SpinCore Technologies RadioProcessor-G User manual

RadioProcessor-G™
Owner’s Manual
SpinCore Technologies, Inc.
http //www.spincore.com

RadioProcessor-G
Congratulations and 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.
© 2017 SpinCore Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
SpinCore Technologies, Inc. reserves the right to make changes to the product s) or information herein without notice.
RadioProcessor-G™, PulseBlaster™, SpinCore, and the SpinCore Technologies, Inc. logos are trademarks of SpinCore Technologies,
Inc. 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).
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RadioProcessor-G
Table of Contents
I. Introduction ........................................................................................... 5
Product Overview .......................................................................................................... 5
System Architecture ...................................................................................................... 6
Example Application - MRI ............................................................................................. 7
Specifications ................................................................................................................. 9
II. Board Installation ............................................................................... 10
Installing the RadioProcessor-G ................................................................................ 10
Testing the RadioProcessor-G .................................................................................... 10
III. Creating Custom Pulse Programs ................................................... 11
Getting Started .............................................................................................................. 11
Procedure for Writing a Pulse Program ..................................................................... 11
Step 1: Initialize MRI SpinAPI .................................................................................. 11
Step 2: Define RF Output Parameters ..................................................................... 11
Step 3: Data Acquisition Parameters ....................................................................... 12
Step : Specify Parameters of the Pulse Sequence ............................................... 13
Step 5: Trigger the Pulse Program .......................................................................... 1
Step 6: Retrieve Acquired Data ............................................................................... 1
Useful References ........................................................................................................ 14
MRI SpinAPI Reference Manual .............................................................................. 1
RadioProcessor Manual .......................................................................................... 1
IV. Example Gradient Echo MRI Experiment ........................................ 15
Tips on obtaining data using the gradient echo example ........................................ 17
FID ........................................................................................................................... 17
FID_Readout ............................................................................................................ 17
V. Connecting to the RadioProcessor-G .............................................. 18
PCI RadioProcessor-G Board Connector Information ............................................. 18
BNC Connectors ...................................................................................................... 18
SMA Connectors ...................................................................................................... 19
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RadioProcessor-G
Hardware Trigger/Reset Header (JP601) ................................................................ 20
Digital Output Header (JP600) ................................................................................ 21
Related Products and Accessories ....................................................... 22
Contact Information ............................................................................... 22
Document Information ........................................................................... 22
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RadioProcessor-G
I. Introduction
Product Overview
The RadioProcessor Model G™ is an enhanced version o SpinCore's versatile RadioProcessor™ design. The
RadioProcessor-G greatly expands upon the already extensive capabilities o the original RadioProcessor with the
inclusion o three channels o user controlled gradient outputs. For more in ormation on the general operation o the
RadioProcessor, please re er to the RadioProcessor manual, which can be ound on this webpage:
http://www.spincore.com/products/RadioProcessor/RadioProcessor.shtml
The state-o -the-art design o the RadioProcessor-G allows it to serve as a complete system-on-chip solution or
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) applications in gradient enhanced
spectroscopy and di usion measurements, and Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) experiments with spectrometer
requencies rom 0 to 100 MHz (re er to the RadioProcessor manual or more details). The system integrates SpinCore’s
high-per ormance PulseBlaster™ timing engine or agile control o internal system components as well as TTL
pulse/pattern generation or control o any external hardware.
The RadioProcessor-G:
•Is a system-on-chip solution or MRI, NQR, and NMR applications, integrating excitation and acquisition
components onto a single PCI card.
•Contains three analog output channels that allow or applications requiring pulses o varying amplitude and
timing.
•Directly captures and digitally demodulates IF/RF signals. The desired baseband bandwidth is user de inable
through so tware.
•Generates completely ormed RF excitation pulses as well as high resolution digital control signals.
•Maintains signal coherence between excitation and acquisition systems at all requencies.
•Autonomously averages baseband signal data between multiple acquisitions.
This unique digital system is housed on a small orm actor PCI card, providing users with a compelling
price/size/per ormance proposition unmatched by any other device on the market today.
