Neuronal recorder implementation with envelope detector for fidelity and linearity

Neuronal recorders of high-performance and low-power are needed for many embedded biomedical devices and the next-generation cyber-physical systems to capture the low-voltage, low-frequency brain signals. In this paper, an envelope detector implementation is reported that outperforms the conventional 2nd order band-pass filter (BPF). Simulation of the envelope detector outperformed the BPF by 2 dB for fidelity and 2.25 dB for linearity, but performed 0.4% worse for THD+N. Implementation of the envelope detector provided satisfactory performance with 2.8 dB fidelity and 3.7 dB linearity attenuation. As envelope detector requires lesser area and power, it promises to be a viable alternative for miniature implementation of neuronal recorders.