Optical debugging circuit and device

Abstract

The utility model discloses an optical debugging circuit and equipment. The optical debugging circuit comprises a constant current module, an optical detection module, a control module and a modulation module, the constant current module is used for generating and providing driving current for the laser based on the reference voltage and the modulation signal; the optical detection module is used for detecting optical signals emitted by the laser to obtain feedback signals; the control module is connected with the optical detection module and the constant current module, and is used for providing reference voltage and generating a correction signal based on the feedback signal; the modulation module is connected with the control module and the constant current module, and is used for generating a modulation signal based on the correction signal. After the optical detection module and the control module detect the optical signal emitted by the laser, the control module can control the modulation module to generate different debugging signals according to the parameters of the optical signal in the feedback signal, so as to find the modulation signal suitable for the laser, and achieve the test and correction of the laser.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of testing tooling, and in particular, relates to an optical debugging circuit and equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of modern society, people's demands for intelligence are getting higher and higher. Autonomous driving is a technology that is highly anticipated by the public. In order to achieve autonomous driving, LiDAR is an important part of the field of autonomous driving. It is mainly responsible for object detection, mapping and positioning, and is one of the essential sensors for autonomous driving. At the same time, the research and development of LiDAR is difficult and technically demanding. A large number of experimental tests are involved in the research and development process. Traditional tests have many problems, such as large test errors, inaccurate test results, poor consistency of test results, and a single test laser model. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of the present application is to provide an optical debugging circuit and device, aiming to solve the problem of large test errors existing in traditional optical testing.

[0004] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an optical debugging circuit for debugging a laser, the optical debugging circuit comprising: a constant current module, the constant current module is used to generate and provide a driving current to the laser based on a reference voltage and a modulation signal; an optical detection module, the optical detection module is used to detect the optical signal emitted by the laser to obtain a feedback signal; a control module, the control module is connected to the optical detection module and the constant current module, the control module is used to provide the reference voltage, and generate a correction signal based on the feedback signal; a modulation module, the modulation module is connected to the control module and the constant current module, the modulation module is used to generate the modulation signal based on the correction signal.

[0005] In one embodiment, the optical debugging circuit also includes a gating module and a signal input interface; the gating module is connected between the modulation module and the constant current module, the signal input interface is connected to the gating module, the signal input interface is used to connect to an external signal source and receive a modulation signal provided by the external signal source, and the gating module is used to transmit the modulation signal output by the modulation module or the modulation signal output by the external signal source to the constant current module.

[0006] In one embodiment, the control module includes a main control unit; the main control unit is connected to the optical detection module and the modulation module, and the main control unit is used to generate and output the correction signal based on the feedback signal.

[0007] In one embodiment, the control module further includes a reference voltage source; the reference voltage source is connected to the main control unit, and the main control unit is further used to control the reference voltage source to output the reference voltage.

[0008] In one embodiment, the optical debugging circuit further includes a temperature control module; the temperature control module is connected to the control module, and the temperature control module is used to control the temperature of the laser.

[0009] In one embodiment, the optical detection module includes a photoelectric conversion unit and a signal feedback unit; the photoelectric conversion unit is used to convert the optical signal emitted by the laser into an electrical signal, the signal feedback unit is connected to the control module respectively, and the signal feedback unit is used to generate the feedback signal based on the electrical signal.

[0010] In one embodiment, the optical debugging circuit further includes a human-computer interaction interface; the human-computer interaction interface is connected to the control module, the human-computer interaction interface receives adjustment parameters, and the control module is used to adjust the correction signal according to the adjustment parameters.

[0011] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides an optical debugging device, including an adapter plate for mounting a laser and the optical debugging circuit as described above.

[0012] In one embodiment, the optical debugging device further includes a spectrum analyzer, and the spectrum analyzer is connected to the optical detection module of the optical debugging circuit.

