end of the first excitation unit is connected to the clock signal, the first connection end of the first excitation unit is connected to the first power signal, the second connection end of the first excitation unit is connected to the second power signal, and the common end of the first excitation unit is connected to the transceiver switching module; the first excitation unit is used to control the common end of the first excitation unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the first excitation unit according to the clock signal;

[0009] A second excitation unit, wherein the control end of the second excitation unit is connected to the clock signal, the first connection end of the second excitation unit is connected to the second power signal, the second connection end of the second excitation unit is connected to the first power signal, and the common end of the second excitation unit is connected to the transceiver switching module; the second excitation unit is used to control the common end of the second excitation unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the second excitation unit according to the clock signal.

[0010] Optionally, the transceiver switching module includes:

[0011] a transceiver switching submodule, connected to the common end of the first excitation unit, the common end of the second excitation unit, the positive end of the first transducer, the negative end of the first transducer, the positive end of the second transducer and the negative end of the second transducer respectively, and connected to a switching control signal; the transceiver switching submodule is used to transmit the signal of the common end of the first excitation unit to the positive end of the first transducer and the signal of the common end of the second excitation unit to the negative end of the first transducer when the switching control signal is the first level, and the transceiver switching submodule is used to transmit the signal of the common end of the first excitation unit to the positive end of the second transducer and the signal of the common end of the second excitation unit to the negative end of the second transducer when the switching control signal is the second level;

[0012] A voltage control unit, wherein the control end of the voltage control unit is connected to the switching control signal, the common end of the voltage control unit is grounded, the first connection end of the voltage control unit is connected to the negative end of the second transducer, and the second connection end of the voltage control unit is connected to the negative end of the first transducer; the voltage control unit is used to control the common end of the voltage control unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the voltage control unit according to the switching control signal;

[0013] A signal transmission unit, wherein the control end of the signal transmission unit is connected to the switching control signal, the common end of the signal transmission unit is used to output the ultrasonic echo electrical signal output by the receiving transducer, the first connection end of the signal transmission unit is connected to the positive end of the second transducer, and the second connection end of the signal transmission unit is connected to the positive end of the first transducer; the signal transmission unit is used to control the common end of the signal transmission unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the signal transmission unit according to the switching control signal.

[0014] Optionally, the transceiver switching submodule includes a first switching unit and a second switching unit;

[0015] The control end of the first switching unit is connected to the switching control signal, the common end of the first switching unit is connected to the common end of the first excitation unit, the first connection end of the first switching unit is connected to the positive end of the first transducer, and the second connection end of the first switching unit is connected to the positive end of the second transducer; the first switching unit is used to control the common end of the first switching unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the first switching unit according to the switching control signal;

[0016] The control end of the second switching unit is connected to the switching control signal, the common end of the second switching unit is connected to the common end of the second excitation unit, the first connection end of the second switching unit is connected to the negative end of the first transducer, and the second connection end of the second switching unit is connected to the negative end of the second transducer; the second switching unit is used to control the common end of the second switching unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the second switching unit according to the switching control signal.

[0017] Optionally, the first excitation unit, the second excitation unit, the voltage control unit, the signal transmission unit, the first switching unit and the second switching unit all include analog switch chips.

[0018] Optionally, the voltage of the first level is greater than the voltage of the second level, and the voltage of the first power signal is greater than the voltage of the second power signal;

[0019] and / or,

[0020] One of the first power signal and the second power signal is a 3.3V DC voltage signal, and the other is a ground signal.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, an ultrasonic metering device is provided, comprising: a first transducer, a second transducer and a transducer excitation circuit provided by any one of the above embodiments.

[0022] Optionally, the ultrasonic metering device also includes an amplifying circuit; the input end of the amplifying circuit is connected to the transceiver switching module, the transceiver switching module is used to transmit the ultrasonic echo electrical signal output by the receiving transducer to the input end of the amplifying circuit, and the amplifying circuit is used to amplify the ultrasonic echo electrical signal to obtain and output an amplified echo signal.

[0023] Optionally, the ultrasonic metering device further includes a control module, which is respectively connected to the transceiver switching module, the bidirectional excitation module and the output end of the amplifier circuit; the control module is used to output the switching control signal and the clock signal, and process the amplified echo signal.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, an ultrasonic gas meter is provided, comprising the ultrasonic metering device provided in the above embodiment.

[0025] In the transducer excitation circuit provided in the embodiment of the present invention, a transceiver switching module and a bidirectional excitation module are provided. The transceiver switching module can flexibly control the transceiver relationship between the first transducer and the second transducer according to the switching control signal, thereby improving the flexibility of the ultrasonic metering device. Bidirectional excitation can be achieved through the bidirectional excitation module; compared with the unidirectional excitation of grounding the negative end of the excitation transducer and applying pulse excitation only at the positive end, the bidirectional excitation can double the excitation, thereby doubling the ultrasonic signal received by the receiving transducer. That is, under the same noise interference, by bidirectionally exciting the excitation transducer, without increasing the amplitude of the excitation voltage, the excitation time can be doubled to achieve the effect of doubling the excitation, thereby doubling the signal-to-noise ratio, thereby improving the quality of the ultrasonic signal received by the receiving transducer, so as to reduce the error of the ultrasonic metering device. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, there is no need to provide a boost circuit, and no switching noise interference related to boosting will be brought about, and in the embodiment of the present invention, there is no need to adjust the parameters of the transducer itself, which can effectively ensure the stability of the transducer.

