ON Semiconductor SECO-RANGEFINDER-GEVK User manual

©Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, 2020
October, 2020 −Rev. 2
1Publication Order Number:
UM70015/D
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Description
The SiPM Direct Time of Flight (dToF) LiDAR Platform is
a complete development kit for single point range−finding
applications. The FDA−certified kit is based on the RB−series
NIR−enhanced SiPM from ON Semiconductor, and integrates all
essential system components including laser and reference circuit
(Tx), receiving circuit (Rx), power management systems, and core
FPGA and UART communication.
The Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) is a single−photosensitive, high
performance, solid−state sensor. It is formed of a summed array of
closely−packed Single Photon Avalanche Photodiode (SPAD) sensors
with integrated quench resistors, resulting in a compact sensor that has
high gain (~1x106), high detection efficiency (> 50%) and fast timing
(sub−ns rise times).
Features
•Direct ToF Operation for a Single Point
•> 0.11 m to 23 m Distance
•650−1050 nm BK7 Plano−convex Lenses to Maximize Distance
Measurement
•Out−of−the Box Operation with Dedicated GUI
•FDA Certified
•Single Power Supply
(either from USB = 5 V or PMOD Connector = 3.3 V)
•FPGA−based Time−to−Digital Convertor (TDC)
•Single Power Supply
(either from USB = 5 V or PMOD Connector = 3.3 V)
•Optimized System Cost
•Extendable System with the Bluetooth®Development Kit
(BDK−GEVK) and Other Various Sensors and Actuators
Figure 2. Block Diagram
www.onsemi.com
USER MANUAL
Figure 1. SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK
Applications
•Indoor Navigation and Rangefinding
•Collision Detection
•3D Mapping
Collateral (See More Information on Page 54)
•SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK
•MICRORB−10010−MLP −SiPM
Photodiode (RB Series)
•NSVF4015SG4 – RF Transistor
•NBA3N012C – Discriminator
(RF Comparator)
•NCP81074A – High Speed MOSFET Driver
•FQT13N06L – Logic Level MOSFET for
Laser Diode

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IMPORTANT SAFETY AND EVALUATION BOARD
INFORMATION
WARNING
Failure to heed the following warnings could result in an
accident resulting in death or serious injury.
Laser Warning
This device requires no regular maintenance. In the event
that the device becomes damaged or is inoperable, repair or
service must be handled by authorized, factory−trained
technicians only. Attempting to repair or service the unit on
your own can result in direct exposure to laser radiation and
the risk of permanent eye damage. For repair or service,
contact your ON Semiconductor representative for more
information. This device should not be modified or operated
without its housing or optics. Operating this device without
a housing and optics, or operating this device with
a modified housing or optics that expose the laser source,
may result in direct exposure to laser radiation and the risk
of permanent eye damage. Removal or modification of the
diffuser in front of the laser optic may result in the risk of
permanent eye damage.
CAUTION
Failure to heed the following cautions could result in minor
or moderate injury.
Laser Caution
Caution – Use of controls or adjustments or performance of
procedures other than those specified herein may result in
hazardous radiation exposure.
This device emits laser radiation. This laser product is
designated Class 1 during all procedures of operation. It is
advisable to avoid looking into the beam when operating the
device and to turn off the module when not in use. This
device must be used only according to the directions and
procedures described in the Operation Manual and
Technical Specifications, available at www.onsemi.com.
Use of controls or adjustments, or performance of
procedures other than those specified herein, may result in
hazardous radiation exposure.
NOTICE
Failure to heed the following notice could result in personal
or property damage, or negatively impact the device
functionality.
Laser Notice
This evaluation board meets the power requirements for
a Class 1 Laser product to BS EN 60825−1:2014 under
normal operating conditions and those of single fault failure.
Complies with IEC / EN 60825−1:2014 and 21CFR 1040.10
and 1040.11 except for deviations pursuant to Laser Notice
No.56, dated May 8th 2019.
Labelling
The following label is present on
SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK aperture. Label shall be
legible, durable and permanently attached.
Laser Notice No. 56
The following label is present on
SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK baseplate. Label shall be
legible, durable and permanently attached.
Actual SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK Board Labeling
The following picture shows the actual placement of labels
on the SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK.
Scope and Purpose
This user guide provides practical guidelines for using
dToF platform SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK and
describes in details the overall functionality of the board. It
meets the power requirements for a Class 1 Laser product to

