Struix, which means “stacked” in Latin, uses advanced die stacking technology to integrate a custom-designed analog front-end (AFE) on top of a 32-bit Application Specific Standard Product microcontroller (ULPMC10), to form a complete miniature system. By using standard and customizable components, Struix offers medical device manufacturers the design flexibility required to create a wide range of medical sensor interface applications while improving time-to-market and cost-effectiveness.
“Advanced stacking technology enables Struix to achieve greater system integration and occupy less board space in medical devices than standalone solutions,” said Michel De Mey, senior director of consumer health solutions at ON Semiconductor. “ON Semiconductor’s SiP approach reduces design time, development risks and the costs associated with fully customized solutions. Design flexibility is further enhanced because the solution’s ULPMC10 microcontroller can be updated with future microcontrollers without replacing the AFE, which is subject to [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] FDA re-certification.”
The ULPMC10 microcontroller element of Struix processes signals using a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 core capable of running up to frequencies of 30 megahertz (MHz). The microcontroller incorporates 512 kilobytes (kB) on-chip Flash memory and 24 kB SRAM memory to store critical program and user data, according to the company. Through on-chip charge pump-based power conversion and regulation, the microcontroller can operate at a current consumption of less than 200 µA/MHz. While in standby mode, current consumption remains below 500 nanoamperes (nA), a critical parameter for low-duty cycle medical devices.
The system’s power management subsystem monitors the device for fail-safe operation with a wide variety of battery voltages without requiring external components. The microcontroller also includes a12-bit analog-to-digital converter with three multiplexed inputs, a real-time clock, a phase-locked-loop, and a temperature sensor. To simplify product development, ON Semiconductor offers a suite of development add-ins for IAR Systems to support the ULPMC10 microcontroller, including CMSIS based software interfaces.
Based in Phoenix, Ariz., ON Semiconductor helps customers in the medical, automotive, communications, computing, consumer, industrial, LED lighting, military/aerospace and power supply industries. The company operates a network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and design centers in various markets throughout North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions.