Development of Electronic devices

A Matlab program (running under LINUX) commands the TOF device via a standard RS232 interface. The modules inside the device are talking on a 2^nd RS232 line.

BAL_TOF1:
This slave module can be considered as the core of the whole device, as it provides the time framed counting of the incoming
pulses. Some Verilog code was implemented on a FPGA, in order to provide the following features:

• up to 2046 time frames (user setable)
• time per frame: 0.5 µs - 12.0 µs (user setable)
• programmable pre - delay (until counting starts)
• start / stop counting
• reset counters
• read the value of one or all time frame(s)

Most photodiodes have a current output. In order to make this generated signal more handy special amplifier circuits (transimpedance amplifiers) are needed.
To avoid ringing, to achieve a good signal to noise ratio and to get the desired signal amplitude the amplifier must be matched with the photodiode used. Therefore no run of the mill amplifier can be used or must at least be modified.

Many photodiode amplifiers have already been developed at our institute. Some have a high gain, others also control the peltier cooling of the diode.

Have you ever been in the enervating situation that you had to connect a device via its RS-232 interface, but you could not match the interface parameters?

Here we present a device which overcomes this pain:

Scan Generator analog

The main aim of a scan generator is to provide a accuratee, linear sweep voltage. In most cases a triangular or sawtooth wave form is used. The generated voltage ramp can then control other device, such as laser control boxes or deflection systems.

Scan Generator digital