Red Pitaya Blog

Fraunhofer IPMS Customer Evaluation Kit for CMUTs

Written by Red Pitaya Team | Aug 28, 2024 10:38:13 AM

The customer evaluation kit (CEK) developed by Fraunhofer IPMS allows customers to evaluate Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (CMUTs) in a controlled setting. It includes an analog front-end, a microcontroller board, basic control software, and one or two probes with CMUT devices. The kit enables specification-compliant CMUT applications and performance assessments. Its advantages include design flexibility, high sensitivity at low voltages, integration into CMOS technology, impedance matching in fluids and air, RoHS conformity, and cost efficiency in high-volume production. Applications range from distance measurements to ultrasound microscopy. Fraunhofer IPMS also offers small series and pilot production of CMUTs, facilitating the development of custom sensor devices.

Applications

The evaluation kit can address all applications that utilize ultrasound, such as:

  • Improving healthcare devices and wearables
  • Improving industrial automation processes
  • Optimizing environmental monitoring systems

The evaluation kit is specifically designed for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) and supports CMUTs, PMUTs (piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers), and bulk piezos. Order a kit with one or four CMUTs for air or water applications. A pulse generation package is also available.

 

Technical Specifications

 

Components

The evaluation kit is specifically designed for CMUTs and includes an analog front end that supports CMUTs, PMUTs, and bulk piezos. It enables the generation of transmitter signals within the frequency and voltage ranges typical of these sensors. The front-end ensures exceptional sensitivity, resolution, and ESD protection for the MUTs.

The kit includes a commercially available microcontroller board for analog-to-digital conversion and front-end control. The entire system can be easily managed via a web application accessible via Ethernet or optional WiFi connection

Principles of CMUTs

  • Transmit Mode: In transmit mode, the flexible top membrane of the CMUT is deflected by an electrostatic force generated between two electrodes. This deflection causes the membrane to vibrate at its resonance frequency, resulting in the emission of an ultrasonic wave.
  • Receive Mode: In receive mode, the acoustic wave from the environment causes the membrane to deform, resulting in a change in capacitance between the electrodes. This continuous change in capacitance, combined with a DC bias voltage, produces an alternating current (AC). This AC current can be converted into a measurable voltage using a transimpedance amplifier.

 

Additional Resources