Abstract
A fully-integrated data transmission system based on gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) devices is proposed. This system targets high-temperature (HT) applications, especially those involving pressure and temperature sensors for aerospace in which the environmental temperature exceeds 350 °C. The presented system includes a front-end amplifying the sensed signal (gain of 50 V/V), followed by a novel analog-to-digital converter driving a modulator exploiting the load-shift keying technique. An oscillation frequency of 1.5 MHz is used to ensure a robust wireless transmission through metallic-based barriers. To retrieve the data, a new demodulator architecture based on digital circuits is proposed. A 1 V amplitude difference can be detected between a high-amplitude (data-on) and a low-amplitude (data-off) of the received modulated signal. Two high-voltage supply levels (+14 V and −14 V) are required to operate the circuits. The layout of the proposed system was completed in a chip occupying 10.8 mm2. The HT characterization and modeling of integrated GaN devices and passive components are performed to ensure the reliability of simulation results. The performance of the various proposed building blocks, as well as the whole system, have been validated by simulation over the projected wide operating temperature range (25–350 °C).
Highlights
Monitoring some critical parameters, such as temperature and pressure, in industrial applications is needed to control sensitive areas like combustion engines, gas turbines and oil wells
We present the first complete design of a wireless data transmission system based on GaN500 technology that is intended to acquire signals from sensors installed in HT environments and transmit the data through an inductive link to an external receiver
We focus on the electronic part, including the transmitter and the receiver, rather than on the sensor interface itself
Summary
Monitoring some critical parameters, such as temperature and pressure, in industrial applications is needed to control sensitive areas like combustion engines, gas turbines and oil wells. Placing sensors in harsh environments allows more accurate measurements to be made. It is still a very challenging task, especially at extremely high temperatures and pressures. Many systems in industrial applications operate in multiple harsh environment situations, such as in combustion engines, where the high temperature is often directly proportional to the high pressure. Platinum-based thermocouples are stable at extreme temperatures up to 2000 ◦ C. Their sensitivity is normally low and can be seriously affected by induced common-mode noise. Optical fiber sensing technology is a promising solution for HT and HP
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