阅读说明：本技术 兼容源型和漏型接口电路的输出电路和方法及激光雷达 (Output circuit and method compatible with source type and drain type interface circuit and laser radar ) 是由 王奇武 徐威 胡攀攀 于 2020-12-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及一种兼容源型和漏型接口电路的输出电路和方法以及激光雷达,所述输出电路可以包括第一开关晶体管、反相器和第二开关晶体管,其中,所述第一开关晶体管的栅极用于接收控制信号,并且所述第一开关晶体管的漏极用于输出PNP型开关信号；所述反相器的输入端与所述第一开关晶体管的漏极连接,并且所述反相器的输出端连接至第二开关晶体管的栅极,以用于控制第二开关晶体管的动作；并且所述第二开关晶体管的源极用于输出NPN型开关信号。本公开的输出电路和方法可以根据不同类型的接口电路选择性地输出NPN型开关信号或PNP型开关信号,因此可以改善激光雷达的兼容性。(The present disclosure relates to an output circuit and method compatible with a source-type and drain-type interface circuit and a lidar, the output circuit may include a first switching transistor, an inverter, and a second switching transistor, wherein a gate of the first switching transistor is to receive a control signal, and a drain of the first switching transistor is to output a PNP-type switching signal; an input terminal of the inverter is connected to a drain of the first switching transistor, and an output terminal of the inverter is connected to a gate of the second switching transistor for controlling an action of the second switching transistor; and a source of the second switching transistor is used for outputting an NPN-type switching signal. The output circuit and method of the present disclosure may selectively output an NPN type switching signal or a PNP type switching signal according to different types of interface circuits, and thus may improve compatibility of a laser radar.)

1. An output circuit compatible with source and drain type interface circuits, the output circuit comprising a first switching transistor, an inverter and a second switching transistor, wherein,

the grid electrode of the first switching transistor is used for receiving a control signal, and the drain electrode of the first switching transistor is used for outputting a PNP type switching signal;

an input terminal of the inverter is connected to a drain of the first switching transistor, and an output terminal of the inverter is connected to a gate of the second switching transistor for controlling an action of the second switching transistor; and is

And the source electrode of the second switching transistor is used for outputting an NPN switching signal.

2. The output circuit of claim 1, wherein the output circuit further comprises:

a first diode, an anode of which is connected to a drain of the first switching transistor to output a PNP type switching signal through a cathode of the first diode; and/or

And the cathode of the second diode is connected with the source of the second switching transistor so as to output an NPN switching signal through the anode of the second diode.

3. The output circuit of claim 2, wherein the output circuit further comprises a bidirectional current detection circuit, and

the cathode of the first diode is connected with the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit, so that the control current flows from the drain electrode of the first switching transistor to the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit in a single direction; and/or

The anode of the second diode is connected with the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit, so that the control current flows from the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit to the source electrode of the second switching transistor in a single direction.

4. The output circuit of claim 3, wherein the output circuit further comprises:

a non-inverting converter having an input to receive a control signal and an output to the gate of the first switching transistor.

5. The output circuit of claim 4, wherein the bi-directional current sense circuit has a feedback terminal for outputting a voltage feedback signal,

the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit is connected to the enabling end of the inverter so as to control the operation and the turn-off of the inverter; and is

The feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit is also connected to the enable end of the in-phase converter for controlling the operation and the turn-off of the in-phase converter.

6. The output circuit of claim 5, wherein the bi-directional current detection circuit comprises a current sampling circuit, a voltage detection circuit, and a voltage feedback circuit, wherein,

the current sampling circuit comprises a resistor;

the voltage detection circuit is connected in parallel at two ends of the current sampling circuit and used for measuring voltage values at two ends of the current sampling circuit and converting the voltage values into voltage signals; and is

The input end of the voltage feedback circuit is connected with the output end of the voltage detection circuit, and the output end of the voltage feedback circuit is used as the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit.

7. The output circuit of claim 6, wherein the voltage feedback circuit comprises a threshold circuit to generate a threshold voltage and a voltage comparator to: when the voltage signal output by the voltage detection circuit is greater than the threshold voltage, a voltage feedback signal is output.

