Meter-on-a-chip for portable healthcare

Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI

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19 February 2014 Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI

New from Analog Devices is a high-precision, low-power meter-on-a-chip for a range of portable health applications such as point-of-care diagnostics, home/self-test health devices and wearable vital signs monitors, including those for sports and fitness.

The ADuCM350 single-chip, scalable platform combines a 16-bit accurate analog front-end (AFE) – which includes a configurable multi-sensor switch matrix, hardware waveform generator and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) engine – with a processing subsystem and an industry-standard software development environment to support a complete product development roadmap.

The IC offers easy connectivity to passive and active sensors and supports sensor fusion functionality that enables highly accurate measurements of human physiological data even in the presence of interferers.

The ADuCM350 is optimised for system-level performance and signal measurement accuracy, including those monitoring devices powered by a single coin-cell battery, and features a precision AFE with a 16-bit accurate, 160 KSPS A/D converter, ±0,2% accurate voltage reference, and a 12-bit D/A converter.

Passive complex impedance sensing enables baseline detection and detailed information of physiological, biological and electrochemical reactions. The fusion of passive and active sensors provides an additional level of signal measurement accuracy, and environmentally robust capacitance-to-digital technology on-chip supports new use cases such as skin electrode detection and next-generation electrochemical test strip technologies. The precision AFE performs auto-calibration, ensuring accurate, repeatable measurements in the field for the life of the product.

The meter-on-a-chip is a flexible platform that supports full product development roadmaps from entry-level to feature-rich devices, with sensor fusion functionality allowing designers to expand product measurement capabilities. For example, the platform can support calorie burn applications by combining galvanic skin response for heart rate and respiration, with an ultra-low-power 3-axis MEMS accelerometer for altitude and motion detection.

An extensive peripheral set of communication I/O including USB, audio, display, serial and touch supports differentiation and feature expansion. The ADuCM350 AFE sequencer enables designers to develop the software for a measurement procedure only once and then reliably port it across an entire product family.

For more information contact Erich Nast, Avnet Kopp, +27 (0)11 319 8600, [email protected], www.avnet.co.za

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Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI

Meter-on-a-chip for portable healthcare

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