A new method for digital encoder adaptive velocity/acceleration evaluation using a TDC with picosecond accuracy

In this paper, a new methodology for deriving the velocity and the acceleration information of a digital encoder through processing its pulse train, is presented. The proposed method is based on accurate time measurement (with picosecond accuracy) as well as encoder pulse counting in adaptively changing time intervals, providing thus a wide-range velocity evaluation with very good accuracy. The method offers better response times at low speeds and very high-accuracy at the full range of measured velocities. By using the proposed method, the velocity measurement accuracy is improved compared to currently known methods, since high-resolution time-to-digital converters (TDC) are included in the design. The increased accuracy in velocity measurement allows the application of the simple arithmetic differentiation method on the velocity information in order to derive the acceleration, which in other cases would not be suggested due to accumulated quantization noise. A digital signal processor (DSP) also allows the implementation of numerous other methods to calculate acceleration. The proposed configuration has been implemented in specific hardware (FPGA), reserving thus the computational power of the system controlling DSP for high-level control tasks.