Gas Laser Oscillator Discharge Initiation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas laser oscillators face challenges in accurately determining the initiation of an auxiliary electric discharge due to small voltage changes, leading to difficulties in distinguishing it from the main electric discharge, and require a significant waiting time to account for time delays, resulting in delayed discharge initiation determination.
Innovation Solution
A gas laser oscillator with a control apparatus that uses a determining unit to assess the rate of voltage changes in a stepwise command voltage increase, allowing for discharge initiation determination after the initial step, thereby eliminating the need for a waiting time and improving detection accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a waiting time of at least 200 ms is provided after switching command voltage to allow stable voltage detection, then detection reliability is improved, but the time required to determine discharge initiation is significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing voltage detection during the initial step of command voltage increase before switching to stepwise increase. This allows the system to capture voltage information at a critical early stage when the discharge tube voltage is most responsive to command changes, eliminating the need for subsequent waiting periods while ensuring reliable detection of discharge initiation.
2Measurement precision
If command voltage is increased in a stepwise manner to determine discharge initiation, then detection accuracy is improved, but voltage detection stability is compromised immediately after switching due to time delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs voltage detection at a preliminary stage during the initial command voltage increase before switching to stepwise mode. This timing captures the voltage response when the system is most responsive, avoiding the unstable period that occurs immediately after switching to stepwise increase, thus maintaining both detection accuracy and voltage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent skips the unstable period immediately after switching to stepwise command voltage by performing detection during the initial increase phase. This allows the system to rush through the critical detection window before instability sets in, achieving accurate discharge initiation determination without suffering from the time delays and detection instability that would otherwise occur.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas laser oscillator includes a control apparatus which creates a command voltage, a laser power supply which supplies power to a discharge tube in accordance with the command voltage, and a voltage detecting unit which detects a voltage applied to the discharge tube. The control apparatus includes a determining unit which determines whether or not a discharge is initiated in the discharge tube, based on a rate of changes in the voltage detected by the voltage detecting unit when power is supplied to the discharge tube in accordance with the command voltage being increased in a stepwise manner. The determining unit is configured to determine whether or not a discharge is initiated in the discharge tube after an initial step that at least includes the first incremental step of the command voltage being increased in a stepwise manner.