[0013] In one embodiment, the optical debugging device further includes a human-computer interaction device, and the human-computer interaction device is connected to the control module of the optical debugging circuit.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: after the optical detection module and the control module detect the optical signal emitted by the laser, the control module can control the modulation module to generate different debugging signals according to the parameters of the optical signal in the feedback signal, so as to find a modulation signal suitable for the laser, thereby realizing the testing and correction of the laser. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the principle of an optical debugging circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 2 Another schematic diagram of the principle of the optical debugging circuit provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the principles of an optical debugging device provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0019] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0020] It should be understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by terms such as "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0021] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0022] LiDAR can realize functions such as positioning and ranging of objects through the laser emitted by the laser. Different lasers can be output by modulating the frequency of the laser through the modulation signal. Specifically, the carrier concentration inside the grating of the laser is adjusted by controlling the input current of the laser. The change of carrier concentration will cause the refractive index of the grating to change, thereby affecting the grating's choice of laser wavelength. The relationship between the frequency and wavelength of the optical signal is as follows: Where f is the frequency of the optical signal emitted by the laser, c is the speed of light, and λ is the wavelength of the optical signal. Since the wavelength is inversely proportional to the frequency, the frequency does not change linearly in the process of adjusting the wavelength with a linear signal.

[0023] At the same time, in order to avoid the influence of many factors such as laser responsiveness and temperature, it is very important to have debugging equipment that can adapt to different lasers and control the test conditions for the nonlinear correction of laser frequency modulation.

[0024] Figure 1The schematic diagram of the principle of the optical debugging circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. For the convenience of explanation, only the part related to the present embodiment is shown, which is described in detail as follows:

[0025] The optical debugging circuit 10 is used to debug the laser 20 . The optical debugging circuit 10 includes: a constant current module 100 , an optical detection module 200 , a control module 300 and a modulation module 400 .

[0026] The constant current module 100 is used to generate and provide a driving current to the laser 20 based on a reference voltage and a modulation signal. The optical detection module 200 is used to detect an optical signal emitted by the laser 20 to obtain a feedback signal. The control module 300 is connected to the optical detection module 200 and the constant current module 100, and the control module 300 is used to provide a reference voltage and generate a correction signal based on the feedback signal. The modulation module 400 is connected to the control module 300 and the constant current module 100, and the modulation module 400 is used to generate a modulation signal based on the correction signal.

[0027] Through the optical detection module 200 , the control module 300 and the modulation module 400 , different debugging signals can be output after the optical signal emitted by the laser 20 is detected, so as to find a modulation signal suitable for the laser 20 and realize the correction of the laser 20 .

[0028] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the optical debugging circuit 10 also includes a gating module 500 and a signal input interface 600. The gating module 500 is connected between the modulation module 400 and the constant current module 100, and the signal input interface 600 is connected to the gating module 500. The signal input interface 600 is used to connect to an external signal source and receive a modulated signal provided by the external signal source. The gating module 500 is used to transmit the modulated signal output by the modulation module 400 or the modulated signal output by the external signal source to the constant current module 100.

[0029] Among them, the gating module 500 includes a switching circuit composed of switching devices such as a single-pole double-throw switch, a MOS tube and / or a relay, and the corresponding switching device can be turned on or off to connect the constant current module 100 to the modulation module 400 or to connect the constant current module 100 to the signal input interface 600. The specific model of the signal input interface 600 can be set according to actual needs.

[0030] In some embodiments, the switch device in the gating unit can also be turned on or off based on the control signal of the control module 300 .

[0031] When calibrating the laser 20 , the gating module 500 can transmit the modulation signal to the constant current module 100 to control the driving current output by the constant current module 100 , thereby adjusting the optical signal output by the laser 20 until the desired optical signal is obtained.

[0032] At the same time, the gating module 500 can also access the modulation signal output by the external signal source, so that it can access the special or more accurate modulation signal that the modulation module 400 cannot generate, and can test and calibrate the laser 20 more comprehensively.

[0033] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the control module 300 includes a main control unit 310. The main control unit 310 is connected to the optical detection module 200 and the modulation module 400, and is used to generate and output a correction signal based on the feedback signal. The main control unit 310 can be a microcontroller such as a single-chip microcomputer or a chip, or a circuit such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The main control unit 310 is used to process data and control each module.

[0034] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the control module 300 further includes a reference voltage source 320. The reference voltage source 320 is connected to the main control unit 310, and the main control unit 310 is also used to control the reference voltage source 320 to output a reference voltage.

[0035] The magnitude of the reference voltage will affect the magnitude of the driving current output by the constant current module 100 .

