A 101-dB DR 2.2GΩ-Input-Impedance Direct Digitization ExG Front-End With Δ-Modulation.

Abstract

Long-term, continuous health monitoring imposes stringent demands on bio-recording analog front-end (AFE) circuits, specifically in terms of dynamic range (DR), noise, input impedance, and power consumption. This work introduces a DR-enhanced direct-digitization AFE based on a Δ-modulated transconductor (TC) stage, followed by a second-order ΔΣ ADC. In this architecture, the accumulated DAC is subtracted exclusively at the TC input stage, allowing the integrators to process only the low-amplitude Δ-modulated signal and thus relaxing the dynamic range constraints of conventional G_m-C ΔΣ ADCs. The TC input stage achieves high input impedance and high linearity through a current-balancing transconductor and a flipped-voltage-follower (FVF) loop. Fabricated with a standard 180nm CMOS process, the proposed Δ-ΔΣ AFE exhibits an SNDR of 91 dB, a dynamic range of 101 dB, input referred noise of 58 nV/√Hz, and a power consumption of 63 μW. These results correspond to a FoMSNDR of 160.1 dB and a FoMDR of 170 dB. The AFE prototype has been validated through scalp EEG, leg EMG, and chest ECG with significant body movements, demonstrating its effectiveness as a motion-artifact-tolerant direct-ADC front end.