Circuit arrangement for feeding a pulse output stage

• US 5,895,984 A
• Filed: 08/13/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Renz, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/894,103
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 307/106, 327/124, 327/291, 327/544, 372/69, 372/82, 372/25, 372/38, 331/74, 331/75, 331/117 R, 331/117 FE, 331/167, 331/172-174
• US Class Current: 307/106
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/042 Electrical excitation ; Circuits therefor monolithically integrated laser drive components H01S5/0261
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0428 for applying pulses to the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/10 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode H02M3/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/57 the switching device being a semiconductor device

Abstract

A circuit arrangement for feeding a pulse output stage is specified, which has at least one capacitor and, connected to the latter, a load, for example a diode laser. The capacitor is connected to a voltage source via a coil. The voltage of the voltage source is applied to the coil by means of a pulsed switching device. The energy stored in the coil is used to charge the capacitor. The latter is discharged by the same or a further switching device, generating a useful pulse through the load.

Claims

1. Circuit arrangement for feeding a pulse output stage with pulses of constant polarity,

in which an inductor can be connected to a low-voltage source by means of a controllable switching device,

the current of the inductor flowing into a capacitor when the switching device is turned off, and

the capacitor, after reaching its charge maximum, being connected to the output stage and being discharged in the form of a useful pulse,

characterized in that

the capacitor (4) is connected in series with the output stage (2) at the junction point between the inductor, which is designed as a coil (10), and the switching device (1),

a charging path (11) for the capacitor (4) is connected in parallel with the output stage (2),

the switching device (1) is driven with pulse width modulation (PWM), on the one hand, for the purpose of defining the charging voltage of the capacitor (4) and

on the other hand, by being driven with a short pulse at the instant of maximum capacitor voltage, closes a discharge path for the capacitor (4), for the purpose of generating the useful pulse.

2. Circuit arrangement according to one of claim 1, characterized in that the output stage (2) is a diode laser.

3. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the controllable switching device (1) is a MOS-FET.

4. Circuit arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the switching device (12) is a transistor.

5. Circuit arrangement for feeding a pulse output stage with pulses of constant polarity,

in which an inductor can be connected to a low-voltage source by means of a controllable switching device,

the current of the inductor flowing into a capacitor when the switching device is turned off, and

the capacitor, after reaching its charge maximum, being connected to the output stage and being discharged in the form of a useful pulse,

characterized in that

the capacitor (4) and the output stage (2) are connected in parallel at the junction point between the inductor, which is designed as a coil (10), and the switching device (12),

the switching device (12) is driven with pulse width modulation (PWM) for the purpose of defining the charging voltage of the capacitor (4),

a triggerable switch (6), which is driven at the instant of the maximum charging voltage of the capacitor (4), is connected in series with the output stage (2).

6. Circuit arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the triggerable switch (6) is a thyristor.

7. Circuit arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the output stage (2) is a diode laser.

8. Circuit arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the switching device (12) is a transistor.

9. Circuit arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the switching device is a MOS-FET.

10. Circuit arrangement for feeding a pulse output stage with pulses of constant polarity,

in which an inductor can be connected to a low-voltage source by means of a controllable switching device,

the current of the inductor flowing into a capacitor when the switching device is turned off, and

the capacitor, after reaching its charge maximum, being connected to the output stage and being discharged in the form of a useful pulse,

characterized in that

the capacitor (4) is connected in series with the output stage (2) and a diode (13) at the junction point between the inductor, which is designed as a coil (10), and the switching device (12),

a charging path (11) for the capacitor (4) is connected in parallel with the output stage (2),

the switching device (12) is driven with pulse width modulation (PWM) for the purpose of defining the charging voltage of the capacitor (4), and

a second controllable switching device (1'"'"') is connected in parallel with the series circuit formed by the output stage (2) and the capacitor (4) and closes a discharge path for the capacitor (4), for the purpose of generating the useful pulse.

11. Circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the output stage (2) is a diode laser.

12. Circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the second controllable switching device (1'"'"') is a MOS-FET.

13. Circuit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the switching device (12) is a transistor.

14. A circuit arrangement for feeding a pulse output stage with pulses of constant polarity, comprising:

a low-voltage source;

an inductor electrically connectable to the low-voltage source;

a switching device electrically connected to the inductor; and

a capacitor electrically connected in series with the output stage at a junction point between the inductor and the switching device;

wherein current in the inductor flows into the capacitor when the switching device is in an off state;

wherein the capacitor is discharged through the output stage in the form of a pulse after reaching its charge maximum, and

wherein a charge path for the capacitor is connected in parallel with the output stage.

15. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, wherein the switching device is driven with pulse width modulation to define a charging voltage of the capacitor, and

wherein, at substantially the point of maximum capacitor voltage, the switching device is driven with a short pulse to close a discharge path for the capacitor to discharge through the pulse output stage, to generate the pulse.

16. The circuit arrangement of claim 15, wherein the output stage comprises a diode laser.

17. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, wherein the switching device is a transistor.

18. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, further comprising a second controllable switching device connected in parallel with a series circuit formed by the output stage and the capacitor,

wherein the switching device is driven with a pulse width modulation to define a charging voltage of the capacitor, and

wherein the second controllable switching device is configured to close a discharge path for the capacitor;

and

wherein the capacitor is connected in series with a diode at the junction between the inductor and the switching device.

19. The circuit arrangement of claim 18, wherein the output stage comprises a diode laser.

20. The circuit arrangement of claim 18, wherein the switching device is a transistor, and the second controllable switching device is a MOS-FET.

21. A circuit arrangement for feeding a pulse output stage with pulses of constant polarity, comprising:

a low-voltage source;

an inductor electrically connectable to the low-voltage source;

a controllable switching device electrically connected to the inductor;

a capacitor electrically connected in parallel with the output stage at a junction point between the inductor and the switching device; and

a triggerable switch connected in series with the output stage;

wherein the capacitor is substantially discharged through the output stage in the form of a pulse after it reaches its charge maximum,

wherein the switching device is driven with pulse width modulation to define a charging voltage of the capacitor, and

wherein the triggerable switch is driven substantially when the capacitor reaches maximum charging voltage.

22. The circuit arrangement of claim 21, wherein the output stage comprises a diode laser.

23. The circuit arrangement of claim 21, wherein the triggerable switch is a thyristor.