Optical Pulse Converter With Tunable Duty-Cycle Digitization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optoelectronic systems face challenges in accurately digitizing low duty-cycle pulse streams with narrow pulses compared to the pulse repetition rate, requiring fast and low-noise electronic circuits that are specific to the particular pulse width and repetition rate needed for each application.
Innovation Solution
An optical pulse to voltage signal converter with a tunable loading network and multiple tunable voltage sources, coupled with amplifiers, that converts current pulses into voltage signals with adjustable duty-cycle phase and resolution, allowing for a wide operating range of input pulse repetition rates and duty-cycle tuning without hardware changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fast low noise electronic circuits are designed for accurate digitization of narrow pulses, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases and adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the loading network impedance and voltage source levels to match different pulse widths and repetition rates. The TIA gain and loading network parameters are made variable rather than fixed, allowing the circuit to adapt to different pulse characteristics while maintaining accurate digitization performance across varying operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key electrical parameters including loading network impedance, voltage source levels, and TIA gain to optimize performance for different pulse widths and repetition rates. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the circuit maintains measurement precision across a wide range of operating conditions without requiring multiple dedicated circuits.
2Measurement precision
If electronic circuits are designed for specific pulse width and repetition rate, then measurement precision is improved, but adaptability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal circuit design that can handle multiple pulse widths and repetition rates through the combination of a tunable TIA, adjustable loading network, and programmable voltage sources. This multi-functional approach allows a single circuit to replace what would traditionally require multiple specialized circuits for different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational parameters including TIA gain, loading network impedance, and voltage source levels based on the input pulse characteristics. This dynamic adaptation enables the circuit to maintain optimal performance across a wide range of pulse widths and repetition rates that would otherwise require fixed specialized designs.
3Measurement precision
If duty-cycle resolution is increased through more conversion stages, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves high duty-cycle resolution through a multi-stage conversion process where each stage contributes partially to the final resolution. Rather than using an excessive number of stages, the system uses a optimized sequence of conversion steps that achieve the desired resolution with minimal complexity, balancing precision requirements against circuit complexity.
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
Enables accurate digitization of pulse width for low duty-cycle pulse streams across a wide range of pulse repetition rates and duty-cycles, achieving a select duty-cycle resolution dependent on operational parameters, thus improving the performance of optoelectronic systems.
Implementation Method 1
a photodetector configured to generate a stream of current pulses by converting a stream of optical pulses received from a pulsed optical source
Data Source
AI summary
An optical pulse to voltage signal converter may include a photodetector, a front end-circuit, and a signal processor. The front-end circuit may include a tunable loading network configured to convert a stream of current pulses from the photodetector into a stream of input voltage signals, at least one tunable voltage source configured to generate at least one stream of signals with at least one select voltage, and at least one amplifier coupled to the at least one tunable voltage source. The at least one amplifier may be configured to compare the stream of input voltage signals and the at least one stream of signals with the at least one select voltage to generate at least one stream of output voltage signals with a select duty-cycle phase and duty-cycle resolution. The amplifier may be further configured to output the at least one stream of output voltage signals to the signal processor.