8. An output circuit as claimed in any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the output circuit further comprises a bootstrap circuit for boosting the control signal, an input of the bootstrap circuit being for receiving the control signal from the non-inverting converter, and an output of the bootstrap circuit being connected to the gate of the first switching transistor.

9. An output circuit according to any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the output circuit further comprises a controller, an output of the controller being connected to an input of the non-inverting converter for outputting the control signal.

10. An output circuit as claimed in any of claims 3 to 7, wherein the output of the bi-directional current sensing circuit is adapted to be connected to an external device for use as the output of the output circuit.

11. An output circuit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the output circuit further comprises an overvoltage protection circuit, an output of the overvoltage protection circuit being connected to the drain of the first switching transistor and the drain of the second switching transistor for controlling the supply voltage to remain within a predetermined range when the supply voltage is above a predetermined value.

12. A lidar comprising an output circuit according to any of claims 1-11.

13. A method of compatible source and drain interface circuits, comprising:

providing a control signal to a gate of the first switching transistor to output a first logic level logically identical to the control signal through a drain of the first switching transistor so as to output a PNP type switching signal;

providing the first logic level to an inverter for conversion to a second logic level that is logically opposite to the control signal; and

the second logic level is provided to a gate of a second switching transistor to output an NPN-type switching signal via a source of the second switching transistor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a first diode at a drain of a first switching transistor, an anode of the first diode being connected with a drain of the first switching transistor to output a PNP type switching signal through a cathode of the first diode; and

a second diode is provided at a source of the second switching transistor, and a cathode of the second diode is connected to a source of the second switching transistor to output an NPN type switching signal through an anode of the second diode.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a non-inverting converter having an input for receiving a control signal and an output to the gate of the first switching transistor; and

providing a bidirectional current detection circuit, wherein the cathode of the first diode is connected with the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit, so that the control current flows from the drain electrode of the first switching transistor to the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit in a unidirectional mode; and/or the anode of the second diode is connected with the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit, so that the control current flows from the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit to the source electrode of the second switching transistor in a single direction;

the bidirectional current detection circuit is provided with a feedback end which is used for outputting a voltage feedback signal, and the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit is connected to the enabling end of the inverter so as to control the operation and the turn-off of the inverter; the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit is also connected to the enable end of the in-phase converter for controlling the operation and the turn-off of the in-phase converter;

the bidirectional current detection circuit comprises a current sampling circuit, a voltage detection circuit and a voltage feedback circuit, wherein the current sampling circuit comprises a resistor; the voltage detection circuit is connected in parallel at two ends of the current sampling circuit and used for measuring voltage values at two ends of the current sampling circuit and converting the voltage values into voltage signals; the input end of the voltage feedback circuit is connected with the output end of the voltage detection circuit, and the output end of the voltage feedback circuit is used as the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit; and is

The voltage feedback circuit includes a threshold circuit to generate a threshold voltage and a voltage comparator to: when the voltage signal output by the voltage detection circuit is greater than the threshold voltage, a voltage feedback signal is output.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of lidar technology. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an output circuit and method for a compatible source and drain interface circuit and a lidar.

Background

Laser radar is widely applied to the industrial fields of unmanned Guided vehicles (AGVs), industrial robots and the like as a core sensor of an intelligent collision avoidance system. In the practical application process, the laser radar can detect an object in a scanning area by emitting a laser beam, and when an obstacle or an invader enters the scanning area, the laser radar can Output an alarm signal through Input/Output (Input/Output), so that after receiving the alarm signal, equipment such as an AGV trolley, an industrial robot and the like can execute operations such as speed reduction, parking, alarm and the like, and the safety of people and equipment in an industrial field can be protected.

However, since the interface circuits of the AGV and the industrial robot for receiving the alarm signal are generally classified into a source type and a drain type, and the source type and the drain type interface circuits need to be connected to the laser radars with their corresponding NPN type or PNP type output interfaces, respectively, the laser radar manufacturer generally needs to design and produce two types of laser radars, an NPN type and a PNP type, to meet the requirements of different users, thereby greatly increasing the production cost of the laser radar manufacturer. In addition, in actual use, some users may not know whether NPN-type lidar or PNP-type lidar needs to be used, thereby causing a lot of trouble and inconvenience to the users.