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RadioProcessor-G
System Architecture
Figure 1 presents the architecture o the RadioProcessor-G, which consists o our major components: the data
acquisition core, the excitation core, the gradient control core, and the PulseBlaster timing engine, which provides high-
resolution timing control or the entire system.
The acquisition core captures an incoming RF signal using a high-speed, high resolution Analog to Digital converter
(ADC). This signal is then demodulated digitally using quadrature detection, and is then iltered to reduce the signal to
baseband. The detection and iltering system is highly con igurable and can easily be customized by the user or a wide
variety o applications. The baseband signal can then be stored in an internal RAM. This data is then available to be
retrieved by the host computer at the user's convenience.
The excitation core can produce both RF Analog signals as well as digital outputs. The RF output is generated using
an internal DDS (Direct Digital Synthesis) core, and can generate requencies rom DC up to 150 MHz. The generated
signal is converted to the Analog output by an on-board digital-to-analog converter (DAC) This DDS core also drives the
detection o the acquisition core, so signal coherence is maintained between acquisition and excitation cores.
The gradient core controls three analog outputs that can be used to generate pulses with customizable durations and
varying amplitudes o both positive and negative voltages. A standard application o the RadioProcessor-G uses these
outputs to control the gradient coils or an MRI system, but they can also be used or gradient enhanced spectroscopy or
di usion applications.
At the heart of the system is the PulseBlaster™ pulse/pattern generator timing core, which uses a robust
instruction set designed to allow the creation of complex pulse sequences with ease. This timing core controls
all aspects of the systems functionality, such as triggering data acquisition, controlling the frequency and
gating RF output, etc. This core also controls the high resolution programmable digital outputs for controlling
external hardware. Four digital outputs are available by default.
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Figure 1: RadioProcessor Model G Architecture. The master clock oscillator signal is derived from an on-chip PLL
circuit typically using a 50 MHz on-board reference clock.
RadioProcessor-G
Master clock
ADC
DAC
PCI
Interface
Internal
RAM
Digital Quadrature
Detection
Digital Filtering
(user-customizable)
Phase and Frequency
Registers, Gating
NCO
Excitation core
Acquisition core
PulseBlasterTM
Timing Core
Incoming Signal
Host PC
Signal
Averaging
RF Excitation
signal
Digital Output
Signals
Gradient core
Gradient DAC controller
DAC
Analog Gradient
Control Signals

RadioProcessor-G
Example Application - MRI
A major application or the RadioProcessor Model G is Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Using the RadioProcessor
Model G, a complete NMR/NQR system can be constructed with the addition o an RF power ampli ier, a gradient
ampli ier, and a pre-ampli ier. An example setup is shown below in Figure 2.
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Figure 2: Typical application o the RadioProcessor Model G. By adding an RF power ampli ier, a gradient ampli ier,
and a small-signal pre-ampli ier, a complete MRI system can be built.
<
Probe
LP filter
Magnet
RF Power
Amplifier
RF out
RF in
Pre-amplifier
45 - 60 dB gain)
© 2011 SpinCore Technologies, Inc.
BP filter
>
RadioProcessor-GTM
Auxiliary
TTL Flags
Gradient Amplifiers
Gradient Coils
X Y Z
Gradient Out
Tx Amplifier and Filter
Rx Amplifier and Filter

RadioProcessor-G
I you are building a system with the RadioProcessor-G, SpinCore Technologies Inc. can also supply an RF power
ampli ier and pre-ampli iers, i desired. SpinCore also o ers a complete mobile NMR system, the iSpin-NMR, that can
per orm NMR/NQR experiments immediately out o the box. Please visit our website or more details.
Using the setup as described above with an 11.8 MHz permanent magnet, a sample image o a 5 mm test tube illed
with household cooking oil and two glass capillary tubes was obtained as shown below. This was accomplished using a
gradient echo pulse sequence to collect data or the 128 x 128 pixel image. The image can be seen in Figure 3.
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Figure 3: Sample MRI image o a 5 mm test tube containing
two glass capillaries and illed with cooking oil.

