Analog Devices has unveiled 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. This explains the company, 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 meter-on-a-chip supports a wide range of portable healthcare applications ranging from wearable health monitoring devices, such as smart watches and sophisticated pedometers, to point-of-care diagnostics that shorten hospital stays and make possible high quality monitoring in the home,” said Patrick O’Doherty, vice president, Healthcare Group, Analog Devices.
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.
The meter-on-a-chip is described as a flexible platform that supports full product development roadmaps from entry-level to feature-rich devices. Sensor fusion functionality allows designers to expand product measurement capabilities. For example, the ADuCM350 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 rapid 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.
