An Approach for a Wide Dynamic Range Low-Noise Current Readout Circuit

Designing low-noise current readout circuits at high speed is challenging. There is a need for preamplification stages to amplify weak input currents before being processed by conventional integrator based readout. However, the high current gain preamplification stage usually limits the dynamic range. This article presents a 140 dB input dynamic range low-noise current readout circuit with a noise floor of 10 fArms/sq(Hz). The architecture uses a programmable bidirectional input current gain stage followed by an integrator-based analog-to-pulse conversion stage. The programmable current gains setting enables one to achieve higher overall input dynamic range. The readout circuit is designed and in 0.18 μm CMOS and consumes 10.3 mW power from a 1.8 V supply. The circuit has been verified using post-layout simulations.

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Low-noise wide dynamic range readout circuit for multi-stage microfluidic cell sorting systems

2009 IEEE/NIH Life Science Systems and Applications Workshop ◽

10.1109/lissa.2009.4906704 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Benjamin R. Geheb ◽

Meggie M.G. Grafton ◽

JaeHyuk Jang ◽

Lisa M. Reece ◽

James F. Leary ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Sorting ◽

Dynamic Range ◽

Low Noise ◽

Readout Circuit ◽

Wide Dynamic Range ◽

Multi Stage

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ALTAIR: A Low-Noise, Low-Power High Speed and Wide Dynamic Range ASIC for X and γ Ray Spectroscopy with CdTe/CdZnTe Pixel Detectors

IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science ◽

10.1109/tns.2020.3045637 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

D. Macera ◽

M. Gandola ◽

M. Sammartini ◽

G. Bertuccio

Keyword(s):

Low Power ◽

High Speed ◽

Dynamic Range ◽

Low Noise ◽

Wide Dynamic Range ◽

Pixel Detectors ◽

Γ Ray

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Photon Counting Imaging with Low Noise and a Wide Dynamic Range for Aurora Observations

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s20205958 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (20) ◽

pp. 5958

Author(s):

Zhen-Wei Han ◽

Ke-Fei Song ◽

Hong-Ji Zhang ◽

Miao Yu ◽

Ling-Ping He ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Resolution ◽

High Speed ◽

Counting Rate ◽

Dynamic Range ◽

Imaging System ◽

Photon Counting ◽

Low Noise ◽

Pulse Shaper ◽

Wide Dynamic Range ◽

Aerospace Applications

The radiation intensity of observed auroras in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) band varies dramatically with location for aerospace applications, requiring a photon counting imaging apparatus with a wide dynamic range. However, combining high spatial resolution imaging with high event rates is technically challenging. We developed an FUV photon counting imaging system for aurora observation. Our system mainly consists of a microchannel plate (MCP) stack readout using a wedge strip anode (WSA) with charge induction and high-speed electronics, such as a charge sensitive amplifier (CSA) and pulse shaper. Moreover, we constructed an anode readout model and a time response model for readout circuits to investigate the counting error in high counting rate applications. This system supports global rates of 500 kilo counts, 0.610 dark counts s−1 cm−2 at an ambient temperature of 300 K and 111 µm spatial resolution at 400 kilo counts s−1 (kcps). We demonstrate an obvious photon count loss at incident intensities close to the counting capacity of the system. To preserve image quality, the response time should be improved and some noise performance may be sacrificed. Finally, we also describe the correlation between counting rate and imaging resolution, which further guides the design of space observation instruments.

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High-speed CMOS low-noise current-mode preamplifier with large capacitive input for nondirective infrared data communication

Electronics Letters ◽

10.1049/el:19980470 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 34 (7) ◽

pp. 657 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tay-Her Tsaur ◽

Chenhsin Lien ◽

Kwang-Cheng Chen

Keyword(s):

High Speed ◽

Data Communication ◽

Current Mode ◽

Low Noise ◽

Noise Current ◽

Infrared Data

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A readout circuit with wide dynamic range for differential capacitive sensing applications

2013 26th IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering (CCECE) ◽

10.1109/ccece.2013.6567799 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fatemeh Aezinia ◽

Behraad Bahreyni

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Range ◽

Readout Circuit ◽

Capacitive Sensing ◽

Wide Dynamic Range ◽

Sensing Applications

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A Low-Noise, Low-Power, Wide Dynamic Range Logarithmic Amplifier for Biomedical Applications

Journal of Circuits System and Computers ◽

10.1142/s0218126618501049 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (07) ◽

pp. 1850104 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yuwadee Sundarasaradula ◽

Apinunt Thanachayanont

Keyword(s):

Low Power ◽

Biomedical Applications ◽

Dynamic Range ◽

Supply Voltage ◽

Low Noise ◽

Power Supply Voltage ◽

Wide Dynamic Range ◽

Dc Offset ◽

Limiting Amplifier ◽

Logarithmic Amplifier

This paper presents the design and realization of a low-noise, low-power, wide dynamic range CMOS logarithmic amplifier for biomedical applications. The proposed amplifier is based on the true piecewise linear function by using progressive-compression parallel-summation architecture. A DC offset cancellation feedback loop is used to prevent output saturation and deteriorated input sensitivity from inherent DC offset voltages. The proposed logarithmic amplifier was designed and fabricated in a standard 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m CMOS technology. The prototype chip includes six limiting amplifier stages and an on-chip bias generator, occupying a die area of 0.027[Formula: see text]mm2. The overall circuit consumes 9.75[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]W from a single 1.5[Formula: see text]V power supply voltage. Measured results showed that the prototype logarithmic amplifier exhibited an 80[Formula: see text]dB input dynamic range (from 10[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V to 100[Formula: see text]mV), a bandwidth of 4[Formula: see text]Hz–10[Formula: see text]kHz, and a total input-referred noise of 5.52[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V.

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