Académique Documents
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Guide
For USB Applications
Primer
AuthenTec, Inc.
Post Office Box 2719
Melbourne, Florida 32902-2719
321-308-1300
www.authentec.com
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AuthenTec, Inc.
Post Office Box 2719
Melbourne, Florida 32902-2719
321-308-1300
www.authentec.com
apps@authentec.com
AuthenTec, FingerLoc, EntrPad, Aware, AES1510, AES2501A, AES2510, AES3400, AES3500, AES4000, AF-S2, ISX,
TruePrint, the AuthenTec colophons and logotypes, and the phrase Personal Security for the Real World are trademarks
of AuthenTec, Inc. Microsoft and Windows 98 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. Microwire is a trademark of
National Semiconductor Corp. SPI is a registered trademark of Motorola. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................7
1.1 SENSOR DESCRIPTION.........................................................................................................................................7
1.2 SENSOR APPLICATIONS.......................................................................................................................................9
1.3 USB INTERFACE .................................................................................................................................................9
1.4 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE .....................................................................................................................................9
1.5 INTEGRATION PROCESS ....................................................................................................................................10
2 RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................................12
2.1 REFERENCE DESIGN KIT ...................................................................................................................................12
2.2 MANUFACTURERS INTEGRATION KIT ...............................................................................................................13
2.3 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT KITS ......................................................................................................................13
2.3.1 Software Development Kit ...............................................................................................................................13
2.3.2 Preboot Authentication (PBA) Kit ...................................................................................................................14
2.3.3 Using Third-Party Matchers............................................................................................................................15
2.4 INDUSTRIAL AND MECHANICAL DESIGN ..........................................................................................................15
2.5 SIGNAL NAMING CONVENTION.........................................................................................................................15
3 THEORY OF OPERATION .................................................................................................................................16
3.1 SENSOR DATA TYPES .......................................................................................................................................17
3.2 SENSOR OPERATION IN A SYSTEM ...................................................................................................................17
3.2.1 Finger Detect Mode .........................................................................................................................................17
3.2.2 Fingerprint Imaging Mode ..............................................................................................................................18
3.2.3 Scrolling Mode.................................................................................................................................................18
3.3 FAULT DETECTION AND CORRECTION .............................................................................................................18
4 ELECTRICAL DESIGN........................................................................................................................................19
4.1 POWER SUPPLY DESIGN....................................................................................................................................19
4.1.1 Supply Voltages And Currents .........................................................................................................................19
4.1.2 Supply Voltage Noise Requirements ................................................................................................................19
4.1.3 Supply Voltage Rise Time Requirements .........................................................................................................20
4.1.4 Power Control Design .....................................................................................................................................21
4.2 CLOCK CIRCUIT DESIGN ...................................................................................................................................23
4.2.1 Crystal Circuit Design .....................................................................................................................................24
4.2.2 External Clock Circuit Design.........................................................................................................................27
4.3 RESET CIRCUIT DESIGN ....................................................................................................................................29
4.3.1 Reset Timing Considerations ...........................................................................................................................30
4.4 USB INTERFACE DESIGN ..................................................................................................................................31
4.4.1 Interface Voltages ............................................................................................................................................31
4.5 CHARGE PUMP FILTER ......................................................................................................................................31
4.6 FINGER RING CIRCUIT ......................................................................................................................................32
4.6.1 TVS Characteristics and Clamping Voltage ....................................................................................................32
4.6.2 Chassis Ground Connection ............................................................................................................................32
5 PCB LAYOUT CONSIDERATIONS ..................................................................................................................33
5.1 DECOUPLING CAPACITORS ...............................................................................................................................33
5.2 CRYSTAL PLACEMENT ......................................................................................................................................34
5.3 ESD DESIGN .....................................................................................................................................................34
5.3.1 TVS Device Selection .......................................................................................................................................35
5.3.2 TVS Characteristics and Clamping Voltage ....................................................................................................35
7 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN.........................................................................................................................................40
7.1 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................................................40
7.2 FINGER IN CONTACT WITH SURFACE OF SENSOR ...............................................................................................41
7.3 TOP SURFACE OF CASING MATES FLUSH WITH SENSOR WINGS ..........................................................................41
7.4 MATING ALIGNMENT SHOULD NOT RELY ON THE SENSOR ITSELF......................................................................41
7.5 DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................................................42
7.5.1 Entry And Exit Angles......................................................................................................................................42
7.5.2 Extent Of Finger Groove .................................................................................................................................45
7.5.3 Design For Biometric Applications .................................................................................................................46
7.5.4 Design For Navigation and Biometric Applications........................................................................................48
7.5.5 Sensor To Housing Clearance .........................................................................................................................49
7.5.6 Sensor Wing Design.........................................................................................................................................50
7.5.7 PCB to Housing Guide for Mating Alignment .................................................................................................51
7.5.8 Gaskets.............................................................................................................................................................52
8 DESIGN CHECKLISTS........................................................................................................................................54
8.1 GENERAL ELECTRICAL DESIGN CHECKLIST .....................................................................................................54
8.2 ESD AND GENERAL PCBA LAYOUT DESIGN CHECKLIST.................................................................................54
8.3 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN CHECKLIST (SENSOR SURFACE TO CASING SURFACE).......................................................55
8.4 MECHANICAL DESIGN CHECKLIST (PCBA MOUNTING & MATING TO CASING).................................................56
8.5 PROTOTYPE OR UNIT FUNCTIONAL VALIDATION CHECKLIST ...........................................................................56
9 REFERENCE DESIGN ........................................................................................................................................57
The AES2501B is a multi-function device that can provide AuthenTecs Power of Touch
capabilities to any product. These capabilities include greatly enhanced security through
fingerprint authentication, function launch, and motion detection for menu or cursor control
to replace buttons and switches.
