Mixed Analogue-Digital VLSI Projects

Smart Sensors for Smart Packaging

(Contact: Dr. B.J. Phillips, phillips@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au, Dr. S.F. Al-Sarawi, alsarawi@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au,)

This project, a collaboration with Collotype Labels Pty Ltd, will establish the foundation of technologies, processes and knowledge to enable the commercial development of smart packages. These will represent a new generation of product packages with embedded electronics to enhance the identification of the package’s contents, protect them during shipping and storage, and market them to consumers. Sensors and control circuits within a package may monitor the way it has been handled; record customer behaviour; or enhance product marketing by, for example, attracting consumers’ attention using light and sound. By providing important information to the consumer, such as dosage for pharmaceuticals, handling history for premium wine, or temperature levels for smallgoods, these smart packages will enhance product marketability, usability and effectiveness and add value to new and existing products.

Support: The Permier's Science and Research Fund

Mixed Analogue-Digital Design

(Contact: Dr. S.F. Al-Sarawi, alsarawi@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

Mixed signal behavioural modelling is becoming more important as the complexity of the analogue portions of VLSI systems increases. In this project design and modelling of mixed analogue-digital VLSI systems are investigated. The design methodologies for complex mixed signal systems are analysed and issues such as digital noise are addressed. The design and modelling procedures are being applied to imager and data acquisition system designs. These systems contain complex analogue and digital functional blocks that require design reliability improvement and reduction in design time.

Support: The University of Adelaide

Wireless Microvalve for Biomedical Applications

(Contact: Dr. S.F. Al-Sarawi, alsarawi@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

This program will investigate and perform an in-laboratory proof-of-concept demonstration of a polymer microvalve that can operate by a remote control radio signal. This will be a wireless microvalve that does not require a battery power source. This advance in the technology and scientific knowledge will have important applications for humankind ranging from drug delivery services through to valves in chips that can perform microfluidic chemical analysis. A far reaching long-range vision is its use in electronically reversible male fertility control. The community benefit in terms of novel biomedical devices and the resulting large international commercial market is significant.

Support: Australian Research Council

Robust Motion Detection Estimation Algorithms Targeted for VLSI Technology

(Contact: Dr. T. Rainsford, tamath@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

A small low-cost motion detector would have widespread applications in visual control systems such as miniature unmanned aerial vehicles and collision avoidance systems. Artificial real-time vision and simple seeing systems are massively challenging because the environment greatly impacts on their performance. VLSI is ideally suited to the parallel processing seen in nature because it allows for high device integration density and implementation of complex functions. However, VLSI imposes bounds on the types of algorithms that can be implemented. This project seeks to develop and implement improved algorithms with robust outputs that are practical in terms of real time implementation in mixed analogue-digital VLSI.

Support: The University of Adelaide

Low Phase Noise Distributed Oscillator in Silicon-on-sapphire CMOS Technology

(Contact: Dr. S.F. Al-Sarawi, alsarawi@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

This research aims to develop a monolithic distributed voltage controlled oscillator characterised by low phase noise in silicon-on-sapphire CMOS process. Preceding the research are structured studies that endeavour to analyse device physics of silicon-on-sapphire CMOS, investigate phase noise characteristic of the voltage controlled oscillator, devise a new tuning scheme and study a quadrature divider or poly-phase filters for lower phase noise.

Support: The University of Adelaide, St. Jude Medical (USA)

Low Power Transmitter for Remote Monitoring Applications

(Contact: Dr. S.F. Al-Sarawi, alsarawi@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

The field of wireless communications has been experiencing tremendous growth recently as the numerous advantages have made many applications wireless. Due to the limited power available, wireless products have to consume very little power. This requirement presents designers with a very challenging task considering the Gigahertz frequencies at which those products are meant to function. This research looks into the feasibility of designing a very low power transmitter in CMOS and SOI technologies for remote monitoring applications such as temperature sensing. The transmitter will operate in the 2.4GHz ISM band. Furthermore, to improve the system immunity to noise and interference a Spread spectrum transmission is used. The output power level of interest ranges between 10mW to 100 mW rms for reliable transmission. Consequently, very efficient power amplifiers and back-end circuitry such as ADCs are needed due to the power constraints.

Support: The University of Adelaide

Mixed Analogue-Digital Circuits in Radio Frequency Identification

(Contact: Dr. S.F. Al-Sarawi, alsarawi@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

The research investigates new design techniques for low power and low voltage mixed mode analogue-digital circuits using CMOS VLSI technology for a commercial radio frequency object identification system. The integration of all circuitry on a single substrate has a lot of benefits such as improving the system reliability, reducing the system size, increasing inter-system communication speed and making system implementation more cost effective. On the other hand, some difficulties arise as most CMOS technologies are tuned towards digital circuit design and have a wide spread in transistor parameters. The research is concentrating on techniques for designing low power, low voltage analogue and digital circuits for implementation in standard CMOS technologies.

Support: The University of Adelaide

Efficient Digital Receiver Design

(Contact: Dr. S.F. Al-Sarawi, alsarawi@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

The research investigates efficient digital receiver designs for direct and low intermediate frequency conversion. This would result in bringing the digital signal processing closer to the RF front end and hence an efficient utilisation of the high-density integration of digital design. Variable centre frequency bandpass sigma-delta modulator implementation in silicon-on-insulation and silicon-on-sapphire processes are under investigation. The performance factors under investigation are high-speed conversion at low power and small area.

Support: The University of Adelaide, St. Jude Medical (USA)