TEC number self-adaption method suitable for laser

Abstract

The invention discloses a TEC number self-adaption method suitable for a laser lamp, which comprises a reference mode and a working mode, in the reference mode, unified rated low current is input into reference modules of different specifications, terminal voltage is collected as a reference check value, and a mapping relation between the reference check value and rated working voltage is established; in the working mode, when the working modules are powered on, the same low current is input, the real-time voltage value is collected, the absolute difference value between the working modules and the reference value is calculated, the reference module with the minimum difference value is selected as the matching result, and the corresponding rated working voltage is output. The method avoids the risk of manual voltage regulation, improves the compatibility and safety, and is suitable for the temperature control scene of lasers with multiple specifications of TECs connected in series.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of lasers, and in particular to a TEC quantity self-adaptation method applicable to lasers. Background Art

[0002] In the demonstration laser light system, the RGB laser module combines light through special optical lenses to generate white laser output. Its core component, the laser diode, typically uses a TEC (transistor cooler) for temperature control. The standard operating parameters for each TEC are 10V and 4A (corresponding to 60W of power). In practice, multiple TECs are configured in series depending on the heat generated by the laser diode. For example, a red laser diode with low heat generation may require only one TEC, while a high-power blue laser diode may require two or three TECs in series.

[0003] The current industry mainly uses two driving solutions for TEC: constant current drive and PWM drive.

[0004] In constant current drive mode, technicians must pre-set the maximum output current to 4A. When configuring a single TEC, the output voltage is stabilized at around 10V by adjusting the adjustable resistor in the circuit. At this point, the TEC's operating current reaches 4A. If the system uses two TECs in series and is supplied with 10V without voltage adjustment, Ohm's law states that the total resistance doubles, causing the current to drop to 2.4A. At this point, the output voltage must be increased to 20V to restore the current to the rated 4A. Similarly, three TECs in series require a voltage of 30V.

[0005] The PWM drive mode uses a 10V base voltage and achieves a 4A output current by adjusting the pulse width duty cycle. When the number of TECs increases, the voltage must be increased simultaneously (10V for each additional TEC) while maintaining the original duty cycle. Otherwise, the current will decrease due to the increased resistance.

[0006] During actual production debugging, a safe and complex operating procedure must be followed. First, confirm the number of TECs connected in series. If this number is uncertain, follow the low-voltage startup principle: Starting with 8V for a single-chip system, increase the initial voltage by 8V for each additional TEC (e.g., starting with 16V for a dual-chip system). Increase the voltage gradually, no more than 2V at a time. After each adjustment, observe the voltage for at least 30 seconds until the current stabilizes at 4A. Furthermore, there is the safety hazard of misconnecting voltages. For example, if a 20V system designed for dual-chip TECs is mistakenly connected to a single TEC, the instantaneous power draw will reach 120 watts (a 200% overload), potentially cracking the TEC ceramic substrate or damaging the driver chip. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a TEC number self-adaptation method suitable for lasers, which can automatically identify the number of TECs connected in series in a cooling plate module and dynamically match their rated operating voltage.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a method for self-adapting the number of TECs for a laser, comprising the following steps: -Benchmark Mode: By inputting a uniform rated low current into reference modules of different specifications, the terminal voltage value of each reference module is collected and obtained, and the terminal voltage value corresponding to each reference module is used as a reference calibration value. The reference modules of different specifications include single-chip TEC, two-chip series TEC, and three or more-chip series TEC; each reference module is adapted to a rated operating voltage; -Working mode: S1. When the actual working module is initially powered on, input the rated low current and acquire the working voltage value; S2 compares the working voltage value with the various benchmark verification values ​​established by the benchmark mode, thereby determining a benchmark verification value that is equal to or close to the working voltage value, and then determines the benchmark module that matches the working module as a matching result; S3. Based on the matching result, the adapted rated working voltage is input to the working module to enable the working module to operate normally.

[0009] Furthermore, the reference module includes at least three specifications: The first specification is composed of a single TEC, corresponding to the first reference calibration value V1, and the corresponding first rated operating voltage V10; The first specification consists of two TECs, with a corresponding second reference calibration value V2 and a corresponding first rated operating voltage V20; The first specification consists of three TECs, and the corresponding third reference check value V3 corresponds to the first rated operating voltage V30; The proportional relationship between the various benchmark verification values ​​is: V1=2*V2=3*V3, and the proportional relationship between the various rated operating voltages is: V10=1 / 2*V20=1 / 3*V30.

[0010] Furthermore, the current value of the rated low current is a non-operating current value within the range of 100 mA-500 mA, and the current value of the rated low current is less than 1 / 5 of the rated operating current of the reference module.

