Photoelectric automatic focusing system based on interference

The principle and the method of a new automatic focusing system are presented in this paper. The system is constructed relying on the relationship between laser wave interference patterns and defocusing displacement. A CCD linear array receives interference patterns in the form of light intensity, which are converted into digital signals afterwards. Then the computer controls a stepping motor to complete auto-focusing process according to the digital results. The system has been applied in a kind of film resolution testing instrument and it shows that it has the advantage of high accuracy, high speed and wide applications.