[0026] It should be understood that the contents described in this section are not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0028] Figure 1A schematic diagram of the structure of a transducer excitation circuit provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of another transducer excitation circuit provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of another transducer excitation circuit provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of another transducer excitation circuit provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic metering device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0035] The embodiment of the present invention provides a transducer excitation circuit to achieve bidirectional excitation of the transducer. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a transducer excitation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to FIG. Figure 1The transducer excitation circuit includes a transceiver switching module 10 and a bidirectional excitation module 20. The transceiver switching module 10 is connected to the first transducer HNQ1 and the second transducer HNQ2 respectively, and receives the switching control signal HNQ_CS; the transceiver switching module 10 is used to control one of the first transducer HNQ1 and the second transducer HNQ2 to be an excitation transducer and the other to be a receiving transducer according to the switching control signal HNQ_CS. The bidirectional excitation module 20 is connected to the transceiver switching module 10, and is connected to the clock signal CLK, the first power signal V1 and the second power signal V2; the bidirectional excitation module 20 is used to transmit the first power signal V1 to the positive end of the excitation transducer through the transceiver switching module 10 when the clock signal CLK is at the first level, and transmit the second power signal V2 to the negative end of the excitation transducer, and, when the clock signal CLK is at the second level, transmit the second power signal V2 to the positive end of the excitation transducer through the transceiver switching module 10, and transmit the first power signal V1 to the negative end of the excitation transducer; wherein the first level is different from the second level, and the voltages of the first power signal V1 and the second power signal V2 are different.

[0036] The first transducer HNQ1 and the second transducer HNQ2 can send and receive ultrasonic signals to each other, and transmit the received ultrasonic signals to the signal processing component in the ultrasonic metering device for analysis after processing, thereby completing the measurement of the ultrasonic transmission medium between the first transducer HNQ1 and the second transducer HNQ2. The transmission medium can be, for example, gas, that is, the first transducer HNQ1 and the second transducer HNQ2 can be used to achieve gas metering.

[0037] The transceiver switching module 10 can be specifically used to control the transceiver relationship between the first transducer HNQ1 and the second transducer HNQ2 according to the level of the switching control signal HNQ_CS. For example, when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the first level, the transceiver switching module 10 controls the first transducer HNQ1 to be an excitation transducer and the second transducer HNQ2 to be a receiving transducer; when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the second level, the transceiver switching module 10 controls the first transducer HNQ1 to be a receiving transducer and the second transducer HNQ2 to be an excitation transducer. Among them, the bidirectional excitation module 20 provides an excitation signal to the excitation transducer through the transceiver switching module 10, and the receiving transducer outputs the ultrasonic electrical signal SG_OUT1 through the transceiver switching module 10.

[0038] The clock signal CLK is a pulse signal in which the first level and the second level appear alternately according to a certain rule. In this embodiment, when the clock signal CLK is at the first level, the positive and negative ends of the excitation transducer are respectively the first power signal V1 and the second power signal V2, and can be excited; when the clock signal CLK is at the second level, the positive and negative ends of the excitation transducer are respectively the second power signal V2 and the first power signal V1, and can also be excited. In other words, whether the clock signal CLK is at the first level or the second level, there is a voltage difference between the first power signal V1 and the second power signal V2 between the positive and negative ends of the excitation transducer, and can be effectively excited, thereby realizing bidirectional excitation.

[0039] For example, one of the first power signal V1 and the second power signal V2 is the power supply voltage of the device (eg, ultrasonic measuring device) where the transducer excitation circuit is located, and the other is a ground signal. The power supply voltage is, for example, 3.3V.

[0040] In the transducer excitation circuit provided in the embodiment of the present invention, a transceiver switching module 10 and a bidirectional excitation module 20 are provided. The transceiver switching module 10 can flexibly control the transceiver relationship between the first transducer HNQ1 and the second transducer HNQ2 according to the switching control signal HNQ_CS, thereby improving the flexibility of the ultrasonic metering device. Bidirectional excitation can be achieved through the bidirectional excitation module 20; compared with the unidirectional excitation of grounding the negative end of the excitation transducer and applying pulse excitation only at the positive end, the bidirectional excitation can double the excitation, thereby doubling the ultrasonic signal received by the receiving transducer. That is, under the same noise interference, by bidirectionally exciting the excitation transducer, without increasing the amplitude of the excitation voltage, the excitation time can be doubled to achieve the effect of doubling the excitation, thereby doubling the signal-to-noise ratio, thereby improving the quality of the ultrasonic signal received by the receiving transducer, so as to reduce the error of the ultrasonic metering device. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, there is no need to provide a boost circuit, which will not cause switching noise interference related to boosting, and the embodiment of the present invention does not need to adjust the parameters of the transducer itself, which can effectively ensure the stability of the transducer.

