ICsense start mass producing new chemical sensor interface ASIC

The custom IC was developed for inclusion in a wearable design and is now being produced in large volumes to meet demand requirements. The company says in a press release that the project was undertaken for an unnamed large US-based client. It is expected that several hundred million units will be shipped over the coming 4 years.

“We are proud to announce the successful ramp-up of this high-runner,” explains Bram De Muer, co-founder and CEO, ICsense, in a press release. “Playing a pivotal role in the end-product, the custom chip was developed exclusively for this client. The design needed to be ultra-low power, due to it being incorporated into a battery-powered system. Our team succeeded in reaching a power consumption level of only a few µA in full measurement mode, which is currently state-of-the-art for this type of sensor.”

The ASIC contains an ISO15693-compliant NFC transceiver. Data from the ultra-high-accuracy sensor readout is transferred wirelessly to mobile devices. The customer was looking to integrate all functionality into an ASIC, in order to lower cost and save area, as the wearable design had very limited space available.

“We see a steep increase in the number of ASIC requests, also as a result of the global chip shortage and accelerating digitalization and focus on customer experience. Customers are looking for supply certainty and develop their own exclusive ASIC,” De Muer continues. “In contrast to value chain aggregators or design houses, we have all the necessary expertise in-house to support mass production. This includes analog and digital design teams, test and product engineers and full in-house ATE test development capabilities.”