[0011] Furthermore, the numerical comparison in step S2 specifically includes: Calculate the absolute difference between the operating voltage value and each benchmark calibration value; The reference module corresponding to the reference check value with the smallest absolute difference is selected as the matching result.

[0012] The present invention adopts the above-mentioned solution, and its beneficial effects are: 1) fully automatic adaptation: no human intervention is required, and any TEC module of known or unknown specifications can be adapted; 2) high reliability: the specification is pre-determined by the non-operating current to avoid TEC damage; 3) hardware simplification: the same drive circuit is compatible with multiple TEC specifications, reducing production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the process of the self-adaptation method.

[0014] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the self-adaptive device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention is described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided solely to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure.

[0016] See attached Figure 1-2 As shown, in this embodiment, a method for self-adapting the number of TECs for a laser lamp specifically includes a reference mode and an operating mode. In the reference mode, a reference voltage database for different numbers of TECs (semiconductor refrigeration elements) is established, and in the operating mode, self-adaptive control is achieved through real-time voltage comparison. Specifically, the method includes the following steps: Benchmark mode: By inputting a uniform rated low current into benchmark modules of different specifications, the terminal voltage values ​​of each benchmark module are collected and obtained, and the terminal voltage value corresponding to each benchmark module is used as a benchmark calibration value.

[0017] Specifically, the reference module definition of this embodiment is: preset reference modules containing different numbers of TECs, including the number specifications of a single TEC, two TECs in series, and three or more TECs in series.

[0018] Specifically, the low current input of this embodiment: a uniform rated low current is input to all reference modules, wherein the current value of the rated low current is a non-working current value in the range of 100mA-500mA, and the current value of the rated low current is less than 1 / 5 of the rated working current of the reference module, for example: the rated working current of the reference module is 4A, and the current value of the rated low current is 0.4A.

[0019] Specifically, this embodiment records the terminal voltage of each reference module after receiving a rated low current as a reference calibration value, and recommends a mapping relationship between this value and the rated operating voltage. Reference modules include at least three specifications: 1) The first specification comprises a single TEC, corresponding to a first reference calibration value V1 and a first rated operating voltage V10; 2) The first specification comprises two TECs, corresponding to a second reference calibration value V2 and a first rated operating voltage V20; 3) The first specification comprises three TECs, corresponding to a third reference calibration value V3 and a first rated operating voltage V30. Based on this, a mapping relationship of "reference module - reference calibration value - rated operating voltage" is established: 1) Reference module for a "single TEC" → V1 → V10; 2) Reference module for a "two-element series TEC" → V2 → V20; 3) Reference module for a "three-element series TEC" → V3 → V30.

[0020] In this embodiment, the proportional relationship between the various reference verification values ​​is: V1=2*V2=3*V3, and the proportional relationship between the various rated operating voltages is: V10=1 / 2*V20=1 / 3*V30.

[0021] For ease of understanding, the above-mentioned benchmark mode is further explained below in conjunction with specific embodiments and numerical values.

[0022] First, the operating voltage of each TEC for normal cooling operation is defined as 10V. By presetting three reference modules, the same rated low current of 0.4A is input respectively. Therefore, the first reference module: with a single TEC, V1=0.6V is measured, corresponding to V10=10V; the second reference module: with two TECs in series, V2=0.3V is measured, corresponding to V20=20V; the third reference module: with three TECs in series, V3=0.2V is measured, corresponding to V30=30V; then the reference calibration value, rated operating voltage and their mapping relationship corresponding to each reference module are stored in the preset controller.

[0023] Working mode: Step S1. When the actual working module is initially powered on, input the rated low current and collect the working voltage value; Step S2 compares the working voltage value with the various benchmark verification values ​​established by the benchmark mode, thereby determining a benchmark verification value that is equal to or close to the working voltage value, and then determining the benchmark module that matches the working module as a matching result; Step S3: Based on the matching result, the adapted rated operating voltage is input to the working module to enable the working module to operate normally.

[0024] Specifically, the numerical comparison in step S2 specifically includes: Step F1. Calculate the absolute difference between the operating voltage value and each reference calibration value; Step F2: Select the reference module corresponding to the reference verification value with the smallest absolute difference as the matching result.

[0025] By using the numerical comparison method of steps F1-F2, the influence of judgment caused by measurement errors can be reduced, and the accuracy can be further improved.

[0026] For ease of understanding, the above working mode is further explained below in conjunction with specific embodiments and numerical values.

[0027] First, a working module with an unknown number of TECs was connected and fed with a rated low current of 0.4A, resulting in a tested working voltage of 0.31V. Next, the absolute difference between this working voltage and each benchmark value was calculated: |0.31-0.6|=0.29, |0.31-0.3|=0.01, and |0.31-0.2|=0.11. The second benchmark module with the smallest absolute difference was selected, corresponding to a rated working voltage of 20V, confirming that the working module had two TECs connected in series. Finally, a rated working voltage of 20V was input to ensure normal operation of the working module. At this point, each TEC received a voltage of 10V, enabling cooling at normal power.

