Signal IC boasts ±0.10% FSO accuracy

ZMD AG (ZMDI) has uncloaked a 16bit sensor signal conditioning IC (SSC) for calibrated resistive sensor modules. The ZSSC3016 claims to combine high accuracy amplification, 16bit precision analog-to-digital conversion, and an 18bit DSP for linearization and calibration functions.

The high resolution sensor interface ASSP provides special features for battery driven low power devices, noted ZMDI. These include overall current consumption of less than 1mA combined with an standby current of less than 250nA, operation voltages between 1.8-3.6V and an intelligent power save scheme to ensure lowest overall current consumption. The company added that the ZSSC3016 is ideal for mobile phones, sport watches or outdoor GPS tracking systems.

The ZSSC3016 allows an altitude resolution of less than 15cm at sea level. It is accurate enough for barometric altitude measurement for portable navigation or emergency call systems, altitude measurement for car navigation, inside hard disk pressure measurement and weather forecasting equipment. Medical products that require this level of precision include medical gas control, medical infusion pumps, ambulatory non-invasive pump systems and occlusion detection systems.

The device features an internal sensor supply regulator with an excellent power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) eliminating the need of an external buffer cap and making it attractive for applications that are creating battery voltage dumps during operation, boasted ZMDI.

The signal conditioning IC operates at a temperature range of -40°C to 85°C. Accuracy is less than ±0.10 percent FSO over the full temperature range. It can perform offset, span, and first and second order temperature compensation of the measured signal. Developed for correction of resistive bridge sensors, the ZSSC3016 can provide a corrected temperature output measured with an internal sensor. The measured and corrected bridge values are provided at the digital output pins, which can be configured as I2C or SPI.

Digital compensation of signal offset, sensitivity, temperature and nonlinearity is accomplished via an 18bit internal DSP running a correction algorithm. Calibration coefficients are stored on-chip in a highly reliable, nonvolatile, multiple-time programmable memory, added the company. Programming the ZSSC3016 is simple via the serial interface and the PC-controlled calibration software provided in the ZMDI Development Kit.

The ZSSC3016 is available as die for wafer bonding. Parts are priced at $1.09 in volumes of 10k.