RadioProcessor-G
Specifications
Parameter Min Typ Max Units
Analog Input Input Frequency Range 0 100 MHz
A/D Sampling Precision 14 bits
Input Voltage Range (peak-peak) 1.13 V
A/D Sampling Frequency 75(1) MHz
RF Analog Output D/A Sampling Rate 300 MHz
D/A Sampling Precision 14 bits
Output Voltage Range (peak-peak) 1.2(2) V
Phase resolution 0.09 deg.
Frequency resolution 0.28 Hz
Gradient Analog Output Output Voltage (1 kOhm load) -3.3 3.3 V
Update rate 66.6 ns
Resolution 16 bits
Digital Output Number o Digital Outputs 4
Logical 1 output voltage 3.3(2) V
Logical 0 output voltage 0 V
Output drive current 25 mA
Rise/Fall time < 5 ns
Digital Input
(HW_Trig, HW_Reset)
Logical 1 Input voltage 1.7 4.1 V
Logical 0 Input voltage -0.5 0.7 V
Data acquisition Spectral width (SW) o acquired data 72 Hz 9.4 MHz
# Complex points 1 16k
Pulse Program # o Instruction words 2048 words
Pulse resolution(3) 13.3 ns
Pulse length(4) 66.6 ns 693 days
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Table 1: Product Speci ications.
Parameter Min Typ Max Units
Analog Input Input Frequency Range 0 100 MHz
A/D Sampling Precision 14 bits
Input Voltage Range (peak-peak) 1.13 V
A/D Sampling Frequency 75(1) MHz
RF Analog Output D/A Sampling Rate 300 MHz
D/A Sampling Precision 14 bits
Output Voltage Range (peak-peak) 1.2(2) V
Phase resolution 0.09 deg.
Frequency resolution 0.28 Hz
Gradient Analog Output Output Voltage (1 kOhm load) -3.3 3.3 V
Update rate 66.6 ns
Resolution 16 bits
Digital Output Number o Digital Outputs 4
Logical 1 output voltage 3.3(2) V
Logical 0 output voltage 0 V
Output drive current 25 mA
Rise/Fall time < 5 ns
Digital Input
(HW_Trig, HW_Reset)
Logical 1 Input voltage 1.7 4.1 V
Logical 0 Input voltage -0.5 0.7 V
Data acquisition Spectral width (SW) o acquired data 72 Hz 9.4 MHz
# Complex points 1 16k
Pulse Program # o Instruction words 2048 words
Pulse resolution(3) 13.3 ns
Pulse length(4) 66.6 ns 693 days
Notes
(1): I the signal to be detected is very close to ¼ o the sampling rate, there will be aliasing during the detection process. To alleviate this, a
slightly higher or lower clock speed can be used.
(2): This is the value seen without using termination. When the line is terminated with 50Ω, the output voltage will be reduced by as much as hal .
(3): Pulse resolution equals one clock period o the PulseBlaster Timing Core clock oscillator.
(4): Minimum pulse width is ive clock periods o the PulseBlaster clock oscillator. Maximum pulse width is 2^52 clock periods o the
PulseBlaster clock oscillator.

RadioProcessor-G
II. Board Installation
Installing the RadioProcessor-G
To install the board you must complete the following three steps:
1. Download and install the latest MRI SpinAPI software packages on your computer. MRI SpinAPI is
available at: http://spincore.com/products/RadioProcessor-G/
•MRI SpinAPI is a custom Application Programming Interface package developed by SpinCore
Technologies, Inc. MRI SpinAPI is designed to be used only with the RadioProcessor-G.
MRISpinAPI can be utilized using C/C++.
•MRI SpinAPI can be supplemented with the 'MRI SpinAPI Examples' package. A shortcut to
the location of these files is created automatically in the Windows Start Menu at
“Start>Programs>SpinCore>MRI SpinAPI”.
2. Shut down the computer. Insert the RadioProcessor-G card into an available PCI slot and fasten the
PC bracket securely with a screw.
3. Turn on the computer and follow the installation prompts.
4. In order to ensure the maximum accuracy of data acquisition for the RadioProcessor-G, the
adc_offset.exe program needs to be run. This program will produce a value that you will need to use
to configure the ADC of the RadioProcessor-G, so please record this value for future reference. For
more details as to how to utilize the ADC Offset in a program, please refer to Section IV. Example
Gradient Echo MRI Experiment in this manual.
Testing the RadioProcessor-G
The simplest way to test whether the RadioProcessor-G has been installed properly and can be controlled
as intended is to run a simple test program. Example_1.exe that accompanies the MRI SpinAPI Examples
package located at C:\SpinCore\MRI SpinAPI if the default installation directory was used) will produce a
pulse with an on time and an off time of 500 ms on the two digital out BNCs with a duty cycle of 50%. This
sequence will be repeated indefinitely until the program is exited by pressing any key after the board begins
running. These outputs can be observed on an oscilloscope to confirm operation of the digital outputs.
Example_2.exe can be used to test the analog gradient outputs. Run the program and observe the three
channels on an oscilloscope to check correct operation according to the program's description. This program
will repeat until the program is exited by pressing any key. The board will be programmed one last time,
triggered, and reset to zero the analog outputs.
After these two examples have been run, the 2D_MRI.bat sample program can be run to test full
functionality. This sample program can also be used to simply test the RF output. A description of the gradient
echo pulse sequence and sample program can be found in the next section.
NOTE: There are additional programs in this folder. More information on these programs can be seen in the
“Tips on obtaining data using the gradient echo example“ section.
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RadioProcessor-G
III. Creating Custom Pulse Programs
Getting Started
The quickest way to become acquainted with writing programs or your RadioProcessor-G board is to go through the
example programs included with the MRI SpinAPI Examples package, which can be ound on the SpinCore website at
http://spincore.com/products/RadioProcessor-G/. It includes three example programs that demonstrate the
unctionality o the RadioProcessor-G. The .c code or these iles contain descriptions o the programs.
Procedure for Writing a Pulse Program
The RadioProcessor-G is a highly versatile excitation and acquisition system, and as a result there are
many possible approaches to programming the board; however, most applications will follow six basic steps:
1. Initialize the MRI SpinAPI.
2. Load the frequency and phase registers with desired values, and define the shape of carrier and
envelope signals.
3. Specify data acquisition related parameters.
4. Specify all parameters that control the timing of the experiment, i.e., pulse times, delays, etc.
5. Trigger the pulse program. The experiment will then proceed autonomously.
6. Retrieve the captured data from the board at any time without interrupting the acquisition process.
These steps are described in detail below. Please note that all of the functions described in this manual
are also detailed in the MRI SpinAPI Reference Manual, which is included in the MRI SpinAPI software
package available from the RadioProcessor-G product page on the SpinCore website.
Step 1: Initialize MRI SpinAPI
Before the parameters for a pulse program can be written, the MRI SpinAPI must be initialized by calling
these two functions:
spmri_init()
spmri_set_defaults()
Step 2: Define RF Output Parameters
In order to output an RF signal, the phase, requency, amplitude and shape o a carrier signal and an envelope signal
must be de ined. The actual RF output is produced by multiplying these two signals together. The amount o registers
available is detailed in Table 2 below.
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Table 2: Available DDS registers.
Register Bank Number of Registers
Carrier Frequency 16
Carrier Phase 16
Envelope Frequency 8
Amplitude 4

RadioProcessor-G
Important Considerations:
•By de ault, the shape o the carrier signal is a sin wave, so unless a non sinusoidal signal is desired or output,
only the requency, phase, and amplitude o the carrier signal must be de ined.
•I no envelope shaping is required, then the 7th envelope register can be used. When this is done, the carrier
signal is sent to the output without being multiplied by the envelope signal.
•When making a shaped RF pulse, it is important to set the envelope requency register to 7 be ore the pulse, as
this will make certain the phase starts at zero.