The purpose of this primer is to provide the information needed to integrate the AES2501B
into a real product. This manual has been created based on industry leading practical
experience with real applications in the marketplace. It shows both the things to do and the
things to avoid in design and development. In order to avoid costly rework, as well as
to ensure maximum reliability and performance of the sensor, this manual should
be studied in detail before beginning system design. This manual is intended for
hardware integrators and system designers.
Maximum swipe speed is dependent on the USB bus bandwidth available. USB tree
architecture should be considered carefully when integrating the sensor.
The sensor is provided in a very small Lead-free 48 Ball Grid Array (BGA) Package. A thin
package 13.8mm x 5mm x 1.2mm seated height. The sensor is extremely reliable when
integrated as directed, and provides ESD Immunity to IEC 61000-4-2 Level 4 Criteria B
and abrasion resistance of at least 10 million rubs with no degradation visible to the naked
eye or in function. Temperature performance is compatible with USB device operation, in
the 0C to +70C range.
In addition to biometric capturing fingerprints, the sensor can also be used as a scrolling
device, like the mouse scrolling function. This function can actually reduce system cost by
replacing the buttons and switches normally used for on-screen navigation in peripherals,
tablets or laptops. The AES2501B uses an image-based full scrolling technique. Scrolling
parameters like speed and sensitivity are also programmable to allow for different
parameters in different products.
The sensor fully supports USB suspend and remote wakeup. During suspend mode, the
sensor operates in a low power finger detection mode, so that touching the sensor will
initiate a remote wakeup. In addition, the sensor has several built-in event detection
functions that are triggered by ESD events or other disturbances that may cause the
sensor to malfunction. Once a fault has been detected, the sensor will automatically
recover from the fault by forcing a USB re-enumeration or a sensor master reset.
The sensor also supports Biometric Boot, enabling asset and privacy protection. In BIOS
applications, the sensor may be used to authenticate a user before a PC has booted up
(preboot authentication). Fingerprint templates and code may be stored in the PC System
Flash. The information stored in flash can be associated with an authentication word
supplied by the sensor while being read by the host computer to further increase the
security of the flash data. This mechanism can be used to ensure that the data that is
assumed to be coming from the flash is really coming from this location, and not through
some other mechanism that has been patched into the system to subvert the security.
Personal Computers
Laptops and tablet PCs
PC peripherals like USB mice and keyboards
In operation, the sensor captures multiple slices of the fingerprint as a finger is swiped
over the surface of the sensor. Each slice consists of 1537 bytes of data, and a complete
swipe may contain up to 113 individual slices. The swipe data is held temporarily in a
secure buffer in the RAM of the computer, and then the AuthenTec fingerprint matcher
software processes this data to extract information that can be used to match the
fingerprint. This extracted information is called a template, and is much smaller in size
than the original swipe data. When enrolling a users finger, the extracted template is
stored on the host computers system flash or on the hard disk. When verifying a users
fingerprint, the application presents the information extracted from the new swipe data and
compares it to the stored templates to see if there is a match!
PC
Microprocessor
USB Host
Controller
PC USB Port
AES2501x
USB RDK
The external housing/casing design is usually the first item initiated by the integrator. This
is due to the long lead times to produce the die for the casing. The casing design involves
the correct mating of the top surfaces of the sensor. Swipe path must be smooth for a good
experience for the end customer. The height of the AuthenTec sensor is reduced by the
process of PCBA reflow. This change in height should not be overlooked during the design
of the casing and mechanical mounting.
This kit contains schematics and Bill of Materials for the USB interface design for the
sensor.
To support the ESD immunity, the PCB layout is critical to passing the EMC-ESD
compliance with the first pass of the PCB.
Application Software
While the hardware design process is underway, development of any application software
required can be started by using a peripheral AuthenTec USB sensor module. This
module will behave the same as the product being designed at the operating system level.
BIOS preboot authentication development can also be performed using the USB module
by using a PC-based BIOS development system. The USB module allows the sensor to
be connected to a PC USB port and tested with the software before the integrated sensor
hardware has been completed.
Driver Certification
AuthenTec supplies the certified driver required by the sensor. AuthenTec provides a DLL
containing the API for all sensor-related functions. So the only software development that is
needed is at the application level or BIOS level.
The last step in the integration process is to test the final product design. Many different
kinds of testing should be performed, including basic electrical and compliance testing, as
well as biometric testing to verify that the casing design provides smooth swiping action
and thus consistent results. Then that the fingerprint matching results meet specification.
A USB sensor module is also included in this kit. The USB module can be used to begin
software development and hardware checkout before the actual product hardware has
been designed, greatly reducing the time to develop a new product.
A preboot authentication (PBA) software kit for BIOS development is also available. This
kit should be used by integrators desiring to use fingerprint authentication to enable and
disable a PCs boot process, for added security.
In the Software Development Kit (SDK), AuthenTec provides a Windows driver for the
sensor and a DLL. The DLL contains an Application Programming Interface (API) that can
be used to develop application software using the sensor. Full documentation of the DLL
is also provided in the kit. The API contains functions for high level biometric functions, like
enrolling and verifying fingerprints, as well as for lower level functions that capture
A functional diagram of how preboot authentication works is shown in the figure below. In
this model, fingerprint authentication is used to prevent the PC from booting up if the
enrolled user is not present. As its name implies, preboot authentication occurs prior to the
PC booting up (at the BIOS level), but enrollment of fingerprints and other management
functions are performed at the operating system level for convenience. Fingerprint
templates are stored on either the hard disk drive (HDD) or in system flash memory.
