Addendum-01b Equipment Calibration: My ASNT Level III UT Study Notes 2014-June

Addendum-01b
Equipment Calibration
My ASNT Level III UT Study Notes

2014-June.
Pulse-Echo Instrumentation
The Circuitry:
Voltage activation of the PE crystal

Ultrasound formation
Propagation
Reflection
Charge formation of crystal
Processing
Display
Transmitter
TRX
Receiver
Amplifier
Detector
Scan
Converter
Display
TGC
TGC Time Gain Compensation Circuit
Pulser Components
1. HV pulse generator
2. The clock generator
3. The transducer
Generated Wave
Applied Voltage
P
TIME
TIME
The Pulser rate is known as the pulse repetition frequency
(PRF).
Typical PRF 3,000 5,000.
PRF automatically adjusted as a function of imaging depth.
Switch that controls the output power of the HV generator is
the attenuator.
TRX
PULSER
ATTENUATOR
CLOCK GENERATOR
Controls the actual number of pulses which activate the crystal.
Responsible for sending timing signal to the
1. Pulse generator
2. TGC circuitry
3. Memory
CLOCK
GENERATOR
TGC UNIT
HV
GENERATOR
MEMORY
TRS
TRX
CRT
DISPLAY
Sensitivity refers to the weakest echo signal that the
instrument is
capable of detecting and displaying.
Factors that determine sensitivity are
1.
2.
3.
4.
Transducer frequency
Overall and TGC receiver gain
Reject control
Variable focal zone on array real-time instruments.
Increasing the voltage causes
1. Greater amplitude greater penetration
2. Longer pulses degrades axial resolution
3. Increase exposure
Transducer has dual roles; transmitting and receiving signals.
The transducer is capable of handling a wide range of
voltage amplitude.
The Receiver is capable of handling only smaller signals
Therefore it is desirable to isolate the pulser circuit from the
receiver circuit.
The Transmit Receive Switch
TRS positioned at the input of the receiver and is designed to
pass only voltages signals originating at the transducer by the
returning echoes.
The Receiver Unit consist of
1. Radiofrequency Amplifier
2. Time gain compensation TGC unit
3. Demodulation Circuit
4. Detector Circuit
5. Video Amplifier
MEMORY
PULSER
TRX
TGC UNIT
TRS
RF
RECEIVER
CRT
DISPLAY
DEMODULATOR
DETECTOR
VIDEO
AMPLIFIER
Radio-Frequency Amplifier
Amplify weak voltage signals.
This is called GAIN
Electric signals generated by the transducer are weak and
needs amplification.
The gain is the ratio of the output to input Voltage or Power.
Gain = Voltage Out
Voltage In
The Imaging effect of adjusting gain are:
1. Increasing the gain - increased sensitivity, better
penetration
2. Decreasing the gain decreased sensitivity, less
penetration
3. Too high a gain overloads the display, loss or spatial
resolution
Amplitude
Saturation Level
Normal Gain
Distance
Excess Gain
Amplitude
Saturation Level
Distance
Primary objective of grayscale pulse-echo imaging is to make
all like reflectors appear the same in the Image regardless
where they are located in the sound beam.
Time Gain Compensation TGC
TGC - electronic process of adjusting the overall system
gain as a function of the transmit time.
TGC Controls
Near Gain
Slope Delay
Slope
Knee
Far Gain
Body Wall
KNEE
Gain
dB
NEAR GAIN
DELAY
SLOPE
Depth cm
MAX GAIN
KNEE
Gain
dB
NEAR GAIN
SLOPE
Depth cm
Body wall
MAX GAIN
KNEE
Gain
dB
SLOPE
CUT-OFF
DELAY
Depth cm
The slide potentiometer allows adjustment of receiver gain for
small discrete depth increments.
Slide Potentiometer
Gain
dB
Depth (Time)
Frequency Tuning of the Receiver
The frequency band width of the receiver refers to the range
of ultrasound signal frequencies that the receiver can amplify
with a maximum gain.
Types of Amplifiers
Wide-Band
Narrow-Band
Wide-band amplifier
Narrow-band amplifier
Gain
Gain
Frequency MHz
Frequency MHz
Receiver Unit
Receiver A
Receiver B
Output
To
System
TRX
Receiver C
Frequency
Selector
Switch
Receiver D
DYNAMIC RANGE
The dynamic range is a measure of the range of echo signal
amplitudes.
The dynamic range can be measured at any point.
The dynamic range decreases from transducer, to receiver to
scan converter and finally to display.
Large range in signal amplitudes is due to:
1. Normal variation in the reflection amplitude.
2. Frequency dependent tissue attenuation.
RF amplifier can handle a wide range of signal amplitude at its
input but cannot accommodate the corresponding output using
linear amplification.
Linear amplification - all voltages amplitudes, regardless of
size at the point of input are amplified with the same gain
factor.
LOGARITHMIC AMPLIFICATION
In Logarithmic amplification weak echoes amplitudes are
amplified more than strong echoes.
This can reduced the dynamic range by as much as 50%.
The process of reducing the signal DR by electronic means is
called COMPRESSION
Linear Amplification
Gain
B
Logarithmic Amplification
Input signal
R-F amplifier can also set the electronic level in the machine.
S-N level compares real echo signals the system can handle
versus the non-echo signals presents (Noise).
The Higher the SN ratio better the operation of the system.
Pre-amplification is a technique to reduce system noise.
Positioning of part of the amplifier circuitry in the transducer
housing reduces system noise.
REJECTION
Rejection is the receiver function that enables the operator to
systematically increase or decrease the minimum echo signal
amplitude which can be displayed.
Alternate names = Threshold, Suppression.
Saturation Level
Rejection Level
Dynamic
Range
Noise
Level
Zero Signal Level
SIGNAL PROCESSING
RF waveform oscillating type of voltage signal (AC)
First Step in processing the signal is Demodulation.
Demodulation is the process of converting the electric
signal from one form to another.
DEMODULATION
Rectification
Detection
RECTIFICATION
Rectification results in the elimination of the negative
portion of the RF signals
Half Wave Rectification
Full wave Rectification
Half-Wave
Rectification
Full-Wave
Rectification
DETECTION
The main effect of detecting the rectified RF signal is to
round out or smooth the signal as to have a single broad
peak.
The rectified RF signal following detection is referred to as a
Video Signal.
Smoothing
The video signal is then further amplified by the
VIDEO AMPLIFIER.
The output from the video amplifier is forwarded to
1. CRT or
2. Scan converter
DIGITAL SCAN CONVERTER
The device that stores the echo signal is called a Scan
converter.
All Scan Converters are designed to
1. Store echoes in appropriate location
2. Encode echoes in shade of gray
3. Read out echoes in a horizontal raster format
4. Digital Memory is divided into small squares = Pixel.
5. The Pixels form the Image Matrix
6. Total # of storage location = rows x columns
7. x and y location = ADDRESS
Matrix
Rows x, coordinates
Matrix
Columns, y coordinates
Matrix
Pixel
10x
10y
X, Y ADDRESS
8x
7y
5x
5y
3x
3y
1x
1y
In the Scan converter the echoes are processed on a firstcome first-in basis.
X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X X
X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X X
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
Raster
Process
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
DIGITAL SCAN CONVERTER
Convert echo voltage signal into a numerical value.
Each numerical value corresponds to a shade of gray.
The number of shades of gray is determined by the BIT
CAPACITY.
# of shades of gray = 2
Echoes
dB
Bit
Shades of Gray
16
32
64
128
256
Gray Scale Resolution = dynamic range (dB)
# of gray shades
Operator can select different A/D conversion scheme
(Preprocessing).
Each preprocessing curve is called an algorithm and assigns a
specific percentage amount of shades of gray to regions of
the echo amplitude.
% Available
Shade of gray
100%
1
2
50%
3
0%
Echo Strength
POST PROCESSING
Assignment of specific display brightness
to numerical echo amplitudes read out of
the digital memory.
9
SMOOTHING
The DSC is not necessary for image display, but is needed for
the following post-processing functions.
Video Invert
Display Invert
Display Subdivision
Zoom Magnification
Zoom Magnification
Read Zoom
Write Zoom
Resolution at the DSC
1. Find Matrix size
2. Determine FOV ( width/length)
3. Calculate pixels/cm
4. Find linear distance/pixel = resolution
Data
PreProcessing
ADC
Echo
Signal
Data
Collection
&
Formatting
M
A
R
Data
PostProcessing
Data
Reformatting
Positional
Data
Display
1. ROM
2. PROM
3. RAM
65. In Figure 3, transducer A is being used to establish:

A.
B.
C.
D.
Verification of wedge angle

Sensitivity calibration
Resolution
An index point
66. In Figure 3, transducer C is being used to check:

A.
B.
C.
D.
Distance calibration
Resolution
67. In Figure 3, transducer D is being used to check:

A.
B.
C.
D.
Resolution
68. When the incident angle is chosen to be between the first and second
critical angles, the ultrasonic wave generated within the part will be:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Longitudinal
Shear
Surface
Lamb
69. In Figure 4, transducer B is being used to check:

A.
B.
C.
D.
The verification of wedge angle

Resolution
Q: In a UT test system where signal amplitudes are displayed on a CRT, an

advantage of a frequency-independent attenuator over a continuously
variable gain control is that:
A. the pulse shape distortion is less
B. the signal amplitude measured using the attenuator is independent
of frequency
C. the dynamic range of the system is decreased
D. the effect of amplification threshold is avoided
Q: An amplifier in which received echo pulses must exceed a certain
threshold voltage before they can be indicated might be used to:
A. suppress amplifier noise, unimportant scatter echoes, or small flaw
echoes which are of no consequence
B. provide a screen display with nearly ideal vertical linearity characteristics
C. compensate for the unavoidable effects of material attenuation loss
D. provide distance amplitude correction automatically
Q: The output voltage from a saturated amplifier is:

A) 180 degrees out of phase from the input voltage
B) lower than the input voltage
C) nonlinear with respect to the input voltage
D) below saturation
Q: The transmitted pulse at the output of the pulser usually has a voltage of
100 to 1000V, whereas the voltages of the echo at the input of the amplifier
are on the order of:
A) 10 Volts
B) 50 Volts
C) .001 to 1 Volts
D) 1 to 5 Volts
Q: The intended purpose of the adjustable calibrated attenuator of a UT

instrument is to:
A) control transducer dampening
B) increase the dynamic range of the instrument
C) broaden the frequency range
D) attenuate the voltage applied to the transducer

Addendum-01b Equipment Calibration: My ASNT Level III UT Study Notes 2014-June

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Addendum-01b Equipment Calibration: My ASNT Level III UT Study Notes 2014-June

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Addendum-01b

My ASNT Level III UT Study Notes

Voltage activation of the PE crystal

TGC Time Gain Compensation Circuit

Half Wave Rectification

Full wave Rectification

Each numerical value corresponds to a shade of gray.

65. In Figure 3, transducer A is being used to establish:

Verification of wedge angle

66. In Figure 3, transducer C is being used to check:

67. In Figure 3, transducer D is being used to check:

69. In Figure 4, transducer B is being used to check:

The verification of wedge angle

Q: In a UT test system where signal amplitudes are displayed on a CRT, an

Q: The output voltage from a saturated amplifier is:

Q: The intended purpose of the adjustable calibrated attenuator of a UT

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