Modelling and Design of Laser Rangefinding Systems

Using Advanced Algorithms and Low Noise Electronics

Seminarvortrag
Michael Kufner, 13. Juli 2020

Externe Promotion an der

Optical Distance Measurement Methods - Overview

Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR)

Range: >5000 km
Range: few hundred meters accuracy: mm/cm
accuracy: mm principle: time of flight
principle: PLL/frequency sweep

High precision industrial Handheld ToF Range Finders

Range: up to a meter Range: > 10 km
accuracy: µm accuracy: 1-2 meters
principle: laser triangulation principle: time of flight

Our focus
Laser Rangefinder - Time of Flight (ToF) Principle

„The principle is simple. The devil is in the details.“

Design Challenges of Handheld Range Finders

Complexity of sy
Low Price Lightweight Robust stem

High maximu High accuracy Eye safety

m range
Reliable

surfaces Low power consumption

Easy to han Different target
d le
Small Size Daylight
Easy
manufacturing

An accurate model is required to make an initial evaluation and further development decisions
Parts of this Thesis and Current Progress

• Modelling of the laser range finder system

• Requirements: Estimate capabilities of a given system
• Build up a working LRF-ToF system
• Improve the detector
• Algorithm development in the digital part
• Further improvements on system architecture
• Outlook
Model – Goals and Requirements

Main goal: Estimate the maximum ranging capability of a given system

• The quality of the model should allow for R&D driven planning of future
systems.
• Results of model should match previously acquired data / real measurements
as good as possible

But yet… remain as simple as possible.

Laser Rangefinder - System Architecture

Main components of this system architecture approach:

• Optical source: pulsed laser
• Optical receiver: photo detector, amplifier
• Signal processing: A/D-converter, digital signal processor (DSP)
System Architecture - Advantages
Classic threshold comparator:
(A/D value)
threshold
(samples)
- Detects aerosols/EMI as first return
- No multi target discrimination
- Cannot postprocess signal
- Cannot make an averaging process in
time domain
- Requires a seperate timing system
Digital sampling based processing:
(A/D value)
rejected
detected
(samples)
- Able to process every peak in the signal
-> Multi target discrimination
- Can postprocess/postfilter the signal after acquisition
- Easy averaging process in the time domain
- Can correlate reception with sent out pulse and determine probability
- Can take expected returns into account (filter out invalid near range
aerosols)
-> Higher detection probability and reliability
- Can interpolate and therefore upsample
-> Improved resolution
Model – Pipeline
Model – Current State - ToC

Table of Contents:
1. Global Definitions and Constants
2. Laser Transmitter Properties
3. Laser Safety Calculation (DIN EN60825-1)
4. Photon Link Budget Calculation
5. Background Noise
6. Circuit Analysis wrt Signal and Noise Responses
7. Signal and Band-Limited Noise in Measurment
8. Digitization of Signal, A/D Conversion
9. Digital Preprocessing
10. Digital Peak Detection
11. Global Model Control and Result Overview
Model – Current Input Parameters
System:
repetition rate, measurement time, simulated range, temperature
Laser:
wavelength, pulse width, peak power, divergence (fast- and slow-axis)
Photon link:
diameter of receiving optics, visibility, empiric atmospheric transmission formula, transmission of
optics/coatings, reflectivity of target, size of target
Detector:
gain of APD, quantum efficiency of APD, optical bandwidth of receiver, field of view, dark current of APD
topology and circuit for LTSpice-simulation, APD capacitance, ionization factor / noise excess factor,
background noise (solar scenario)
Transistor:
gate source voltage noise density, current noise, flicker noise, transconductance
Amplifier:
circuitry and additional parasitic capacitances/resistances, electrical signal bandwidth
Digital part:
A/D resolution, sampling rate, algorithm for processing
 Model – Link Equation (Return photons)

Number of photons received:

Model – Link Equation (compare to John Degnan 1993)
Model – Solar Induced Background Noise

Problems calculating the solar irradiation on the target surface:

- Solar position is depending on time and date and is actually
quite difficult to compute but is necessary to compute elevation angle
- The atmosphere absorbs various wavelengths of light and depends
on the elevation (airmass)
- The spectrum of the sun is not constant
- Solar noise has a huge impact and needs to be estimated rather
accurate
Model – Solar Induced Background Noise (2)

Various photovoltaic simulation tools are available.

The code „SMARTS“ (Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer of Sunshine) was
chosen. (Download: https://www.nrel.gov/grid/solar-resource/smarts.html)
SMARTS is able to provide a wavelength dependant spectral irradiance at nm accuracy.
SMARTS is FORTRAN code.
A GUI application to control SMARTS

(W/nm)
was programmed.

