A modular FPGA-based ultrasonic array system for applications including non-destructive testing
A modular FPGA-based ultrasonic array system for applications including non-destructive testing
复制标题
基于 FPGA 的模块化超声波阵列系统，适用于无损检测等应用
DOI：
10.1784/insi.2008.50.2.74
复制
发表时间：
2008
期刊：
影响因子：
1.1
通讯作者：
S. Cochran
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
S. Triger;J. Wallace;Lei Wang;D. Cumming;J. Saillant;F. Afroukh;S. Cochran
本文报告了一项旨在开发一种超声成像系统的工作，该系统包括模块化的、可重新编程的积木或“块”，可由用户为多种应用定制，包括无损检测(NDT)和无损检测(NDT)。关键组件是一个自主模块，其中包含超声波阵列和操作它所需的所有电子设备。这与以往大多数关于系统集成的研究不同，以前的研究只关注传感器和前端电子设备。在本工作中，我们已经制作了一个4×4单元、孔径为16 mm×16 mm的二维压电阵，整个发射和接收电子器件都在相同的面积内。换能器阵列和电子设备的接近消除了布线的需要，减少了由于串扰和干扰而导致的信号降级。此外，它还避免了阵列单元与电子设备之间的电缆的阻抗匹配问题。在73 mm厚的铝材中，在没有译码的情况下测得脉冲回波插入损耗为48分贝，译码信号的结果表明，在1.2 MHz的工作频率下，当激励电压为±3.3V时，信噪比是足够的，处于核电站深穿透所需的范围内。最重要的是，从通用构件构建任意大小和形状的2D阵列的能力与传统上高度特定于应用的超声领域的几乎所有以前的工作是不同的。这可能允许将超声波无损检测用于以前无法证明投资于定制设备的应用中。
This paper reports work aimed at the development of an ultrasonic imaging system comprising modular, reprogrammable building blocks, or 'tiles', which can be customised for multiple applications, including and within non-destructive testing (NDT), by the user. The key component is an autonomous module containing the ultrasonic array and all the electronics necessary to operate it. This contrasts with most previous research on system integration which has focused only on the transducer and front-end electronics. In the present work, a 4 x 4 element 2D piezoelectric array with a 16 mm x 16 mm aperture has been produced, with the entire transmission and reception electronics within the same footprint. The proximity of the transducer array and electronics removes the need for cabling, reducing signal degradation due to cross talk and interference. In addition, it avoids the problem of electrical impedance matching of cable between the array elements and the electronics. Pulse-echo insertion loss of 48 dB has been measured from back-wall reflections in 73 mm-thick aluminium without decoding, and results with decoded signals show adequate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with ±3.3 V excitation at an operating frequency of 1.2 MHz, within the range required for deep penetration in nuclear power plant. Crucially, the ability to construct 2D arrays of any size and shape from generic building blocks represents a departure from almost all previous work in ultrasound, which has traditionally been highly application specific. This may allow ultrasonic NDT to be used in applications for which the investment in customised devices could not previously be justified.