The Cephasonics Ultrasound Platform

The Cephasonics ultrasound platform is scalable (64-4096 channels), full-featured, high-performance and offers a high level of flexibility and excellent image quality. 

The design and architecture of the platform is perfect for both research applications as well as developing and powering commercial ultrasound products.  Our approach enables you to reduce time-to-market development of new ultrasound applications and products. 

The Cephasonics Ultrasound platform comes in the Cicada family of 64-256 channel systems and the Griffin family of high-channel count systems that scale from 512 channels up to 4096 channels.

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Key Advantages of the Cephasonics Ultrasound Platform

Cephasonics AutoFocus™ beamformer technology
•Supports Continuous Dynamic Focus (CDF™)
–Image is focused at all depths throughout scan
–Superior resolution in comparison with DDF:
•in CDF, delay coefficients updated on every received sample
•Fully beamformed TX
–Flexible, programmable 5-level transmitter
•Apodization on both TX and RX
–Dynamic apodization (with aperture shading) on RX

Outstanding Image & Video Quality
•Industry-leading AFE with superior SNR
•Massive parallel data and computation bandwidth
–450 MB/s on 64:64 configuration
•Performance-optimized data-processing chain
•Low-noise power design

Software Control Over Ultrasound Functions
With the Cephasonics software development kit you can have access to over 1000 different ultrasound attributes
Easy to implement high-level APIs

Supports all common ultrasound modes including ultrafast/full matrix capture imaging modes
•Uses Channel Capture (CC) mode (Cephasonics’ term for Full Raw Data (FRD) acquisition)
•Transmitter can be programmed to fire on any single pulser or sub-aperture (as opposed to fully BF TX)
•Receiver can capture RF channel data for FMC
–As well as beamformed raw RF or IQ downconverted data

Channel Capture Mode
•Cephasonics front-end includes multiplexing channels to support wider aperture probes
–cQuest Cicada has a 3:1 multiplexing
•CC mode with muxing provides a synthetic aperture of up to 192 channels
–Making a small low-cost Cicada-64 provide 64:192 system functionality

Trigger In/Out
•Synchronize the unit to external devices or synchronize those devices to the unit
•System to can put in a hold state waiting for external trigger or breakpoint
–Position, velocity, acceleration triggering
•A trigger out can be generated at fine-resolution boundaries 

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Cephasonics Ultrasound Engine Specifications

Transmit· 
256 pulse shape entries, each 248 pulses at 160MHz
·  8192 sample long pulses for “chirp” signal
·  Output pulse rate: 100Hz to 40MHz
·  Pulse repetition counter 1..32
·  Pulse duty cycle adjustment to 6.125ns precision
·  Arbitrary wave form definition
·  Transmit aperture definition
o   Arbitrary channel enabling
o   Apodization F#:  1/16..16
·  Delay resolution: 6.125ns
·  3-level or 5-level pulser configurations available
·  Output jitter (at 5MHz): 25ps
·  Phase Noise (at 5MHz, 1KHz offset) : −116 dBc/Hz

Receive· 
ADC: 12-bit 68.5dBFS, 10.5ENOB
·  Ultra-low 2.4dB noise figure
·  Input frequency range: 1MHz to 18MHz
·  Sampling rate: 20MHz and 40MHz
·  Close-in phase-noise (at 1KHz offset from 3.5MHz carrier): -140dBc/Hz
·  Channel Capture
o   8K samples per channel buffer
o   Programmable high pass filter
o   Programmable decimation filter

 Interfaces
·   PCI-Express 1.1 x4 streaming interface, USB 2.0
·  Synchronization interface, 2.5V / single ended / 50 ohm
·        Beam start output
·       One trigger output
·       Two trigger inputs
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Beamforming
o   Continuous receive focus and apodization: delay and weight coefficients updated on every sample
o   1-beam and 2-beam parallel processing
o   Preset window functions
o   Programmable Time Frequency Control  in 32 zones

Power Supply· 
Dual high-voltage power supplies
o   Rail A: 40Vpp to 140Vpp
o   Rail B:  6Vpp to 50Vpp
·  Voltage rise time (zero to maximum): 400-600ms
·  16-bit granularity for Vpp configuration

Electrical· 
Medical external power brick 2 prong, 60W 100-240V AC
·  Size of AC/DC PS: 5in x 2in x 1in
·  System input: 15VDC ±10% / 4A max
·  Power consumption: 30W - 45W (based on operating mode)
·  Operating Temperature Range:  32F to 122F ; 0C to 50C

Supported Transducers· 
Cephasonics standard available probes
·  Cephasonics termination and backshell kit for customer specific probes
·  Frequency range:  500KHz to 18MHz
·  Connector pin-out defined for ZIF260 TYCO connectors
·  Number of elements: 1 to 192 with 3:1 muxing