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BS EN 60825−1:2014 under normal operating conditions
and those of single fault failure. The design complies with
laser safety standard IEC/EN 60825−1:2014 and 21 CFR
1040.10 and 1040.11 except for deviations pursuant to Laser
Notice No. 56.
Prerequisites
•SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK is delivered
preprogrammed and with USB cable, enabling plug and
play functionality.
•GUI PC application Range_Finder_1.0 available at
www.onsemi.com/lidarrangefinder.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Safety and Evaluation Board Information 2
Introduction 3
Specification 4
System Overview 5
Detailed Block Diagram 8
PC Application (GUI) 8
Optical Components Description and Characterization 27
Interfacing with Bluetooth Development Kit 35
HW Testing Points 36
Hardware Files 37
Collateral 54
INTRODUCTION
Within the Internet of Things (IoT), there are an
increasing number of ranging and sensing applications
looking to benefit from low−power, high performance SiPM
technology. In particular, LiDAR (light detection and
ranging) applications that use eye−safe near infrared (NIR)
wavelengths such as Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver
Assistance Systems), 3D depth maps, mobile, consumer and
industrial ranging.
In order to take advantage of the SiPM sensor’s high gain
and high bandwidth, the use of direct time−of−flight (dToF)
can be used to provide accurate ranging with the lowest
power budget. The high sensitivity of ON Semiconductor’s
SiPM allows the use of low power lasers for increased
eye−safety. ON Semiconductor have created a software
model that allows for accurate determination of system
performance for a wide range of input conditions, as well as
a hardware ranging platform incorporating a SiPM sensor.
The Direct Time of Flight (dToF) SiPM LiDAR
demonstrates a complete rangefinding application and helps
developers becoming familiar with the underlying
technologies and all necessary building blocks.
Furthermore, the kit helps in evaluating the core
components of the system, such as the SiPM sensor. Via test
points provisioned on the hardware and a variety of
functionalities and configurable parameters on the GUI
developers will find a fast and user−friendly way to evaluate
the kit and get up to speed with the application.
Features
•Direct ToF operation for a single point
•Target Distance: > 0.11 m to 23 m
•650−1050 nm coated BK7 Plano−convex lenses to
maximize distance measurement
•905 ±5 nm Band pass optical filter (FWHM: 30 ±5 nm)
for receiving SiPM diode and getting the highest
sensitivity in selected spectrum
•905 nm laser diode transmitter
•RB−Series SiPM detector
•FPGA−based Time−to−Digital Convertor (TDC),
readout, communication interface and control of two
regulated bias supplies
•Out−of−the box operation with dedicated PC application
(GUI)
•Single power supply (either from USB = 5 V or PMOD
connector = 3.3 V)
•Meets the power requirements for a Class 1 Laser product
to BS EN 60825−1:2014 under normal operating
conditions and those of single fault failure.
•Complies with laser safety standard IEC/
EN 60825−1:2014 and 21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11
except for deviations pursuant to Laser Notice No. 56
•Optimized system cost
•Software adjustable settings for variety of industrial and
IoT applications
•Extensible Platform −can connect to Bluetooth
Development Kit (BDK−GEVK) and other various
sensors and actuators
Application Capabilities
1. Auto calibration upon app launch, ‘SW RESET’ or
manual with ‘TDC calibration’
2. Test rangefinding capability
3. Distance or time of flight measurement
4. Operation modes:
•Trigger: set number of laser pulses and emit them
on button ‘Trigger’
•Run: continuously emitting pulses
5. Settable buffer length
6. Settable bias voltage for SiPM −RB
photomultipliers
7. Safety:
•Overload protection and indication on GUI for
Laser and SiPM−RB bias voltages
8. Saving data:
•Autosave/Manual save – save test data in .tof
files. (Manual save only for trigger mode)
•Formats: Time .tof (ns)/native TDC data .tdc
(number of bins)
9. Loading data:
•.tof files to the graphical. Comparisons with
real−time data
10. Adjustable histogram span/automatic