In this regard, although there are related documents that propose to use a solid-state relay to realize compatibility of different types of interfaces, the solid-state relay has a high sensitivity to overload and poor interference resistance and radiation resistance, so that the operational reliability is low, and it is difficult to meet the requirement of high reliability in industrial applications.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop an output circuit or a lidar to improve the problem of poor compatibility of the conventional lidar.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems, the present disclosure provides an output circuit and method compatible with a source-type and drain-type interface circuit, and a lidar, so as to improve the problem of poor compatibility of the conventional lidar.

In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an output circuit compatible with source and drain type interface circuits, which may include a first switching transistor, an inverter, and a second switching transistor, wherein a gate of the first switching transistor is to receive a control signal, and a drain of the first switching transistor is to output a PNP type switching signal; an input terminal of the inverter is connected to a drain of the first switching transistor, and an output terminal of the inverter is connected to a gate of the second switching transistor for controlling an action of the second switching transistor; and a source of the second switching transistor is used for outputting an NPN-type switching signal.

In an exemplary embodiment, the output circuit may further include: a first diode, an anode of which is connected to a drain of the first switching transistor to output a PNP type switching signal through a cathode of the first diode; and/or a second diode, wherein the cathode of the second diode is connected with the source of the second switching transistor, so as to output an NPN switching signal through the anode of the second diode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the output circuit may further include a bidirectional current detection circuit, and the cathode of the first diode is connected to the input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit so that the control current flows unidirectionally from the drain of the first switching transistor to the input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit; and/or the anode of the second diode is connected with the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit, so that the control current flows from the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit to the source of the second switching transistor in a single direction.

In an exemplary embodiment, the output circuit may further include: a non-inverting converter having an input to receive a control signal and an output to the gate of the first switching transistor.

In an exemplary embodiment, the bidirectional current detection circuit may have a feedback terminal for outputting a voltage feedback signal, and the feedback terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit may be connected to an enable terminal of the inverter for controlling the operation and turn-off of the inverter; and the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit can be further connected to the enable end of the in-phase converter for controlling the operation and the turn-off of the in-phase converter.

In an exemplary embodiment, the bidirectional current detection circuit may include a current sampling circuit, a voltage detection circuit, and a voltage feedback circuit, wherein the current sampling circuit includes a resistor; the voltage detection circuit is connected in parallel at two ends of the current sampling circuit and used for measuring voltage values at two ends of the current sampling circuit and converting the voltage values into voltage signals; and the input end of the voltage feedback circuit is connected with the output end of the voltage detection circuit, and the output end of the voltage feedback circuit is used as the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit.

In an exemplary embodiment, the voltage feedback circuit may include a threshold circuit for generating a threshold voltage and a voltage comparator for: when the voltage signal output by the voltage detection circuit is greater than the threshold voltage, a voltage feedback signal is output.

In an exemplary embodiment, the output circuit may further include a bootstrap circuit for boosting the control signal, an input terminal of the bootstrap circuit is for receiving the control signal from the non-inverting converter, and an output terminal of the bootstrap circuit is connected to the gate of the first switching transistor.

In an exemplary embodiment, the output circuit may further include a controller, an output terminal of which is connected to an input terminal of the non-inverting converter for outputting the control signal.

In an exemplary embodiment, the output of the bidirectional current detection circuit may be used for connection with an external device to serve as the output of the output circuit.

In an exemplary embodiment, the output circuit may further include an overvoltage protection circuit, an output terminal of which is connected to the drain of the first switching transistor and the drain of the second switching transistor, for controlling the supply voltage to be maintained in a predetermined range when the supply voltage is higher than a predetermined value.

In a second aspect, the present disclosure also provides a lidar which may comprise an output circuit as described in the first aspect and its various embodiments above.

In a third aspect, the present disclosure also provides a method of compatible source and drain interface circuits, which may include: providing a control signal to a gate of the first switching transistor to output a first logic level logically identical to the control signal through a drain of the first switching transistor so as to output a PNP type switching signal; providing the first logic level to an inverter for conversion to a second logic level that is logically opposite to the control signal; and providing the second logic level to a gate of a second switching transistor to output an NPN-type switching signal via a source of the second switching transistor.

