Optoelectronic device and method for generating an output signal

A method for generating an output signal, comprising:

• emitting electromagnetic radiation by a laser,
• generating an input signal at a signal input,
• generating a comparator signal by comparing the input signal or a signal derived from the input signal with a threshold value signal by a comparator,
• generating a duration signal by a time-to-digital converter as a function of the comparator signal, and
• providing an output signal by a signal evaluation circuit as a function of the duration signal.

An optoelectronic device, which is configured as a self-mixing interferometer and comprises:

• a laser,
• a driver with an output coupled to the laser,
• a signal input,
• a comparator with an input coupled to the signal input,
• a time-to-digital converter with an input coupled to an output of the comparator, and
• a signal evaluation circuit with an input coupled to an output of the time-to-digital converter and with an output, wherein the signal evaluation circuit is configured to provide an output signal at the output,
• wherein the time-to-digital converter is configured to measure a duration between a first and a second edge and to generate a duration signal as a function of the duration between the first and the second edge, and
• wherein an input signal is tapped at the signal input and a control signal is tapped at an input of the driver.