[0036] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the optical debugging circuit 10 further includes a temperature control module 700 . The temperature control module 700 is used to control the temperature of the laser 20 .

[0037] Among them, the temperature control module 700 specifically includes a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) temperature control. The temperature control module 700 can control the temperature of the laser 20 based on the control instructions of the control module 300, which can prevent the temperature of the laser 20 from being too high and affecting the operation of the laser 20. At the same time, the temperature of the laser 20 can also be controlled at a specified value according to requirements.

[0038] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the optical detection module 200 includes a photoelectric conversion unit 210 and a signal feedback unit 220. The photoelectric conversion unit 210 is used to convert the optical signal emitted by the laser 20 into an electrical signal, and the signal feedback unit 220 is connected to the control module 300 respectively, and the signal feedback unit 220 is used to generate a feedback signal based on the electrical signal.

[0039] The photoelectric conversion unit 210 includes a photosensor, and the signal feedback unit 220 includes an operational amplifier circuit or a filter circuit.

[0040] In some embodiments, the signal feedback unit 220 may amplify the signal at a certain magnification ratio to facilitate the control module 300 to identify the feedback signal.

[0041] The control module 300 can obtain the parameters of the optical signal output by the laser 20 according to the feedback signal, and then adjust the modulation signal output by the modulation module 400 until the parameters of the optical signal output by the laser 20 meet the requirements. At the same time, the corresponding modulation signal can be obtained to realize the calibration and debugging of the laser 20.

[0042] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the optical debugging circuit 10 further includes a human-computer interaction interface 800 .

[0043] The human-machine interaction interface 800 is connected to the control module 300 . The human-machine interaction interface 800 receives adjustment parameters. The control module 300 is used to adjust the correction signal according to the adjustment parameters.

[0044] The human-computer interaction interface 800 may be connected to a human-computer interaction device to receive adjustment parameters provided by the human-computer interaction device.

[0045] Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the principle of the optical debugging device provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. For the convenience of explanation, only the part related to the present embodiment is shown, which is described in detail as follows:

[0046] The optical debugging device 30 includes an adapter plate 40 for mounting the laser and an optical debugging circuit 10 as in any of the above embodiments. Specifically, the optical debugging circuit 10 is arranged on the adapter plate 40, and the adapter plate 40 also includes a connecting wire and a supporting frame, the supporting frame is used to fix the laser, and the connecting wire is used to connect the optical debugging circuit 10 and the laser.

[0047] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the optical debugging circuit 10 is used to debug the laser, and the optical debugging circuit 10 includes: a constant current module 100, an optical detection module 200, a control module 300 and a modulation module 400.

[0048] The constant current module 100 is used to generate and provide a driving current to the laser based on a reference voltage and a modulation signal. The optical detection module 200 is used to detect the optical signal emitted by the laser to obtain a feedback signal. The control module 300 is connected to the optical detection module 200 and the constant current module 100, and the control module 300 is used to provide a reference voltage and generate a correction signal based on the feedback signal. The modulation module 400 is connected to the control module 300 and the constant current module 100, and the modulation module 400 is used to generate a modulation signal based on the correction signal.

[0049] Through the optical detection module 200, the control module 300 and the modulation module 400, after detecting the optical signal emitted by the laser, different debugging signals can be output to find a modulation signal suitable for the laser, thereby realizing the correction of the laser.

[0050] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the optical debugging circuit 10 also includes a gating module 500 and a signal input interface 600. The gating module 500 is connected between the modulation module 400 and the constant current module 100, and the signal input interface 600 is connected to the gating module 500. The signal input interface 600 is used to connect to an external signal source and receive a modulated signal provided by the external signal source. The gating module 500 is used to transmit the modulated signal output by the modulation module 400 or the modulated signal output by the external signal source to the constant current module 100.

[0051] Among them, the gating module 500 includes a switching circuit composed of switching devices such as a single-pole double-throw switch, a MOS tube and / or a relay, and the corresponding switching device can be turned on or off to connect the constant current module 100 to the modulation module 400 or to connect the constant current module 100 to the signal input interface 600. The specific model of the signal input interface 600 can be set according to actual needs.

