Optical Pulse Energy Conversion Circuit With Adjustable Capture Window
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional integrate-and-dump circuits are limited by periodic clocks, making them ineffective for capturing arbitrary or nonperiodic optical pulses, leading to potential pulse loss and increased noise when trying to accommodate a broader integrate window.
Innovation Solution
A timing-tolerant optical pulse energy conversion circuit that includes a photodetector, a current-to-voltage conversion circuit, and a sequential logic circuit with an adjustable delay, allowing for the adjustment of pulse width and generation of divided electrical waveforms to accommodate both periodic and nonperiodic optical pulse streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the integrate window width is broadened to accommodate a larger offset range, then timing tolerance is improved, but noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrate window width is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The system can adapt the window width based on the timing characteristics of incoming optical pulses, allowing broader windows for pulses with large offsets while maintaining narrower windows for pulses with small offsets, thus reducing noise while accommodating timing variations
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of integrate window width dynamically to match the timing characteristics of different optical pulses. By adjusting this parameter based on detected pulse timing, the system achieves timing tolerance without consistently using a wide window that would increase noise
2Adaptability or versatility
If the integrate window width is broadened to accommodate a larger offset range, then pulse capture range is improved, but additional noise is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The integrate window width is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The system can adapt the window width based on the timing characteristics of incoming optical pulses, allowing broader windows for pulses with large offsets while maintaining narrower windows for pulses with small offsets, thus reducing noise while accommodating timing variations
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of integrate window width dynamically to match the timing characteristics of different optical pulses. By adjusting this parameter based on detected pulse timing, the system achieves extended pulse capture range without consistently using a wide window that would increase noise
3Device complexity
If a fixed integrate window is used, then circuit operation is simplified, but pulses may fall outside the sampling window
Solution Approach 1:
The integrate window width is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The system can adapt the window width based on the timing characteristics of incoming optical pulses, ensuring that pulses with various timing offsets are captured within the sampling window while maintaining reliable operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from detecting optical pulse timing to adjust the integrate window width. By monitoring when pulses arrive and adjusting the window accordingly, the system ensures reliable pulse capture without requiring overly complex fixed-window designs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables accurate conversion of nonperiodic optical pulse streams into electrical waveforms with improved jitter performance and noise reduction by dynamically adjusting the capture window, ensuring effective pulse capture and reduced noise.
Implementation Method 1
a photodetector for receiving an input optical pulse stream and converting each optical pulse to a corresponding current pulse
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit and method for timing-tolerant optical pulse energy electrical conversion receives a current pulse stream converted from an input optical pulse stream (which may be periodic or nonperiodic), converts the current pulse stream to an electrical waveform of voltage pulses and detects each voltage pulse, e.g., by its leading edge. The conversion circuit may include a divider circuit for receiving the electrical waveform, dividing the waveform into a multi-channel output of divided electrical waveforms, and sequential logic circuits for adjusting a width window of each voltage pulse according to an adjustable delay.