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SpinCore Technologies TRX-I-50-75-300 Owner's Manual

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RadioProcessor™
Owner's Manual
SpinCore Technologies, Inc.
http://www.spincore.com

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Summary of Contents for SpinCore Technologies TRX-I-50-75-300

  • Page 1 RadioProcessor™ Owner’s Manual SpinCore Technologies, Inc. http://www.spincore.com...
  • Page 2 All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. SpinCore Technologies, Inc. makes every effort to verify the correct operation of the equipment. This equipment version is not intended for use in a system in which the failure of a SpinCore device will threaten the safety of equipment or person(s).

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    RadioProcessor Table of Contents I. Introduction ................... 5 Product Overview ......................5 System Architecture ...................... 6 Example Application ...................... 7 Specifications ......................... 9 Transmitter Output Level ..................... 10 II. Board Installation ................11 Installing the RadioProcessor ..................11 Testing the RadioProcessor ..................11 III.
  • Page 4 RadioProcessor Long IDC Headers ....................23 HW Trigger/Reset Header ..................25 Clock Oscillator Header ....................25 USB RadioProcessor Boards Connector Information ..........27 Power Connectors ....................27 RF Connectors ......................28 Digital Output Connector ..................28 Header JP302 (HW Trigger/Reset) ................. 30 Appendix I: Using the Undersampling Capabilities of the RadioProcessor - 70 MHz IF Application ..........

  • Page 5: Introduction

    RadioProcessor I. Introduction Product Overview The RadioProcessor™ is a general purpose radio frequency (RF) excitation and broadband data acquisition system. The RadioProcessor can serve as a complete system for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) or Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) experiments with spectrometer frequencies from 0 to 100 MHz (certain restrictions apply, vide infra).

  • Page 6: System Architecture

    RadioProcessor System Architecture Figure 1, below, presents the architecture of the RadioProcessor. The RadioProcessor consists of three major components: the data acquisition core, the excitation core, and the PulseBlaster timing engine which provides high-resolution timing control for the entire system. Figure 1: RadioProcessor Architecture.

  • Page 7: Example Application

    NMR/NQR system can be built. If you are building a system with the RadioProcessor board, SpinCore Technologies Inc. can also supply a power amplifier, TX/RX switch, and pre-amplifiers, if desired. SpinCore also offers a complete mobile NMR system, the iSpin-NMR, that can perform NMR/NQR experiments immediately out of the box.
  • Page 8 RadioProcessor Using a setup as described above with a 10.8 MHz permanent magnet, sample spectrum of a household cooking oil sample was obtained as shown below. Using only a single scan, a signal to noise ratio of 62 dB was achieved. The spectral width of the figure below is 60 kHz. Figure 3: Sample single-scan proton spectrum obtained at 10.8 MHz with the RadioProcessor board and the system described in the text above.

  • Page 9: Specifications

    The RadioProcessor is currently available with a 75 MHz Analog-to-Digital (A/D) sampling clock frequency. Specifications for this configuration are given in the table below. For information specific to a certain RadioProcessor firmware revision, see Appendix VII or contact SpinCore Technologies, Inc. Parameter...

  • Page 10: Transmitter Output Level

    RadioProcessor Transmitter Output Level There are currently two different options for RadioProcessor transmitter output voltage. The standard gain RadioProcessor has an output voltage of one volt peak-to-peak at 10 MHz, with a 3 dB bandwidth of about 85 MHz. The high gain transmitter output amplifier has a maximum output voltage of about 3.75 Volts peak-to- peak, with a 3dB bandwidth of about 21 MHz, while covering the same frequency range as the standard gain board.

