TI Unveils First Ultrasonic AFE with Digital Demodulator (Video)

Texas Instruments Incorporated today introduced its first analog front end (AFE) that integrates digital I/Q demodulation and decimation to reduce FPGA processing requirements in ultrasound systems as well as ultrasonic applications, such as sonar and non-destructive testing. In addition to integrating digital I/Q demodulation on-chip, the AFE5809 also integrates a continuous wave Doppler (CWD) processor for blood flow velocity measurement on-chip, reducing the bill of materials (BOM) in medical ultrasound equipment. Additionally, the new AFE enables designers to optimize system performance with a variety of selectable power/noise combinations.

Key features and benefits of the AFE5809:

Reduced FPGA processing requirements: The on-chip digital demodulation results in less data throughput in the system and fewer LVDS traces, for a more cost effective design.

Integrated design with continuous wave (CW) mixer: Integrated CWD mixer and summing amplifier with a low close-in phase noise of -156 dBc/Hz at 1 KHz off of a 2.5-MHz carrier allows for blood flow velocity measurements.

Industry's lowest noise and lowest power ultrasound AFE with digital demodulation: The AFE5809 features the industry's lowest noise of 0.75 nV/rtHz and lowest power consumption of 158 mW/channel. In addition, each 14-bit, 65 MSPS analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in the AFE5809 provides a 77-dBFS signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), resulting in crisp image quality. Preset profiles: Digital I/Q demodulator with up to 32 preset configuration profiles simplifies designs.

System optimization: A full suite of features integrated into the AFE5809 allows designers to optimize system performance in their ultrasound and ultrasonic applications.

Programmable low-noise amplifier (LNA) with flexible active termination. Maximum gain of 54 dB for superior dynamic range. 12- and 14-bit, ADC with LVDS output of up to 65 MSPS. Digital I/Q demodulator with a decimation factor of 1 to 64. Programmable modes to optimize power and performance for various imaging modalities.

Low-frequency signal processing support (<100 KHz). Tools and support The AFE5809EVM evaluation module is available now for US$299. A TINA-TI SPICE model is available to make it easier for designers to simulate the performance of the AFE5809.

Availability and pricing The AFE5809 is available now in a 15-mm by 9- mm, 135-pin BGA package for a suggested retail price of US$87 in quantities of 1,000.

Highly optimized analog products and full portfolio for medical applications The AFE5809 extends TI's AFE58xx family of fully integrated ultrasound AFEs, including the AFE5808A and the AFE5807 for high-end imaging; AFE5803, AFE5804 and AFE5805 for portable to mid-range ultrasound; and the AFE5801 and AFE5851 for handheld, ultra-portable ultrasound.

All AFE58xx devices are complemented on the transmit side by TI's LM96530/TX810 T/R switch, LM96550 pulser and LM96570 transmit beamformer. They join TI's full portfolio of embedded processing, signal chain and power management products for ultrasound applications, which allow manufacturers to bring innovative ultrasound systems to market faster.