An implantable mixed-signal CMOS die for battery-powered in vivo blowfly neural recordings

A mixed-signal die containing two differential input amplifiers, a multiplexer and a 50 KSPS, 10-bit SAR ADC, has been designed and fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS process for in vivo neural recording from freely moving blowflies where power supplied voltage drops quickly due to the space/weight limited insufficient capacity of the battery. The designed neural amplifier has a 66 + dB gain, 0.13 Hz-5.3 KHz bandwidth and 0.39% THD. A 20% power supply voltage drop causes only a 3% change in amplifier gain and 0.9-bit resolution degrading for SAR ADC while the on-chip data modulation reduces the chip size, rendering the designed chip suitable for battery-powered applications. The fabricated die occupies 1.1 mm2 while consuming 238 μW, being suitable for implantable neural recordings from insects as small as a blowfly for electrophysiological studies of their sensorimotor control mechanisms. The functionality of the die has been validated by recording the signals from identified interneurons in the blowfly visual system.