  • Page 11: Board Installation

    • computers directly to the 6-position Molex-style power connector. Doing so will cause irreparable damage to the board. SpinCore Technologies is not liable for any damage caused by this. 5. Turn on the computer. Now you are ready to run the test programs that are located in the examples folder of the SpinAPI package.
  • Page 12 RadioProcessor If using a high input impedance oscilloscope to monitor the RadioProcessor's output, place a resistor that matches the characteristic impedance of the transmission line in parallel with the coaxial transmission line at the oscilloscope input. (e.g., a 50 Ω resistor with a 50 Ω transmission line, see Figures 5 and 6 below.). When using an oscilloscope with an adjustable bandwidth, set the bandwidth to as large as possible.

  • Page 13: Example Single-Pulse Nmr Experiment

    VERBOSE: A 1 enables normal output, a 0 disables normal output and the program outputs nothing. BLANKING_EN: Enables the TTL blanking feature necessary to control SpinCore Technologies RF Power Amplifier modules if used with the RadioProcessor in the NMR setup. For more information, see the RF Power Amplifier manual at: http://www.spincore.com/CD/RFPA/RFPA_Manual.pdf...
  • Page 14 RadioProcessor Blanking Signal Output Signal Transient Blanking Delay Pulse Time Acquisition Time Repetition Delay Time Figure 7: General timing diagram of the basic single-pulse sequence (not to scale). A single scan is performed as follows: A blanking TTL pulse is applied to allow for RF Power Amplifier warm-up (Blanking Delay), a single RF pulse is applied to the sample for a specified amount of time (Pulse Time).

  • Page 15: Tips On Obtaining Data Using Singlepulse_Nmr

    RadioProcessor Tips on obtaining data using singlepulse_nmr The ability of this program to capture usable data is highly dependent on entering the correct parameters for a given NMR setup. It is expected that the user is familiar with how to best specify PULSE_TIME, TRANS_TIME, TX_PHASE, SPECTROMETER_FREQUENCY, etc.

  • Page 16: Creating Custom Pulse Programs

    RadioProcessor IV. Creating Custom Pulse Programs Controlling the RadioProcessor with SpinAPI SpinAPI is a control library which allows programs to be written to communicate with the RadioProcessor board. The most straightforward way to interface with this library is with a C/C++ program, and the API definitions are described in this context.

  • Page 17: Dds (Frequency And Phase) Registers

    Appendix V for more information. (1) Certain RadioProcessor firmware revisions have different register allocation. For information about a specific RadioProcessor firmware revision see Appendix VII or contact SpinCore Technologies, Inc. Custom designs with more DDS registers are available. www.spincore.com 2020-10-07...

  • Page 18: Acquisition Parameters

    RadioProcessor Acquisition Parameters The RadioProcessor performs quadrature signal detection, as shown in Figure 8 below. The incoming RF signal, as captured by the ADC, is multiplied by the internal cos and sin signals to form the real and imaginary signal channels respectively. These channels are then filtered and decimated to produce a baseband signal, which can optionally be averaged with previous scans, and is then stored in the internal RAM.

  • Page 19: Timing And Flow Control Parameters

    RadioProcessor Timing and Flow Control Parameters The RadioProcessor contains an integrated PulseBlaster pulse generation timing core. This timing core controls all aspects of the systems functionality by setting internal control lines at user specified times. Six user programmable digital outputs are also available for control of external hardware. The internal control lines and user programmable outputs are collectively referred to as flags.

  • Page 20: Triggering

    RadioProcessor Control Lines To control the operation of the RadioProcessor, each instruction in the pulse program specifies a flag word which sets both the internal control lines and user programmable digital outputs. The control lines stay in the given state for the duration of the instruction. The internal control lines are described below: Control Line Function frequency select...

  • Page 21: Retrieving Data From The Board

    RadioProcessor The data acquisition system cannot be directly triggered by the hardware or software trigger described above. Instead, it is triggered by an internal control line (called trigger_scan) which can be set by the instructions of the pulse program. If the user desires to start the acquisition based on the hardware trigger, the user can create a pulse program which sets the trigger_scan line in the first instruction.
  • Page 22 RadioProcessor JCAMP-DX 5.0: The JCAMP-DX file format is a scientific standard for the exchange of information across platforms and software packages and is accepted by many NMR software programs such as Bruker's TopSpin and is also readable in MATLAB via the Bioinformatics Toolbox. Output data is stored as type NMR FID.

