Real time self-mixing interferometric laser sensor for embedded applications

Abstract

We present a Self-Mixing (SM) interferometric laser displacement sensor that is capable of providing correct target measurements in real time, even when it is subject to extraneous parasitic movements. The sensor achieves such robustness by using an embedded MEMS Solid -State Accelerometer (SSA) that has been coupled with the laser sensor. The SSA thus measures the extraneous movement acting on the laser s ensor and this information is used to provide correct sensing. The proposed SSA-SM sensing system uses Consecutive-Samples based Unwrapping (CSU) to process the SM interferometric signal while a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) takes care of band-pass filtering, double integration as well as phase and gain corrections needed for the acceleration signal. Hence, a compact, real-time, precise and self-aligned SSA-SM sensor has been designed that has a displacement measurement precision of approximately 100 nm with a parasitic movement elimination of 31dB for a laser diode emitting at 785 nm.