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The main objective of the work is to investigate the capacity of a single magnetoresistance (MR) element to measure AC electrical currents. An instrumentation system is presented to characterize individually the four active elements of an MR bridge current sensor preserving their internal connections. The system suggests the possibility to sense electrical currents using only one element of the bridge opening the way to design new MR sensors based on this concept. Sensitivity, offset and non-linearity deviation were obtained using bridges of tunnel (TMR)- and giant (GMR)-based MR technologies. The single element embedded in a Wheatstone bridge configuration is used for practical current measurements in a 50 Hz line. An electronic circuitry is proposed to measure alternating (AC) currents with a single MR element, including a lock-in amplifier and an interface to properly convert the signal to its root mean square (rms) value with a resolution of 250 mA peak in the 125 A range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfluidics is a technique that uses channels of tiny sizes to process small amounts of fluid, which can be used in biochemical detection, information technology, and other fields. In the process of microfluidic development, there are many problems that need to be solved urgently. Many microfluidic systems require the support of external devices, which increases the construction cost, and the electronic interface technology is not mature. A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can harvest mechanical energy and turn it into electrical energy. It has been greatly developed now and is widely used in various fields. Nowadays, many studies are committed to the study of TENGs and microfluidic systems. The microfluidics device can be combined with a TENG to convert fluid mechanical signals into electrical signals for transmission. Meanwhile, TENGs can also act as a high-voltage source to drive microfluidic motion. In this paper, we reviewed the development of microfluidics and related technologies of microfluidic systems in conjunction with TENGs and discussed the form of electronic interface between microfluidic systems and TENG devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensing the motion of objects and humans is essential for various applications, including human‐machine interfaces. Over the past few years, motion sensing has been extensively studied using capacitive strain sensors that can be utilized for wireless communications. The performance and functionality of capacitive strain sensors have been improved by achieving high sensitivity, large‐area sensing, ultra‐stretchability, and simplicity in design, measurement methods, and wireless integration. This review article highlights recent developments in capacitive strain sensors, including their characteristics and applications. First, the mechanisms and techniques employed to enhance the sensitivity of capacitive strain sensors are reviewed. Then, the notable features of this sensing strategy are highlighted, such as its ability to cover a wide area, properties of the required electronic interface, and sensor implementation inside a remote measurement system via an oscillating circuit. Therefore, a global review of the capacitive strain sensor that has been previously attempted can participate in developing an effective sensing method to meet the market need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the impact of incorporating silica nanoparticles of varying diameters in label free impedance immunosensor. It has been observed that even if the surface area improvement has been adjusted to be similar for all the diameters, the sensitivity is enhanced by five times at a particular diameter of 100 nm due to the optimum combination of intersection with electric field lines and surface convexity. This study has enabled the detection of 0.1 fM Hep-B surface antigen with a reliable sensitivity of around 75%. Further, it has been observed that the SNR corresponding to 0.1 fM is 20 dB only for 100 nm particle. This SNR is comparable to a recent report on Hep-B virus detection but the limit of detection in the proposed sensor is lowered by more than three orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanopore sensors provide an innovative platform for rapid and label-free biomolecule detection. The analytical information extracted from resistive pulse sensing (RPS) measurement, though powerful has several limitations. To address these challenges, various signal conditioning algorithms have been researched which include efficient clustering and classification of data, applying probabilistic models to reduce information overlap and also leveraging transient analysis of ionic current instead of the steady state RPS measurement. Additionally, as the current is typically in few picoampere regime with high transition rates, its faithful measurement requires precision instrumentation like a patch clamp amplifier with low noise and high bandwidth. However, for practical deployment of such systems, it is necessary to develop portable electronic interface. Significant efforts have been directed globally to develop on-chip customized integrated circuits with low noise, high bandwidth amplifiers. Thus, it is absolutely timely and pertinent to conduct a review on the various signal processing schemes and electronic interfaces for single biomolecule identification using nanopores which will enable to comprehend the current status for its deployment as a commercial platform for genomics and ultrasensitive detection. To the best of our knowledge, the data extraction methodologies and electronic interface schemes for nanopores have not yet been summarized. In this paper, a comprehensive review emphasizing the signal processing algorithms for DNA sequencing and protein identification in complex analyte using functionalized and non-functionalized nanopores has been presented along with the on-chip low noise electronic interfaces required for field deployable measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an advanced voltammetric system to be used as electronic tongue for liquid and gas analysis. It has been designed to be more flexible and accurate with respect to other existing and similar systems. It features improved electronics and additional operative conditions. Among others these include the possibility to optically excite the solution and to treat the output signal by a differentiation process in order to better evidence the existence of small details in the response curve. Finally by the same type of tongue preliminary results are shown dealing with O2 and CO2 concentration measurements in appropriate solutions.

