Integrated Measurement and Circuit Technology Group
The Integrated Measurement and Circuit Technology Group at the Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Technology focuses on the design and implementation of integrated mixed-signal circuits for a variety of measurement tasks.
Research focus:
Modern measurement systems usually require both analogue interfaces for the acquisition of physical quantities and digital signal processing for the evaluation and processing of the data. Our research group focuses on the realisation of these systems as integrated circuits (ICs or "chips") to optimise the entire signal chain - from signal conditioning via analogue-to-digital (ADC) and digital-to-analogue conversion (DAC) to digital signal processing.
Integration on a chip offers decisive advantages:
- Optimal compromise between power consumption and performance
- Minimal size
- Low cost in mass production
Our core competencies include:
- Design of low-noise sensor front-end circuits
- Analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue converters
- Excitation circuits for sensors
- System modelling (using Matlab/Simulink, Python)
- IC design (analogue/digital, mixed-signal)
- Optimization using machine learning
- Use of commercial and open-source design tools
- System verification and prototyping using FPGAs and microcontrollers
Application areas:
Our research is applied in several areas:
- Biomedical applications: Development of integrated circuits for point-of-care diagnostics, for example, using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A current project (KERMIT) focuses on the early detection of kidney diseases through the analysis of sweat using a sensor patch. https://kermitsense.eu/
- Sensor technology for space research: Design of highly precise and robust mixed-signal ICs for demanding environments, e.g., readout circuits for fluxgate magnetometers for measuring magnetic fields in space.
- Consumer applications: Development of energy-efficient and compact solutions for portable devices, such as digital Class-D amplifiers with high sound quality.
Development and Cooperation:
We use both commercial and open-source software (FOSS) for IC design and have established mixed-signal design flows. For the system development and evaluation, we use tools such as Simulink and Python, as well as FPGA/µC-based prototypes.
We are open to collaborations in the context of grant-funded research (e.g., FWF, FFG, EU projects) and contract research/development according to § 27 UG.