In an exemplary embodiment, the method of compatible source and drain interface circuits may further include: providing a first diode at a drain of a first switching transistor, an anode of the first diode being connected with a drain of the first switching transistor to output a PNP type switching signal through a cathode of the first diode; and providing a second diode at a source of the second switching transistor, a cathode of the second diode being connected with a source of the second switching transistor to output an NPN-type switching signal through an anode of the second diode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the method of compatible source and drain interface circuits may further include: a non-inverting converter is provided, an input of the non-inverting converter receiving a control signal and an output of the non-inverting converter going to the gate of the first switching transistor.

In an exemplary embodiment, the method of compatible source and drain interface circuits may further include: providing a bidirectional current detection circuit, wherein the cathode of the first diode is connected with the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit, so that the control current flows from the drain electrode of the first switching transistor to the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit in a unidirectional mode; and/or the anode of the second diode is connected with the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit, so that the control current flows from the input end of the bidirectional current detection circuit to the source of the second switching transistor in a single direction.

In an exemplary embodiment, the bidirectional current detection circuit may have a feedback terminal for outputting a voltage feedback signal, and the feedback terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit may be connected to an enable terminal of the inverter for controlling the operation and turn-off of the inverter; and the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit can be further connected to the enable end of the in-phase converter for controlling the operation and the turn-off of the in-phase converter.

In one exemplary embodiment, the bidirectional current detection circuit may include a current sampling circuit, a voltage detection circuit, and a voltage feedback circuit, the current sampling circuit including a resistor; the voltage detection circuit is connected in parallel at two ends of the current sampling circuit and used for measuring voltage values at two ends of the current sampling circuit and converting the voltage values into voltage signals; and the input end of the voltage feedback circuit is connected with the output end of the voltage detection circuit, and the output end of the voltage feedback circuit is used as the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit.

In an exemplary embodiment, the voltage feedback circuit may include a threshold circuit for generating a threshold voltage and a voltage comparator for: when the voltage signal output by the voltage detection circuit is greater than the threshold voltage, a voltage feedback signal is output.

The output circuit and method of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may enable the output circuit to selectively output an NPN type switching signal or a PNP type switching signal according to different types of interface circuits by providing the first switching transistor, the second switching transistor, and the inverter, so that the laser radar having the output circuit of the present disclosure may be compatible with the source type and drain type interface circuits, and thus may improve the compatibility of the laser radar. In addition, the output circuit and the method in some embodiments of the present disclosure can prevent the overload of the circuit caused by the excessive current by providing the bidirectional current detection circuit and the overvoltage protection circuit, and can maintain the supply voltage within a predetermined range, so that the operational reliability of the laser radar can be improved.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar or corresponding parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an output circuit of a compatible source and drain interface circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an output circuit of a compatible source and drain interface circuit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a bi-directional current detection circuit of an output circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of compatible source and drain interface circuits according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Technical solutions in embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are some, but not all embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments disclosed herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc. in the claims, description, and drawings of the present disclosure are used to distinguish between different objects and are not used to describe a particular order. The terms "comprises" and "comprising," when used in the specification and claims of this disclosure, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description of the disclosure herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used in the specification and claims of this disclosure, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the term "and/or" as used in the specification and claims of this disclosure refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items and includes such combinations.

As used in this specification and claims, the term "if" may be interpreted contextually as "when", "upon" or "in response to a determination" or "in response to a detection". Similarly, the phrase "if it is determined" or "if a [ described condition or event ] is detected" may be interpreted contextually to mean "upon determining" or "in response to determining" or "upon detecting [ described condition or event ]" or "in response to detecting [ described condition or event ]".

Specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an output circuit of a compatible source and drain type interface circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 1, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an output circuit compatible with source and drain type interface circuits, which may include: a first switching transistor 100, a second switching transistor 200, and an inverter 300. Specifically, the gate of the first switching transistor 100 is used to receive a control signal, and the drain of the first switching transistor 100 is used to output a PNP-type switching signal; the input terminal of the inverter 300 is connected to the drain of the first switching transistor 100, and the output terminal of the inverter 300 is connected to the gate of the second switching transistor 200 for controlling the action of the second switching transistor 200; and a source of the second switching transistor 200 is used to output an NPN type switching signal.