The option ROM approach allows the PBA software to be implemented without any
changes to the original BIOS. The option ROM component can also be provided in an
entry point invocable form, but in this case some small changes to the original BIOS are
required. The software in this kit is written as generically as possible so that it can be
adapted to any manufacturers BIOS.
The AuthenTec Preboot Authentication software is not currently designed to work with
third-party matchers.
During fingerprint imaging, an RF signal is conducted via the Drive Ring on the surface of
the sensor to the users finger. This signal is essential to the imaging process, so the
sensor housing must be designed so that the Drive Ring is not covered up. The Drive Ring
is represented by the Excitation Generator in the figure below. The signal that is generated
by the Excitation Generator is conducted by the living layer of the skin in the finger. The
living layer of the skin is high in saline content, which makes it a much better conductor
than the dead, dry skin that forms the skin surface that we can see. The RF signal injected
into the living layer forms an electric field that varies in strength depending on whether
there is a fingerprint ridge or valley present.
Cross section of
finger skin
Live skin cell layer
Excitation
Generator
Before a fingerprint image can be captured, the sensor must first detect that a finger has
been placed on the sensor. This operation is called the finger detect mode. The device
drivers that support the AES2501B utilize the method of image based finger detection. The
device driver will request the sensor to deliver the array scan data, then process this data
and determine whether a finger has been placed on the sensor.
The Fingerprint Imaging Mode is the mode used when the sensor is capturing a fingerprint
image for biometric purposes. When a fingerprint image has been requested, the sensor
first operates in Finger Detect Mode until a finger swipe is started by the user or the
operation times out. If a finger is detected, the sensor switches to Imaging Mode to
capture a stacked image and send it to the host processor. When the finger is removed
from the sensor (or the imaging process times out), imaging mode is ended and
processing of the image begins in software. All of these mode changes are automatically
performed by the AuthenTec driver and DLL, and the system designer need not be
concerned with the details of how this is performed.
When the sensor is used as a scrolling device, the sequence is different. In this case, a
repeating sequence of images is sent by the sensor to the host computer. Software
evaluates this stream of images to determine in which direction the finger is moving, and by
how much. The sensitivity can be adjusted to provide for personalization, at the price of
power consumption, or lower performance with improved power consumption for less
demanding applications.
The most important fault detection mechanism inside the sensor is an overcurrent (OVC)
detection circuit that uses an external sense resistor to measure the current in the digital
portion of the sensor. This circuit is used to detect latchup events that occur as a result of
ESD or power supply inversion. If the OVC detection circuit is triggered, the AES2501B
will turn off its own VDD power and then turn it back on, using an external switching device
to control the power rail. This power cycling will clear the latchup condition and cause a
USB re-enumeration. The OVC detection circuit is described more fully in a later section of
this document.
There are also other built-in fault detection mechanisms that may be used if needed.
These mechanisms are enabled and disabled through software. If they are enabled, the
sensor will automatically perform a re-enumeration and a master reset in response to an
error condition. The AuthenTec driver will implement these features if they are required.
As part of each AuthenTec sensor qualification, all compliance tests are run to validate the
recovery of anomalous events.
The AES2501B sensor will work with power supply voltages from 3.0V to 3.6V, and the
supply voltage should never exceed 4.3V. Since USB bus power is often 4.5 to 5.5V, this
voltage would need to be regulated down to the sensor nominal operating voltage of 3.3V.
If a voltage regulator is used, it should be specified to supply at least the worst-case
imaging mode current ~70mA.
The worst-case currents occur during imaging mode. During scrolling mode, the sensor
current will be 25mA (typical). The USB specification requires that a low power device
such as the sensor use a power supply current of 100mA or less, which is more than
enough for the sensor.
A critical power supply requirement for the sensor is that peak-to-peak ripple (noise) on the
power supply must not exceed 100mV. The ripple should be carefully checked on the
actual PC board for the product to ensure that this requirement is met. The worst-case
ripple occurs when the USB D+ signal is active. The figure below shows how this
measurement can be performed with an oscilloscope, and is an example of good power
supply ripple.
The VDD supply for the sensor should be designed to rise monotonically from 0V to the
VDD voltage. VDD characteristics like those shown in the figure below must be avoided.
In this kind of situation, reset is correctly released (exceeds 2/3 * VDD, or 2.2V) after VDD
exceeds 3.0V, but then VDD falls back below 3.0V again, causing reset to have been
released prematurely. This can result in incorrect sensor operation.
VDD
3.0V RESET
2/3*VDD
Time
The sensor power must be controlled with hardware so that the sensor can turn its own
power on and off under the control of its overcurrent detection circuit. This power control is
used to recover from latchup events in the sensor caused by Electrostatic Discharges
(ESD). When an electrostatic discharge occurs, it is possible for the sensor, like all other
CMOS integrated circuits, to go into latchup. CMOS circuits inherently contain four-layer
devices that can behave like SCRs. This typically occurs when the VDD power supply is
momentarily biased at a lower voltage than the sensor ground. This power supply
inversion can occur during an ESD event, or due to some other fault in the power supply.
When latchup occurs, the sensor will draw a large amount of current and can also become
uncomfortably warm. The sensor has a built-in overcurrent detection circuit that prevents
this condition from continuing by switching off the power to the sensor momentarily when it
occurs.
