Synchronous Demodulator for Autonomous Sensors

In this paper, a novel differential synchronous demodulator is presented that uses the on-off switching characteristic of the power supply in autonomous systems as the control signal for demodulation. The proposed circuit, which uses only an op amp and a double-pole double-throw switch, can be useful in sensor nodes for sensor networks or distributed data-acquisition systems involving ac sensors or impedance measurements. Three prototype demodulators have been implemented using op amps with different power-bandwidth characteristics, and their common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR), nonlinearity, and initial transient were characterized. The working of the circuit when supplied by a piezoelectric energy converter is also verified.