Project facts

Wireless Communication for Ultra Portable Devices

Abstract:	The goal is to design an ultra compact and low power radio that can be used in devices like hearing aids, medical implants, and remote sensors. To fit these applications we target a maximum active mode power consumption of 1mW, and a stand-by power of less than 1uW. The minimum size will be achieved by using state-of-the-art CMOS technology and integrating the complete radio, both radio frequency and baseband parts, on a single chip. To achieve low power consumption we seek circuit as well as system level solutions. For the analog circuits we plan to use the CMOS transistors in weak inversion to reduce the power. By co-designing the antenna and RF circuits we can increase antenna impedance, thereby further reducing power. Also the digital circuits will operate in weak inversion, that is, their supply voltage will be very low. Furthermore, we will use as few transistors as possible to reduce the leakage current. At system level we will among other things develop receiver wake-up algorithms compatible with low standby power consumption. The expected result of the project is a complete radio solution consisting of a CMOS chip and an antenna, that can be used in applications with extreme requirements on power consumption and size.
Project leader(s):	Henrik Sjöland
Funding:	Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF)