General description
After releasing the first AECQ-102 qualified in-cabin VCSEL to the market with TARA2000-AUT (in mass production since Q2 2021) the new TARA2000-AUT-SAFE comes with an upgraded packaging and an integrated eye-safety functionality that is more reliable and cost-efficient than existing photodiode (PD) based methods. The resistive interlock circuitry is integrated on the MLA (Micro-Lens Array) and can detect faults that could compromise eye safety, such as diffuser cracking or shear-off. Also, the TARA2000-AUT-SAFE’s interlock loop is easier to integrate with a lower cost, as its read-out circuit only requires one AND gate or MOSFET which also enables a near-instant response (below 1μs) to fault conditions. The fast and reliable response is in contrast to the existing built-in photodiode method for eye safety protection, where the photodiode signal is prone to faults caused by non-eye-safety related factors such as reflective objects in front of the VCSEL module, and the response time is slower.
