The AFE5828 device is a highly-integrated, analog front-end (AFE)
solutions specifically designed for ultrasound systems where high performance, low power, and small
size are required.
The AFE5828 is an integrated AFE optimized for medical ultrasound
application. The device is realized through a multichip module (MCM) with two dies: one
voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) die and one analog-to-digital converter (ADC) die. The VCA die
has 16 channels that interface with the 16 channels of the ADC die.
Each channel in the VCA die can be configured in one of two modes: time gain compensation
(TGC) mode or continuous wave (CW) mode. In TGC mode, each channel includes a low-noise amplifier
(LNA), a voltage-controlled attenuator (VCAT), a programmable gain amplifier (PGA), and a
third-order, low-pass filter (LPF). The LNA is programmable in gains of 21 dB, 18 dB, or 15 dB. The
LNA also supports active termination. The VCAT supports an attenuation range of 0 dB to 36 dB, with
analog voltage control for the attenuation. The PGA provides gain options from 18 dB to 27 dB in
steps of 3 dB. The LPF cutoff frequency can be set between 10 MHz and 30 MHz to
support ultrasound applications with different frequencies. In CW mode, the output of the LNA goes
to a low-power passive mixer with 16 selectable phase delays followed by a summing amplifier with a
band-pass filter. Different phase delays can be applied to each analog input signal to perform an
on-chip beamforming operation. A harmonic filter in the CW mixer suppresses the third and fifth
harmonic to enhance the sensitivity of the CW Doppler measurement.
The 16 channels of the ADC die can be configured to operate with a resolution of 14 bits
or 12 bits. The ADC resolution can be traded off with conversion rate, and can operate at maximum
speeds of 65 MSPS and 80 MSPS at 14-bit and 12-bit resolution, respectively. The ADC
is designed to scale its power with sampling rate. The output interface of the ADC comes out
through a low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) that can easily interface with low-cost
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
The device also allows various power and noise combinations to be selected for optimizing
system performance. Therefore, these devices are suitable ultrasound AFE solutions for systems with
strict battery-life requirements.
The device is available in a 15-mm × 15-mm NFBGA-289 package and is pin-compatible with
the AFE5818 and
AFE5816 family.
The AFE5828 device is a highly-integrated, analog front-end (AFE)
solutions specifically designed for ultrasound systems where high performance, low power, and small
size are required.
The AFE5828 is an integrated AFE optimized for medical ultrasound
application. The device is realized through a multichip module (MCM) with two dies: one
voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) die and one analog-to-digital converter (ADC) die. The VCA die
has 16 channels that interface with the 16 channels of the ADC die.
Each channel in the VCA die can be configured in one of two modes: time gain compensation
(TGC) mode or continuous wave (CW) mode. In TGC mode, each channel includes a low-noise amplifier
(LNA), a voltage-controlled attenuator (VCAT), a programmable gain amplifier (PGA), and a
third-order, low-pass filter (LPF). The LNA is programmable in gains of 21 dB, 18 dB, or 15 dB. The
LNA also supports active termination. The VCAT supports an attenuation range of 0 dB to 36 dB, with
analog voltage control for the attenuation. The PGA provides gain options from 18 dB to 27 dB in
steps of 3 dB. The LPF cutoff frequency can be set between 10 MHz and 30 MHz to
support ultrasound applications with different frequencies. In CW mode, the output of the LNA goes
to a low-power passive mixer with 16 selectable phase delays followed by a summing amplifier with a
band-pass filter. Different phase delays can be applied to each analog input signal to perform an
on-chip beamforming operation. A harmonic filter in the CW mixer suppresses the third and fifth
harmonic to enhance the sensitivity of the CW Doppler measurement.
The 16 channels of the ADC die can be configured to operate with a resolution of 14 bits
or 12 bits. The ADC resolution can be traded off with conversion rate, and can operate at maximum
speeds of 65 MSPS and 80 MSPS at 14-bit and 12-bit resolution, respectively. The ADC
is designed to scale its power with sampling rate. The output interface of the ADC comes out
through a low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) that can easily interface with low-cost
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
The device also allows various power and noise combinations to be selected for optimizing
system performance. Therefore, these devices are suitable ultrasound AFE solutions for systems with
strict battery-life requirements.
The device is available in a 15-mm × 15-mm NFBGA-289 package and is pin-compatible with
the AFE5818 and
AFE5816 family.