Power
Power documentation in PDF form: Datei:Power Module.pdf
Contents
Synopsis
The Power Module is responsible for supplying power to the entire lidar system, including motors, lasers, sensors, and detectors. It consists of two parts, AC supply and DC supply, and has a range of safety requirements. These include backup generators to ensure that power grid failures do not destroy the system, regulated supplies to avoid voltage or current spikes, and ensuring electrical safety throughout the system.
Glossary of Terms
1. AC: Alternating Current
2. DC: Direct Current
Design Requirements
This section includes the objectives and constraints of the Power module.
1. Current and Voltages should be able to be monitored and manipulated via relays, amplifiers, and other electronics remotely
2. When physically handling the system, any voltages and currents through the system should be non-deadly
Safety
This section describes the safety concerns of the Control module, and suggestions for mitigating any possible risks.
Due to the dangerous nature of the power module, it should be isolated as much as possible from the external world. The module should have isolated outlets as well as power surge safety features, preventing short circuiting. It is crucial that an individual not be able to mindlessly come in contact with any live wires, voltages, or currents, whether by accident or purposefully inserting tools/appendages into the module.
High Level Overview
This section will discuss the main functions of the Power module and its constituent components.
As can be seen in Figure 1 below, the Power module is governed by the demands of the system, which may be broken up into two parts: AC needs and DC needs. Both of these branches require current and voltage control, in order to ensure accuracy in data collection and a safely operating system.
Figure 1: System diagram of the Power Module
Low Level Information
The Power module is fairly straightforward in terms of its responsibilities and its breakdown. The module can be separated into two parts: an AC and a DC supply. These two supplies are broken down in Figures 2 and 3 below and, since they have virtually the same design constraints, they will be discussed together.
The main criteria for the effectiveness of the power supply is safety and uniformity of voltage and current throughout the system. Any wires, leads, or connections should be isolated so that it is not easy to physically touch both positive and negative terminals; they must be waterproof; and there should be no exposed wires anywhere in the system. This acts to prevent any unnecessary and possibly fatal injury when individuals are upgrading, fixing, or changing the system in any way. On top of this, all power lines should be separated from each other, so that increases in load do not cause voltage or current spikes which may cause unnecessary noise in data. In particular, the detector and laser modules should have dedicated power lines (if not all modules) to minimize the noise being transmitted through these devices.
Figure 2: Overview of AC Power
Figure 3: Overview of DC Power
Interfaces
Figure 4: Dependency Map of Power Module
Figure 4 shows the dependencies of the Power module with the rest of the lidar system. The inputs and outputs are described in detail below. The descriptions are colour coded for ease of reading and transferring from diagram to text.
Progress
This module is in the abstract definition phase, and information regarding power specific design (weight, dimensions, components, etc.) needs to be accomplished before prototyping can begin.
Testing
Type description of testing on module here.
Comments
UML and One line diagrams need to be made for this module.
Power module colour (Hex code): #ff0000
Revision History
| Description of Work | Date | Author |
| Created document and filled in information on Synopsis, Glossary of Terms, Design Requirements, High Level Overview, Low Level Overview, Interfaces, Progress, and Comments | 15.07.2015 | Joshua Calafato |
| Changed diagrams to standardized Gliffy format, added safety section, updated interfaces section with inputs and outputs table | 29.07.2015 | Joshua Calafato |
| Added References | 30.07.2015 | Joshua Calafato |
| General edits to grammar and style | 31.07.15 | Joshua Calafato,
Katherine Maul, Frank Modruson IV, Alan Yeh |
References
1. Scott S. Cornelsen. Electronics Design of the AGLITE-Lidar Instrument. A report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering. 2005