TY - GEN
T1 - Power-Performance Tradeoffs in a Time of Flight Lidar Readout Chain
AU - Nchekwube, David Chukwudi
AU - Lu, Sheung
AU - Abshire, Pamela
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 IEEE.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Direct time-of-flight (ToF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a powerful imaging technique for depth sensing and 3D mapping. Single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) serve as high-sensitivity detectors, enabling precise photon-based measurements. Power consumption is a critical factor in SinglePhoton Avalanche Diode (SPAD) readout, especially for pulsed LiDAR applications. This work explores the power trade-offs in the readout chain, focusing on the quench and reset (QAR) block. We model the SPAD and use circuit-level simulations to evaluate the power-performance characteristics of the QAR. We found that the active quench and reset (AQAR) saves more than 75 percent of power compared to a passive quench circuit. The insights from our study serve to guide design choices for optimizing SPAD-based ToF LiDAR systems.
AB - Direct time-of-flight (ToF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a powerful imaging technique for depth sensing and 3D mapping. Single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) serve as high-sensitivity detectors, enabling precise photon-based measurements. Power consumption is a critical factor in SinglePhoton Avalanche Diode (SPAD) readout, especially for pulsed LiDAR applications. This work explores the power trade-offs in the readout chain, focusing on the quench and reset (QAR) block. We model the SPAD and use circuit-level simulations to evaluate the power-performance characteristics of the QAR. We found that the active quench and reset (AQAR) saves more than 75 percent of power compared to a passive quench circuit. The insights from our study serve to guide design choices for optimizing SPAD-based ToF LiDAR systems.
KW - active quench and reset
KW - Power
KW - single photon avalanche diode
KW - time-of-flight LiDAR
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105029719633
U2 - 10.1109/MWSCAS53549.2025.11244552
DO - 10.1109/MWSCAS53549.2025.11244552
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:105029719633
T3 - Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems
SP - 523
EP - 527
BT - 2025 IEEE 68th International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems, MWSCAS 2025
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 68th IEEE International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems, MWSCAS 2025
Y2 - 10 August 2025 through 13 August 2025
ER -