710531PACES (Printed Analogue Circuits for Embedded Sensors)ClosedGRD Proof of ConceptInnovate UKThis project addresses a growing need for integrated printed electronics (PE) to provide innovative and value-adding features on plastic and other cheap substrates (paper/card) to sectors such as medical, automotive and consumer goods. The PE market is estimated to be £1.5B today, growing to £30B by 2021 and £200B by 2027 (IDTechEx), including electronic smart packaging devices (projected to grow from £0.02B in 2012 to £1B/35B units in 2022). Printed logic circuits, predicted to be the largest sector (38%, IDTechEx), will introduce intelligence and interactivity in form-factors that don’t currently exist in the marketplace. This project seeks to develop a comparator circuit based on PragmatIC’s existing printed transistor technology. Validating a comparator circuit built from printed electronic (PE) components is a key enabler for interfacing flexible analogue sensors with PE digital logic, enabling large-scale, flexible smart sensing systems to be realized. These are a necessary building block for wider applications where conventional Si approaches cannot be applied due to cost or form-factor. The most promising of these emerging markets are the near-term, wireless sensing network (WSN) and the longer-term emerging vision, the Internet of Things (IoT). These technological developments will allow everyday objects to transmit data that can be processed through the Internet and reacted upon accordingly. Examples include smart tags that can monitor temperature or humidity on food or pharmaceuticals packaging. PE devices have to date been applied to digital applications, but there is now a requirement for thin-film analogue circuitry to interface digital electronics with sensors. Analogue circuits have relatively narrow device tolerance and PragmatIC will employ robust circuit design to overcome this technical challenge for printed logic. A functional demonstrator will be produced to validate the circuit, and will be investigated for temperature and lifetime stability.