AFE2401 Sensor Analyzer Module

Published 27 November 2021

As part of a collaborative EU-funded development project, J2 Holding developed the AFE2401, a compact sensor analyzer module featuring three 23-bit source-measure channels together with bias outputs and closed-loop heater control.

AFE2401 sensor analyzer module

Sensor interface

Many sensor applications require a variable excitation voltage while simultaneously measuring the resulting current. The AFE2401 was designed for this type of measurement and provides:

  • 2 generic SMU (Source-Measure) channels: 0–5 V, up to 400 µA, approximately 7 nApp noise, 23-bit measurement
  • 2 bias-voltage outputs: −5 V to +5 V, typically used for driving MOS gates
  • 1 SMU channel for a Pt100 sensor: suitable for closed-loop temperature regulation together with the heater driver
  • Heater driver: up to 2 A, 0–12 V and up to 8 W delivered to the load
  • 3.3 V I²C slave interface

The module can be powered from a 5–12 V supply and interfaces directly with an Arduino, BeagleBone or Raspberry Pi I²C bus. An optional OLED display can be connected for laboratory testing.

AFE2401 sensor and host interface connections

Left: sample with optional I²C sensor.
Right: AFE2401 connections to the sample.

Project background

The AFE2401 was developed by J2 Holding as part of a collaborative EU-funded development project. Different project partners were responsible for separate parts of the intended final system, with each partner retaining ownership of its own development.

Although the overall project did not result in the originally intended complete product, the AFE2401 hardware developed by J2 Holding was completed and successfully tested as a functional standalone module.

Downloads

The original AFE2401 documentation and example files are preserved here: