1 V, 20 nW True RMS to DC Converter based on Third Order Dynamic Translinear Loop

Abstract

This paper presents a novel current-mode true RMS–DC converter based on the dynamic translinear principle. The converter is designed using a third-order translinear loop, resulting in a very compact and simple circuit. The proposed circuit is designed in 65 nm CMOS technology, operates with 1 V power supply, has only 14 transistors and performs satisfactorily over a wide input current range of 300 nA–950 nA and for a frequency range of 600 Hz–650 kHz for a capacitance value of 10 nF. The frequency range of operation can be tuned by varying the external off chip capacitor and the bias current. The circuit consumes 20 nW static power, 1.6 μW maximum dynamic power and offers the lowest FOM among the other RMS–DC converter circuits presented in the literature. Comprehensive mathematical analysis along with the post layout simulation results confirm the validity of the proposed circuit. To test the use of converter in real world scenarios, the proposed converter is introduced within a typical ECG detection system and the results show that the circuit is an attractive solution for RMS–DC conversion in low-voltage low-power applications.

Keywords:

• Low voltage
• Low power
• RMS–DC converter
• Translinear circuits
• Current-mode circuits
• Log domain

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Muhammed Mansoor C. B.

Muhammed Mansoor C B is a senior research scholar in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, NITK, Surathkal, India. He received his BTech degree in electronics and communication from Model Engineering College Kochi, India in 2014 and MTech in VLSI from NIT Goa, India in 2017. His research interests are analogue ic design, active filter design and translinear circuits. Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Anuradha Patil

Anuradha Patil is an ASIC verification engineer at Fungible India Pvt Ltd. She had also worked as hardware engineer at Tejas networks. She received her BTech degree in electronics engineering from VIT Pune, India in 2017 and MTech in VLSI design from the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, NITK, Surathkal, India in 2020. Her research interests include analogue IC design and verification. Email: [email protected]

Rekha S.

Rekha S a senior member of IEEE, is a faculty in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, NITK, Surathkal. She received her BE degree in instrumentation technology from SJCE Mysore, India and MTech in industrial electronics from NITK (KREC) Surathkal, India. She obtained her PhD from the Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, NITK Surathkal, India. Her research interests are analogue and digital IC design, active filter design, data converter circuits and phase locked loops. Email: [email protected]