[0041] On the basis of the above embodiments, optionally, one of the first level and the second level is a high level, and the other is a low level, for example, the voltage of the first level can be set to be greater than the voltage of the second level. One of the first power signal V1 and the second power signal V2 is a high voltage, and the other is a low voltage, for example, the voltage of the first power signal V1 can be set to be greater than the voltage of the second power signal V2. Specifically, one of the first power signal V1 and the second power signal V2 is a 3.3V DC voltage signal, and the other is a ground signal. The voltages of the above signals can be set according to actual needs, and are not specifically limited here.

[0042] See also Figure 1, taking the first power signal V1 as 3.3V and the second power signal V2 as a ground signal (for example, 0V) as an example, the specific working process of the transducer excitation circuit may be:

[0043] When the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the first level, the transceiver switching module 10 controls the first transducer HNQ1 to be an excitation transducer and the second transducer HNQ2 to be a receiving transducer. In this case, when the clock signal CLK is at the first level, the first power signal V1 connected to the bidirectional excitation module 20 is transmitted to the positive terminal of the first transducer HNQ1 through the transceiver switching module 10, and the second power signal V2 connected to the bidirectional excitation module 20 is transmitted to the negative terminal of the first transducer HNQ1 through the transceiver switching module 10. At this time, the voltage of the positive terminal of the first transducer HNQ1 is 3.3V, and the negative terminal of the first transducer HNQ1 is grounded, that is, the voltage of the negative terminal is 0V. When the clock signal CLK is at the second level, the second power signal V2 connected to the bidirectional excitation module 20 is transmitted to the positive end of the first transducer HNQ1 through the transceiver switching module 10, and the first power signal V1 connected to the bidirectional excitation module 20 is transmitted to the negative end of the first transducer HNQ1 through the transceiver switching module 10. At this time, the positive end of the first transducer HNQ1 is grounded, that is, the voltage of the positive end is 0V, and the voltage of the negative end of the first transducer HNQ1 is 3.3V.

[0044] When the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the second level, the transceiver switching module 10 controls the first transducer HNQ1 to be a receiving transducer and the second transducer HNQ2 to be an exciting transducer. In this case, when the clock signal CLK is at the first level, the first power signal V1 connected to the bidirectional excitation module 20 is transmitted to the positive end of the second transducer HNQ2 through the transceiver switching module 10, and the second power signal V2 connected to the bidirectional excitation module 20 is transmitted to the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2 through the transceiver switching module 10. At this time, the voltage of the positive end of the second transducer HNQ2 is 3.3V, and the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2 is grounded, that is, the voltage of the negative end is 0V; when the clock signal CLK is at the second level, the second power signal V2 connected to the bidirectional excitation module 20 is transmitted to the positive end of the second transducer HNQ2 through the transceiver switching module 10, and the first power signal V1 connected to the bidirectional excitation module 20 is transmitted to the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2 through the transceiver switching module 10. At this time, the positive end of the second transducer HNQ2 is grounded, that is, the voltage of the positive end is 0V, and the voltage of the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2 is 3.3V.

[0045] In the transducer excitation circuit provided by the embodiment of the present invention, bidirectional excitation can be achieved through the bidirectional excitation module 20; compared with unidirectional excitation in which the negative end of the excitation transducer is grounded and pulse excitation is applied only to the positive end, the bidirectional excitation can double the excitation, thereby doubling the ultrasonic signal received by the receiving transducer. That is, under the same noise interference, by bidirectionally exciting the excitation transducer, without increasing the amplitude of the excitation voltage, the excitation time can be doubled to achieve the effect of doubling the excitation, thereby doubling the signal-to-noise ratio, thereby improving the quality of the ultrasonic signal received by the receiving transducer, and reducing the error of the ultrasonic metering device.

[0046] The above-mentioned embodiments exemplarily explain the basic principle of bidirectional excitation of the transducer excitation circuit. The specific structure that each functional module in the circuit may have is exemplarily described below, but it is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0047] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of another transducer excitation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. Figure 2 On the basis of the above embodiment, the bidirectional excitation module 20 may optionally include: a first excitation unit 21 and a second excitation unit 22. The control terminal IN1 of the first excitation unit 21 is connected to the clock signal CLK, the first connection terminal NO1 of the first excitation unit 21 is connected to the first power signal V1, the second connection terminal NC1 of the first excitation unit 21 is connected to the second power signal V2, and the common terminal COM1 of the first excitation unit 21 is connected to the transceiver switching module 10; the first excitation unit 21 is used to control the common terminal COM1 of the first excitation unit 21 to be connected to the first connection terminal NO1 or the second connection terminal NC1 of the first excitation unit 21 according to the clock signal CLK. The control terminal IN2 of the second excitation unit 22 is connected to the clock signal CLK, the first connection terminal NO2 of the second excitation unit 22 is connected to the second power signal V2, the second connection terminal NC2 of the second excitation unit 22 is connected to the first power signal V1, and the common terminal COM2 of the second excitation unit 22 is connected to the transceiver switching module 10; the second excitation unit 22 is used to control the common terminal COM2 of the second excitation unit 22 to be connected to the first connection terminal NO2 or the second connection terminal NC2 of the second excitation unit 22 according to the clock signal CLK. Figure 2 Exemplarily, the first power signal V1 is a 3.3V DC voltage signal, and the second power signal V2 is a ground signal.

[0048] Specifically, when the clock signal CLK is at the first level, the common terminal COM1 of the first firing unit 21 is controlled to be connected to the first connection terminal NO1 of the first firing unit 21, and the common terminal COM2 of the second firing unit 22 is controlled to be connected to the first connection terminal NO2 of the second firing unit 22. When the clock signal CLK is at the second level, the common terminal COM1 of the first firing unit 21 is controlled to be connected to the second connection terminal NC1 of the first firing unit 21, and the common terminal COM2 of the second firing unit 22 is controlled to be connected to the second connection terminal NC2 of the second firing unit 22.

[0049] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, optionally, the first excitation unit 21 and the second excitation unit 22 both include analog switches to realize bidirectional excitation of the excitation transducer. Based on the analog switch, the common end of the excitation unit is controlled to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end according to the clock signal CLK. There is no need to use discrete switching tube components to realize bidirectional excitation of the excitation transducer, which can avoid the problem of large delays caused by high and low levels, thereby improving the stability of the transducer excitation circuit.

[0050] Specifically, the first excitation unit 21 may include a first analog switch chip U1, and the second excitation unit 22 may include a second analog switch chip U2. The first analog switch chip U1 and the second analog switch chip U2 both include a control terminal, a common terminal, a normally open terminal, and a normally closed terminal. Specifically, the control terminal of the first analog switch chip U1 serves as the control terminal IN1 of the first excitation unit 21, the common terminal of the first analog switch chip U1 serves as the common terminal COM1 of the first excitation unit 21, the normally open terminal of the first analog switch chip U1 serves as the first connection terminal NO1 of the first excitation unit 21, and the normally closed terminal of the first analog switch chip U1 serves as the second connection terminal NC1 of the first excitation unit 21. The control terminal of the second analog switch chip U2 serves as the control terminal IN2 of the second excitation unit 22, the common terminal of the second analog switch chip U2 serves as the common terminal COM2 of the second excitation unit 22, the normally open terminal of the second analog switch chip U2 serves as the first connection terminal NO2 of the second excitation unit 22, and the normally closed terminal of the second analog switch chip U2 serves as the second connection terminal NC2 of the second excitation unit 22.

[0051] Continue to see Figure 2 , taking the first level as a high level, the second level as a low level, and the first transducer HNQ1 as an excitation transducer as an example, Figure 2 , the waveform of the clock signal and the waveforms of the signals received by the positive and negative ends of the first transducer are shown. It can be seen that the transducer excitation circuit can realize bidirectional excitation of the excitation transducer.

[0052] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of another transducer excitation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. Figure 3On the basis of the above embodiments, optionally, the transceiver switching module 10 includes: a transceiver switching submodule 11 , a voltage control unit 12 and a signal transmission unit 13 .

[0053] Among them, the transceiver switching submodule 11 is respectively connected to the common end COM1 of the first excitation unit 21, the common end COM2 of the second excitation unit 22, the positive end of the first transducer HNQ1, the negative end of the first transducer HNQ1, the positive end of the second transducer HNQ2 and the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2, and is connected to the switching control signal HNQ_CS; the transceiver switching submodule 11 is used to transmit the signal of the common end COM1 of the first excitation unit 21 to the positive end of the first transducer HNQ1 when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at a first level, and transmit the signal of the common end COM2 of the second excitation unit 22 to the negative end of the first transducer HNQ1, and the transceiver switching submodule 11 is used to transmit the signal of the common end COM1 of the first excitation unit 21 to the positive end of the second transducer HNQ2, and transmit the signal of the common end COM2 of the second excitation unit 22 to the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2 when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at a second level.

[0054] The control terminal IN5 of the voltage control unit 12 is connected to the switching control signal HNQ_CS, the common terminal COM5 of the voltage control unit 12 is grounded, the first connection terminal NO5 of the voltage control unit 12 is connected to the negative terminal of the second transducer HNQ2, and the second connection terminal NC5 of the voltage control unit 12 is connected to the negative terminal of the first transducer HNQ1; the voltage control unit 12 is used to control the common terminal COM5 of the voltage control unit 12 to be connected to the first connection terminal NO5 or the second connection terminal NC5 of the voltage control unit 12 according to the switching control signal HNQ_CS. When the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the first level, the common terminal COM5 of the voltage control unit 12 is connected to the first connection terminal NO5 of the voltage control unit 12, and when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the second level, the common terminal COM5 of the voltage control unit 12 is connected to the second connection terminal NC5 of the voltage control unit 12.

[0055] The control terminal IN6 of the signal transmission unit 13 is connected to the switching control signal HNQ_CS, the common terminal COM6 of the signal transmission unit 13 is used to output the ultrasonic echo electrical signal SG_OUT1 output by the receiving transducer, the first connection terminal NO6 of the signal transmission unit 13 is connected to the positive terminal of the second transducer HNQ2, and the second connection terminal NC6 of the signal transmission unit 13 is connected to the positive terminal of the first transducer HNQ1; the signal transmission unit 13 is used to control the common terminal COM6 of the signal transmission unit 13 to be connected to the first connection terminal NO6 or the second connection terminal NC6 of the signal transmission unit 13 according to the switching control signal HNQ_CS. When the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the first level, the common terminal COM6 of the signal transmission unit 13 is connected to the first connection terminal NO6 of the signal transmission unit 13, and when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the second level, the common terminal COM6 of the signal transmission unit 13 is connected to the second connection terminal NC6 of the signal transmission unit 13.