Specifically, in an exemplary embodiment, the first switching transistor 100 may include a triode switch, such as an NMOS transistor high side switch or a PMOS transistor high side switch. The source of the first switching transistor 100 may be used to connect the control voltage VCC, and the gate of the first switching transistor 100 may be used to receive a control signal output by the controller of the lidar. When the control signal is at a low level "0", the first switching transistor 100 is turned off, and no control current flows from the drain of the first switching transistor 100, so that the drain of the first switching transistor 100 outputs a low level "0". When the control signal is at a high level "1", the first switching transistor 100 is turned on, and at this time, a control current flows out from the drain of the first switching transistor 100, so that the drain of the first switching transistor 100 outputs a high level "1".

Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the second switching transistor 200 may also include a triode switch, such as an NMOS transistor low-side switch or a PMOS transistor low-side switch. The source of the second switching transistor 200 may be used to connect the control voltage VCC, and the gate of the second switching transistor 200 may be used to receive a control signal output by the controller of the lidar. When the control signal is at a low level "0", the second switching transistor 200 is turned off, and no control current flows from the drain of the second switching transistor 200. When the control signal is at a high level "1", the second switching transistor 200 is turned on, and a control current flows out from the drain of the second switching transistor 200.

Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the inverter 300 described above may be used to invert the phase of the input signal by 180 degrees, and may include an inverter circuit, such as a CMOS inverter circuit. In addition, the inverter 300 described above may have an input terminal, an output terminal, and an enable terminal, the enable terminal may be used to control the operation and turn-off of the inverter 300, and the initial state of the inverter 300 is an operation state, i.e., an enable state. It is understood that when a low level "0" is input to the input terminal of the inverter 300, the output terminal of the inverter 300 outputs a high level "1"; and, when the input terminal of the inverter 300 inputs a high level "1", the output terminal of the inverter 300 outputs a low level "0".

Hereinafter, an output process of a switching signal of an output circuit when the output circuit of the present disclosure is connected to an external device having a source type interface circuit or a drain type interface circuit will be described in detail with further reference to fig. 1.

In one exemplary application scenario, it may be assumed that: in the case where the lidar does not detect an obstacle, the control signal output by the lidar to the input terminal of the output circuit of the present disclosure is low level "0"; and in the case where the laser radar detects an obstacle, the control signal output by the laser radar to the input terminal of the output circuit of the present disclosure is high level "1".

In the first case, in the case where the interface circuit of the external device is a leak-type interface circuit, the external device receives the PNP-type switching signal, and therefore the laser radar needs to be connected to the external device as a PNP-type sensor. In this case, when a signal is triggered, the output terminal of the output circuit is connected to the power supply and outputs a high level, and a current flows from the power supply to the external device through the output terminal of the output circuit and then to the ground terminal through the external device.

Therefore, as can be understood with reference to fig. 1, in the case where the interface circuit of the external device is a drain type interface circuit, when the lidar does not detect an obstacle, the lidar outputs a low level "0" to the input terminal of the output circuit of the present disclosure. The gate of the first switching transistor 100 serves as an input terminal of the output circuit of the present disclosure, receives the low level "0", and causes the first switching transistor 100 to be turned off, so that current may not flow to an external device through the first switching transistor 100, and thus no current flows in the external device to be the low level "0".

When the lidar detects an obstacle, the lidar outputs a high level "1" to the input of the output circuit of the present disclosure. The gate of the first switching transistor 100 serves as an input terminal of the output circuit of the present disclosure, receives the high level "1", and turns on the first switching transistor 100, so that a current can directly flow to an external device through the drain of the first switching transistor 100, and thus a current flows to the high level "1" in the external device.

Therefore, it can be understood that, in the case where the interface circuit of the external device is a leak-type interface circuit, when the laser radar outputs "0", the external device receives "0"; and when the lidar outputs "1", the external device receives "1". In other words, in the case where the interface circuit of the external device is a drain type interface circuit, when a signal is triggered, the output terminal of the output circuit is connected to the power supply, and a current can flow from the power supply to the external device through the output terminal of the output circuit. Therefore, the output circuit of the present disclosure can be connected as a PNP type sensor to an external device having a drain type interface circuit.

