Note: Detection jitter of pulsed time-of-flight lidar with dual pulse triggering

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics and Laser Technology
• Industrial Sensing and Measurement

Background:

• Pulsed time-of-flight laser rangefinders require a large dynamic range for optical input amplitude in industrial settings.
• Multi-triggering receivers have been proposed to address this dynamic range challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally evaluate the detection jitter of a multi-triggering receiver.
• To specifically analyze jitter caused by signal shot noise.
• To assess the effectiveness of using the average of leading and trailing edge crossing times for pulse timing estimation.

Main Methods:

• Experimental evaluation of detection jitter in a multi-triggering receiver.
• Focus on jitter originating from signal shot noise.
• Comparison of timing estimates derived from leading edge, trailing edge, and the average of both.

Main Results:

• The average of leading and trailing edge threshold crossing times yields lower detection jitter compared to using either edge alone.
• This improvement in jitter reduction is more pronounced at higher signal shot noise levels.
• Signal shot noise significantly impacts detection jitter in these receivers.

Conclusions:

• Averaging leading and trailing edge crossing times is a superior method for pulse timing estimation in multi-triggering receivers.
• This technique effectively mitigates detection jitter, particularly in noisy environments.
• The findings are crucial for enhancing the precision of laser rangefinders in demanding industrial applications.