Signal transducer of functionally integrated thermomagnetic sensors

Abstract

Introduction. The article is dealing with the sensors analog front-end development in accordance to concepts of Lab-on-Chip and Internet of Things. The task of functional integration, the basis of which is the combination of several complementary methods of measurement in one device, is pointed. Basic approaches to functional integration. Functional integration provides the ability to use the same microelectronic structure for controlled heating, measuring the temperature, and measuring the changes of the investigated sample characteristics under the influence of external influence. Functional integrated magneto-transistor converter. The main advantages of used magneto-transistors are high signal-to-noise ratio, increased resistance to magneto-induction interferences, and multi-modes and multi-functionality. The last advantage is decisive for solving the problem of a single chip functionally integration. The principle of operation and the circuit diagram of the signal converter. The signal converter provides three functional properties on single chip magneto-transistor structure. The first is the magnetic field measurement. The second is controlled heating of the structure. And, the third property is the measurement of the temperature of the structure of the magneto-transistor with investigated substance placed on this structure. Hardware-software implementation of the signal converter. The signal converter has been implemented on the Programmable System on Chip PSoC 5LP (Cypress Semiconductor). The module CY8CKIT-059 Prototyping Kit has been used. The developed software for controlling the measurement process provides controlling the duration of the heating pulses and relaxation, the number of measurements in each thermal cycle, coefficients of measuring transformation functions, API operating modes commands, etc. Conclusions. The novelty of the obtained results is the implementation of the sensor device for thermomagnetic analysis on the lateral magneto-transistors single chip structure. The areas of application are sensors for materials science, biophysics and medicine in the concept of the Internet of Things.