Digital waveform generator and synchronous control system

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model discloses a digital waveform generator and a synchronous control system, the digital waveform generator comprises two printed circuit boards which are connected through a flexible flat cable, one printed circuit board comprises a plurality of synchronous digital waveform circuits, the other printed circuit board comprises a plurality of static digital output circuits, and the static digital output circuits are connected with the two printed circuit boards. Each synchronous digital waveform output circuit outputs a corresponding digital waveform according to a preset waveform of an upper computer and a time reference, and each static digital output circuit outputs a corresponding digital level according to a port state of the upper computer. According to the invention, multiple paths of synchronous digital waveform signals and multiple paths of static digital signals can be output, the expansibility of equipment is improved, and fine control of multiple devices is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of electronic technology, in particular to a digital waveform generator and a synchronous control system. Background Art

[0002] A digital waveform generator is an electronic device or software tool used to generate various digital waveforms. These waveforms, including sine, square, triangle, and sawtooth waves, are widely used in communications, audio processing, scientific experiments, education, and various electronic engineering fields. Digital waveform generators are typically highly flexible, allowing users to adjust parameters such as frequency, amplitude, and phase to meet specific application requirements.

[0003] However, current industrial systems either lack digital waveform generators and rely on software to control components, or rely on dedicated digital waveform generators. Software control suffers from high accuracy, impacted by the computer's workload, and delays exist between each step of the software program. Dedicated digital waveform generators are often complex, including numerous components unrelated to waveform generation, and offer limited scalability. Utility Model Content

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a digital waveform generator and a synchronous control system, which can output multiple synchronous digital waveform signals and multiple static digital signals, thereby improving the scalability of the equipment and realizing fine control of multiple devices.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a digital waveform generator, which includes two printed circuit boards connected by a flexible cable, one of the printed circuit boards including multiple synchronous digital waveform circuits, and the other printed circuit board including multiple static digital output circuits, each of the synchronous digital waveform output circuits outputs a corresponding digital waveform according to a preset waveform and time reference of a host computer, and each of the static digital output circuits outputs a corresponding digital level according to the port status of the host computer.

[0006] Optionally, the output end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is connected to an external device via a coaxial cable connector, and the input end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is connected to the same universal input and output interface of the main control unit via equal-length wires.

[0007] Optionally, the synchronous digital waveform circuit includes a current limiting resistor, an optocoupler isolation chip and a decoupling capacitor; the positive pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to one end of the current limiting resistor, and the negative pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to the ground of the main control unit; the voltage common collector pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to one end of the decoupling capacitor and the positive pole of the independent power supply, and the ground pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to the other end of the decoupling capacitor and the negative pole of the independent power supply.

[0008] Optionally, the input end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is the other end of the current-limiting resistor, and the other end of the current-limiting resistor is connected to the same universal input and output interface of the main control unit through a wire of equal length.

[0009] Optionally, the output end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is the output pin of the optocoupler isolation chip, the output pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to the signal pin of the coaxial cable connector, and the remaining pins of the coaxial cable connector are connected to the negative pole of the independent power supply.

[0010] Optionally, one end of the static digital output circuit is connected to an external device via a coaxial cable connector, and the other end of the static digital output circuit is connected to the main control unit via a buffer.

[0011] Optionally, the buffer includes pins on two sides, wherein a first chip enable pin included in one side of the pins is grounded and connected to one end of a protection capacitor, a ground pin included in the one side of the pins is connected to ground, and the remaining pins included in the one side of the pins are connected to the main control unit;

[0012] The pins on the other side include a power pin corresponding to the first chip enable pin, a second chip enable pin, and remaining pins, the power pin is connected to the other end of the protection capacitor, the second chip enable pin is grounded and connected to the static digital output interface, and the remaining pins included in the other side are connected to the static digital output interface.

[0013] Optionally, the digital waveform generator further includes a power input interface circuit and a USB interface circuit connected to the main control unit.

[0014] Optionally, the digital waveform generator is applied to the imaging field, which includes the microscope imaging field.

[0015] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a synchronous control system, including a digital waveform generator as in the first aspect of an embodiment of the present application.