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SPECIFICATION
This development board offers plug and play
functionality based on the dToF single point measurement
for ranging and sensing applications. It consists of the
Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) that is
a single−photosensitive, high performance, solid−state
sensor.
The foremost advantages that this development board
brings are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1. SUMMARY OF KEY DTOF RANGEFINDER BOARD FEATURES
Key Attributes of dToF
Rangefinder
dToF optics architecture Biaxial
Minimum Distance [m] 0.11 m
Maximum Distance [m] 23 m
Accuracy Refer to section Measurement Error (Figure 44)
Laser Diode Type SPL PL 90_3
(905 nm/75 W peak radial laser diode)
Laser Voltage [V] 15 V (Fixed)
Optical Pulse width [ns] 18 ns
Laser Repetition Rate [Hz] 1042 Hz
Reference Diode (START Signal) Type MICRORB−10010−MLP
Receiving Diode (STOP Signal) Type MICRORB−10010−MLP
DCDC Step Down Converter for
Laser Diode
Control Digital (FPGA), regulated, OCP protection
Output Voltage [V] 15 V (Fixed)
Output current limit [mA] 42 mA
DCDC Inverting Converter for
Receiving and Reference SiPM
Control Digital (FPGA), regulated, OCP protection
Output Voltage [V] Regulated −32 V down to −45 V over PC
application
Output current limit [mA] 3.9 mA (@ −45 V) to 5.8 mA (@ −32 V)
System Supply Voltage USB cable [V] 5 V
PMOD connector [V] 3.3 V
Voltage selection between USB/PMOD Automatic (PMOD has a priority)
Communication Interface Type UART
Time to Digital Converter Type FPGA based −binning TDC
Bin width [ps] ~85 ps
TDC Calibration Automatic −FPGA reference clock source (crystal)
Number of FPGA bins >1800
Optics Type Plano−convex spherical lens, glass N−BK7
AR coating [nm] 650–1050 nm
Diameter [mm] 25.4 mm (1″)
Design wavelength [mm] 587.6 nm
Band Pass Optical Filter CWL [nm] 905 ±5 nm
FWHM [nm] 30 ±5 nm
Laser Safety Limits and Single Laser Diode Fault
compliance
Meets the power requirements for a Class 1 Laser
product to BS EN 60825−1:2014 under normal op-
erating conditions and those of single fault failure.
Complies with standard IEC/EN 60825−1:2014 and
21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11 except for deviations
pursuant to Laser Notice No. 56

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SYSTEM OVERVIEW
Figure 3 depicts the operational principle of the dToF
SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK. It consists of these main
system blocks:
•FPGA (ice40)
•DCDC converters circuit
•Laser and Reference circuit (Tx)
•Receiving circuit (Rx)
•Supply management circuitry and UART control logic
Figure 3. Operation Principle of SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK
FPGA (ice40)
The core logic device in the SECO−RANGEFINDER−
GEVK is the FPGA that handles all necessary operations
needed for seamless dToF measurements. It’s a master
device and in the following sections are explained key
features of its functionality.
TDC (Time to Digital Converter)
In this paragraph we explain the principle of dToF
measurement. In the direct ToF measurement technique the
time between emission and reception of a laser pulse is
measured by a high precision electronic stopwatch as shown
in Figure 3. On−chip time measurement can be performed
by time−to−digital (TDC) or time−to−analog converters.
Usually the time measurement starts with the emission of the
laser pulse and stops at the first detected photon. Since the
received optical power of the reflected laser signal scales
inversely quadratic with the distance, highly sensitive
photodetectors are required for long range and low emission
power applications. SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK
features digital TDC implementation in FPGA.
It serves for precise speed of light measurement, when
Laser diode emits short pulse starting the TDC and highly
sensitive SiPM detector stops its operation. Time of flight T
between the start and stop pulse is then converted into
measured distance according to the following formula,
where c is the speed of light:
Measured Distance [m] +cT
2(eq. 1)
TDC functions in binning mode, where FPGA calculates
propagation delay across the string of delay lines. This type

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of measurement is highly dependent on core logic’s supply
voltage and varies with temperature. In order to compensate
these unwanted effects, TDC is calibrated automatically by
application or upon user’s request. Figure 4 shows the basic
principle of TDC measurement implemented in the
evaluation board.
The binning line is constructed with >1800 bins, where
each bin width is ~85 ps.
Minimum measurable range was observed to be 11 cm
(0.11 m). This is determined by physical optics and not
expected to vary significantly for different configurations.
Maximum measurable range exceeds the size of the
testing space. At max tested distance (18 m), strong photon
return is observed. It is expected that the maximum
measurable range will be determined by TDC limit and not
by photon budget. Assuming 1800 total bins in histogram
with ~85 ps bin width:
Max Range +1800 @85 ps @clight @0.5 +22.95 m (eq. 2)
Figure 4. TDC Principle of Operation
DCDC Converters Circuit
Transmitting and receiving circuit of the
SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK requires for its operation
regulated power supply to bias SiPM receiving and
reference sensors. The bias voltage is common for both
SiPMs and fully controlled by FPGA. Simple dedicated
inverting converter ensures negative bias presence on both
diodes. Settable voltage range defined by the user is within
−32 V down to −45 V, depending on the environmental
conditions (indoor/outdoor application).
Transmitting circuit features dedicated boost converter
for Laser diode reference voltage that is fixed to 15 V. This
value was selected upon the thorough measurements to meet
class 1 laser safety requirements defined by the standard.
Laser and Reference Circuit (Tx)
In order to fire 905 nm laser pulse in sufficiently short
time and to maximize the optical power that meets in the
given system class1 laser safety requirements, it is necessary
to utilize a high−speed MOSFET driver and MOSFET
transistor. ON Semiconductor’s high−speed, high−current
NCP81074A fulfills the bandwidth requirements for such
dToF applications. Its input is fed by the FPGA’s pulses and
the dedicated high current output drives logic level
MOSFET FQT13N06L, acting as power switch for the
Laser diode.
Reference circuit consists of SiPM photo sensor and is
physically placed next to the 905 nm laser diode in
transmitting optics holder. It functions as START signal of

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TDC (Figure 4) and it’s not the pulse coming to the
NCP81074A driver from FPGA’s digital pin. The main
reason of this architecture is suppressing the propagation
delay of the high speed MOSEFT driver itself that varies
normally between 15−27 ns and is temperature dependent.
Although the compensation of this propagation delay in
FPGA is possible, but driver−to−driver variation and
temperature dependency would deform the overall
measurement precision. Thus START Signal is taken from
the reference SiPM sensor that is timing wise aligned with
optical pulse out of laser diode. Figure 5 illustrates this
dependency.
Figure 5. Propagation Delay Variation Impact of NCP81074A
Output of the Reference SiPM photodetector does not
require any additional amplification due to close proximity
to the laser diode – both components encapsulated in a single
optical holder. Thus, the output of the SiPM is directly tied
to the input of discriminator circuit (high−speed
comparator) and provides sufficiently enough voltage level.
NBA3N012C serves as high frequency discrimination
circuit and delivers filtered logic level START signal
towards input of the FPGA.
Receiving Circuit (Rx)
It functions as the main detector of the reflected signal
from the object and provides STOP pulse to calculate time
of flight. It sits alone in the second optical holder equipped
with a 905 nm custom band pass filter to receive the narrow
spectrum of the 905 nm laser diode. SiPM receiving diode
outputs the signal with far lower intensity due to
measurement of the reflected light from the target and
distance. In order to achieve quality logic levels signal to