Additionally, sensor supply current limiting is required for safety in USB applications. USB
ports in PCs can sometimes supply very large amounts of current into a short circuit. In
some PCs, this current can reach 5A or more. This can result in a dangerous situation if
the sensor becomes physically damaged. To prevent safety problems, the current to the
sensor should be limited to ~250mA. The goal is for the sensor to remain below 60C
temperature. The voltage regulators which are not specifically designed to be a current
limiter are not reliable current limiters and cannot be used for this purpose. Using a
devices which interrupts that power and restores it would be advisable, as opposed to
current foldback.
The 2ohm sense resistor is used to measure the current entering the digital portion of the
sensor. If the voltage drop across the sense resistor exceeds the threshold for a
sufficiently long time, the OVC_DET signal will go high for a set period of time, turning off
power to the sensor. After the time period has elapsed, the OVC_DET signal will go low
again, automatically turning sensor power back on. The specifications for the sensors
OVC_DET circuit are shown in the table below.
D8: OVC_VDD
AAT4610A VDD2
5 In 1
3.3V_REG Out D10: OVC_VDDA
Sense Resistor
4 #On Set 3 2 ohm, 1%
2 39K
D11: OVC_SENSE
AES2501x
B3: VDD
A8: VDD
D9: OVC_DET*
The MOSFET Q1 must be selected to have low on-state resistance (Rdson) to avoid
having a large voltage drop while the sensor is imaging. The MOSFET threshold voltage
must also be selected for 3.0V operation, so that the MOSFET will be fully turned on at the
minimum gate voltage of 2.7V.
C12: VDDA
Q1 AES2501x
C10: VDDA_ON*
1. The USB power (regulated down from 5.0V to 3.3V, i.e., 3.3V_REG) turn-on is
monotonic and reaches full VDD within the specified time with respect to reset and
the oscillator turn-on.
2. When the sensor VDD is turned off by the AAT4610A, it falls to a value less than
0.5V within a few milliseconds. If VDD never falls to less than 0.5V, this probably
indicates that one or more sensor inputs is not being turned off when VDD is turned
off. This might happen, for example, if the serial flash connected to the sensor is
supplied with power from 3.3V_REG rather than from VDD2. On the other hand, if
the turn-off time is too long, a resistor with a large value may be placed in parallel
with the sensor in order to bleed off stored charge more quickly.
The sensor is designed to use a one-pin oscillator, which means that a crystal or resonator
is connected to the sensor through the single pin A11 (SYS_CLK). Board capacitance is
critical in this design, because it greatly affects the crystal or resonator start-up time.
Careful analysis of the oscillator start-up time using the actual PC board should be
performed to ensure that the oscillator start-up time requirements are met over the range of
board and capacitor variability.
The schematic below shows the pin connections related to using a crystal or resonator as
the clock source.
A11: SYS_CLK
C R
10pF Y 47K
6/12MHz
AES1610
When a crystal or resonator is used as the sensor clock, the clock ramp time is dependent
upon the start-up time of the crystal or resonator. The load capacitance on SYS_CLK and
AuthenTecs reference design, which includes a capacitor of 10pF, has a worst-case start-
up time of 9ms. RESET* can be released 9.01ms after VDD reaches 3.0V.
VDD (3.3V)
3.0V
SYS_CLK
Clock stable
in < 9ms RESET
Reset at >
9ms
The crystal or resonator used with the sensor must meet the requirements shown in the
table below. The crystal must be of the series resonant type. Any crystal or resonator that
meets the specifications can be used.
It is also possible to drive the sensor clock with an external clock source, although this
arrangement is not commonly used. The connections when using an externally driven
clock are shown in the figure below. The external clock is connected to pin A11
(SYS_CLK) of the sensor. The clock must be a gated clock, and must be turned off when
the OVC_DET signal has turned the sensor power off. This is because the sensor can be
powered up through the SYS_CLK pin, which will prevent any latchup conditions from
being cleared if the clock continues to run with the sensor power turned off.
OVC_DET
B2: SYS_CLK
CLK
6/12MHz
AES1610
The external clock should be held in the low state until VDD reaches at least 3.0V. This
prevents powering up the sensor through the input protection network on the SYS_CLK
pin.
SYS_CLK can be applied any time after VDD reaches 3.0V. If using the internal PLL, time
is required for it to stabilize before operating the sensor. The PLL lock time is 1ms worst
case. The lock time starts from either clock starting or reset being released, whichever
comes last. The external clock should be stable and meet the required drive specifications
within 1.5ms of VDD reaching 3.0V, and reset may then, for example, be released 2.5ms
after power on. The clock may be active or inactive when reset is applied or released. The
0.047F reset capacitor recommended for use with an external clock will release reset
after ~2.5ms.
The figure below shows an example of the start-up time for an externally driven clock,
when using the SYS_CLK pin. Note that reset could also occur 10ns after VDD reaches
3.0V without affecting sensor operation.
VDD
3.0V
SYS_CLK
Clock stable
in 1.5ms RESET*
Reset at
2.5ms
Figure 4-8 Reset Timing Example With Externally-Driven Clock On SYS_CLK Pin
When an externally driven clock source is used, the figure and table below give the
specifications required for the clock source:
A ceramic capacitor (C) is connected to RESET* (pin A5). This capacitor is connected to
VDD through a 57.1Kohm ( 15%) resistor that is inside the sensor. When a crystal
oscillator is used, the value of the reset capacitor should be 0.22F, assuming that the
crystal start-up time meets the requirements specified above. This value will guarantee that
reset is not released until the oscillator has started up.
When an externally driven clock is used, the value of the reset capacitor should be
0.047F.