[0016] As can be seen, the digital waveform generator in the embodiment of the present application includes two printed circuit boards connected by a flexible flat cable. One of the printed circuit boards includes multiple synchronous digital waveform circuits, and the other includes multiple static digital output circuits. Each synchronous digital waveform output circuit outputs a corresponding digital waveform based on a waveform preset by a host computer and a time reference, and each static digital output circuit outputs a corresponding digital level based on the port status of the host computer. Due to the inclusion of multiple synchronous digital waveform output circuits and multiple static digital output circuits, multiple synchronous digital waveform signals and multiple static digital signals can be output, thereby enabling control of multiple devices and improving the device's scalability. Furthermore, the embodiment of the present application utilizes hardware synchronization control, resulting in higher precision and lower error compared to software control solutions. Furthermore, the use of a flexible flat cable to connect the two printed circuit boards allows for spatial stacking, thereby reducing the device's footprint and achieving device miniaturization. Finally, the device can be applied to various industrial fields and excludes unnecessary components, further improving its scalability and compactness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. 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 paying any creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a digital waveform generator provided by one embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a synchronous digital waveform circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a buffer provided in one embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] Please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a digital waveform generator provided by one embodiment of the present application. The digital waveform generator 1 includes two printed circuit boards 20 and 30 connected by a flexible flat cable 10. One printed circuit board 20 includes a multi-channel synchronous digital waveform circuit 21, and the other printed circuit board 30 includes a multi-channel static digital output circuit 31. Each of the synchronous digital waveform output circuits outputs a corresponding digital waveform based on a preset waveform and time reference of a host computer, and each of the static digital output circuits outputs a corresponding digital level based on the port status of the host computer.

[0023] Here, "multi-channel" means at least one channel, which can be 2 channels, 4 channels, 8 channels, or 16 channels, without limitation. The number of channels of the synchronous digital waveform output circuit and the static digital output circuit can be the same or different. For example, the synchronous digital waveform output circuit and the static digital output circuit both have 8 channels.

[0024] Flexible flat cables (FPCs) are thin, flat cables used to connect circuit boards within electronic devices. FPCs are thin, flexible, and bendable, making them widely used in electronic devices with frequently moving parts or limited space, such as laptops, mobile phones, and digital cameras. Using FPCs can help designers save space, simplify product layouts, and improve product reliability and durability.

[0025] Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are an essential component of modern electronic devices. PCBs are fabricated by printing conductive patterns (usually copper foil traces) according to a predetermined design on an insulating substrate. These patterns connect various electronic components (such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, and integrated circuits) to form a complete circuit system. PCBs not only provide physical support between electronic components but also ensure the reliability of electrical connections.

[0026] A synchronous digital waveform output circuit is a circuit design that generates a stable and accurate digital waveform based on a clock signal or other synchronization signal. A static digital output circuit is a circuit design used to generate a stable and unchanging digital signal output in a digital electronic system.

[0027] As can be seen, the digital waveform generator in the embodiment of the present application includes two printed circuit boards connected by a flexible flat cable. One of the printed circuit boards includes multiple synchronous digital waveform circuits, and the other includes multiple static digital output circuits. Each synchronous digital waveform output circuit outputs a corresponding digital waveform based on a preset waveform and time reference of a host computer, and each static digital output circuit outputs a corresponding digital level based on the port status of the host computer. Due to the inclusion of multiple synchronous digital waveform output circuits and multiple static digital output circuits, multiple synchronous digital waveform signals and multiple static digital signals can be output, thereby enabling control of multiple devices and improving the scalability of the device. Secondly, the embodiment of the present application uses hardware synchronization control, thus achieving higher accuracy and smaller errors than software control solutions. In addition, the use of a flexible flat cable to connect the two printed circuit boards allows for spatial stacking, thereby reducing the volume occupied by the device and achieving device miniaturization. Finally, the device can be applied in various industrial fields and excludes non-essential components, further improving its scalability and compactness.

[0028] Still like Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment of the present application, the output end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit 21 is connected to an external device through a coaxial cable connector 25, and the input end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit 21 is connected to the same universal input and output interface of the main control unit 23 through an equal-length wire 22.

[0029] Coaxial cable connectors are specialized connectors for connecting coaxial cables and are widely used in various communications and electronic devices. Coaxial cables are widely used due to their excellent electromagnetic shielding properties and high data transmission rates, especially in high-frequency signal transmission. The primary function of coaxial cable connectors is to ensure signal integrity during transmission and reduce signal loss and interference.

