High-Accuracy ECG Signal Acquisition Using a Power-Efficient 6-bit Level-Crossing ADC

A. Amini (Univ. of Pavia, Italy), H. Norouzi Kalehsar (Urmia Univ., Iran)

This paper presents a novel approach using level-crossing ADCs (LC-ADCs), which provide a more power-efficient solution by sampling only when the input signal exceeds predefined amplitude thresholds. We propose a 6-bit LC-ADC architecture that eliminates the need for an n-bit DAC and uses a single comparator, incorporating integrated sample-and-hold and logic functions. This design drastically reduces power consumption while maintaining accuracy, making it particularly suitable for low-power biomedical applications. Simulation results demonstrate the system’s high performance, including a Figure-of-Merit (FoM) that outperforms traditional designs. The proposed LC-ADC architecture is shown to be highly efficient, with significant reductions in power usage and data bandwidth, offering an ideal solution for long-term, energy-constrained biomedical signal monitoring.