Electronics

Providing a solution to the customer’s sensor requirements not only requires high-performance sensor chips. In most cases sensor signals needs to be amplified, filtered, compensated and processed in various ways. Several types of sensors often work together, e.g. in our inertial navigation systems. Furthermore, the application places many tough requirements on the sensor systems in terms of size, weight, power consumption, temperature etc. Imego’s electronics design team has expertise in all the necessary areas.
 

The world is analog and so are most sensor signals. Careful design of the analog parts of the electronics is of paramount importance to preserve information in complex signals. Selecting the right amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters for the application is an important task. When required, we also design our own application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Electromagnetic interference, temperature effects and signal integrity are examples of issues that need to be addressed in an appropriate way.
 

Most applications require that the sensor signals are processed, stored or transmitted in digital form. We frequently use programmable logic (FPGAs) or mixed-signal ASICs for demanding, real-time processing tasks. Some sensors, e.g. gyroscopes, require advanced real-time feedback algorithms to achieve maximum performance. Most systems also use one or more microcontrollers to provide all the functions required in a complete sensor system.
 

Sensor data is often transferred to a computer or a PDA for further processing or presentation. Depending on the application requirements, data can be stored on memory cards or transferred wirelessly via Bluetooth or WLAN. Many sensor nodes can be connected in a mesh network, e.g. on a construction site, using a ZigBee network. Data can also be transferred via the Internet.
 

All electronics need power and our micro-systems often need to have their own power source in the form of a rechargeable battery. Different battery technologies all have their own properties and the selection must be made based on the requirements of the specific application.
 

Many of our customers work in areas that put our sensor systems in harsh environments. Our electronics need to meet the requirements in respect of variables such as temperature or mechanical endurance which can occur in industries like mining or steel plants.
 

Imego is well equipped for effective prototyping and verification of designs. Our laboratories contain everything from PCB milling machines to logic and network analyzers.