[0030] Equal-length conductors are crucial in electronics and communications engineering, particularly in applications requiring precise, synchronized signal transmission. The goal of equal-length conductors is to ensure that all conductors are the same length, ensuring that signals reach their destination at the same time, avoiding phase differences or timing errors caused by signal delays.

[0031] The equal-length wires refer to the wires connecting each synchronous digital waveform circuit and the main control unit having the same length.

[0032] The General Purpose Input / Output (GPIO) interface is a common hardware interface that allows microcontrollers or computer systems to directly control external devices or receive signals from them. The GPIO interface is highly flexible and can be configured as either input or output mode as needed. It is widely used in various embedded systems and IoT devices.

[0033] It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the output end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is connected to the external device through a coaxial cable connector, which can prevent external interference; the input end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is connected to the same GPIO interface of the main control unit through an equal-length wire, which can maintain the synchronization of all synchronous digital waveform signals.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 2 , which shows a structural schematic diagram of a synchronous digital waveform circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application. The synchronous digital waveform circuit 21 includes a current limiting resistor R1, an optocoupler isolation chip 210 and a decoupling capacitor C1; the positive electrode (Anode, AN) pin of the optocoupler isolation chip 210 is connected to one end of the current limiting resistor R1, and the negative electrode (Cathode, CAT) pin of the optocoupler isolation chip 210 is connected to the main control unit ground AGND; the voltage common collector (Voltage Common Collector, VCC) pin of the optocoupler isolation chip 210 is connected to one end of the decoupling capacitor C1 and the positive electrode of the independent power supply 211, and the ground (Ground, GND) pin of the optocoupler isolation chip 210 is connected to the other end of the decoupling capacitor C1 and the negative electrode of the independent power supply 211.

[0035] It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the use of optocoupler isolation output can prevent signal interference between devices.

[0036] Specifically, the input end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit 21 is the other end of the current limiting resistor R1 , and the other end of the current limiting resistor R1 is connected to the same universal input and output interface of the main control unit through a wire of equal length.

[0037] Specifically, the output end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit 21 is the output (Output, Vo) pin of the optocoupler isolation chip 210, the output pin of the optocoupler isolation chip 210 is connected to the signal pin 5 of the coaxial cable connector, and the remaining pins (1, 2, 3, 4) of the coaxial cable connector are connected to the negative pole of the independent power supply.

[0038] It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the synchronous output of signals can be guaranteed through the same universal input and output interface PA; in addition, the optocoupler isolation circuit is independently powered to prevent signal interference between devices.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present application, one end of the static digital output circuit 31 is connected to an external device via a coaxial cable connector, and the other end of the static digital output circuit 31 is connected to the main control unit 23 via a buffer 24 .

[0040] A buffer is a data structure or hardware component used to temporarily store data. Its primary purpose is to coordinate data transfer rates between different system components. In computer science and electronic engineering, buffers are crucial for improving data transfer efficiency and overall system performance.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 3 , which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a buffer 24 provided in one embodiment of the present application. The buffer 24 includes two pins, wherein one side includes a first chip enable pin OE1 connected to ground and connected to one end of the protection capacitor C2, the other side includes a ground pin GND connected to ground, and the other side includes a remaining pin PE connected to the main control unit 23;

[0042] The pins on the other side include a power pin VCC corresponding to the first chip enable pin, a second chip enable pin OE2, and other pins. The power pin VCC is connected to the other end of the protection capacitor C2, the second chip enable pin OE2 is grounded and connected to the static digital output interface, and the remaining pins included in the other side are connected to the static digital output interface.

[0043] It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the driving capability can be enhanced by setting buffers in the static digital output circuit and the main control unit.

[0044] Optionally, the digital waveform generator further includes a power input interface circuit and a USB interface circuit connected to the main control unit.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present application, the digital waveform generator is applied to the imaging field, which includes the microscope imaging field.

[0046] These digital waveform generators can be widely used in various imaging scenarios. For example, in microscope imaging systems, they can be used to control device timing and ensure the accuracy of acquired data. However, current microscope imaging systems lack dedicated digital waveform generators and are controlled either through software or with built-in hardware.

[0047] Taking camera imaging in a microscope as an example, the start and end of the camera's CMOS exposure correspond to the on and off of the light source. The software-controlled process is as follows: Step 1: The computer sends a start exposure signal to the camera; Step 2: The computer sends an on signal to the light source; Step 3: The computer sends an end exposure signal to the camera; Step 4: The computer sends a off signal to the light source. This software-controlled approach is subject to accuracy, affected by the computer's operating load, resulting in certain errors. Furthermore, there is a delay in the sequential execution of steps 1 and 2.

