Sensors & transducers
Sensor module power efficiency innovations of today drive the future of system evolution
By Tom Bui, principal member of the technical staff, Power Management Business Unit, Analog Devices
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ndustrial, IoT, home medical wearable, fitness and health monitors are experiencing explosive growth as systems become more data centric. These data-centric systems have an ever-increasing demand for more functionality and lower power
consumption. The trend is driven by intelligent systems that actively monitor a person or an environment to predictively respond with alerts, actions, or recommended operations. The response is only as good as the data provided, which is why these systems require volumes of highly accurate data collected through a single sensor or network of wireless sensors. The challenge for engineers designing sensor
applications is the need for a sensor module with minimal footprint while maintaining a high level of accuracy and extending battery life. To do this, there are two schools of thought: maximise the power efficiency of components and system operation or invest in a new lower power architecture. The first approach promises to help designers achieve their goals in the short term by developing systems that operate longer on a battery charge making them more responsive and accurate.
MAxiMising Power efficiency Figure 1 shows a typical block diagram of a sensor application. The four basic blocks of the solution are the system power, sensor, sensor signal amplification, and signal processing. Selecting the right devices is critical to maximising the battery life of the sensor module. Let us take a closer look at each of the blocks and see what can be done to improve power efficiency and provide a more precise measurement.
sensor selecTion The first consideration is the sensor. There are two main types of sensors used in today’s sensor modules. These are single-ended and differential sensors. Single-ended sensors include electrochemical sensors for blood glucose, gas sensing, and wearable medical sensors. A differential sensor typically utilises an instrument amplifier in applications such as industrial pressure or force applications, industrial temperature applications, and air-
Figure 1: 1.8V legacy sensor system solution is shown in the figure above. May 2022 Instrumentation Monthly
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