ULC1001-DRV290x Evaluation Module

Abstract

Texas Instruments created the Ultrasonic Lens Cleaning (ULC) system for removing water, ice, or other contaminants from automotive, security, and industrial lens systems. Ultrasonic Lens Cleaning improves visibility by efficiently clearing water, ice, and some contaminants. For some use cases, Ultrasonic Lens Cleaning eliminates the need for washer tubes, spray nozzles, or wipers. The ULC System is an electromechanical system composed of a piezo based lens cover or lens system, housing, and ULC1001-DRV290x EVM. The ULC1001-DRV290x EVM is the electrical system developed to excite the Lens Cover and expel contaminants.

Trademarks

Bode 100™ is a trademark of OMICRON electronics.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1 General Texas Instruments High Voltage Evaluation (TI HV EVM) User Safety Guidelines

Always follow TI's setup and application instructions, including use of all interface components within the recommended electrical rated voltage and power limits. Always use electrical safety precautions to help maintain your personal safety and those working around you. Contact TI's Product Information Center http://ticsc.service-now.com for further information.

Save all warnings and instructions for future reference.

WARNING: Failure to follow warnings and instructions can result in personal injury, property damage, or death due to electrical shock and burn hazards.

The term TI HV EVM refers to an electronic device typically provided as an open-framed unenclosed printed circuit board assembly. The TI HV EVM is intended strictly for use in development laboratory environments, solely for qualified professional users who have training, expertise, and knowledge of electrical safety risks in development and application of high voltage electrical circuits. Any other use or application are strictly prohibited by Texas Instruments. If the user is not qualified, then immediately halt further use of the HV EVM.

1. Work Area Safety a. Keep work area clean and orderly.
1. Qualified observers must be present anytime circuits are energized.
2. Effective barriers and signage must be present in the area where the TI HV EVM and the interface electronics are energized. For the purpose of protecting inadvertent access, these signs must indicate operation of accessible high voltages can be present.
3. All interface circuits, power supplies, evaluation modules, instruments, meters, scopes and other related apparatus used in a development environment exceeding 50 Vrms / 75 VDC must be electrically located within a protected Emergency Power Off EPO protected power strip.
4. Use stable and non-conductive work surface.
5. Use adequately insulated clamps and wires to attach measurement probes and instruments. No free-hand testing whenever possible.
Electrical Safety: As a precautionary measure, a good engineering practice is to assume that the entire EVM has fully accessible and active high voltages.
1. De-energize the TI HV EVM and all the inputs, outputs, and electrical loads before performing any electrical or other diagnostic measurements. Confirm that the TI HV EVM power has been safely de-energized.
2. With the EVM confirmed de-energized, proceed with required electrical circuit configurations, wiring, measurement equipment connection, and other application needs, while still assuming the EVM circuit and measuring instruments are electrically live.
3. After EVM readiness is complete, energize the EVM as intended.
  WARNING:
  WARNING ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD.
  
  WHILE THE EVM IS ENERGIZED, NEVER TOUCH THE EVM OR THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS BECAUSE THERE CAN BE HIGH VOLTAGES CAPABLE OF CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD.
Personal Safety: Wear personal protective equipment (for example, voltage rated gloves or safety glasses with side shields) or protect the EVM in an adequate protective closure with interlocks to protect from accidental touch.
Limitation for safe use: EVMs are not to be used as all or part of a production unit.

2 Introduction

Ultrasonic Lens Cleaning is a new way to clean lenses without any bulky components. ULC is highly effective at clearing water or ice, and significantly improves visibility with contaminants such as mud or dirt. For strict cleaning applications, ULC can pair with a water jet. Compared with a traditional water jet system, ULC eliminates the need for a complimentary air jet system and reduces water consumption.

Texas Instruments created the Ultrasonic Lens Cleaning (ULC) system for removing water, ice, or other contaminants from cover lenses in automotive and industrial systems. This technology uses a carefully manufactured mechanical system comprised of a piezo transducer glued directly, or indirectly through a bracket, to a lens (glass or other materials) that can be placed over the camera or in the camera stack. A glued transducer and lens combination intended to cover a camera module is called a Lens Cover. The Lens Cover is mounted inside a housing creating the Lens Cover System (LCS). For the purpose of this document, LCS refers to a lens cover system as well as an integrated piezo-based lens cleaning system. The ULC1001-DRV290x EVM is the electrical system developed to drive the piezo element of the LCS causing expulsion of contaminants from the lens through mechanical vibrations. This EVM is easily controlled via I²C using the available PC based GUI. The schematic is shown in Section 6.1.

Texas Instruments develops prototype mechanical systems and production ready electrical systems required for Ultrasonic Lens Cleaning. Mechanical systems developed by other companies can also be driven with the ULC1001-DRV290x EVM. Texas Instruments’ LCS is designed using specific parameters and components to provide high reliability and excellent cleaning performance. For more mechanical details on the LCS, please refer the Mechanical Design Guides.

The ULC1001-DRV290x EVM is a flexible system designed to eliminate design complexities for ultrasonic lens cleaning applications. Through the GUI, users can quickly start developing and evaluating ultrasonic lens cleaning applications. Alternatively, four programmable buttons on the EVM can be programmed to drive specific cleaning modes using the on-board MSP430. The ULC1001-DRV290x EVM contents are listed in Section 3.1.