Texas Develops System-On-Chip For Handheld Medical Applications

Texas Instruments has developed a system-on-chip (SoC) micro controller unit (MCU) that provides a complete signal chain for handheld medical applications.

The newMSP430FG4270 MCU integrates a comprehensive range of functions needed to design low cost portable medical diagnostic equipment. The generous on-chip memory and a full suite of integrated analog peripherals keep component costs and system space to a minimum I portable applications such as personal blood pressure monitors, spirometers, pulsoximeters and heart rate monitors.

Low-power embedded technology is a new level of integration and affordability, stated company sources.

Medical diagnostics is changing rapidly, aided by a new generation of equipment and handheld devices that can be carried to the patient’s bedside. Processing solutions for such equipments must not only offer high performance and low power consumption, but also minimize board space and component counts through SoC integration. In order to measure, monitor and display analog physiological input signals such as temperature, blood pressure and other vital signs, the ultra-low power MSP430FG4270 MCU integrates the complete analog and digital signal chain. This includes signal conditioning techniques such as amplification, filtering and digital conversion.

The MSP430FG4270’s 16 bit RISC architecture is designed for optimized performance and extended battery life-key care about of designers of portable applications. Five low-power modes, with a standby power consumption of only 1.1uA, conserve power, while a wake-up from stand by to active mode of less than 6 us provides excellent response when the equipment is needed. On-chip functions that save external components include a high performance 16-bit sigma-delta analog to digital converter (ADC) with internal reference and five differential analog inputs, 12-bit digital to analog converter (DAC) , two configurable operational amplifiers, 16-bit timer, 16-bit timer, 16-bit registers, 32 I/O pins, zero power brown out reset, and a liquid crystal display (LCD) driver with contrast control for up to 56 segments.

(Ref: The Chronicle Pharmabiz dated November 22, 2007)