(nm)
Model – SMARTS GUI (1)
Model – SMARTS GUI (2)
Model – Solar Scenarios
For the use in the simulation model different scenarios have been calculated. The Irradiances given in the table are
the solar powers arriving on the target in the respective wavelength bands.
These bands match two of our required optical bandwidths (905 nm LRF and 1535 nm LRF).
Scenario Description
GermanSummer A normal summer day, without clouds. High visibility (> 50 km)
GermanDay A normal summer day, with clouds and fog. Lower visibility (< 5 km)
GermanHunting A day in autumn, without clouds. Located in foresty environment.
EquatorialDesert A normal day at the equator. In a desert area. High visibility (> 50km)

Scenario Irradiance 870 … 940 nm Irradiance 1000 … 1630 nm

(W/m^2) (W/m^2)
GermanSummer 25 105
GermanDay
GermanHunting
25
40
95
160
Open sky
EquatorialDesert 35 125

Scenario Irradiance 870 … 940 nm Irradiance 1000 … 1630 nm

(W/m^2) (W/m^2)
GermanSummer 6 26
GermanDay 6 24 Cloudy (~ ¼ of open sky, see
GermanHunting
EquatorialDesert
10
9
40
41
ASANO 2002 for details)
Model – Current Input Parameters (2)

A/D sample rate: 200/3 MHz = 66.66 MHz

-> 15 ns / sample
-> range: 2.25 m / sample
Model – Test Target („Haus im Wald“)

Key Specifications:

- White house (reflectivity estimated at 85%)

- Slant range: 6.35 km

- All laser light hits the target (divergence of 0.4

mrad => ~ 2.5 m diameter beam)

- Background noise: GermanDay-Cloudy

- Good visibility (23.5 km)

Simulation Circuit / Amplifier
Input Parameters (3)
Model – Simulation results overview
Model – Results and comparison 0

0 100 200

2000

(A/D value)
(A/D value)

1000

(samples) 2800 2900 (samples)

Model results Measured signal

Model – Results, Noise Comparison  100

Signal considerations:  200

0 100 200
Signal: raw A/D
200 200

100 100
(A/D value)

(A/D value)
0 0

 100  100

 200  200
0 100 200 (samples) 3 3 (samples)
2.810 2.910

200 Model results Measured signal

100
Model – Results, Multiple Pulse Shapes

3000 3000

2000 2000
(A/D value)

(A/D value)
1000 1000

0 0

150 160 170 (samples) 2910 2920 2930 2940 (samples)

Model results Measured signals

Working System – Current State and Key Parameters

• Fully working system using optics of a binocular laser range finder

• Laser and APD alignment using Attocube apparatus
• Laser: 1535 nm, 40 µJ/pulse, 100 Hz rep rate, d = 7 mm, eye-safe
• Maximum nominal range: 6.5 km, resolution: 1 m
• Detector: using IAG200S6 InGaAs-APD, 200 µm diameter
• Transistors: Infineon BF998 or Fraunhofer EMFT SC-5
• OpAmps: LMH6624, OPA857
• Digital System: Analog Devices BF592 DSP / 10-bit A/D, 66 MS/s
• Computer controllable system
Working System - Pictures
Literature / Links

• John Degnan 1993: Millimeter Accuracy Satellite Laser Ranging: A Review, John J. Degnan, Geodynamics
Series Volume 25, Contributions of Space Geodesy to Geodynamics: Technology, DOI: 10.1029/GD025p0133
• SMARTS: https://www.nrel.gov/grid/solar-resource/smarts.html
• ASANO 2002: Two case studies of winter continental-type water and mixed-phase stratocumuli over the sea,
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 107, NO. D21, 4570, doi:10.1029/2001JD001108, 2002
Detector Improvement – Overview

• Evaluation of different detector circuits

• First amplifier, transistor: BF998 vs EMFT Fraunhofer SC-5

• Hybridisation of amplifier

• Noise optimization
Detector Improvement – Transistor Key Parameters

BF998 EMFT SC-5

Transconductance 17 mS 15 mS

Input capacitance (G-S) 2 pF 0.6 pF

Gate leakage current 50 nA 1 pA

Drain current 3 mA 7 mA

1/f flicker noise corner 1 kHz 0.4 kHz

frequency
Package SMD/Wafer die Wafer die

Input referred voltage noise 0.9 nV / sqrt(Hz) 2.0 nV / sqrt(Hz)

Detector Improvement – Outlook Hybrid Detector

In order to reduce further parasitic

capacitances and EMI coupling a hybrid
detector is planned.
A hybrid detector encapsulates the
APD-die together with the first
amplification stage into the same case.
The hybrid detector was ordered and we
are currently waiting for the arrival of
the first samples.

=> First paper planned

 
Thanks for your attention