Two-Channel Passive Data Telemetry With Remote RF Powering for High-Performance Wireless and Batteryless Strain Sensing Microsystem Applications

A reliable two-channel passive data telemetry system with remote RF powering capability is developed for high-performance industrial wireless and batteryless microelectromechanical systems strain sensing applications. The prototype system is insensitive to mechanical rotation and can simultaneously transmit and receive digitized Manchester-encoded strain and temperature data at 2.5 Mb/s and 125 kb/s by employing passive phase-shift keying and passive amplitude-shift keying modulation schemes, respectively, over the same wireless link used for remotely RF powering the strain sensing microsystem. The remote RF powering system can produce a stable on-chip dc voltage of 2.8 V with a 2-mA current supply capability from a 50-MHz energy source. The demonstrated performance is critical for realizing a wireless and batteryless strain sensing microsystem, which can provide a high-resolution and high-data rate strain information together with a low-data rate temperature information for real-time calibration and intelligent system control.