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A Low-Power SAR ADC with Capacitor-Splitting Energy-Efficient Switching Scheme for Wearable Biosensor Applications
Yunfeng Hu1, Qingming Huang1, Bin Tang1
1Zhongshan Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Zhongshan 528402, China.
Micromachines
|December 23, 2023
Summary
This study presents a low-power successive approximation (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for wearable biosensors. Its novel switching scheme significantly reduces energy consumption, enhancing efficiency for portable health monitoring devices.
Area of Science:
- Electrical Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Integrated Circuit Design
Background:
- Wearable biosensors require low-power analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for efficient operation.
- Conventional SAR ADCs face challenges with switching energy consumption and dependency on reference voltage accuracy.
- Existing designs often involve complex digital control and driver circuits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel, energy-efficient switching scheme for SAR ADCs tailored for wearable biosensor applications.
- To reduce switching energy consumption and minimize dependency on common-mode voltage (Vcm) accuracy.
- To enhance the overall performance and simplify the design of SAR ADCs for portable devices.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a capacitor-splitting energy-efficient switching scheme.
- Integration of additional reference voltage (Vcm) and common-mode techniques.
- Utilization of low-noise dynamic comparators with multi-clock control.
- Employing low sampling error switches with bootstrap technique and dynamic SAR logic.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 93.76% reduction in switching energy compared to conventional schemes.
- Demonstrated a Signal-to-Noise and Distortion Ratio (SNDR) of 61.77 dB and a Spurious-Free Dynamic Range (SFDR) of 78.06 dB.
- Consumed only 4.45 μW of power at a sampling rate of 200 kS/s.
Conclusions:
- The proposed capacitor-splitting switching scheme significantly enhances energy efficiency in SAR ADCs.
- The design offers reduced dependency on Vcm accuracy and simplified digital control logic.
- The developed SAR ADC is well-suited for low-power, high-performance wearable biosensor applications.
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