Design and Development of a Multifunction FPGA-based Data Acquisition System using Nonlinear Duty-cycle Modulation Technique

Abstract

Abstract

A new generation of DAQ based on duty-cycle modulation technique is presented. It describes the design and prototyping of a FPGA-based data acquisition and signal generation board using the duty-cycle modulation technique and with computer-based software interface. The system is built around the DE0-Nano development board that embeds an Altera cyclone IV FPGA in which a NIOS II processor running at 100 MHz has been instantiated. The conversion technique from analog-to-digital and vice versa is that of duty-cycle modulation technique which innovates by its reversibility. The resulting prototype has 4 input channels and 4 output channels and can be extended. It has input and output bandwidth of 100 kHz, which fully covers the bandwidth of the audio signals. It can measure or generate signals respectively in the range of voltages +/-3 V and +/-8 V, and thus can serve for the acquisition of physiological signals for instance. The sampling frequency is 50 MHz, the resolution is 12 bits for ADC and 10 bits for DAC, the theoretical SNR value is 97.9794 dB. The interface to the PC is built around the USB-UART TTL converter CP2102.

Keywords: DAQ, DE0-Nano development board, FPGA, duty-cycle modulation, ADC, DAC, prototype

Cite this Article

Bertrand Lonla Moffo, Romuald Kouam Nteto. Design and Development of a Multifunction FPGA-based Data Acquisition System using Nonlinear Duty-cycle Modulation Technique. Journal of Electronic Design Technology. 2019; 10(3): 8–26p.