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STOP TDC, amplification ensures NSVF4015SG4 – RF
transistor followed by NBA3N012C – discriminator (RF
comparator). The discriminator IC has a second input tied to
the reference, so that we obtain glitch free and filtered signal
inputting FPGA.
Supply Management Circuitry and UART Control Logic
SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK is the lower power
device and can be supplied over:
•USB – direct connection to computer
•PMOD – connector present in ON Semiconductor
Bluetooth IoT platform kit (BDK−GEVK) with 3.3 V
available directly from BDK−GEVK PMOD interface.
Rangefinder’s electronic automatically switches between
USB or PMOD supply source, where priority is given to
PMOD interface.
The main communication interface with outside world is
UART. Along with the automatic supply selection, FPGA
controls also UART interface selection – either UART from
USB or UART from PMOD. Figure 6. SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK Delivery
Figure 7. Detailed Block Diagram of SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK
DETAILED BLOCK DIAGRAM
Figure 7 shows the detailed block diagram of the system
equipped with ON Semiconductor components.
SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK Delivery
Board itself is preprogrammed and delivered with USB
cable and enabled plug and play functionality. See Figure 6
after unboxing the platform.
PC APPLICATION (GUI)
In the following chapter, we will guide you through the
operation of the GUI and its features.
GUI Functionalities
Listed below are the functionalities of the Graphical User
Interface (GUI).
1. Auto calibration upon app launch, ‘SW RESET’ or
manual with ‘TDC calibration’
2. Test rangefinding capability
3. Distance or time of flight measurement
4. Operation modes:
•Trigger: set number of laser pulses and emit them
on button ‘Trigger’
•Run: continuously emitting pulses
5. Settable buffer length

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6. Settable bias voltage for SiPM −RB
photomultipliers
7. Safety:
•Overload protection and indication on GUI for
Laser and SiPM−RB bias voltages
8. Saving data:
•Autosave/Manual save – save test data in .tof
files. (Manual save only for trigger mode)
•Formats: Time .tof (ns)/native TDC data .tdc
(number of bins)
9. Loading data:
•.tof files to the graphical. Comparisons with
real−time data
10. Adjustable histogram span/automatic
Figure 8. High Level Description of GUI Functionalities
PC Connection
The SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK is delivered with
the USB cable (Figure 9).
Figure 9. Connection to the PC
GUI Application
Download the dedicated PC application
(Range_Finder_1.0) and save it on your local D hard drive.
NOTE: The GUI application runs only on the Windows OS.
•Connect the SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK to the PC
using the USB cable as illustrated in Figure 9.
•Once the device is connected, double click on the
executable file range_finder to launch the application.
Figure 10. Range Finder 1.0 GUI Package
•Click on Select port combo box on the right bottom side
of the application and select communication port the
board is connected to (Figure 11).

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Figure 11. Select Port −Enabling the GUI Application
•Click on Connect button. Application connects to the
board and gather its current configuration. TDC
calibration routine starts automatically and it is indicated
by new TDC calibration values with green background if
successful. Additionally, black semi−circle close to
Disconnect button should rotate slowly.
Figure 12. TDC Calibrated Automatically and Application Connected to Rangefinder Board