In the report are presented forthcoming legislative changes in the two main tax laws - CITA and VAT, which are dictated by the obligatory application of 1 January 2019 of two EU Directives. The first part of the article deals with forthcoming amendments to the CITA, with a view to transposing into national law the measures envisaged in the proposals of amendments of Council Directive (EU) 2016/1164 of 12 July 2016 laying down rules against tax avoidance practices that directly affect the functioning of the internal market. The legal framework established by the Directive is analyzed rules in the following areas are necessary in order to contribute to achieving that objective: limitations to the deductibility of interest, exit taxation, a general anti-abuse rule, controlled foreign company rules and rules to tackle hybrid mismatches. The second part of the article examines the forthcoming changes to the VAT regime, which are aimed at modernizing the taxation regime for cross-border e-commerce between businesses and consumers, as required by Council Directive (EU) 2017/2455 of 5 December 2017 amending Directive 2006/112/EC and Directive 2009/132/EC as regards certain value added tax obligations for supplies of services and distance sales of goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended-gate field-effect transistor (EGFET) is an electronic interface originally developed as a substitute for an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET). Although the literature shows that commercial off-the-shelf components are widely used for biosensor fabrication, studies on electronic interfaces are still scarce (e.g., noise processes, scaling). Therefore, the incorporation of a custom EGFET can lead to biosensors with optimized performance. In this paper, the design and characterization of a transistor association (TA)-based EGFET was investigated. Prototypes were manufactured using a 130 nm standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process and compared with devices presented in recent literature. A DC equivalence with the counterpart involving a single equivalent transistor was observed. Experimental results showed a power consumption of 24.99 mW at 1.2 V supply voltage with a minimum die area of 0.685 × 1.2 mm2. The higher aspect ratio devices required a proportionally increased die area and power consumption. Conversely, the input-referred noise showed an opposite trend with a minimum of 176.4 nVrms over the 0.1 to 10 Hz frequency band for a higher aspect ratio. EGFET as a pH sensor presented further validation of the design with an average voltage sensitivity of 50.3 mV/pH, a maximum current sensitivity of 15.71 mA1/2/pH, a linearity higher than 99.9%, and the possibility of operating at a lower noise level with a compact design and a low complexity.

People’s working capability is badly affected when they suffer an amputated arm. Artificial replacements with prosthetic devices to get a satisfactory level of performance for essential functions with the currently available prosthetic technology are very difficult. Myoelectric arm prostheses are becoming popular because they are operated by a natural contraction of intact muscles. Hence, SEMG based artificial arm was fabricated. The system consists of different electronic and mechanical assemblies for operation of hand utilizing microcontroller in order to have minimum signal loss during its processing. With the help of relay switching connected to low power DC motor, system is capable of opening and closing of grip according to individual wish.

People's working capability is badly affected when they suffer an amputated arm. Artificial replacements with prosthetic devices to get a satisfactory level of performance for essential functions with the currently available prosthetic technology are very difficult. Myoelectric arm prostheses are becoming popular because they are operated by a natural contraction of intact muscles. Hence, SEMG based artificial arm was fabricated. The system consists of different electronic and mechanical assemblies for operation of hand utilizing microcontroller in order to have minimum signal loss during its processing. With the help of relay switching connected to low power DC motor, system is capable of opening and closing of grip according to individual wish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermal flow sensor including sensing structures and a read-out interface in a single chip is proposed. The sensing structure is a microcalorimeter based on a double heater configuration while the low noise electronic interface performs signal reading and offset compensation. The device has been fabricated with a commercial CMOS process followed by a post-processing procedure. Post-processing has been customized in order to increase the thermal insulation of the sensing structures from the silicon substrate and improve the heat exchange between the sensor and the gas flow. Device characterization confirms the effectiveness of the proposed fabrication method in increasing the sensitivity at constant power consumption without affecting the dynamic range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a new vibration driven energy harvesting device with an additional synchronized switching interface for optimizing the power transfer from the energy harvester to a storage element. The energy transducer consists of a piezoelectric energy harvester, which is designed to achieve a uniform stress distribution on the whole generator structure. A novel interface circuitry, based on the initial energy injection described by Lallart et. all. [1], is added to the system. It enables a harvesting process that is almost independent of the load and allows an almost ideal energy storage process. The results of parameter studies for an optimal generator design as well as first measurement results obtained with the direct initial energy injection circuitry are presented and discussed in the presentation. The results show that an efficiency benefit by a factor of 3, compared to standard devices can be achieved by the presented device. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A single-chip smart flow sensor based on a thermal principle is presented. The device is fabricated through a commercial complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process combined with a postprocessing procedure. A configurable electronic interface performing signal reading and nonideality compensation is integrated with the sensing structures on the same chip. The interface implements recently proposed approaches to offset and pressure effect compensation. Detailed experimental results are presented demonstrating correct operation of the proposed microsystem. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the design aspects of eddy-current displacement sensor (ECS) systems. In accordance with the sensor analysis presented in this paper, design strategies to compensate for important sensor imperfections are recommended. To this end, the challenges that are associated with ECS interfaces are identified, with focus on advanced industrial applications. This paper also provides a technical overview of the design advances of ECS interfaces proposed in the last decade and evaluates their pros and cons. Recently reported interface solutions for demanding industrial applications with respect to high resolution, stability, bandwidth, and low power consumption, at a sufficiently high excitation frequency, are addressed in more detail. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]