Texas Instruments' Latest Analog Front Ends Aimed at Handheld Ultrasound Systems

(Product News, 9 Oct 2008)

Texas Instruments Inc. has launched two integrated analog front ends (AFEs), the 16-channel AFE5851 and the 8-channel AFE5801, for handheld ultrasound systems. The devices feature breakthrough power efficiency and smaller footprint to support the new market for handheld ultrasound systems that can fit in a doctor's pocket.

The AFE5851 features 39mW/channel at 32.5MSPS and integrates 16 variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) and eight 12-bit, 65MSPS analog to digital converters (ADCs). The ADC is shared between two VGAs and each VGA differential output is sampled at alternate clock cycles to optimize power efficiency. The ADC has scalable power consumption to further lower power use with lower sampling rates. The AFE5851's high channel count and low-power features allow for increased channel density in handheld ultrasound systems.

The second device, the AFE5801, features 50mW/channel at 30MSPS and 58mW/channel at 50MSPS and integrates eight VGAs and eight 12-bit, 65MSPS high-speed ADCs with LVDS data outputs.

Both the AFE5851 and AFE5801 can be preceded by a transformer or an off-chip low-noise amplifier, which can be located on the probe. This new architecture results in at least 40 percent power savings when compared to other devices currently available on the market.

Available in a 9x9mm package, the two new AFE58xx devices are the smallest analog front ends currently available in the market with a 70 percent smaller footprint than competitive analog front ends for ultrasound systems and 40 percent smaller than previously introduced devices in the AFE58xx family.

Click here for more information on the devices

Click here for more information on Texas Instruments' AFE58xx family

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