[0056] Specifically, when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the first level, the transceiver switching submodule 11 controls the first transducer HNQ1 to be an excitation transducer and the second transducer HNQ2 to be a receiving transducer, and transmits the signal of the common terminal COM1 of the first excitation unit 21 and the signal of the common terminal COM2 of the second excitation unit 22 to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the first transducer HNQ1 respectively. In addition, the voltage control unit 12 controls its common terminal COM5 to be connected to its first connection terminal NO5 in response to the switching control signal HNQ_CS, so that the negative terminal of the second transducer HNQ2 is grounded, and the signal transmission unit 13 controls its common terminal COM6 to be connected to its first connection terminal NO6 in response to the switching control signal HNQ_CS, so that the second transducer HNQ2 outputs the ultrasonic electrical signal SG_OUT1 and outputs it through the common terminal COM6 of the signal transmission unit 13.

[0057] When the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the second level, the transceiver switching submodule 11 controls the first transducer HNQ1 to be a receiving transducer and the second transducer HNQ2 to be an excitation transducer, and transmits the signal of the common terminal COM1 of the first excitation unit 21 and the signal of the common terminal COM2 of the second excitation unit 22 to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the second transducer HNQ2 respectively. In addition, the voltage control unit 12 controls its common terminal COM5 to be connected to its second connection terminal NC5 in response to the switching control signal HNQ_CS, so that the negative terminal of the first transducer HNQ1 is grounded, and the signal transmission unit 13 controls its common terminal COM6 to be connected to its second connection terminal NC6 in response to the switching control signal HNQ_CS, so that the first transducer HNQ1 outputs the ultrasonic electrical signal SG_OUT1 and outputs it through the common terminal COM6 of the signal transmission unit 13.

[0058] Figure 4FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of another transducer excitation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. Figure 4 On the basis of the above embodiments, optionally, the transceiver switching submodule 11 includes a first switching unit 101 and a second switching unit 102. The control terminal IN3 of the first switching unit 101 is connected to the switching control signal HNQ_CS, the common terminal COM3 of the first switching unit 101 is connected to the common terminal COM1 of the first excitation unit 21, the first connection terminal NO3 of the first switching unit 101 is connected to the positive terminal of the first transducer HNQ1, and the second connection terminal NC3 of the first switching unit 101 is connected to the positive terminal of the second transducer HNQ2; the first switching unit 101 is used to control the common terminal COM3 of the first switching unit 101 to be connected to the first connection terminal NO3 or the second connection terminal NC3 of the first switching unit 101 according to the switching control signal HNQ_CS. The control terminal IN4 of the second switching unit 102 is connected to the switching control signal HNQ_CS, the common terminal COM4 of the second switching unit 102 is connected to the common terminal COM2 of the second excitation unit 22, the first connection terminal NO4 of the second switching unit 102 is connected to the negative terminal of the first transducer HNQ1, and the second connection terminal NC4 of the second switching unit 102 is connected to the negative terminal of the second transducer HNQ2; the second switching unit 102 is used to control the common terminal COM4 of the second switching unit 102 to be connected to the first connection terminal NO4 or the second connection terminal NC4 of the second switching unit 102 according to the switching control signal HNQ_CS.

[0059] The first switching unit 101 and the second switching unit 102 are used for, when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the first level, the common terminal COM3 of the first switching unit 101 is connected to its first connection terminal NO3, the common terminal COM4 of the second switching unit 102 is connected to its first connection terminal NO4, the signal of the common terminal COM1 of the first excitation unit 21 is transmitted to the positive terminal of the first transducer HNQ1, and the signal of the common terminal COM2 of the second excitation unit 22 is transmitted to the negative terminal of the first transducer HNQ1. And, when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at the second level, the common terminal COM3 of the first switching unit 101 is connected to its second connection terminal NC3, the common terminal COM4 of the second switching unit 102 is connected to its second connection terminal NC4, the signal of the common terminal COM1 of the first excitation unit 21 is transmitted to the positive terminal of the second transducer HNQ2, and the signal of the common terminal COM2 of the second excitation unit 22 is transmitted to the negative terminal of the second transducer HNQ2.

[0060] Continue to refer Figure 4On the basis of the above embodiments, optionally, the voltage control unit 12, the signal transmission unit 13, the first switching unit 101 and the second switching unit 102 all include analog switch chips. Compared with the implementation using discrete transistor components or the implementation using a dedicated H-bridge circuit, the frequency limitation of the excitation circuit can be reduced, the delay can be reduced, and the application scenarios of the transducer can be expanded.