The time for reset to be released when using a capacitor can easily be calculated by
multiplying the capacitor value by the value of the reset resistor inside the sensor
(57.1Kohms). For example, the nominal time to release reset for a 0.22F capacitor is:
A5: RESET*
Reset should be designed so that it is released (reaches a voltage of 2/3 * VDD) at least
10ns after VDD reaches 3.0V. However, this timing may be modified depending on what
type of clock or oscillator is used (see sections above on clock design). The minimum
timing should be as shown in the figure below, which could be used in the case of an
external clock. For a crystal oscillator, the timing should be as shown in the section Crystal
Circuit Design.
Voltage
VDD RESET
3.0V
2/3*VDD
Time
>10ns
C9: ENUM
VDD
1.5K
AES2501x
24
USB D+ B9: DPLUS
24
USB D- B10: DMINUS
The signals on the USB D+ and D- lines (and other inputs) to the sensor should meet the
VIH and VIL requirements shown in the table below to ensure that logic levels will be
recognized by the sensor.
10pF
1K
1000pF
AES2501x
The capacitance of the TVS, the PSR05 or the SR05, should not be greater than 12pF
line-line or line-ground. The clamping voltage should not be greater than 10VDC when
using 8/20uS disturbance testing and current of 1 ampere.
WARNING: too much capacitance on this node may cause operational issues with
transition to standby on platforms. If there is concern, consult AuthenTec Applications.
The grounding of this circuit is extremely important for good ESD protection (see PC
Layout Considerations in a later section of this document).
Sensor
Pads
Crystal
If it is desired that a different ESD protection device than the one recommended in the
AuthenTec reference design be used, it is very important that it first be thoroughly tested.
There are many replacement devices that are commonly used, such as Zener diodes,
which do not provide adequate protection for the sensor. Use of this type of device can
result in field reliability failures. Contact AuthenTec for recommendations when
considering alternative devices for ESD protection. Presently only Protek with their PSR05
and Semtech with the SR05 are qualified devices.
The capacitance of the TVS, the PSR05 or the SR05, should not be greater than 12pF
line-line or line-ground. The clamping voltage should not be greater than 10VDC when
using 8/20uS disturbance testing and current of 1 ampere.
WARNING: too much capacitance on this node may cause operational issues with
transition to standby on platforms. If there is concern, consult AuthenTec Applications.
The figure below illustrates good SR05 placement and connection to the ground plane.
SR05
Figure 5-3 SR05 Placement (Ground Plane Not Shown For Clarity)
When a nonconductive housing is used around the sensor, there may be a gap for ESD
discharges to reach the PCBA surface around the sensor. The PCBA can be constructed
to address this problem. There is an explanation of this implementation below. Another
method to provide immunity to the Casing Crevice ESD is for the backside of the casing to
be sprayed with conductive coating to allow the ESD to conduct to that casing backside
surface. There is no exposed leadframe on the AES2501B. These design methods are
only needed with nonconductive sensor casings, since conductive casings will absorb ESD
discharges around the sides of the sensor.
The ground plane of the PC board should be extended under the edge of the sensor on the
surface of the board, as shown in the figure below. Electrostatic discharges can
sometimes jump around the edges of the sensor and could hit the sensor balls underneath
or other traces on the PCBA. The balls are the sensor pins and are only rated to withstand
ESD voltages found in assembly operations, not in field use. This type of discharge can
damage the sensor, if not prevented by the extension of the ground plane underneath the
sensor edge. Note that no ground plane is allowed underneath the sensor within the ball
grid array itself. The minimum spacing between the ground plane and the sensor ball pads
is 6 mils (0.1524mm).
In addition, if PC board traces must be placed on the surface of the board near the sensor,
they should be covered with labeling silkscreen paint to prevent ESD discharges to the
The white boundary is the outline of the sensor. The yellow area is the exposed copper of
the top layer of the PCBA. Notice that the exposed copper goes under the lip of the sensor
edge.
Test Pad
(OE#)
Sensor
Pads
When the sensor is incorporated in a peripheral module, connecting the sensor board to
chassis ground is usually not possible. In this case, one or more ferrite beads should be
added to the USB cable to help suppress EMI transients that are coupled into the USB
cable or shield by ESD events. The AuthenTec USB sensor module in the reference
design kit includes this feature. In addition to improving the sensor module ESD
The USB specification requires that USB cables have a shield. However, when USB
devices are integrated into a PC or other hardware platform, this requirement is frequently
ignored. This may be due to the difficulty in making flat cables with a shield around them.
In any case, this lack of shielding can have a very deleterious effect on ESD test results.
One indicator of this problem is when ESD discharges to the product housing around the
sensor, or even in locations far away from the sensor, cause the sensor to re-enumerate or
stop working. An unshielded USB cable is essentially a long antenna that can receive the
EMI pulses from ESD events very efficiently. This coupled EMI can upset the USB port
connected to the sensor, or even the CPU. To avoid this kind of problem, be careful to
shield the USB cable, even if it is inside the equipment. The cable shield should be
connected directly to chassis ground if the board ground has not been connected to
chassis ground.
Consumer electronic devices are designed with several factors in mind, including
aesthetic form, ergonomic function, and product brand identity. Likewise, the
industrial design for the sensor should include all of these factors. This means that
the location of the sensor on the product and the design of the areas around the
sensor must be carefully considered. The fingerprint sensor casing design is as
important as cell phone keypad design or computer touchpad layout in creating a
beautiful and functional product.
This section explains the guidelines for an optimum industrial design for a product
using the sensor. The intended audience for this document includes industrial and
mechanical designers.
