Resistance-to-Digital Converters

Resistance to digital converters - ScioSense offers signal conditioners for resistive sensors (mainly strain gauges), that are outstanding in combination of high resolution and low power.

ScioSense offers signal conditioners for resistive sensors (mainly strain gauges), that are outstanding in combination of high resolution and low power.

These resistance-to-digital converters are based on the patented PICOSTRAIN measuring principle, which uses precision discharge time measurement to get the ratio of sensor resistances. 

By means of our TDC technology we can measure with picosecond resolution which allows us to have very short discharge times, in the range of 50 microseconds. Specific methods to compensate parasitic resistances lead to 28 Bit of resolution with high temperature stability. The measuring method allows digital offset correction and digital trim of the span compensation resistors. The multi-channel design allows to measure up to four half bridges independently. 

Thanks to a high degree of flexibility in the configuration, the RDC can be operated at a few µA current consumption only. Even at full resolution of 28 Bit the current consumption is lower than in classical Wheatstone – A/D-converter designs.

Resistance-to-Digital Converters

RMS noise @5HZ,
SIN3 [nV]

19

12

Max sample
rate [Hz]

10k

1k

Resistance range [F]

1p to 100n

1p to 100n

V [V]

2.1 to 3.6

2.1 to 3.6Bit

Memory

3k ROM
8k OTP

3k ROM
2k EEPROM

CPU

24 Bit

24 Bit

Interface

SPI/I2C

SPI

Package

QFN40

Dice