Applications of Time-to-Digital Converters

The main goals of this work are the development of a demonstrative application of distance sensor of type Time of Flight with a chip ISL29501 from the company Renesas and creating a device for measuring the Larmor frequency of precession signal using chip TDC7201 from the company Texas Instruments. In the first part are clarified the theoretical principles of Time-to-Digital Converters (TDC) with methods of time measuring accompanied by a description of possibilities of the distance measurement using light. There is also a theoretical explanation of the principle of proton magnetometer with possibilities of frequency measuring of precession signal for additional practical use of TDC. In the second part is the theoretical knowledge used for the design and construction of the distance sensor. The sensor construction contains the complete procedure from choosing parts, design of schematics, mounting of the circuit board,
design and 3D printing of a cover to the creation of desktop application and measurement results. The third part contains also a complete guide of construction device for measuring the Larmor frequency of precession signal from proton magnetometer, from component selection, schematics design, physical mounting and creation of a case to commissioning of the desktop application with the result from the measurement.

Keywords: time measuring, Time-to-Digital converter, LIDAR, TOF, Time of Flight, frequency measuring, proton magnetometr, stm32

PCB of the LIDAR with ISL29501 and STMF042
LIDAR in a 3D printed box
PC SW for LIDAR
PC SW for LIDAR configuration part – register edit
HW for Proton Precession Magnetometer signal frequency measurement
Whole device in a 3D printed box
Left – PPM testing at Pruhonice resort, Right – PPM electronics with frequency counter electronics