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•Finally, range finding functionality can be tested:
1. Select the SiPM bias power ON (☑) as well as Laser
power ON (☑) checkboxes as shown in Figure 13.
Actual voltages shown should be within ±0.2 V
interval from target voltages. Two OK status labels
with green background should be displayed.
2. Under certain circumstances (high ambient light
intensity) SiPM bias power may enter overload state
indicated by red background label. If so, reduce the
SiPM bias power target voltage by clicking outdoor
button or using horizontal slider. The overload
protection has to be cleared by deselecting SiPM
bias power ON (
☐) checkbox before SiPM bias
power is turned on again (Figures 13, 14).
3. Select also Enable (
☑) checkbox in Laser pulse
width box to enable laser pulse generation.
4. Click Trigger button, and the distance between the
SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK and the selected
target object (e.g. room wall) will be measured and
shown in histogram as well as in the big LCD
displays. (Figure 15).
NOTE: The valid measuring range is approximately from
0.3 m up to 23 m (Figure 15). Under certain
conditions of use, the actual values shown by the
SECO−RANGEFINDER−GEVK might differ
from the actual distance by a few centimeters.
Refer to section Measurement Error (Figure 44)
for further details.
Figure 13. Overload Condition for Reference SiPM
at High Ambient Illumination (Outdoor)
Figure 14. SiPM Bias Voltage Reduction (Clicking
Outdoor Button or Using the Slider) Helps to
Achieve OK Status at High Ambient Illumination
Figure 15. Rangefinder in Action

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Advanced Features of Range_Finder_1.0 PC
Application
•Rangefinder’s GUI is capable of visualization Time of
Flight data [ns] except default distance measurement [m].
The setting is available under Histogram type box and
check Time (Figure 16). ToF data is then visualized in
[ns].
•TRIGGER MODE: Under the Trigger pulse count control
box, user can adjust number of laser pulses emitted by
Laser diode. The scale is from 1–254. Any number set
within this range and followed by push of Trigger button,
equals to number of measurements taken. Distance
between the pulses is in the rhythm of 1024 Hz. Thus
Trigger pulse period control box is fixed to that frequency
due to Laser safety compliance. For instance, setting the
slider to 1 takes only single measurement, while
adjustment to 100, returns 100 measurements visualized
in histogram chart with summary data depicted under
Distance average [m] and Histogram max [m]
(Figure 17).
Figure 16. Switching from Distance to Time of Flight Measurement [ns]

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Figure 17. Trigger Pulse Count can be Adjusted between 1−254 Pulses
•RUN MODE: Under the Trigger pulse count control box,
if user moves the slider to the far right end of the scale,
Trigger button alters to Run. In this mode, Rangefinder
continuously run and visualize the data. Under this
operation, number of measurements taken reflects the
Buffer length size.
Rangefinder operates by default in the RUN mode with
buffer length of 100. However, user can change number
of measurement taken. GUI allows to buffer 100, 200, 1k,
5k or 10k data with summary calculated under Distance
average [m] and Histogram max [m] (Figure 18).

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Figure 18. Rangefinder Set in RUN Mode with Adjustable Buffer Length
•The most critical part of any ToF measurement is storing
the measured data for further processing, characterization
etc. Range finder PC application enables storing the ToF
data seamlessly and in various modes:
1. TRIGGER MODE – AUTOSAVE (automated ToF
file generation under fixed storage destination):
In Trigger mode, user can automatically save ToF
data from preset number of measurements. Number
of measurements stored equal to number set by slider
under Trigger pulse count control box. For instance,
if user adjust 20 measurements, 20 ToF data is
stored. As previously mentioned, Trigger Pulse
count scale is from 1–254.
In auto save mode, auto save checkbox must be
checked. Once the Trigger pulse count is adjusted by
slider and auto save checked, each push on Trigger
button visualize and save ToF data into new file. GUI
automatically creates the file name and increments
its numbering whenever the Trigger button is
pushed. (e.g. range_autosave_0001.tof, range_
autosave_0002.tof, range_autosave_0003.tof, …
range_autosave_0100.tof).
Figure 19 depicts the settings visually.

