Design and Development of Compact Size Power Amplifiers PCB Using Discrete Components for Obstacle Avoidance Sonar

Abstract

There are many underwater vehicles having multiple acoustic transducers that are arranged in different geometries. However, implementing them practically becomes difficult. This paper presents a novel approach to address the challenge of integrating multiple Power Amplifiers (PAs) into a compact Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for driving transducers in an Obstacle Avoidance Sonar (OAS) system. In simpler terms, underwater vehicles use sound waves to navigate and avoid obstacles. They emit sound waves using transducers and listen for echoes to determine the presence and location of objects. The more transducers a vehicle has, the better it can map its surroundings. However, it can be difficult to ft all the necessary electronics for these transducers onto a small circuit board. Power amplifiers will be operating at a center frequency of 30 kHz and a total bandwidth of 4 kHz, delivering a minimum of 200 W of power to a load impedance of 50 ohms. Previous efforts in this domain primarily relied on larger form factors and all-CMOS variable gain amplifiers (VGAs). The design process involves simulations using appropriate tools and prototype hardware development. Our approach represents a significant advancement, enabling the realization of high-power PA arrays in compact form factors for OAS applications.