In the second case, when the interface circuit of the external device is a source interface circuit, the external device needs to be connected to the external device as an NPN sensor because the external device receives the NPN switching signal. In this case, when a signal is triggered, the output terminal of the output circuit and the ground terminal are connected and output a low level, and a current flows from the power supply to the output terminal of the output circuit through the external device and then to the ground terminal.

Therefore, as can be understood with reference to fig. 1, in the case where the interface circuit of the external device is a source type interface circuit, when the lidar does not detect an obstacle, the lidar outputs a low level "0" to the input terminal of the output circuit of the present disclosure. The gate of the first switching transistor 100 serves as an input terminal of the output circuit of the present disclosure, receives the low level "0", and causes the first switching transistor 100 to be turned off, thereby causing the drain of the first switching transistor 100 to output the low level "0". Further, since the input terminal of the inverter is connected to the drain of the first switching transistor 100, the inverter receives a low level "0" and outputs a high level "1" to the gate of the second switching transistor 200, so that the second switching transistor 200 is turned on, thereby allowing a current to flow from an external device to the source of the second switching transistor 200 and to the ground through the drain of the second switching transistor 200, and thus a current flows in the external device to a high level "1".

When the lidar detects an obstacle, the lidar outputs a high level "1" to the input of the output circuit of the present disclosure. The gate of the first switching transistor 100 serves as an input terminal of the output circuit of the present disclosure, receives the high level "1", and turns on the first switching transistor 100, thereby causing the drain of the first switching transistor 100 to output the high level "1". Further, since the input terminal of the inverter is connected to the drain of the first switching transistor 100, the inverter receives a high level "1" and outputs a low level "0" to the gate of the second switching transistor 200, so that the second switching transistor 200 is turned off, thereby making it impossible for current to flow from the external device to the drain of the second switching transistor 200, and thus no current flows in the external device as a low level "0".

Therefore, it can be understood that, in the case where the interface circuit of the external device is a source type interface circuit, when the laser radar outputs "0", the external device receives "1"; and when the laser radar outputs "1", the external device receives "0". In other words, in the case where the interface circuit of the external device is a source type interface circuit, when a signal is triggered, the output terminal of the output circuit is connected to the ground terminal, and a current can flow from the external device to the ground terminal through the output terminal of the output circuit. Therefore, the output circuit of the present disclosure may be connected as an NPN-type sensor with an external device having a source-type interface circuit.

Therefore, it can be understood from the above two cases that the output circuit of the present disclosure can be compatible with an external device having a source type interface circuit and an external device having a drain type interface circuit, and thus can improve the problem of poor compatibility of the conventional laser radar.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the output circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include: a first diode 400, an anode of the first diode 400 being connected to a drain of the first switching transistor 100 to output a PNP type switching signal through a cathode of the first diode 400.

Specifically, the anode of the first diode 400 described above may be connected to the drain of the first switching transistor 100, and the cathode of the first diode 400 may serve as an output terminal of the output circuit for outputting the PNP type switching signal. Since the first diode 400 has a characteristic of unidirectional conduction, in the case where the interface circuit of the external device is a source type interface circuit, it is possible to make no current flow into the output circuit when the second switching transistor 200 is turned off, and it is also possible to block a current from flowing from the external device to the input terminal of the inverter 300, so as to prevent the input terminal of the inverter 300 from being disturbed.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an output circuit of a compatible source and drain interface circuit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the output circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include: and a second diode 500, a cathode of the second diode 500 being connected to a source of the second switching transistor 200 to output an NPN-type switching signal through an anode of the second diode 500.

Specifically, the cathode of the second diode 500 may be connected to the source of the second switching transistor 200, and the anode of the second diode 500 may serve as an output terminal of the output circuit for outputting the NPN-type switching signal. Since the second diode 500 has a characteristic of unidirectional conduction, a control current can be made to flow unidirectionally from the output terminal of the output circuit to the source of the second switching transistor 200.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the output circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include: a non-inverting converter 600, the non-inverting converter 600 may be used to increase the current of the control signal. The non-inverting converter 600 has an input terminal, an output terminal, and an enable terminal, which can be used to control the operation and the turn-off of the non-inverting converter 600, and the initial state of the non-inverting converter 600 is an operating state, i.e., an enabled state. The input of the non-inverting converter 600 is used to receive the control signal and the output of the non-inverting converter 600 goes to the gate of the first switching transistor 100 to increase the current of the control signal.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the output circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a bidirectional current detection circuit 700, and the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 may be used to detect the magnitude of the current of the output circuit. The input/output terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 may be connected to the first diode 400 and/or the second diode 500, and the output terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 may be used as the output terminal of the output circuit for connecting to an external device.