[0061] Specifically, the first switching unit 101 includes a third analog switch chip U3, the second switching unit 102 includes a fourth analog switch chip U4, the voltage control unit 12 includes a fifth analog switch chip U5, and the signal transmission unit 13 includes a sixth analog switch chip U6. Each analog switch chip includes a control end, a common end, a normally open end, and a normally closed end. Specifically, the control end of each analog switch chip serves as the control end of the corresponding unit, the common end of each analog switch chip serves as the common end of the corresponding unit, the normally open end of each analog switch chip serves as the first connection end of the corresponding unit, and the normally closed end of each analog switch chip serves as the second connection end of the corresponding unit.

[0062] Optionally, in the transducer excitation circuit, each analog switch chip also includes a power supply terminal and a ground terminal. The power supply terminal of each analog switch chip is connected to a power supply signal (for example, a 3.3V DC voltage signal), and the ground terminal of each analog switch chip is grounded to provide the power supply voltage required for the normal operation of each analog switch chip; and, the power supply terminal of each analog switch chip can be connected to a filter capacitor to ensure power supply stability. Specifically, capacitor C1 is connected between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal of the first analog switch chip U1, capacitor C2 is connected between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal of the second analog switch chip U2, capacitor C3 is connected between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal of the third analog switch chip U3, capacitor C4 is connected between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal of the fourth analog switch chip U4, capacitor C5 is connected between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal of the fifth analog switch chip U5, and capacitor C6 is connected between the power supply terminal and the ground terminal of the sixth analog switch chip U6.

[0063] Combine the following Figure 4 , the specific working principle of the transducer excitation circuit provided in the embodiment of the present invention is described in detail.

[0064] Specifically, when the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at a high level, the first analog switch chip U1 and the second analog switch chip U2 select the first transducer HNQ1 as the excitation transducer and the second transducer HNQ2 as the receiving transducer. The third analog switch chip U3 responds to the switching control signal HNQ_CS to control the common end of the third analog switch chip U3 to be connected to the normally open end of the third analog switch chip U3, and the fourth analog switch chip U4 responds to the switching control signal HNQ_CS to control the common end of the fourth analog switch chip U4 to be connected to the normally open end of the fourth analog switch chip U4. When the clock signal CLK is at a high level, the first analog switch chip U1 responds to the clock signal CLK to control the common end of the first analog switch chip U1 to be connected to the normally open end of the first analog switch chip U1, and the second analog switch chip U2 responds to the clock signal CLK to control the common end of the second analog switch chip U2 to be connected to the normally open end of the second analog switch chip U2, so that the first power signal V1 connected to the normally open end of the first analog switch chip U1 is transmitted to the positive end of the first transducer HNQ1 through the normally open end of the third analog switch chip U3, and the normally open end of the second analog switch chip U2 is connected to the second power signal V2 and transmitted to the negative end of the first transducer HNQ1 through the normally open end of the fourth analog switch chip U4. At this time, the positive end voltage of the first transducer HNQ1 is 3.3V, and the negative end voltage of the first transducer HNQ1 is 0V. Here, since the first power supply signal V1 is 3.3V, the second power supply signal V2 is 0V, and the clock signal CLK is at a high level, it can be considered that the common end of the first analog switch chip U1 transmits the same-phase excitation signal of the clock signal CLK, and correspondingly, the common end of the second analog switch chip U2 transmits the opposite-phase excitation signal of the clock signal CLK. When the clock signal CLK is at a low level, the same-phase excitation signal transmitted by the common end of the first analog switch chip U1 is transmitted to the positive end of the first transducer HNQ1 via the normally open end of the third analog switch chip U3, and the opposite-phase excitation signal transmitted by the common end of the second analog switch chip U2 is transmitted to the negative end of the first transducer HNQ1 via the normally open end of the fourth analog switch chip U4. At this time, the positive end voltage of the first transducer HNQ1 is 0V, and the negative end voltage of the first transducer HNQ1 is 3.3V. At this time, both the positive end and the negative end of the first transducer HNQ1 have excitation signals, which is equivalent to double the excitation. At the same time, the fifth analog switch chip U5 responds to the switching control signal HNQ_CS to control the common end of the fifth analog switch chip U5 to be connected to the normally-open end of the fifth analog switch chip U5, and the sixth analog switch chip U6 responds to the switching control signal HNQ_CS to control the common end of the sixth analog switch chip U6 to be connected to the normally-open end of the sixth analog switch chip U6, the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2 is grounded, and the second transducer HNQ2 outputs the ultrasonic electrical signal SG_OUT1 through the common end of the sixth analog switch chip U6.