  • Page 23: Connecting To The Radioprocessor

    RadioProcessor V. Connecting to the RadioProcessor PCI RadioProcessor Boards Connector Information There are two main connector types on the RadioProcessor board: the BNC connectors and the IDC headers – see Figure 9, below. BNC connectors are mounted on the PCI bracket and are available outside of the computer.
  • Page 24 Digital output BNC1 Digital output BNC0 Table 7: IDC connector pin outs for boards with AWG capability (firmware 10-5 and newer) Note: Some designs may not follow this exact flag partitioning scheme. Please contact SpinCore Technologies for more information. www.spincore.com...

  • Page 25: Hw Trigger/Reset Header

    RadioProcessor HW Trigger/Reset Header The short 2x2 IDC header is the Hardware Trigger/Reset connector. This is an input connector, for hardware triggering (HW_Trigger) and resetting (HW_Reset). Pins 3 and 4 are grounds, and pins 1 and 2 are the reset and trigger inputs, respectively. Both inputs are pulled high by an on board 10kΩ pull up resistor. Figure 11: Hardware Trigger/Reset Header pin-out.
  • Page 26 RadioProcessor Please take caution to provide a controlled signal at the correct frequency. The RadioProcessor requires a 50 MHz signal. A reliable option for this purpose is the Oven Controlled Clock Oscillator available for purchase. This component will provide a precision low ripple signal for all PulseBlaster boards, and ensure that appropriate signal voltages are applied to the board.

  • Page 27: Usb Radioprocessor Boards Connector Information

    RadioProcessor USB RadioProcessor Boards Connector Information The RadioProcessorUSB board comes in a 4” x 6” form factor and requires USB 2.0 to operate. A fully enclosed option is also available that includes power supply and access to all connectors. Contact SpinCore Technologies for more information.

  • Page 28: Rf Connectors

    Warning: Do not connect PEG (PCI Express Graphics) power connectors available in some computers directly to the 6-position Molex-style power connector. Doing so will cause irreparable damage to the board. SpinCore Technologies is not liable for any damage caused by this. RF Connectors The RadioProcessorUSB has two Female SMA Jack connectors for RF signals.
  • Page 29 RadioProcessor Pin number Function Pin number Function Reserved Flag bit 0 Flag bit 2 Flag bit 1 Flag bit 3 Flag bit 3 Flag bit 1 Flag bit 2 Flag bit 0 Reserved Ground Ground Ground Ground Ground Ground Ground Ground Table 8: DB-9 Output Connector J300 signal list, Male (left) and Female (right).

  • Page 30: Header Jp302 (Hw Trigger/Reset)

    RadioProcessor Header JP302 (HW Trigger/Reset) The unshrouded male header labeled JP302 contains the Hardware Trigger and Hardware Reset lines. On RadioProcessorUSB boards equipped with firmware version 12-4, 12-5,12-7, or 12-15, this header also offers a 10 MHz output that is derived from the master clock oscillator. This signal is ideal for synchronization purposes and is present on pin 2 of the header.