Relevant MRI SpinAPI unctions:
Carrier signal related:
spmri_set_frequency_registers()
spmri_set_phase_registers()
spmri_set_amplitude_registers()
spmri_set_carrier_shape()
Envelope related:
spmri_set_en elope_frequency_registers()
spmri_set_en elope_shape()
Step 3: Data A quisition Parameters
The acquisition system o the RadioProcessor-G is very similar to that o the original RadioProcessor. More
in ormation on the general operation o the acquisition system can be ound in the RadioProcessor manual.
Once the RadioProcessor-G has been instructed to acquire data, there are two parameters that will in luence the length
or which data will be recorded; these are the Spectral Width and the Number o Points.
Spectral Width is the bandwidth o the captured data, which can also be thought o as the requency at which data is
recorded.
Number of oints is the amount o complex baseband points that will be captured. The maximum amount o points
that may be recorded is 16384.
Acquisition Time or a scan can be calculated using the Spectral Width and the Number o points. The relationship
is:
In order or data to be acquired as accurately as possible, it is important to set the DC o set or the ADC to be set to a
proper value. To determine this value, you must run the program entitled adc_o set.exe, which is included with MRI
SpinAPI package, a ter your RadioProcessor-G has been success ully installed. You will then be given a number, which
can then be used to properly set the ADC DC o set or data acquisition.
Relevant MRI SpinAPI unctions:
spmri_set_num_samples()
spmri_set_num_segments()
spmri_setup_filters()
spmri_set_adc_offset()
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Number o Points
Spectral Width
Acquisition Time =

RadioProcessor-G
Step 4: Spe ify Parameters of the Pulse Sequen e
To program a pulse sequence into the RadioProcessor-G, there is one primary unction that must be used:
spmri_mri_inst()
The parameters o this unction are de ined in Table 3.
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Table 3: SPMRI_MRI_INST Parameters.
arameter Description
double dac_amp speci ies the amplitude o the selected DACs on a scale o
1.0 to -1.0, where 1.0 is the highest positive amplitude
and -1.0 is the most negative.
char dac_addr selects which DACs will be updated. Multiple DACs can
be selected at one time.
char write selects which DACs will have new amplitude data
written. This will not cause a new values to be seen at
the output. Multiple DACs can be selected.
char update selects which DACs will have updated outputs. The
outputs will re lect the amplitude data that was last
written. Multiple DACs can be selected.
char clear clears the write and update registers o the selected
DACs, causing them to cease outputting data. Multiple
DACs can be selected.
int req selects the requency register that will be used or the
carrier signal.
int tx_phase selects the phase register that will be used or the carrier
signal.
char tx_en enables RF output i set to 1. RF output will be disabled
i set to 0.
char phase_reset resets the phase to the o the carrier signal to the initial
value.
char trigger_scan enables data acquisition when set to 1.
char envelope_ req selects the requency register that will be used or the
envelope signal. I register 7 is used, envelope shaping
will be disabled and the phase will be reset or the
envelope requency registers.
int amp selects the amplitude register that will be used or the
carrier signal.
char cyclops_phase not supported on the RadioProcessor-G. Set to 0.
UINT64 lags speci ies the state o the digital outputs, whether high or
low.
DWORD data the data ield or the PulseBlaster opcode.
char op the opcode or the PulseBlaster instruction. See Table 3
or more in ormation.
double delay_ns the duration o the PulseBlaster instruction.
The available instructions or the PulseBlaster core are described in detail in the RadioProcessor manual.

RadioProcessor-G
Step 5: Trigger the Pulse Program
Once the pulse program has been stored in the memory o the RadioProcessor-G, it can easily be started and stopped
by the MRI SpinAPI unctions listed below:
spmri_start()
spmri_stop()
Step 6: Retrieve A quired Data
Acquired data rom the RadioProcessor-G can be retrieved rom RAM. This process is very similar to that o the
RadioProcessor. For more in ormation, please see the RadioProcessor manual.
Useful References
MRI SpinAPI Referen e Manual
The MRI SpinAPI, which can be downloaded on the SpinCore website, includes a document that gives an in-depth
description o all the unctions available in the API. I you are unsure o how a particular unction in an example
program works, please re er to this document, which is titled “SPMRI_API_Re erence_Manual.”
RadioPro essor Manual
The RadioProcessor-G API is a modi ied version o the RadioProcessor API, so many o the unctions are similar,
excluding those that were added to allow con iguration o the gradient outputs. For more in ormation on the
RadioProcessor API, please re er to the SpinCore RadioProcessor manual, which is available on the SpinCore website at
this location:
http://www.spincore.com/CD/RadioProcessor/RadioProcessor_manual.pd
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RadioProcessor-G
IV. Example Gradient Echo MRI Experiment
The RadioProcessor Model G comes with multiple sample programs. One o these programs is a gradient echo MRI
pulse sequence. A diagram o the pulse sequence can be seen in Figure 4. The program is a .c ile that is compiled into
a .exe that requires command line arguments. There are included Windows batch ile scripts that handle those arguments
so that scans can be run by simply editing the .bat ile and then double-clicking it in Windows. The below steps will guide
you through using the gradient echo example program.
1. Download and install the latest MRI SpinAPI package.
2. Connect the RadioProcessor-G as shown in Figure 2. Note that all components shown in Figure 2
may be purchased from SpinCore Technologies.
3. Edit the 2D_MRI.bat batch file by right-clicking and selecting 'edit' and save the batch file when
finished. The parameters of interest for this experiment are described below.
4. Run the 2D_MRI.bat file by double-clicking. Once the 2D_MRI.bat file has completed, new files *.fid,
*.txt, *.bmp) will be created in the directory from which the batch file was executed. The bitmap will be
an image such as the one in Figure 3.
outputFilename: A string of text that is used to name all of the files generated by GradientEcho.exe
nPoints: Number of points acquired per acquisition period.
nScans: Number of times the entire sequence is performed.
nPhases: Number of different phase levels to run the scan for
spectrometerFrequency_MHz: Frequency of the RF excitation pulse in MHz.
spectralWidth_kHz: The desired spectral width in kHz.
linebroadening_ alue: A value that adjusts the amount of line broadening in the final image. 0
corresponds to no line broadening and 5 is a lot of line broadening.
RF_Shape: Denotes the shape of the RF pulse. A value of 0 is a hard pulse. A value greater than 1 is a
sinc with RF_Shape many lobes.
amplitude: The amplitude of the RF pulse. Valid values range from 0.0 to 1.0.
pulseTime_us: The duration of the RF pulse in microseconds.
transTime_us: The delay between RF excitation and phase gradient application.
phaseTime_us: The duration of the phase gradients in microseconds.
gradientEchoDelay_us: The delay between switching the readout gradient's direction and data
acquisition.
repetitionDelay_s: The delay between acquisition and the next RF pulse in seconds.
tx_phase: The phase of the RF excitation pulse in degrees.
blankingBit: The bit connected to the blanking/de-blanking pin of your RF amplifier. This is designed
for SpinCore's power amplifiers. More information on the amplifiers can be found at
http://www.spincore.com/products/RFPA/RF-Power-Amplifier.shtml
blankingDelay_ms: The amount of time to de-blank the amplifier before the RF pulse starts.
adcOffset: The adc DC offset specific to the current board.
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RadioProcessor-G
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Figure 4: General timing diagram o the basic gradient echo sequence (not to scale). A single scan is
per ormed as ollows: A de-blanking TTL pulse is applied to allow or RF Power Ampli ier warm-up (Blanking Delay),
and then a single RF pulse (hard or shaped) is applied to the sample or a speci ied amount o time (Pulse Time). At that
same time, the slice gradient is applied or slice selection. The high voltage induced on the sample coil is allowed to ring
down (Transient Time), a ter which all three gradients are applied (Phase Gradient Time). A period o time is waited to
account or rise time o the gradient ampli iers (Gradient Echo Delay). The readout gradient coils then produce a
gradient echo that is acquired by the RF in o the board (Acquisition Time). The acquisition time is determined by the
number o points and the spectral width. A ter acquisition, the sample is then allowed to relax or a time (Repetition
Delay). This scan procedure is then repeated or next phase gradient amplitude until all o the data has been acquired.
