A 500µW Neural Tag with 2µVrms

AFE and Frequency-Multiplying

MICS/ISM Transmitter

Shailesh Rai, Jeremy Holleman, Jagdish Pandey,

Fan Zhang, and Brian Otis

University of Washington
Seattle, WA, USA

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 Introduction

• Autonomous wireless
sensors potentially
transformative

• Form factor, accessibility

constrain energy sources

• Power is dictated by:

Example application: Moth
– Microvolt signals
flight recorder. ~.6g payload
require low input-
referred noise
– Intensive wireless data
transmission

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 Architecture

This work:
• Efficient low-noise analog front end
• Low-power MICS-band wireless transmitter

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 Architecture

This work:
• Efficient low-noise analog front end
• Low-power MICS-band wireless transmitter

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 Low-Noise Amplifier Core

• Complementary input doubles gm

• Reduces input-referred noise by 2x
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 Low-Noise Amplifier Core

• Complementary input doubles gm

• Reduces input-referred noise by 2x
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 Low-Noise Amplifier Core

• Complementary input doubles gm

• Reduces input-referred noise by 2x
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 Low-Noise Amplifier Core

• Complementary input doubles gm

• Reduces input-referred noise by 2x
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 Low-Noise Amplifier Core

• Complementary input doubles gm

• Reduces input-referred noise by 2x
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 Analog Front End (AFE)

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 AFE: Low-Noise Amplifier

• Complementary feedback paths

• Pseudo-resistor feedback for .025Hz corner
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 AFE: Low-Noise Amplifier

• Complementary feedback paths

• Pseudo-resistor feedback for .025Hz corner
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 AFE: Low-Noise Amplifier

• Complementary feedback paths

• Pseudo-resistor feedback for .025Hz corner
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 AFE: Variable Gain Amplifier

• A=5-38dB, 6 settings
• Digitally tunable high-pass frequency
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 AFE Measurement Results

• LNA
38 dB
.025 Hz – 11.8 kHz
1.9 µVrms
12.5µW @ 1V
NEF=2.48
• VGA
5-38dB
470 Hz – 12 kHz
5uW @ 1V
• Total power
75µW (incl. bias)

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 AFE Measurement Results

• LNA
38 dB
.025 Hz – 11.8 kHz
1.9 µVrms
12.5µW @ 1V
NEF=2.48
• VGA
5-38dB
470 Hz – 12 kHz
5uW @ 1V
• Total power
75µW (incl. bias)

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 AFE Measurement Results

• LNA
38 dB
.025 Hz – 11.8 kHz
1.9 µVrms
12.5µW @ 1V
NEF=2.48
• VGA
5-38dB
470 Hz – 12 kHz
5uW @ 1V
• Total power
75µW (incl. bias)

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 AFE Measurement Results

• LNA
38 dB
.025 Hz – 11.8 kHz
1.9 µVrms
12.5µW @ 1V
NEF=2.48
• VGA
5-38dB
470 Hz – 12 kHz
5uW @ 1V
• Total power
75µW (incl. bias)

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 Architecture

This work:
• Efficient low-noise analog front end
• Low-power MICS-band wireless transmitter

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 Ultra-low Power Tx Considerations
Conventional Transmitter Architecture

Low Frequency High Frequency

Challenges:
– PA efficiency is not typically the limiting factor
– LO consumes major share of total synthesizer power
– Relaxed phase noise specs do not translate directly
into low LO power
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 Ultra-low Power Tx Considerations
Proposed Low-power Transmitter Architecture

EC/PA

Low Frequency High Frequency

Solution:
– Frequency multiplication: Synthesis at low
frequency, transmission at high frequency
– Digitally assisted RF design: benefits from CMOS
and power supply scaling
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
Frequency Multiplying Tx Architecture

• 9X frequency multiplying Tx: DLL operates at 45MHz

• Frequency-multiplication combined with PA to save
power
• Transmitter operates in 402-405MHz MICS band
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 Frequency Multiplier/Edge Combiner
Vout
A B C

VA VB VC B C A

VA
• Signals AB, BC
and CA logically
VB ANDed
• Wire-ORing
VC these signals
results in a
waveform of
AC BA CB AC Vout
period T/3
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 Frequency Multiplying PA

• Edge combiner behaves like non-linear PA, and injects

current pulses at RF
• Amplitude at RF = Itail*Rp*2/π
• Off-chip impedance transformation to 50Ω
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 DLL Delay Cell

• Maximizing CSR and

efficiency
– Dual edge locking
for 50% duty cycle
– Symmetric layout

• DLL loops’
bandwidth limits data
rate

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

MICS Transmitter Measurements
Tx frequency 300-450MHz
Data rate 100kbps
Power DLL 150μW
consumption Ref osc 100μW
1 0 PA 150μW
Total 400 μW
Modulation FSK
PA Efficiency ~16%
CSR @ RF In band > 30dB
DLL lock time <1μS
XTAL start <1mS
time
|S22| <-20dB
Phase noise -110dBc@1MHz
Temp. 2ppm
Stability (25°C – 45°C)
© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE
 System Results (I)

Wireless operation: 180µV artificial spike train

transmitted and recovered over 15m link

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 System Results (II)

AFE tested in vivo in rat cortex, gain=72dB

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 Chip Micrograph

2.5mm x 1mm (0.13µm CMOS)

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 Conclusions

• Complementary input stage

LNA
– Best reported NEF among
closed-loop bio-amplifiers
• Efficient frequency-
multiplying Tx
– Shifts modulation,
synthesis to low
frequency

• Enables digital streaming of neural signal

with power dissipation of 500µW

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

 Acknowledgements

• Apurva Mishra
• Jeff Poole
• Eb Fetz
• Chet Moritz

© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE

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© 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference © 2009 IEEE