ams-OSRAM launches new 512-channel ADC for CT detectors

Shanghai, China, February 26, 2024 - ams-OSRAM, the world's leading optical solutions provider,  today announced the launch of the first 512-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC) AS5912 for CT detectors, which adopts 23mm× Compact system-in-package solution for 15mm ball grid array (BGA). This ADC has the advantage of high channel density, which allows the CT module to achieve smaller pixels and achieve higher resolution in the imaging quality of the CT scanner.

The AS5912 uses a system-in-package that integrates silicon and power supply decoupling capacitors to achieve reliable performance, which can reduce customers' bill of materials (BoM) costs and facilitate system integration. It houses the analog front-end and analog-to-digital conversion on each channel, features a low-dropout regulator (LDO) and integrates a reference voltage and temperature sensor. On-chip automatic calibration reduces data acquisition system development effort.

At the same time, this ADC also reduces the complexity of the CT module. In particular, the four-sided splicable module composed of 16×32PD array can now be connected only through AS5912.

Leveraging the same architecture as the 256-channel AS5911 device, the AS5912 delivers best-in-class power-to-noise ratio, enabling the best imaging quality in next-generation CT scanners. In low-power mode, the power consumption per channel is 1.25mW, which reduces the self-heating effect and makes the temperature control strategy of the CT scanner easier to implement. Noise is a key factor in imaging quality, and the input reference noise is less than 0.29fC at an input current range of 0.5µA.

Compared with the AS5911 with 256 channels, the new AS5912 has twice the number of channels in the BGA package, and the equivalent size of each channel is smaller. The next generation of high-performance CT scanners for medical and security applications require lower complexity and higher performance, so the new AS5912 will play a key role in the next generation of high-performance CT scanners.