  • Page 31: Appendix I: Using The Undersampling Capabilities Of The Radioprocessor - 70 Mhz If Application

     folded The rest of this document demonstrates the use of the RadioProcessor Model TRX-I-50-75-300 with a 70 MHz IF (intermediate frequency) signal in a high-field NMR spectrometer. This particular models uses a 50 MHz reference frequency, 75 MHz A/D sampling frequency, and 300 MHz D/A frequency. Transmitting (Tx) and Receiving (Rx) performance at and around 70 MHz will be presented.
  • Page 32 RadioProcessor Figure A1.1: 185 ns 70 MHz RF/IF output pulse. To demonstrate the zero-latency phase- and frequency-switching agility, two short back-to-back pulses were recorded - with a 180-degree phase offset (Figure A1.2, left panel, 70 MHz RF, expanded view), and with a frequency shift from 20 MHz to 10 MHz (Figure A1.2, right panel).
  • Page 33 RadioProcessor Receiving Section The receiving section consists of a fast, 14-bit A/D converter intended for undersampling applications, followed by digital quadrature detectors, filters, and an autonomous signal averager. To evaluate the performance of the receiving section of the RadioProcessor, the most important thing is to examine the performance of the A/D converter.
  • Page 34 RadioProcessor Figure A1.4: 70 MHz signal directly captured (undersampling). Most NMR/NQR applications will require that the RadioProcessor can capture a certain bandwidth around the spectrometer frequency (or IF frequency). To show that the amplitude remains the same when the input frequency is changed, an additional signal was captured - at 65 MHz, as shown in Figures A1.5 on the next page.
  • Page 35 RadioProcessor Figure A1.5: 65 MHz input signal directly captured (undersampling). For reference, the noise floor of the A/D was captured by placing a 50 ohm resistor across the Analog Input of the RadioProcessor. This is shown below in Figure A1.6. Figure A1.6: Noise floor.
  • Page 36 RadioProcessor The figures on the previous pages demonstrate that the RadioProcessor's A/D can handle frequencies above Nyquist (37.5MHz) because undersampling performance is comparable to standard sampling. Since the quadrature detection and filtering components are not even aware of whether aliasing is taking place in the A/D converter, they will perform exactly the same as for the standard sampling case.

  • Page 37: Appendix Ii: Arbitrary Waveform Generation

    RadioProcessor Appendix II: Arbitrary Waveform Generation This document describes the shaped-pulse feature available on certain models of the RadioProcessor. If equipped, the RadioProcessor is capable of arbitrary waveform generation on its analog output. This feature allows for the following: RF outputs can be shaped by an arbitrary waveform (for example, a sinc waveform). •...
  • Page 38 RadioProcessor Figure A2.2: Combinations of RF pulses - variable amplitudes. Figure A2.3: Combinations of RF pulses - soft- and hard-pulses in a sequence. www.spincore.com 2020-10-07...
  • Page 39 RadioProcessor Using the AWG feature To make use of the AWG feature, use the pb_inst_radio_shape() function to generate the instructions of your pulse program. This function has two additional parameters over the standard pb_inst_radio() function. They are: use_shape: if this is 0, no shape will be applied to the pulse. If it is nonzero, whatever waveform is loaded as the shape will be used to shape the RF pulse.

  • Page 40: Appendix Iii: Radioprocessor Nmr Interface For Matlab

    RadioProcessor Appendix III: RadioProcessor NMR Interface for MATLAB Overview of SpinCore MATLAB GUI Interface The SpinCore MATLAB GUI Interface is a series of programs created for the MATLAB environment that allows quick and easy interaction with the iSpin-NMR system. Specifically, this interface is designed to allow users to perform a variety of useful experiments with their system.

  • Page 41: Sample Screenshots

    RadioProcessor Sample Screenshots Figure A3.1: Sample output after running Single Pulse NMR experiment on household cooking oil. Figure A3.2: Output as above, displaying Magnitude plot and Semi-log FFT. www.spincore.com 2020-10-07...
  • Page 42 RadioProcessor Figure A3.3: Sample output after running CPMG NMR experiment on household cooking oil. Figure A3.4: Sample T2 calculation and curve fitting. www.spincore.com 2020-10-07...
  • Page 43 RadioProcessor Figure A3.5: Automatic 90 Degree Pulse Width Determination. www.spincore.com 2020-10-07...

