Impulse Distance Receiver Using TDC for Precise Delay Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distance measuring systems using the IR-UWB method face challenges in accurately measuring distances due to difficulties in accurately determining the delay time between transmitted and received impulse signals, leading to potential errors in applications such as home applications where tolerance may be in meters or centimeters.
Innovation Solution
A distance measuring device that includes a transmitting device and a receiving device, where the receiving device utilizes a Time to Digital Converter (TDC) technique to measure the delay time between synchronized signals, employing a synchronizer, counter, and demodulation unit to accurately calculate the distance by subtracting fine and course delay times, minimizing multipath fading effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a typical IR-UWB method is used for distance measurement, then the system can be implemented with low power supply and is interlocked with typical communication systems, but it is difficult to measure the distance accurately with error tolerance of several meters or several centimeters
Solution Approach 1:
The delay time measurement is segmented into two parts: course delay time measured by a counter and fine delay time measured by a TDC. This segmentation allows each component to optimize for its specific measurement range, with the counter handling coarse timing and the TDC providing fine-grained precision, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
A synchronizer is introduced as an intermediary component that generates synchronized start and stop signals for both the counter and TDC based on the received impulse signal. This intermediary ensures that the measurement process is coordinated and reliable, while enabling precise delay time measurement through the combined operation of the counter and TDC
2Measurement precision
If the delay time measurement is performed without a TDC technique, then the system structure is simpler, but the distance measurement accuracy is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving device is segmented into distinct functional components: a demodulation unit for signal processing, a synchronizer for timing coordination, a counter for coarse delay measurement, and a TDC for fine delay measurement. This segmentation enables the system to achieve high measurement precision while maintaining a structured and manageable device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The TDC measures the fine delay time autonomously by comparing the phase difference between delayed versions of the transmit clock signal and receive clock signal. This self-service capability allows the TDC to provide precise measurements without requiring complex external control mechanisms, balancing measurement precision with device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a distance measuring device using an impulse signal and a receiving device thereof. The distance measuring device includes: a transmitting device transmitting an impulse signal; and a receiving device receiving the impulse signal and measuring a time interval (hereinafter, referred to as a delay time) between a transmitting timing and a receiving timing of the impulse signal, wherein the receiving device measures the delay time through a Time to Digital Converter (TDC) technique. According to the present invention, the distance measuring device measures the distance accurately and speedly.