[0048] Hardware control primarily uses the camera's built-in exposure output signal, connecting it to the light source's enable port to synchronize exposure during imaging. This approach limits the device's scalability. For example, in multi-color imaging scenarios, where multiple light sources are present in a microscope imaging system, the sample must be imaged under each light source individually. Another example is multi-color, multi-exposure scenarios, where multiple light sources are present in a microscope imaging system, where each light source must be illuminated individually during a single imaging process.

[0049] In response to the above-mentioned technical problems applied in the field of microscope imaging, a second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a synchronous control system, including a digital waveform generator as in the first aspect of an embodiment of the present application.

[0050] The synchronous control system provided in the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application can achieve camera control with higher precision and lower latency, thereby improving imaging effects, compared to existing software control methods; compared to existing hardware control methods, the present application has multiple synchronous digital waveform circuits and multiple static digital output circuits, thereby generating multiple synchronous digital waveform signals and multiple static digital signals, and thus can enable switch control devices in the microscope system that do not require high time accuracy, such as the switching of optical switches, the movement of AB fixed-point translation stages, etc., with higher scalability.

[0051] It should be understood that the specific examples in this application are only intended to help those skilled in the art better understand the embodiments of this application, rather than to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0052] It can be understood that in the various implementation methods of this application, the size of the serial number of each process does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the implementation method of this application.

[0053] It can be understood that the various embodiments described in this application can be implemented individually or in combination, and the embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0054] Unless otherwise indicated, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art in the technical field of the present application. The terms used in this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and / or" used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. The singular forms "a", "above", and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0055] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A digital waveform generator, characterized in that: The digital waveform generator includes two printed circuit boards connected by a flexible cable, one of which includes multiple synchronous digital waveform circuits, and the other includes multiple static digital output circuits. Each synchronous digital waveform output circuit outputs a corresponding digital waveform based on a preset waveform and time reference of a host computer, and each static digital output circuit outputs a corresponding digital level based on the port status of the host computer.

2. The digital waveform generator according to claim 1, wherein: The output end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is connected to an external device via a coaxial cable connector, and the input end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is connected to the same universal input and output interface of the main control unit via equal-length wires.

3. The digital waveform generator according to claim 2, wherein: The synchronous digital waveform circuit includes a current limiting resistor, an optocoupler isolation chip and a decoupling capacitor; the positive pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to one end of the current limiting resistor, and the negative pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to the ground of the main control unit; the voltage common collector pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to one end of the decoupling capacitor and the positive pole of the independent power supply, and the ground pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to the other end of the decoupling capacitor and the negative pole of the independent power supply.

4. The digital waveform generator according to claim 3, wherein: The input end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is the other end of the current-limiting resistor, and the other end of the current-limiting resistor is connected to the same universal input and output interface of the main control unit through a wire of equal length.

5. The digital waveform generator according to claim 3, wherein: The output end of the synchronous digital waveform circuit is the output pin of the optocoupler isolation chip, the output pin of the optocoupler isolation chip is connected to the signal pin of the coaxial cable connector, and the remaining pins of the coaxial cable connector are connected to the negative pole of the independent power supply.

6. The digital waveform generator according to claim 2, wherein: One end of the static digital output circuit is connected to an external device through a coaxial cable connector, and the other end of the static digital output circuit is connected to the main control unit through a buffer.

7. The digital waveform generator according to claim 6, wherein: The buffer includes pins on two sides, wherein a first chip enable pin included in one side of the pins is grounded and connected to one end of the protection capacitor, a ground pin included in the one side of the pins is connected to the ground, and the remaining pins included in the one side of the pins are connected to the main control unit; The pins on the other side include a power pin corresponding to the first chip enable pin, a second chip enable pin, and remaining pins, the power pin is connected to the other end of the protection capacitor, the second chip enable pin is grounded and connected to the static digital output interface, and the remaining pins included in the other side are connected to the static digital output interface.

8. The digital waveform generator according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that: The digital waveform generator further includes a power input interface circuit and a USB interface circuit connected to the main control unit.

9. The digital waveform generator according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that: The digital waveform generator is applied to the imaging field, which includes the microscope imaging field.

10. A synchronous control system, characterized in that: The synchronous control system includes the digital waveform generator according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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