Care must be taken to ensure proper clearance of the housing/casing around the
sensor to provide good contact between the finger and the sensor surface during the
process of sliding a finger across the sensor. AuthenTec has tested various housing
designs to develop guidelines to achieve the best contact between the finger and the
sensor. The final image quality has many determinants including swipe speed, skin
types, rotation, and twisting of the finger during sliding, ensuring maximum planar
contact between the finger. The key part of all of these factors is that contact with the
sensor is necessary to obtain good quality images.
When deciding on the housing design for the sensor, the most important factor is to
keep the finger surface in direct contact with the sensing array during the entire
"swipe" of the finger. This can be best accomplished by making the sensor housing
leading up to the contact area of the sensor surface planar with the sensor surface.
The active sensor surface should not project above or be recessed below the surface
of the housing. There should also be ample room in the groove that guides the finger
during its swiping action so that the entire top joint of the finger can slide along the
surface of the sensor without difficulty.
The sensor has areas that contain bond wires at each end (wings, see diagram
below) that protrude above the active sensor area. These areas can present a rough
or sharp feel to the users finger if the housing is not designed to conceal these
edges. The housing should be designed with a smoothly sloping surface that is
planar with the sensor wings on the sides to prevent an uncomfortable sensation
when sliding the finger along the surface of the sensor.
Sensor Wings
(side view)
Another important design factor is that the housing should not press down on the
sensor too hard. If too much pressure is applied to the body of the sensor, it is
possible to fracture the sensor package or chip, causing the sensor to fail. For this
reason, it is best if the housing does not cover the sensor package, since this will
prevent pressure from being applied to it. To assist in the assembly process, studs or
guides should be implemented on the bottom of the housing piece that covers the
sensor to ensure that the housing can be installed on top of the sensor without
accidentally applying pressure to the wings. These studs or guides should be
designed to fit into holes or slots on the sensor PC board.
In some applications, it may be necessary to seal the area around the sensor in order
to prevent liquids or dirt from intruding into the housing. A rubber gasket may be used
for this purpose.
1. The housing design should maximize planar contact between the sensor surface
and finger. The finger groove ideally should have a 0 angle, but should not
exceed a 10 angle. The finger groove should be long enough to accommodate
the entire top joint of the users finger.
2. Sensor surface should not project above housing or be recessed below housing.
3. The top surface of the housing should flow into the top surfaces of the sides of the
sensor, so that no sharp edges can be felt.
4. The housing should not apply excessive pressure to the sensor body. The best
housing design does not cover the sensor body. Studs or guides should be used
to ensure proper assembly. Clearance between the sensor and the housing for
designs that do not have gaskets around the sensor should be a minimum of
0.1mm.
5. A gasket made from a soft material may be used to seal the opening around the
sensor.
This section gives detailed specifications for designing the best sensor housing.
The angles of the housing that are along the path that a finger slides along the
surface (finger groove) should be designed to be 0 if possible. As a maximum, these
angles should be no more than 10. This is shown in the figure below.
Sensor
surface
Finger
Groove
The ends of the finger groove should blend smoothly into the surface of the product
housing, and should never be terminated with a vertical step in the housing.
Sensor Wing
The finger groove (or finger sliding area) should be designed to be planar with the top
surface of the sensor. The sensor surface should not project above the finger groove
area of the housing, nor should it be recessed below the finger groove area, as shown
below.
Most housing designs will have a groove (valley) to guide the users finger when
sliding it along the sensor surface. This groove must be made long enough that the
sensor can capture the entire fingertip without obstruction. Ideally, the groove or
available sliding area at the top side of the sensor should be at least as long as the
top joint of a finger, as shown in the figure below.
Finger Groove
For applications in which the sensor is only used as a biometric identification device,
the finger groove can be recessed below the housing surface. The figure below
shows one way to design the finger groove that embodies this principle. This type of
design is best for achieving repeatable finger swiping during authentication. Note that
the finger groove is also long enough to accommodate the top joint of a finger.
Figure 7-8 Optimal Flush Mating with Casing and Taper to Sensor Wings Design
For applications in which the sensor is used as a navigation device, a design that
allows the finger to move easily in any direction is preferable. One way to do this is to
make the housing around the sensor completely flat and use small bumps to guide
the finger, as shown in the figure below. The small bumps at the four corners of the
sensor provide tactile guidance when sliding the finger.
It is very important to avoid applying pressure to the sensor with the product housing
during assembly operations. For this reason, the housing must not be designed to
have too tight a fit to the sensor. A minimum clearance between the sensor and
housing of 0.1mm is recommended for designs that do not use a gasket around the
sensor.
The housing should be designed so that the sensor wings are not covered up, and the
housing is planar with the tops of the wings. A gently sloping angle from the top of the
wings to the rest of the housing will help to ensure that the housing does not have a
rough feeling when sliding a finger. It is also acceptable to make the top of the
housing flat in this area rather than beveled, but a beveled area improves the feel of
the sensor when sliding a finger. The figure below illustrates the best design for the
wing area.
Housing slightly
beveled here
Housing
Sensor Surface
This beveled design can be combined with guide bumps for added tactile guidance for
navigation, as shown below. This type of design can be used for both biometric
authentication and navigation applications.
Guide
Bumps
In order to further protect the sensor package from pressure, as well as to ensure a
uniform appearance of the sensor when mated to the housing, the part of the housing
that contacts the sensor should be designed to have guides or studs on the bottom.