[0028] In summary, the aforementioned self-adaptive method eliminates the need for additional voltmeters, ammeters, and other testing instruments to measure the actual TEC current. This allows for full compatibility with working modules with varying TEC quantities and specifications when producing different laser lamp models. Automatic identification and output of the appropriate voltage and current are achieved upon powering up the wiring, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing failures and debugging time.

[0029] In order to implement the above-mentioned self-adaptation method, this embodiment also discloses a TEC number self-adaptation device suitable for a laser lamp. The self-adaptation device can be connected to any reference module or working module, and specifically includes a registerable MCU controller, a controllable constant current power supply module, and a voltage acquisition module for collecting working voltage values, wherein the MCU controller is respectively connected to the controllable constant current power supply module and the voltage acquisition module.

[0030] In this embodiment, the MCU controller serves as the control center, with an embedded reference check value storage unit, a voltage comparison algorithm unit, and a drive control logic, for storing the reference check value of the reference mode and the corresponding rated working voltage for comparison mapping processing. The controllable constant current power supply module is used to provide a switchable constant current source output, including two working modes: 1) Low current mode: outputs a non-working current value in the range of 100mA-500mA; 2) Rated voltage mode: based on the instruction of the MCU controller, switches to the matching rated working voltage to drive the working module. The voltage acquisition module collects the terminal voltage value of the connected reference module or the working voltage value of the working module, and converts it into a digital signal that can be processed by the MCU.

[0031] Furthermore, the controllable constant current power supply module of this embodiment can achieve precise current output based on a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and a constant current control chip (such as TI's LM334), and adopt a MOSFET+DC-DC combination circuit to achieve wide-range voltage switching. The above circuit structure and principle are well-known technologies and will not be elaborated here. Those skilled in the art can design an adaptive circuit structure as needed.

[0032] Furthermore, the voltage acquisition module of this embodiment can adopt a high-precision ADC (analog-to-digital converter, 16-bit resolution, sampling rate 1kHz), a front-end filtering circuit: an RC low-pass filter (cut-off frequency 100Hz) to eliminate high-frequency noise interference, and a voltage divider protection circuit: to prevent the input voltage from exceeding the limit and damaging the ADC (such as clamping it to 3.3V through a Zener diode). The above circuit structure and principle are well-known technologies and will not be elaborated here. Those skilled in the art can design an adaptive circuit structure as needed.

[0033] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention in any form. Any person skilled in the art who, without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, utilizes the technical content disclosed above to make more possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention, or modifications are all equivalent embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent and equivalent changes made in accordance with the ideas of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for self-adapting the number of TECs for a laser, characterized by: The following steps are included: -Benchmark Mode: By inputting a uniform rated low current into reference modules of different specifications, the terminal voltage value of each reference module is collected and obtained, and the terminal voltage value corresponding to each reference module is used as a reference calibration value. The reference modules of different specifications include single-chip TEC, two-chip series TEC, and three or more-chip series TEC; each reference module is adapted to a rated operating voltage; -Working mode: S1. When the actual working module is initially powered on, input the rated low current and acquire the working voltage value; S2 compares the working voltage value with the various benchmark verification values ​​established by the benchmark mode, thereby determining a benchmark verification value that is equal to or close to the working voltage value, and then determines the benchmark module that matches the working module as a matching result; S3. Based on the matching result, the adapted rated working voltage is input to the working module to enable the working module to operate normally.

2. The method for self-adapting the number of TECs for a laser according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reference module includes at least three specifications: The first specification is composed of a single TEC, with a corresponding first reference calibration value V1 and a corresponding first rated operating voltage V10; The first specification consists of two TECs, with a corresponding second reference calibration value V2 and a corresponding first rated operating voltage V20; The first specification consists of three TECs, and the corresponding third reference check value V3 corresponds to the first rated operating voltage V30; The proportional relationship between the various benchmark verification values ​​is: V1=2*V2=3*V3, and the proportional relationship between the various rated operating voltages is: V10=1 / 2*V20=1 / 3*V30.

3. The method for self-adapting the number of TECs for a laser according to claim 1, characterized in that: The current value of the rated low current is a non-operating current value within the range of 100mA-500mA, and the current value of the rated low current is less than 1 / 5 of the rated operating current of the reference module.

4. The method for self-adapting the number of TECs for a laser according to claim 1, characterized in that: The numerical comparison in step S2 specifically includes: Calculate the absolute difference between the operating voltage value and each benchmark calibration value; The reference module corresponding to the reference check value with the smallest absolute difference is selected as the matching result.

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