A 0.00179 mm2/Ch Chopper-Stabilized TDMA Neural Recording System with Dynamic EOV Cancellation and Predictive Mixed-Signal Impedance Boosting

This article presents a digitally-assisted multi-channel neural recording system. The system uses a 16-channel chopper-stabilized Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) scheme to record multiplexed neural signals into a single shared analog front end (AFE). The choppers reduce the total integrated noise across the modulated spectrum by 2.4× and 4.3× in Local Field Potential (LFP) and Action Potential (AP) bands, respectively. In addition, a novel impedance booster based on Sign-Sign least mean squares (LMS) adaptive filter (AF) predicts the input signal and pre-charges the AC-coupling capacitors. The impedance booster module increases the AFE input impedance by a factor of 39× with a 7.1% increase in area. The proposed system obviates the need for on-chip digital demodulation, filtering, and remodulation normally required to extract Electrode Offset Voltages (EOV) from multiplexed neural signals, thereby achieving 3.6× and 2.8× savings in both area and power, respectively, in the EOV filter module. The Sign-Sign LMS AF is reused to determine the system loop gain, which relaxes the feedback DAC accuracy requirements and saves 10.1× in power compared to conventional oversampled DAC truncation-error ΔΣ-modulator. The proposed SoC is designed and fabricated in 65 nm CMOS, and each channel occupies 0.00179 mm2 of active area. Each channel consumes 5.11
μ
W of power while achieving 2.19
μ
Vrms and 2.4
μ
Vrms of input referred noise (IRN) over AP and LFP bands. The resulting AP band noise efficiency factor (NEF) is 1.8. The proposed system is verified with acute
in-vivo
recordings in a Sprague-Dawley rat using parylene C based thin-film platinum nanorod microelectrodes.