HiDRADES : High Dynamic-Range Analog-Digital Electronic Sensing

In response to the Department of Defense's (DoD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation N251-048 on Analog-to-Digital Converter for Low Noise Electromagnetic Measurements, Alphacore will develop a high-performance, ultra-low-noise ADC optimized for underwater electromagnetic (UEM) sensing applications. This High Dynamic Range Analog-Digital Electronic Sensing (HiDRADES) ADC will integrate a chopper-stabilized programmable gain instrumentation amplifier (PGIA) with a high-resolution delta-sigma modulator and backend machine learning based calibration, achieving exceptional dynamic range and minimizing system noise. By leveraging advanced deep submicron CMOS technologies, our ADC will surpass commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions in both performance and power efficiency, ensuring compatibility with next-generation UEM sensors. Designed to operate in highly sensitive electromagnetic measurement environments, the proposed ADC will enable precise signal acquisition for U.S. Navyís underwater surveillance, navigation, and detection systems, significantly enhancing operational capabilities in complex and noisy electromagnetic environments. The increasing demand for precision in underwater electromagnetic (UEM) measurements necessitates the development of specialized analog-to-digital converter (ADC) solutions that surpass the limitations of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) ADCs. This proposal addresses the Navy's need for an ultra-low-noise ADC tailored for UEM sensor applications, leveraging advanced signal processing and circuit techniques inspired by industry-leading architectures, such as Cirrus Logic's chopper-stabilized delta-sigma ADCs. By integrating a high-resolution delta-sigma modulator with a programmable gain instrumentation amplifier (PGIA), the proposed ADC will significantly enhance dynamic range and noise performance while maintaining low power consumption.