Performance of a high-speed transcutaneous link with error correction coding

Several low-power communication strategies have been studied for interfacing with cortical implants via mutual inductance links. In this paper, we consider performance optimization strategies for a mutual-inductance link based on the Pulse Harmonic Modulation method. We consider two enhancements that may allow for increased throughput in the PHM system. First, a low-power error-correcting code is used to improve the system´s robustness against noise, timing jitter and other non-ideal factors. Second, the system is adapted for multi-level modulation as a means of increasing the data rate. Our results characterize each systems´ bit error rate as a function of pulse jitter, power interference and comparator offset.