Specifically, the cathode of the first diode 400 may be connected to the input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 so that the control current flows unidirectionally from the drain of the first switching transistor 100 to the input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700. Alternatively, the anode of the second diode 500 may also be connected to the input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700, so that the control current flows unidirectionally from the input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 to the source of the second switching transistor 200.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 described above may have a feedback terminal for outputting a voltage feedback signal, and the feedback terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 may be connected to an enable terminal of the inverter 300 for controlling the operation and turn-off of the inverter 300. In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the feedback terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 may be further connected to the enable terminal of the non-inverting converter 600 for controlling the operation and shutdown of the non-inverting converter 600.

It is understood that the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 may be used to detect the magnitude of the current of the output circuit, and when the current of the output circuit is too large, the feedback terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 may send a voltage feedback signal to the enable terminal of the in-phase converter 600 and/or the inverter 300 to turn off the in-phase converter 600 and/or the inverter 300, so as to prevent the output circuit from being overloaded.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a bidirectional current detection circuit of an output circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, the bidirectional current detection circuit 700 described above may include a current sampling circuit 610, a voltage detection circuit 620, and a voltage feedback circuit 630, wherein the current sampling circuit 610 may include a resistor; the voltage detection circuit 620 may be connected in parallel to two ends of the current sampling circuit 610, and is configured to measure a voltage value at two ends of the current sampling circuit 610 and convert the voltage value into a voltage signal; and an input terminal of the voltage feedback circuit 630 may be connected to an output terminal of the voltage detection circuit 620 to receive the voltage signal, and an output terminal of the voltage feedback circuit 630 serves as a feedback terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit 700.

In an exemplary embodiment, the voltage feedback circuit 630 may include a threshold circuit and a voltage comparator. Specifically, the threshold circuit may be configured to generate a threshold voltage, and the voltage comparator may be configured to compare the voltage signal output by the voltage detection circuit 620 with the threshold voltage, and output a voltage feedback signal when the voltage signal output by the voltage detection circuit 620 is greater than the threshold voltage.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the output circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a bootstrap circuit 800 for boosting the control signal, an input terminal of the bootstrap circuit 800 is for receiving the control signal from the non-inverting converter 600, and an output terminal of the bootstrap circuit 800 is connected with the gate of the first switching transistor 100 to output the control signal to the gate of the first switching transistor 100. In particular, in one exemplary embodiment, the bootstrap circuit 800 described above may include a basic bootstrap circuit, an under-voltage lockout circuit, and a bootstrap voltage clamp circuit.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the output circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a controller 900, and the controller 900 is configured to output a control signal of the laser radar. In particular, an output of the controller 900 may be connected with an input of the non-inverting converter 600 for outputting the control signal.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the output circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include an overvoltage protection circuit 1100, and an output terminal of the overvoltage protection circuit 1100 may be connected to the drain of the first switching transistor 100 and the drain of the second switching transistor 200 for controlling the supply voltage to be maintained in a predetermined range when the supply voltage is higher than a predetermined value. Therefore, the output circuit of the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can improve the reliability of the output circuit by providing the overvoltage protection circuit.

In addition, the present disclosure also provides a laser radar that may include the output circuit described in the above exemplary embodiments. Specifically, the output circuit can be used for outputting a control signal (for example, an alarm signal) of the laser radar to various control terminals, for example, outputting an alarm signal for detecting that an intruder enters a scanning area to a control device of the AGV cart.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of compatible source and drain interface circuits according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 4, the present disclosure also provides a method of compatible source and drain interface circuits, which may include: providing a control signal to a gate of the first switching transistor to output a first logic level logically identical to the control signal through a drain of the first switching transistor so as to output a PNP type switching signal (S100); providing the first logic level to an inverter to be converted into a second logic level logically opposite to the control signal (S200); and providing the second logic level to a gate of the second switching transistor to output an NPN-type switching signal via a source of the second switching transistor (S300).

