Portable device for continuous sensing with rapidly pulsed LEDs – Part 1: Rapid on-the-fly processing of large data streams using an open source microcontroller with field programmable gate array

Abstract

We designed a portable system using an open source microcontroller (μC) with built-in field programmable gate array (FPGA) for on-the-fly data acquisition and processing of optical data generated from rapidly pulsed infrared light emitting diodes (IR LEDs) for optical sensing of gases. The system is used for rapid pulse generation (ca. 2 μs short pulses with a typical repetition rate of 1 kHz) to drive the IR LED, as well as for the optical sensing data acquisition and processing on-the-fly large data streams of ca. 2 Gbit/s. The flexibility and performance of the system is demonstrated. Each of the digitally processed signal pulses yielded one data point of analytical signal in time as a quasi-continuous data stream produced at a rate of between 1000 and 0.1 Hz. This microcontroller–based portable open source platform is then implemented in on-the-fly data acquisition and processing, of analytical signals enabling continuous gas sensing.