Test & measurement


Figure 1: New M5i.3360-x16 (1 channel) and M5i.3367-x16 (2 channel) leading bandwidth digitizers by Spectrum Instrumentation combine 10 GS/s sampling, 12-bit resolution, 4.7 GHz bandwidth, and 12.8 GB/s data streaming.


signals are transmitted for a short period. Examples of this kind of operation include echo-ranging applications like radar, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and relaxation radiation detection in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). These applications transmit a burst of relatively high-power RF and then wait for a return echo or a relaxation radiation signal. Measurement of this type of signal requires instruments with wide bandwidth, high sampling rate, long acquisition memory, fast processing, and high-speed data streaming.


M


HIGH BANDWIDTH DIGITIZERS FOR RF MEASUREMENTS


Spectrum Instrumentation has extended the M5i flagship series of high-speed PCIe digitizers, adding two new models with ultrawide bandwidths up to 4.7 GHz. M5i.3360-x16 and M5i.3367-x16 provide, respectively, one and two wide bandwidth channels (Figure 1). Each card can sample at rates of up to 10 GS/s, with 12-bit vertical resolution, specifically designed to deliver the most accurate acquisition and analysis of signals in the GHz range. The high bandwidth, supported by the fast sampling, makes them ideal for working with extremely high-frequency signals. The 10 GS/s sample rate results in a Nyquist frequency of 5 GHz, which is consistent with the 4.7 GHz bandwidth of the digitizer. Each card can acquire up to 8 Giga samples (GS) in internal acquisition memory. This onboard memory can be used as a ring buffer, like an oscilloscope, or as a FIFO buffer for continuous data streaming. The M5i series digitizers employ 16-lane, Gen 3 PCIe technology, which allows the acquired data to be


16


any RF systems operate using burst modes where radio frequency (RF)


PULSE BURST RF MEASURMENTS FOR NMR, MRI AND RADAR USING MODULAR DIGITIZERS


streamed from the digitizer to a computer at an amazing 12.8 GB/s. The data can also be sent to a host computer memory for storage or directly to CPUs or compute unified device architecture (CUDA)-based graphical processing units (GPUs) for fast customised signal processing and analysis. For applications requiring more than one or two channels up to eight M5i.33xx-x16 digitizers can be combined into a multichannel system using Spectrum’s Star-Hub option (Figure 2). Star-Hub synchronises data acquisition of the Individual cards by sharing common clock and trigger signals. A user programmable skew adjustment ensures minimal phase delay. The


By Oliver Rovini, technical leader of Spectrum Instrumentation, Germany, and Arthur Pini, Spectrum T&M engineer, USA


March 2024 Instrumentation Monthly


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