Design of interface ASICs for sensors and MEMS ... - Europractice IC

Design of interface ASICs for sensors and
MEMS systems
Wim Claes, CBDO ICsense

Company overview
• ICsense is an ISO 9001:2000 certified IC design house
• Core competence
High-performance analog, mixed-signal and high-voltage IC design
• Markets
Automotive, Medical, Industrial, Consumer
• Founded in 2004 – spin-off ESAT-MICAS
K.U.Leuven
• Team of 29 (25 AMS engineers – 8 PhDs)
• Mission
To be the preferred dependable partner for innovative mixed-signal and highvoltage
IC developments excelling the state-of-the-art

Key offerings
– Consultancy
– System concepts
• Architecture/spec definition
• Modeling
– Building blocks
• Design, layout and bench test
– Mixed-signal ASICs
• Custom or IP-based design
• Layout
• Bench test
• Prototyping, assembly and production test support
– Complete development chain from idea
to final product
• Proof of concept
• Design, layout and bench test
• Prototyping
• Qualification
• Production test & assembly coordination
• ASIC Supply Chain (no own products)
– Cooperation with partners
3

ICsense core expertise
High-performance analog and mixed-signal
Power - battery management
High-voltage IC design
MEMS - Sensor - Actuator interfacing
ADC - DAC
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ICsense facts
• Core expertise • Operational
17%
17% Power Management
31%
• Markets
35%
Sensor/MEMS interfacing
Analog Mixed Signal
High Voltage
23%
9%
7% Consumer
31%
30%
33%
5%
Medical
Industrial
Automotive
RFID
62%
IC design
Turnkey ASIC
Consultancy
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Sensor/MEMS interfacing experience
• Strong background in sensor interfacing (3 PhDs)
– Design of Wireless Autonomous Datalogger ICs
– Ultra Low Power Capacitive Sensor Interfaces
– Broadband Opto-Electrical Receivers in Standard CMOS
• Previous sensor-interface IC developments by ICsense
– Integrated temperature sensors
• Accuracy: 0.5°C – 1°C
• Temperature range: - 40°C – 170°C
– Thermocouples
– Vibrating/resonating MEMS
– Accelerometers
– Pressure sensors
– Strain gauges
– Magnetic sensors
– Photodiode sensors
– ‘Instrumentation’ (ECG, nerves, ultrasound)
All published by Springer
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Magnetic sensor interfacing
• Giant-Magneto-Resistance sensor interface ASIC
– Automotive application
– Speed/direction detection in gearboxes
– Concept definition up to production-ready ASIC
• VHDL-AMS modeling of GMR magnetic sensor
– Low power (2.5V in 0.65um CMOS)
• Three-axis magnetic compass ASIC
– Consumer application
– 3-axis magnetic sensors
• Hall sensors
• Others
– Concept definition up to production-ready ASIC
• Digital processing and memory management
– Low area / low cost / 12 bit accuracy
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MEMS accelerometer interfacing
• Ultra-low-power capacitive sensor interface ASIC
– Multi-purpose capacitive sensor interface
– Pressure, tilt, acceleration
– Smart ultra-low-power: 2.4uA
• Current domain operation
• Chopping / CDS
• Class AB
• MEMS accelerometer ASIC
– Consumer application
– Low area / low power / low noise
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MEMS gyroscope interfacing
• Vibrating MEMS gyroscope interface
– HV MEMS driver chain
• Oscillator with 12-bit linear tuning range / sub-Hz acc.
• >12-bit accuracy
– High-accuracy angular rate detection circuits
• Low-noise SC gain stages + BPF
• >12-bit accuracy
• MEMS gyroscope ASIC
– Application: gaming, navigation, IS
– System concept
• Off-resonant, partially resonant, matched-mode
• Digital versus analog trade-offs
• Closed loop operation for drive and/or sense
– Low area / low power / low noise
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Turnkey interface ASIC case
– Custom sensor system for industrial application
• μV absolute accuracy
• 14-bit accuracy / Delta-sigma ADC
• Most critical spec: unit cost
– ICsense coordinates
• ASIC prototyping and production
• Assembly and production (ATE) testing
– Supply of PCB modules by ICsense
1 mm

Development steps
– Feasibility study - Concept definition
– Optimal Architecture / Circuit choice
– Technology / Package choice
– Power, Area, Cost, Timing and Risk
– Mixed-signal IC design
– Verilog-A(MS), VHDL-AMS modelling
– Design for Testability (DFT)
– PVT and Monte Carlo simulations
– Layout
– Manufacturing coordination
– Packaging coordination
– In-house bench-testing
– Statistical testing (ATE)
– Characterization
– ESD / LU
– Production, production test
and assembly coordination
– Qualification
– ASIC supply chain organization
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Customers
Headquarter
Representatives
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ICsense – Thank you
ICsense
Science Park Arenberg
Gaston Geenslaan 9
3001 Leuven
Belgium
Tel: +32 16 58 97 00
Fax: +32 16 58 97 20
sales@icsense.com
www.icsense.com
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