[0065] When the switching control signal HNQ_CS is at a low level, the first analog switch chip U1 and the second analog switch chip U2 select the first transducer HNQ1 as the receiving transducer and the second transducer HNQ2 as the exciting transducer. The third analog switch chip U3 responds to the switching control signal HNQ_CS to control the common end of the third analog switch chip U3 to be connected to the normally closed end of the third analog switch chip U3, and the fourth analog switch chip U4 responds to the switching control signal HNQ_CS to control the common end of the fourth analog switch chip U4 to be connected to the normally closed end of the fourth analog switch chip U4. When the clock signal CLK is at a high level, the first analog switch chip U1 responds to the clock signal CLK to control the common end of the first analog switch chip U1 to be connected to the normally open end of the first analog switch chip U1, and the second analog switch chip U2 responds to the clock signal CLK to control the common end of the second analog switch chip U2 to be connected to the normally open end of the second analog switch chip U2. The first power signal V1 connected to the normally open end of the first analog switch chip U1 is transmitted to the positive end of the second transducer HNQ2 through the normally closed end of the third analog switch chip U3, and the second power signal V2 connected to the normally open end of the second analog switch chip U2 is transmitted to the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2 through the normally closed end of the fourth analog switch chip U4. That is, the in-phase excitation signal transmitted from the common end of the first analog switch chip U1 is transmitted to the positive end of the second transducer HNQ2 through the normally closed end of the third analog switch chip U3, and the reverse phase excitation signal transmitted from the common end of the second analog switch chip U2 is transmitted to the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2 through the normally closed end of the fourth analog switch chip U4. At this time, the positive end voltage of the second transducer HNQ2 is 3.3V, and the negative end voltage of the second transducer HNQ2 is 0V. When the clock signal CLK is at a low level, the in-phase excitation signal transmitted from the common end of the first analog switch chip U1 is transmitted to the positive end of the second transducer HNQ2 via the normally closed end of the third analog switch chip U3, and the reverse phase excitation signal transmitted from the common end of the second analog switch chip U2 is transmitted to the negative end of the second transducer HNQ2 via the normally closed end of the fourth analog switch chip U4. At this time, the positive end voltage of the second transducer HNQ2 is 0V, and the negative end voltage of the second transducer HNQ2 is 3.3V. At this time, both the positive and negative ends of the second transducer HNQ2 have excitation signals, which is equivalent to double the excitation. At the same time, the fifth analog switch chip U5 responds to the switching control signal HNQ_CS to control the common end of the fifth analog switch chip U5 to be connected to the normally closed end of the fifth analog switch chip U5, and the sixth analog switch chip U6 responds to the switching control signal HNQ_CS to control the common end of the sixth analog switch chip U6 to be connected to the normally closed end of the sixth analog switch chip U6, the negative end of the first transducer HNQ1 is grounded, and the first transducer HNQ1 outputs the ultrasonic electrical signal SG_OUT1 through the common end of the sixth analog switch chip U6.

[0066] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention realizes bidirectional excitation of the excitation transducer by setting up multiple analog switches. There is no need to use discrete switching tube components to realize bidirectional excitation of the excitation transducer. The structure is simpler, fewer devices are used, the switching rate is high, and the delay is small. The problem of large delay when switching between high and low levels can be avoided, thereby improving the stability of the transducer excitation circuit.

[0067] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an ultrasonic measuring device, comprising the transducer excitation circuit provided by any of the above embodiments, and thus having corresponding beneficial effects. Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic metering device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to FIG. Figure 5 The ultrasonic metering device includes: a first transducer HNQ1, a second transducer HNQ2 and a transducer excitation circuit.

[0068] Furthermore, the ultrasonic measuring device also includes an amplifier circuit 30; the input end of the amplifier circuit 30 is connected to the transceiver switching module 10, and the transceiver switching module 10 is used to transmit the ultrasonic echo electrical signal SG_OUT1 output by the receiving transducer to the input end of the amplifier circuit 30, and the amplifier circuit 30 is used to amplify the ultrasonic echo electrical signal SG_OUT1 to obtain and output the amplified echo signal SG_OUT.

[0069] Wherein, the amplification circuit 30 may exemplarily include resistors R1-R4, capacitors C7-C8 and operational amplifier U7, but it is not used as a limitation of the present embodiment. Specifically, the first end of capacitor C8 is connected to the transceiver switching module 10, the second end of capacitor C8 is connected to the first input end of operational amplifier U7, and is connected to the first end of resistor R3, the second end of resistor R3 is respectively connected to the first end of resistor R4 and the first end of resistor R5, the second end of resistor R4 is grounded, the second end of resistor R5 is connected to a 3.3V DC voltage, the first end of resistor R1 is connected to the first end of capacitor C7, the second end of capacitor C7 is grounded, the second end of resistor R1 is connected to the first end of resistor R2, and is connected to the second input end of operational amplifier U7, the second end of resistor R2 is connected to the output end of operational amplifier U7, the first power supply end of operational amplifier U7 is connected to a 3.3V DC voltage, and the second power supply end of operational amplifier U7 is grounded.

[0070] On the basis of the above embodiments, optionally, the ultrasonic metering device further includes a control module 40; the control module 40 is respectively connected to the output ends of the transceiver switching module 10, the bidirectional excitation module 20 and the amplifier circuit 30; the control module 40, as a core data processing component in the ultrasonic metering device, can be used to output a switching control signal HNQ_CS and a clock signal CLK, and process the amplified echo signal SG_OUT.

[0071] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an ultrasonic gas meter, comprising the ultrasonic metering device provided by any of the above embodiments, and thus having corresponding beneficial effects.

[0072] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add or delete steps. For example, the steps described in the present invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially or in different orders, as long as the desired results of the technical solution of the present invention can be achieved, and this document does not limit this.