These guides should fit into holes or grooves in the sensor PC board, as shown in the
figure below. The design tolerance of these guides should be less than 0.1mm. This
tolerance will correspond to the minimal clearance of the sensor to casing.
Guide Stud
Sensor
PC Board
Hole
The sensor itself should never be used as a mechanical alignment guide to the
housing opening.
Subassemblies such as the PC board on which the sensor is mounted should not be
used as alignment guides unless the subassembly has construction and alignment
tolerances of less than 0.1mm, so that the housing opening will never touch the
sensor edge during assembly. Perpendicular mating should always be used for
subassemblies containing the sensor. Sensor assemblies that slide horizontally or
that rotate vertically or horizontally into position create the possibility of damaging the
sensor.
7.5.8 Gaskets
In some applications, it may be necessary to use a gasket around the sensor in order
to prevent liquids or dirt from entering the housing or coming into contact with the PC
board. For example, if chemicals or liquids come into contact with the PC board, they
may cause a short circuit. Gaskets can be made from soft rubber or other materials
of this type. The gasket should be designed to be conformal with the sides of the
sensor, including the sensor wing areas. The gasket may extend outward from the
sides of the sensor to provide an area for the housing to seal against the gasket. The
figure below shows how the gasket surrounds the sensor to prevent foreign materials
from entering the housing.
An example of an actual gasket design is shown below. Note how the gasket material
follows the contours of the sensor surface and extends outward from the sensor.
A block diagram of the Reference Design is shown in the figure below. A crystal oscillator
and voltage regulation from 5.0V to 3.3V are provided as part of the design. If the USB
port in the product can supply 3.3V for the sensor VDD, the voltage regulator section of the
circuit can be omitted. The CLKSEL pins in this design are configured for a 12MHz crystal
based operation.
AES2501B
AES
2501B USB RDK
VDD
USB 5.0V
Power
Voltage PWR IN
VDD
Regulator
Control
DPLUS DPLUS
CLKSEL2
CLKSEL1
CLKSEL0
RESET*
10 USB Module
The AuthenTec Reference Design Kit includes a USB sensor module. This module
consists of an AES2501B sensor and surrounding components, with an attached USB
cable that can be inserted into a standard USB port on a PC.
This section is also intended to support those customers who are in production and need to
identify failed or correct performing units. In order to avoid costly rework, as well as to
ensure maximum reliability and performance of the sensor, this section should be
studied in detail before beginning troubleshooting. This section is intended for
hardware integrator customers, system designers bringing up initial systems, and
manufacturers and end customer systems where needed.
For devices from AuthenTec which appear to be a supplier defect, AuthenTec has the
RMA (Return Materials Authorization) and PFARR ( Product Failure Analysis Review
Request) process to follow. Please contact your local or corporate AuthenTec personnel to
facilitate further action.
If the sensor is not visible in the Device Manager, this is usually an indication of a hardware
problem. Often this indicates a fatal problem like no sensor VDD voltage or a
disconnected USB D+ or D- signal line. This problem can also occur if the sensor VDD is
continually being switched on and off by the OVC_DET circuit.
The first step in debugging this problem is to look at the basic sensor VDD, reset,
OVC_DET, USB D+, USB D- and oscillator with an oscilloscope. Connect wires to the
sensor board to monitor these signals and then plug the board into a USB port and monitor
the appearance of these signal at the initial plug-in event and afterwards. The oscillator
signal should always be monitored with a low capacitance oscilloscope probe. Triggering
on the sensor VDD going from low to high will capture the events that occur at plug-in.
Examples of normal signals are shown in the figures below.
1. The 2ohm current sense resistor (R4) may be a higher resistance value (in the figure
above, a 180ohm sense resistor was used).
2. The 40.2Kohm current limit control resistor (R1) connected to the AAT4610A may not
be 40.2Kohms
3. There may be a short circuit in the circuit board that is causing an excessive amount
of current to be drawn on the sensor VDD line.
4. The sensor itself may be physically damaged so that it is drawing an excessive
amount of VDD current.
Another possible problem is that the oscillator does not start up at all, or starts after 9ms. If
the oscillator does not start up, then the sensor will be unable to communicate. If the
oscillator start-up time is longer than 9ms, the PLL may lock on the wrong frequency for a
short time, causing USB communication to break down. (The PLL will eventually reset to
the correct frequency as long as the oscillator is oscillating at the right frequency.) Another
A third possible problem is due to the sensor RESET* signal never rising, or rising too
soon. If the RESET* signal never rises, then the sensor will always stay in reset and will
not communicate. If the RESET* signal rises too soon, it may release the sensor from
reset before the oscillator has stabilized, resulting in problems with the PLL locking on the
wrong frequency again.
Likewise, if problems in the oscillator circuit cause the sensor PLL to lock on the wrong
frequency, as described in the previous section, then USB communication may be erratic,
resulting in the operating system being unable to identify the sensor.
When the sensor is displayed with an exclamation point in the Device Manager, this
indicates that the driver was able to recognize the USB Vendor Identification Number (VID)
and Product Identification Number (PID) of the sensor, but the register data read from the
sensor was incorrect in some way. For example, the sensor version number read from the
registers may not match the version expected by the driver, or other register data may be
corrupted. This can occur because an obsolete sensor version has been placed on the PC
board, or because of problems with USB communication.
First use the Windows Device Manager to try disabling and re-enabling the sensor to see if
this fixes the problem, as shown in the figures below. Right click on the AuthenTec
AES1600 in the Device Manager and then select either Enable or Disable from the
menu. When the sensor is disabled, a red X will appear on the USB symbol to the right of
the sensor description. If the problem was erratic USB communication, disabling and re-
enabling the sensor may fix it, at least temporarily. For example, it is possible for this
phenomenon to occur during ESD testing due to the ESD event upsetting USB
communication. In some cases, it may be necessary to shut down power to the PC and
then reboot to fix this problem.