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Figure 19. Auto Saving of Measured Data in Trigger Mode
In auto save mode, the particular data files are stored
by default under the main GUI folder
Range_Finder_1.0, where you unpacked the PC
application. Each file is recognized by suffix .tof and
can be opened in any text file (Figures 20, 21).
Figure 21 shows example how the ToF data is stored
for the specific case of 20 measurements (Trigger
Pulse count set to 20). Time of Flight data is saved
in nanoseconds. Along with ToF values, Operating
conditions and TDC calibration values are stored as
well.
User can access any time the stored data and load
them into the GUI directly from menu File →Load
ToF data. Simply open the .tof file you want to load
the ToF data from, click OK. The GUI shows them
accordingly. Please follow the steps depicted in
Figure 22. Figure 20. Trigger Mode −Auto Save Data
Storage Folder

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Figure 21. Example of Stored Data after .tof File Opening in Text Editor
Figure 22. Loading Already Stored ToF Data from the File Out of the GUI Menu (Part 1/2)

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Figure 22. Loading Already Stored ToF Data from the File Out of the GUI Menu (Part 2/2)

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2. TRIGGER MODE – AUTOSAVE
(custom ToF file name and storage destination):
This mode offers the same functionality as discussed
under 1., however user may utilize its own naming
convention for .tof files and have the freedom
regarding the storage place, GUI offers this option as
well. In auto save mode, first uncheck the auto save
checkbox under Buffer length control box.
Open three dots (0)box next to the auto save
checkbox under Buffer length and select your own
.tof file name and destination, e.g.
Custom_Name_ToF_data_File.tof. User is also
capable to set the maximum number of files,
automatically generated, under start: and stop:
fields within Buffer length control box.
Maximum number of data files automatically stored
is 100.
Let’s allow storage of maximum 5 files, so the
setting will look like start:1 and stop:5.
After the destination and file name has been
determined, click on the SAVE button and path with
selected file name and assigned start: number is
reflected at Buffer length control box. In our case,
start:1 setting generates Custom_Name_ToF_data_
File0001.tof into selected destination.
The last step is to enable auto save checkbox (start:
and stop: fields are shaded). Now you’re ready to
take and save the ToF data.
Each push on Trigger button visualize and save ToF
data into new file. GUI automatically increment the
file’s numerical suffix whenever the Trigger button
is pushed. (in our case
Custom_Name_ToF_data_File0001.tof,
Custom_Name_ToF_data_File0002.tof,
Custom_Name_ToF_data_File0003.tof,
Custom_Name_ToF_data_File0004.tof,
Custom_Name_ToF_data_File0005.tof).
Once the stop: field reaches 5 corresponding to
generation of last file (Custom_Name_ToF_data_
File0005.tof), GUI returns the notification “Auto
save function saved last file”.
Data stored in these .tof files can be anytime loaded
into GUI as outlined in bullet 1.
Figure 23 shows the complete flow described above.
Figure 23. AutoSaving of Measured Data in Trigger Mode for Custom ToF File Name and Storage Destination
(Part 1/3)

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Figure 23. AutoSaving of Measured Data in Trigger Mode for Custom ToF File Name and Storage Destination
(Part 2/3)

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Figure 23. AutoSaving of Measured Data in Trigger Mode for Custom ToF File Name and Storage Destination
(Part 3/3)
3. TRIGGER MODE – Manual Save:
If user wants to utilize its own naming convention
for .tof files without incrementing and have the
freedom regarding the storage place, GUI offers it.
In manual save mode, auto save checkbox must be
unchecked. Figure 24 shows the procedure on how
to store the measured data into custom named file
and by user selected storage place in the computer (to
compare to Auto Save mode, where storage folder is
fixed −under the main GUI folder Range_Finder_
1.0, where you unpacked the PC application).
To save the ToF data with custom name and storage
location, go to menu File −> Save ToF data. Write
your own file name and point to destination, where
the data will be stored. Click OK. The GUI writes the
measured data accordingly. In the Trigger mode –
Manual save, only one .tof data file can be stored.
Figure 24. Custom File Name Creation and ToF Data Storage (Part 1/2)