Fully-integrated analog front-end for ultrasonic sensing measurements

The Texas Instruments (TI) TDC1000 is a fully-integrated analog front-end (AFE) for ultrasonic sensing measurements of level, fluid identification/concentration, flow, and proximity/ distance applications common in automotive, industrial, medical, and consumer markets. When paired with a TI MSP430/C2000 MCU, power, wireless, and source code, the company can provide the complete ultrasonic sensing solution. TI's Ultrasonic AFE offers programmability and flexibility to accommodate a wide-range of applications and end equipment. The TDC1000 can be configured for multiple transmit pulses and frequencies, gain, and signal thresholds for use with a wide-range of transducer frequencies (31.25kHz to 4MHz) and Q-factors. Similarly, the programmability of the receive path allows ultrasonic waves to be detected over a wider range of distances / tank sizes and through various mediums. Selecting different modes of operation, the TDC1000 can be optimized for low power consumption, making it ideal for battery powered flow meters, level instrumentation, and distance/proximity measurements. The low-noise amplifiers and comparators provide extremely low jitter, enabling picosecond resolution and accuracy for zero and low flow measurements, says the company.