Distance Sensor Test Device with Frequency-Divided Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing test devices for electromagnetic wave-based distance sensors require complex and costly signal processing due to high bandwidth and amplitude information demands, especially in the 80 GHz range, making them inefficient and expensive.
Innovation Solution
The received signal is split into two partial signals, where one retains amplitude information, and the other is frequency-divided and processed separately, allowing amplitude information recovery through modulation, simplifying signal processing and reducing bandwidth and frequency requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the received signal is directly processed with high bandwidth (e.g., 80 GHz range), then measurement precision and signal fidelity are improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The received signal is divided into multiple frequency bands using a frequency divider assembly. Each band is processed separately with reduced bandwidth requirements, lowering the complexity of individual processing stages while maintaining overall signal fidelity through coordinated processing of all segments.
Solution Approach 2:
A frequency divider is introduced as an intermediary component that converts the high-frequency received signal into lower-frequency signals. This intermediary step reduces the bandwidth requirements for subsequent processing stages, thereby reducing device complexity and cost while preserving essential signal information.
2Measurement precision
If high bandwidth signal processing is implemented, then signal fidelity is improved, but hardware cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frequency divider assembly segments the high-bandwidth signal into multiple lower-bandwidth frequency bands. Each segment requires less sophisticated (and therefore less expensive) hardware for processing, while the combination of all segments preserves the complete amplitude information of the original signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The frequency divider changes the frequency parameter of the received signal, converting it from high-frequency (80 GHz range) to lower-frequency signals. This parameter transformation reduces the hardware specifications required for processing, thereby lowering cost while maintaining signal fidelity through proper reconstruction of the original signal characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
A test device for testing a distance sensor that operates using electromagnetic waves, said test device comprising: a receiving element for receiving an electromagnetic free-space wave as a received signal with a reception frequency and a signal bandwidth. An emission element emits an electromagnetic output signal. During a simulation operation, the received signal or a received signal derived from the received signal is converted into a sampled signal by an analog-to-digital converter. The sampled signal is time-delayed using a signal processing unit to form a time-delayed sampled signal. The time-delayed sampled signal is converted into a simulated reflection signal by a digital-to-analog converter. The simulated reflection signal or a simulated reflection signal derived from the simulated reflection signal is emitted as an output signal by the emission element.