[0073] The above specific implementations do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modification, equivalent substitution and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transducer excitation circuit, characterized in that: include: a transceiver switching module, connected to the first transducer and the second transducer respectively, and connected to a switching control signal; the transceiver switching module is used to control one of the first transducer and the second transducer to be an excitation transducer and the other to be a receiving transducer according to the switching control signal; A bidirectional excitation module is connected to the transceiver switching module and is connected to a clock signal, a first power signal and a second power signal; the bidirectional excitation module is used to transmit the first power signal to the positive end of the excitation transducer through the transceiver switching module and transmit the second power signal to the negative end of the excitation transducer when the clock signal is at a first level, and to transmit the second power signal to the positive end of the excitation transducer and transmit the first power signal to the negative end of the excitation transducer through the transceiver switching module when the clock signal is at a second level; wherein the first level is different from the second level, and the voltages of the first power signal and the second power signal are different.

2. The transducer excitation circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bidirectional excitation module comprises: a first excitation unit, wherein the control end of the first excitation unit is connected to the clock signal, the first connection end of the first excitation unit is connected to the first power signal, the second connection end of the first excitation unit is connected to the second power signal, and the common end of the first excitation unit is connected to the transceiver switching module; the first excitation unit is used to control the common end of the first excitation unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the first excitation unit according to the clock signal; A second excitation unit, wherein the control end of the second excitation unit is connected to the clock signal, the first connection end of the second excitation unit is connected to the second power signal, the second connection end of the second excitation unit is connected to the first power signal, and the common end of the second excitation unit is connected to the transceiver switching module; the second excitation unit is used to control the common end of the second excitation unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the second excitation unit according to the clock signal.

3. The transducer excitation circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transceiver switching module comprises: a transceiver switching submodule, connected to the common end of the first excitation unit, the common end of the second excitation unit, the positive end of the first transducer, the negative end of the first transducer, the positive end of the second transducer and the negative end of the second transducer respectively, and connected to a switching control signal; the transceiver switching submodule is used to transmit the signal of the common end of the first excitation unit to the positive end of the first transducer and the signal of the common end of the second excitation unit to the negative end of the first transducer when the switching control signal is the first level, and the transceiver switching submodule is used to transmit the signal of the common end of the first excitation unit to the positive end of the second transducer and the signal of the common end of the second excitation unit to the negative end of the second transducer when the switching control signal is the second level; A voltage control unit, wherein the control end of the voltage control unit is connected to the switching control signal, the common end of the voltage control unit is grounded, the first connection end of the voltage control unit is connected to the negative end of the second transducer, and the second connection end of the voltage control unit is connected to the negative end of the first transducer; the voltage control unit is used to control the common end of the voltage control unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the voltage control unit according to the switching control signal; A signal transmission unit, wherein the control end of the signal transmission unit is connected to the switching control signal, the common end of the signal transmission unit is used to output the ultrasonic echo electrical signal output by the receiving transducer, the first connection end of the signal transmission unit is connected to the positive end of the second transducer, and the second connection end of the signal transmission unit is connected to the positive end of the first transducer; the signal transmission unit is used to control the common end of the signal transmission unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the signal transmission unit according to the switching control signal.

4. The transducer excitation circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transceiver switching submodule includes a first switching unit and a second switching unit; The control end of the first switching unit is connected to the switching control signal, the common end of the first switching unit is connected to the common end of the first excitation unit, the first connection end of the first switching unit is connected to the positive end of the first transducer, and the second connection end of the first switching unit is connected to the positive end of the second transducer; the first switching unit is used to control the common end of the first switching unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the first switching unit according to the switching control signal; The control end of the second switching unit is connected to the switching control signal, the common end of the second switching unit is connected to the common end of the second excitation unit, the first connection end of the second switching unit is connected to the negative end of the first transducer, and the second connection end of the second switching unit is connected to the negative end of the second transducer; the second switching unit is used to control the common end of the second switching unit to be connected to the first connection end or the second connection end of the second switching unit according to the switching control signal.

5. The transducer excitation circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first excitation unit, the second excitation unit, the voltage control unit, the signal transmission unit, the first switching unit and the second switching unit all include an analog switch chip.

6. The transducer excitation circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The voltage of the first level is greater than the voltage of the second level, and the voltage of the first power signal is greater than the voltage of the second power signal; and / or, One of the first power signal and the second power signal is a 3.3V DC voltage signal, and the other is a ground signal.

7. An ultrasonic measuring device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first transducer, a second transducer and the transducer excitation circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The ultrasonic measuring device according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes an amplifier circuit; the input end of the amplifier circuit is connected to the transceiver switching module, the transceiver switching module is used to transmit the ultrasonic echo electrical signal output by the receiving transducer to the input end of the amplifier circuit, and the amplifier circuit is used to amplify the ultrasonic echo electrical signal to obtain an amplified echo signal and output it.

9. The ultrasonic measuring device according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a control module, which is respectively connected to the transceiver switching module, the bidirectional excitation module and the output end of the amplifying circuit; the control module is used to output the switching control signal and the clock signal, and process the amplified echo signal.

10. An ultrasonic gas meter, characterized in that: An ultrasonic measuring device comprising any one of claims 7 to 9.

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