[0052] In some embodiments, the switch device in the gating unit can also be turned on or off based on the control signal of the control module 300 .

[0053] When calibrating the laser 20 , the gating module 500 can transmit the modulation signal to the constant current module 100 to control the driving current output by the constant current module 100 , thereby adjusting the optical signal output by the laser 20 until the desired optical signal is obtained.

[0054] At the same time, the gating module 500 can also access the modulation signal output by the external signal source, so that it can access the special or more accurate modulation signal that the modulation module 400 cannot generate, and can test and calibrate the laser 20 more comprehensively.

[0055] In one embodiment, the optical debugging device 30 further includes a spectrum analyzer 50, which is connected to the optical detection module 200 of the optical debugging circuit 10. The spectrum analyzer 50 can be used to more directly analyze the optical signal emitted by the laser.

[0056] In one embodiment, the optical debugging device 30 further includes a human-computer interaction device 60, which is connected to the control module 300 of the optical debugging circuit 10. Specifically, the human-computer interaction device 60 can be connected to the control module 300 through the human-computer interaction interface 800 of the optical debugging circuit 10.

[0057] The human-computer interaction device 60 may be a touch screen, a control button, a keyboard or other devices. The human-computer interaction device 60 may be selected according to actual needs and a corresponding human-computer interaction interface 800 may be configured.

[0058] In one embodiment, the optical debugging device 30 further includes a signal generator 70 , which is connected to the signal input interface 600 of the optical debugging circuit 10 . The signal generator 70 can directly input the generated modulated signal into the constant current module 100 of the optical debugging circuit 10 .

[0059] The signal generator 70 may be a microcontroller such as a single chip or a chip, or a circuit such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0060] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units and modules is used as an example for illustration. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be distributed and completed by different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. In addition, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for the convenience of distinguishing each other, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above-mentioned system can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0061] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0062] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An optical debugging circuit for debugging a laser, characterized in that: The optical debugging circuit comprises: A constant current module, the constant current module is used to generate and provide a driving current to the laser based on a reference voltage and a modulation signal; An optical detection module, the optical detection module is used to detect the optical signal emitted by the laser to obtain a feedback signal; A control module, the control module is connected to the optical detection module and the constant current module, the control module is used to provide the reference voltage and generate a correction signal based on the feedback signal; A modulation module, the modulation module is connected to the control module and the constant current module, and the modulation module is used to generate the modulation signal based on the correction signal.

2. The optical debugging circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical debugging circuit also includes a gating module and a signal input interface; The gating module is connected between the modulation module and the constant current module, the signal input interface is connected to the gating module, the signal input interface is used to connect to an external signal source and receive a modulation signal provided by the external signal source, and the gating module is used to transmit the modulation signal output by the modulation module or the modulation signal output by the external signal source to the constant current module.

3. The optical debugging circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control module includes a main control unit; The main control unit is connected to the optical detection module and the modulation module, and is used to generate and output the correction signal based on the feedback signal.

4. The optical debugging circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control module also includes a reference voltage source; The reference voltage source is connected to the main control unit, and the main control unit is further used to control the reference voltage source to output the reference voltage.

5. The optical debugging circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical debugging circuit also includes a temperature control module; The temperature control module is connected to the control module, and the temperature control module is used to control the temperature of the laser.

6. The optical debugging circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical detection module includes a photoelectric conversion unit and a signal feedback unit; The photoelectric conversion unit is used to convert the optical signal emitted by the laser into an electrical signal. The signal feedback unit is connected to the control module respectively. The signal feedback unit is used to generate the feedback signal based on the electrical signal.

7. The optical debugging circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical debugging circuit also includes a human-computer interaction interface; The human-machine interaction interface is connected to the control module, the human-machine interaction interface receives adjustment parameters, and the control module is used to adjust the correction signal according to the adjustment parameters.

8. An optical debugging device, characterized in that: It comprises an adapter plate for mounting a laser and an optical debugging circuit as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. The optical debugging device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The optical debugging device further comprises a spectrum analyzer, and the spectrum analyzer is connected to the optical detection module of the optical debugging circuit.

10. The optical debugging device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The optical debugging device further comprises a human-computer interaction device, and the human-computer interaction device is connected to the control module of the optical debugging circuit.

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