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the method of the present disclosure for compatible source and drain interface circuits may further include: a first diode is provided at a drain of the first switching transistor, and an anode of the first diode is connected to a drain of the first switching transistor to output a PNP type switching signal through a cathode of the first diode (S400). Further, the method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include: a second diode is provided at a source of the second switching transistor, and a cathode of the second diode is connected to the source of the second switching transistor to output an NPN type switching signal through an anode of the second diode (S500).

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the method of compatible source and drain type interface circuits according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include: a non-inverting converter is provided, the input of which is for receiving the control signal and the output of which goes to the gate of the first switching transistor (S600).

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the method of compatible source and drain interface circuits may further include: a bidirectional current detection circuit is provided, and an input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit may be connected to a cathode of the first diode so that a control current flows unidirectionally from a drain of the first switching transistor to the input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit (S700). Alternatively, the input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit may be further connected to an anode of the second diode, so that the control current flows unidirectionally from the input terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit to the source of the second switching transistor.

Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the bidirectional current detection circuit may have a feedback terminal for outputting a voltage feedback signal, and the feedback terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit may be connected to an enable terminal of the inverter for controlling the operation and shutdown of the inverter. Optionally, the feedback terminal of the bidirectional current detection circuit may be further connected to the enable terminal of the non-inverting converter for controlling the operation and shutdown of the non-inverting converter.

Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the bidirectional current detection circuit described above may include a current sampling circuit, a voltage detection circuit, and a voltage feedback circuit, the current sampling circuit including a resistor; the voltage detection circuit is connected in parallel at two ends of the current sampling circuit and used for measuring voltage values at two ends of the current sampling circuit and converting the voltage values into voltage signals; the input end of the voltage feedback circuit is connected with the output end of the voltage detection circuit, and the output end of the voltage feedback circuit is used as the feedback end of the bidirectional current detection circuit.

Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the voltage feedback circuit described above may include a threshold circuit for generating a threshold voltage and a voltage comparator for: when the voltage signal output by the voltage detection circuit is greater than the threshold voltage, a voltage feedback signal is output.

In connection with the various exemplary embodiments described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure has at least two beneficial aspects.

In one aspect, the output circuit of the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may enable the output circuit to selectively output an NPN type switching signal or a PNP type switching signal by providing the first switching transistor, the second switching transistor, and the inverter, so that the laser radar having the output circuit of the present disclosure may be compatible with the source type and the drain type interface circuits, and thus, the problem of poor compatibility of the conventional laser radar may be improved.

On the other hand, the output circuit of the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can prevent the circuit from being overloaded and can maintain the supply voltage within a predetermined range by providing the bidirectional current detection circuit and the overvoltage protection circuit, and thus can improve the operational reliability of the laser radar having the output circuit of the present disclosure.

In the above description of the present specification, the terms "fixed," "mounted," "connected," or "connected," and the like, are to be construed broadly unless otherwise expressly specified or limited. For example, with the term "coupled", it can be fixedly coupled, detachably coupled, or integrally formed; can be mechanically or electrically connected; they may be directly connected or indirectly connected through intervening media, or they may be connected internally or in any other suitable relationship. Therefore, unless the specification explicitly defines otherwise, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present disclosure according to specific situations.

From the above description of the present specification, those skilled in the art will also understand the terms used below, terms indicating orientation or positional relationship such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "length", "width", "thickness", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", "central", "longitudinal", "transverse", "clockwise" or "counterclockwise" and the like are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings of the present specification, it is used for convenience in explanation of the disclosure and for simplicity in description, and does not explicitly show or imply that the devices or elements involved must be in the particular orientation described, constructed and operated, therefore, the above terms of orientation or positional relationship should not be understood or interpreted as limitations to the disclosed aspects.

In addition, the terms "first" or "second", etc. used in this specification are used to refer to numbers or ordinal terms for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the feature. In the description of the present specification, "a plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three or more, and the like, unless specifically defined otherwise.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous modifications, changes, and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the disclosure described herein may be employed in practicing the disclosure. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the disclosure and that the module compositions, equivalents, or alternatives falling within the scope of these claims be covered thereby.