A 32 32Pixel Flash Lidar Sensor With Noise Filtering For Highbackground Noise Applications

• doi: 10.1109/TCSI.2020.3048367
• title: A 32 × 32-Pixel Flash LiDAR Sensor With Noise Filtering for High-Background Noise Applications
• publisher: IEEE
• isbn:
• issn: 1558-0806
• rank: 418
• access_type: LOCKED
• content_type: Journals
• abstract: This article introduces a pulsed laser direct time-of-flight (dTOF) flash light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor fabricated in 0.18- $\mu \text{m}$ HV CMOS technology. The chip includes $32\times 32$ macro pixels and 1024 time-to-digital converters (TDCs). A noise filtering circuit with different threshold ( $\text{N}_{\mathrm {th}}$ ) configuration is adopted in each macro pixel [formed by four single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs)], which can suppress strong background light (BG) induced pile-up. To verify the imaging function and effectiveness of the noise filtering circuit, two systems are implemented (System1 for indoor imaging measurement and System2 for outdoor distance measurement). With the help of the noise filtering circuit and a reasonable signal-to-background noise ratio (SBR), the maximum detection range outdoors with reasonable accuracy can be greatly extended (from 12m @ Nth = 1 of System2 to more than 20m @ Nth = 2 of System2 under 70klux of background noise). The counter in the noise filtering circuit can be reused to get intensity information. A robust 13-bit TDC with a reliable reset is introduced. Thanks to a dedicated START/STOP logic and a Schmitt trigger, large TDC quantization errors can be avoided. It achieves a 200ps resolution (LSB) and exhibits an INLp-p of 3.55LSB and a DNLp-p of 0.53LSB. The maximum inter-frame rate can reach 270kfps with 16 IOs operating at speed of 500MHz. Combining 9k inter-frames to get one frame, a frame rate of 30 is achieved for an indoor 3-D imaging. For outdoor measurement, more laser pulses should be accumulated.
• article_number: 9321181
• pdf_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=9321181
• html_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9321181/
• abstract_url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9321181/
• publication_title: IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers
• conference_location:
• conference_dates:
• publication_number: 8919
• is_number: 9694631
• publication_year: 2022
• publication_date: Feb. 2022
• start_page: 645
• end_page: 656
• citing_paper_count: 35
• citing_patent_count: 0
• download_count: 2904
• insert_date: 20210112
• index_terms:
  • ieee_terms:
    • Laser radar
    • Photonics
    • Single-photon avalanche diodes
    • Optical transmitters
    • Optical pulses
    • Distance measurement
    • Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers
  • author_terms:
    • Light detection and ranging (LiDAR)
    • single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD)
    • direct time of flight (dTOF)
    • time-to-digital converter (TDC)
  • dynamic_index_terms:
    • Denoising
    • Noise Reduction
    • Light Detection And Ranging
    • Lidar
    • Distancing Measures
    • Background Noise
    • Ambient Noise
    • 3D Images
    • Large Errors
    • Laser Pulse
    • Frame Rate
    • Background Light
    • Single-photon Avalanche Diode
    • Single Photon Avalanche Diode
    • Time-to-digital Converter
    • Outdoor Measurements
    • Triggering
    • Optical System
    • Optical Devices
    • Laser Power
    • Pulse Width
    • Pulsewidth Modulation
    • Pulsewidth
    • Pulse Width Modulation
    • Image Sensor
    • Camera Sensor
    • Window Width
    • Window Widths
    • Random Access Memory
    • Vertical-cavity Surface-emitting Lasers
    • Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers
    • Dark Count Rate
    • Coincidence Detection
    • Phase-locked Loop
    • Phase Locked Loop
    • Rising Edge
    • Pile-up Events
    • Pile-up Effects
    • Centroid Method
    • Centroid Methods
    • Signal Photons
    • Laser Pulse Width
    • Laser Pulse Widths
    • Delay Stage
• authors:
  • Author Name: Jin Hu
    Affiliation: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37085868293
    ID: 37085868293
    Order: 1
    Author Affiliations:
    • Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
  • Author Name: Bingzheng Liu
    Affiliation: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37089274983
    ID: 37089274983
    Order: 2
    Author Affiliations:
    • Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
  • Author Name: Rui Ma
    Affiliation: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37086336477
    ID: 37086336477
    Order: 3
    Author Affiliations:
    • Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
  • Author Name: Maliang Liu
    Affiliation: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37085500222
    ID: 37085500222
    Order: 4
    Author Affiliations:
    • Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
  • Author Name: Zhangming Zhu
    Affiliation: Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
    Author URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37407461600
    ID: 37407461600
    Order: 5
    Author Affiliations:
    • Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, China

Image Sensor

• sensor_type: Flash LiDAR sensor
• resolution: 1024 pixels (32x32 macro pixels)
• dynamic_range: Not explicitly mentioned
• pixel_size: 60 µm pitch
• dark_current: Below 10 pA before avalanche breakdown at around 27V for SPADs

Optical Data

• focal_length: Not explicitly mentioned
• aperture: Not explicitly mentioned
• field_of_view: Not explicitly mentioned
• distortion: Not explicitly mentioned

Performance Metrics

• frame_rate: 30 fps (for indoor 3-D imaging); maximum inter-frame rate 270 kfps with 1.6 µs maximum TOF
• signal_to_noise_ratio: Not explicitly mentioned (improved detection range under higher background noise with a reasonable SBR)
• sensitivity: Not explicitly mentioned
• shutter_speed: Not explicitly mentioned
• power_consumption: Not explicitly mentioned
• noise: DCR median around 1.2 kHz for SPADs, 40 ns dead time to minimize afterpulsing probability at 0.9%

Applications & Benefits

• cell_imaging: Applicable for 3-D imaging and distance measurement in various environments
• benefits: Ability to achieve both 2-D and 3-D imaging, effective noise filtering under high background conditions, extended detection range outdoors, robust TDC features

Supporting Organizations

• supported_by: National Natural Science Foundation of China under various grants (62021004, 61834004, 61874082, 61625403)

Manuscript Details

• publication_date: Feb. 2022

Relevancy Score

• score: 9
• missing_fields:
  • dynamic_range
  • focal_length
  • aperture
  • field_of_view
  • distortion
  • sensitivity
  • shutter_speed
  • power_consumption

Processed JSON Filename

request_3234ce3b-5b6b-4453-9414-0012a5621382-a_32__32pixel_flash_lidar_sensor_with_noise_filtering_for_highbackground_noise_applications.json