  • Page 44: Appendix Iv: Radioprocessor Nmr Interface For Labview

    RadioProcessor Appendix IV: RadioProcessor NMR Interface for LabVIEW Overview of SpinCore LabVIEW GUI Interface SpinCore has developed an easy-to-use LabVIEW Graphical User Interface (GUI) that combines the Single Pulse NMR, T1 Inversion Recovery, and CPMG interfaces into one. It allows the user to run basic NMR experiments by simply setting the experiment parameters as described elsewhere in this manual.
  • Page 45 RadioProcessor Figure A4.2: Example of Pulse Width Finder for LabVIEW NMR Interface. www.spincore.com 2020-10-07...

  • Page 46: Appendix V: Miscellaneous Functionality

    RadioProcessor Appendix V: Miscellaneous Functionality 10 MHz Clock output on BNC0 RadioProcessorPCI boards with firmware revision 10-13 or newer have the capability of outputting a 10 MHz signal on the BNC0 connector. This signal is a 50% duty cycle square wave derived directly from the on- board 50 MHz clock oscillator, and is intended for synchronization purposes.
  • Page 47 RadioProcessor “On the fly” Register Programming with SpinAPI What is “on the fly” register programming? “On the fly” register programming refers to the ability to modify the frequency and phase registers of the RadioProcessor using your PC during Pulse Program execution. How can I use this feature? If you have firmware revision 10-18 or 12-15, you can use functions in SpinAPI to easily update the frequency and phase registers at any time.
  • Page 48 RadioProcessor /RadioProcessor “On the Fly” register programming. /Note: It is assumed that there is a Pulse Program already running using frequency register 0. int main() if(pb_init()) printf ("Error initializing board: %s\n", pb_get_error()); return -1; pb_core_clock(75.0); int i; for( i=0 ; i <10 ; i++ ) pb_start_programming(FREQ_REGS);...

  • Page 49: Appendix Vi: Cyclops Control

    RadioProcessor Appendix VI: CYCLOPS Control Select SpinCore RadioProcessor designs have internal hardware controls that allow for phase cycling experiments. A particularly useful phase cycling experiment for quadrature detection systems is called CYCLOPS (CYCLically Ordered Phase Sequence). In a CYCLOPS experiment, scans are run with the transmitter phase cycling in 90°...
  • Page 50 RadioProcessor A CYCLOPS example batch program, CYCLOPS_nmr_example.bat, can be found in the SpinCore RadioProcessor directory (.../SpinCore/SpinAPI/examples/RadioProcessor). The parameters in this batch file are identical to the singlepulse_nmr_example.bat program, with 12 extra parameters (4 instances of the real_add_sub, imag_add_sub, and channel_swap parameters). The parameters are listed below: •REAL_ADD_SUB_# •IMAG_ADD_SUB_# •SWAP_#...
  • Page 51 RadioProcessor 16 scans 16 scans averaged averaged with without CYCLOPS CYCLOPS Figure A6.2: NMR signal averaged over 16 scans without CYLOPS (left) and with CYCLOPS (right). Notice the absence of the large noise spike, and the reduction of other noise spikes when CYCLOPS is used. www.spincore.com 2020-10-07...

  • Page 52: Appendix Vii: Radioprocessor Firmware Designs

    MHz w/ FIR MHz w/ FIR MHz w/ FIR Enabled) Enabled) Enabled) Enabled) CYCLOPS Control Table A7.1: RadioProcessor Firmware Designs. Note: Most parameters can be customized. Please contact SpinCore Technologies, Inc for pricing and availability of custom designs. www.spincore.com 2020-10-07...

  • Page 53: Related Products And Accessories

    Contact Information Thank you for choosing a design from SpinCore Technologies, Inc. We appreciate your business! At SpinCore we try to fully support the needs of our customers. If you are in need of assistance, please contact us and we will strive to provide the necessary support. Please see our contact information below for any feedback or questions you may have.

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