Lechnologies Research Inc. designs in ADI's Blackfin Processor

Analog Devices Inc. announced that Lechnologies Research Inc. is using ADI's Blackfin Processor in its new AfibAlert atrial fibrillation monitor. The AfibAlert is designed for daily use in the home to record and analyze heart rhythm data, and indicates whether patients should transmit data to a physician for further analysis. Lechnologies selected ADI’s Blackfin processor because of its hybrid design, low power requirements and expandability. The AfibAlert uses a Blackfin BF533, which operates the AfibAlert’s LCD controller, LED outputs, audio generation, flash storage and high-quality ADC. The Blackfin also receives data from the microcontroller peripherals and applies digital filtering and mathematical and statistical analysis to provide feedback to the patient. “The Blackfin’s expandability will allow us to easily update the software algorithm the AfibAlert uses to analyze the patient's heart data,” said Tim Lohman, Lechnologies president and CEO. “The Blackfin’s ability to operate at extremely low-power levels also means patients can depend on their AfibAlert for up to six months between battery changes.” Analog Devices’ Blackfin embodies a new breed of 16/32-bit embedded processor with the industry’s highest performance and power efficiency for applications where a convergence of capabilities—multi-format audio, video, voice and image processing; multi-mode baseband and packet processing; and real-time security and control processing—are critical. This combination of software flexibility and scalability has earned Blackfin widespread adoption in convergent applications like digital home entertainment, networked and streaming media, automotive telematics and infotainment, and digital radio and mobile TV.