Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1518064
12 "There are numerous applications of LiDAR in robotics, from the smallest robot vacuum that can finally budget for a high-fidelity sensor to the larger robotic machines that need to fit many of these sensors in constrained spaces while ensuring low latency and fast compute." Andrew Beaulieu Robotics Engineer, Toyota Research Institute Maxim's high-speed, low-power comparators mitigate signal noise in two ways: • Minimizing the time required for the signal to pass from the comparator input to output (propagation delay). Ideally, propagation delay should be constant and kept to a minimum; in practical application, however, the delay is not constant and may vary over a certain input voltage range. • Minimizing the variance between high- and low-input voltage ranges (dispersion). Because the voltage input is compared with a reference voltage, the propagation delay when measuring a high versus a lower voltage may vary. This variance is called dispersion. Low dispersion refers to low propagation delay variance. Maxim comparator ICs minimize propagation and variance on the receiver end in a few ways. In LiDAR design, the basic function of a comparator is to determine whether a signal has been received by comparing the offset voltage to a reference voltage. When a signal rises above the threshold range, the output is high and the alternating-current signals are converted to a square wave. This nonlinear saturation helps suppress voltage fluctuations, thereby minimizing propagation delay. The dispersion figure is the variation in propagation delay caused by changes in the input signal overdrive, such as an increase in temperature or slew rate; it should also be as low as possible. The larger the dispersion figure, the larger the measurement error in LiDAR applications. Reducing delays by using Maxim TIAs and comparators allows for greater precision and accuracy. Chapter One: Solving Key Design Challenges