If the sensor is knocked out by an ESD event, first check to see if the OVC circuit is tripping
and forcing a re-enumeration after ESD events. If the circuit never trips (OVC_DET signal
never goes high), the 2ohm sense resistor may be an incorrect value, or there may be
some other problem with the circuitry around the AAT4610A. Another possible problem is
that the sensor VDD does not fall to less than 0.5V within a few milliseconds after VDD is
turned off by the AAT4610A. If sensor VDD does not fall to less than 0.5V, latchups may
never be cleared and the sensor will be in an improper operating state. A third problem
that might occur is that the AuthenTec driver is unable to deal with a particular error
condition. In this case, contact AuthenTec for assistance in working on the problem.
If the sensor board is integrated inside the PC or other hardware and it is the PC USB port
that is knocked out by an ESD event, then this is usually an indication of insufficient
grounding within the hardware. A common problem is that the sensor board itself is not
grounded to the hardware chassis. Try connecting the sensor board ground directly to the
chassis to see if this solves the problem.
Another problem occurs when the sensor is integrated inside of a PC or other hardware
and the USB cable connecting the sensor board to the USB port is not shielded. ESD
events generate huge EMI pulses that can be received by the USB cable, which behaves
like an antenna if it is not shielded. A good indicator for this type of problem is that the
There are several possible problems that can cause the sensor to re-enumerate
intermittently. First, the 2ohm sense resistor (R4) may be too high of a value, causing the
OVC threshold to be marginally low. If this is the case, the sensor current may
occasionally cross the threshold and cause the OVC circuit to turn off sensor power. This
problem can be discovered by monitoring the OVC_DET and sensor VDD signals over a
long period of time. Triggering the oscilloscope on the OVC_DET signal going high will
capture this type of event.
If the current limit control resistor (R1) of the AAT4610A is the wrong value or
disconnected, this may cause the AAT4610 to intermittently turn off power to the sensor.
If there is a problem with the oscillator circuit or oscillator start-up time being longer than
9ms, it is possible for the sensor PLL to lock on the wrong frequency. The sensor may
draw too much current in this case, and if the oscillator start-up time is longer than the OVC
detection time window (17.1 51.4ms), this may intermittently cause the OVC circuit to
trigger. Monitoring the OVC_DET signal and sensor VDD over a long time will again
capture this type of problem. Verify that the oscillator start-up time is less than 9ms and
that RESET* goes high after the oscillator has stabilized. Also verify that the 47Kohm
resistor in the oscillator circuit is really 47Kohms and is connected to the crystal.
If the sensor is slightly physically damaged on its surface, causing mildly excessive current
to be drawn, then again the OVC circuit may trigger intermittently.
A more subtle problem can occur if the sensor VDD ripple exceeds the specified limit of
100mV peak to peak. Note that the maximum ripple occurs when the USB D+ signal is
active, so the VDD ripple should be measured as shown in the figure below. This figure
shows marginally good VDD ripple. Note that the VDD ripple is close to 100mV peak-to-
peak in this figure, but only when D+ is active. If the ripple exceeds specification, the
sensor may re-enumerate intermittently. Adding decoupling capacitors and improving the
PC board layout can improve this problem.
If an image of a fingerprint cannot be displayed, this may be caused by a problem with the
sensor finger ring circuit. There is a 47ohm resistor connected between sensor pins A1
and D1 (the finger ring circuit). If this resistor is missing or disconnected, the sensor finger
ring signal will not be present and the sensor will not be able to image. Test both sides of
this resistor to see if there is an oscillating signal present, as shown in the figure below
(signal labeled DRIVE_RING). If there is no signal on either side of this resistor, try
replacing the sensor to see if it fixes the problem. If the signal is present on one side of the
resistor but not the other, try replacing the resistor.
USB D+
VDDA_ON*
VDDA
If the sensor is physically damaged, this may also prevent an image from being captured.
Replacing the sensor is again a quick way to verify this problem.
If the sensor becomes abnormally warm during operation, there are several possible
problems to look for:
1. The sensor may have been physically damaged, causing excessive power
consumption that is not triggering the OVC circuit. This may be because the damage
If Remote Wakeup is enabled and the sensor fails to wake up from suspend when a finger
is placed on it, there are at least two possible problems that should be investigated. First, if
the oscillator startup time is longer than 20ms, the sensor will not be operational within the
USB bus resume signaling specification and it will fail to wake up. Sensor VDD and other
signals should also be investigated to be sure that they are behaving normally.
Another cause for failure to wake up is when there is an interaction between the driver and
the specific host platform. If all sensor module problems have been investigated and
eliminated, contact AuthenTec for assistance with the driver.
8. Sensor does not go into Suspend or takes a long time to go into suspend.
Check the following:
Verify that the TVS on the design is within specification. Too much capacitance
will not allow the sensor to calibrate the finger detect. This may make the sensor
think there is a finger on the sensor and prevent the sensor and the software from
allowing to transition to suspend.
9. Sensor passes Checksensor pixel test portion of program but does not image.
Check the following:
Power down the circuit. Verify the resistance from FRNG to ground. If this is less
than 10k ohm. The sensor has apparently been physically damaged if this
measurement is less than 1K ohm. See Figure 11-10 and the signal labeled
DRIVE-RING. This signal will be highly attenuated by the effective short seen on
the FRNG node.