RF Out
Blanking Bit
Slice
Phase
Readout
Acquisition
RF In
Blanking
Delay
Pulse
Time
Transient
Time
Phase
Gradient Time
Acquisition Time Repetition Delay
Gradient Echo
Delay
Gradients

RadioProcessor-G
Tips on obtaining data using the gradient echo example
There are multiple Windows script batch) files along with the gradient echo example program that can be
used to check scan parameters without doing an entire MRI pulse sequence with multiple phase amplitudes.
FID
FID.bat has delays and acquisition parameters set by default to aid in inspecting the FID. The FID is seen
using this pulse program by turning off all of the gradients, shortening the phase delay time and the gradient
echo delay time, setting the number of points to a large number, increasing the spectral width, and reducing
the number of phases to 1. By inspecting the FID, you can find an approximate value for T2* which will
determine how long of a delay you can program before your expected gradient echo.
FID_Readout
FID_Readout.bat has delays and acquisition parameters set by default to aid in inspecting a single gradient
echo. This is best used to make sure that your acquisition parameters are sufficient for a full MRI scan. By
running a single phase of the full MRI scan, you can check a single echo to make sure it looks good before
continuing. When running this batch, make sure you have your readout gradient on and your phase gradient
off.
To get a good signal, make sure to set acquisition parameters nPoints and spectralWidth_kHz) so
the acquisition period is centered on a point in time that still has a strong signal in the FID example. Select a
phase_time parameter that corresponds to one half of the time from the end of the RF pulse to the desired
center of acquisition. That will set the amplitude of the readout gradient to approximately -1.0 for dephasing,
and 1.0 for phasing resulting in the strongest echo possible.
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RadioProcessor-G
V. Connecting to the RadioProcessor-G
PCI RadioProcessor-G Board Connector Information
There are two main connector types on the RadioProcessor-G board: the BNC connectors and the SMA connectors –
see Figure 5 below. BNC connectors are mounted on the PCI bracket and are available outside o the computer. The
SMA connectors are mounted on-board and are available inside the computer only.
BNC Conne tors
The our BNC connectors provide the primary inter ace with the RadioProcessor-G PCI board. All headers are
impedance matched to 50Ω. BNC4 is the Analog Input, used or data acquisition. BNC3 is the Analog Output port.
BNC2 and BNC1 are both general purpose digital outputs which can be controlled through the pulse program.
The analog output connector (BNC3), is not equipped with an interpolating ilter. This allows or maximum lexibility
in output requency, but it means that the output may appear somewhat quantized i no ilter is used at the output. To
eliminate this behavior and obtain a smooth RF pulse, the user should ilter the output with a band-pass or low-pass ilter
which will cut o the undesired requency components above the intended RF signal.
When using coaxial transmission lines, please terminate the lines with a 50 ohm impedance. See Figures 6
and 7 below.
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Figure 5: RadioProcessor-G PCI Connector Locations.
Gradient Outputs
BNC4 (Analog In)
BNC2 (Digital Out)
BNC1 (Digital Out)
BNC3 (Analog Out)
SMA Connectors
3 2 1
JP600 JP601
Figure 6: Le t: BNC T-Adapter (F M F) and Right: BNC (M)
50 Ohm Impedance.

RadioProcessor-G
SMA Conne tors
There are three SMA connectors on the RadioProcessor-G board, all of which are used for gradient voltage
outputs. Please note that in the Gradient Echo Experiment, as well as in the MRI SpinAPI, the gradient
outputs are labeled as follows: output 3 is the Slice Gradient; output 2 is the Phase Gradient, and output 1 is
the Readout Gradient.
Hardware Trigger/Reset Header (JP601)
The shrouded IDC header JP601 is the Hardware Trigger/Reset connector. This is an input connector, for
hardware triggering HW_Trigger) and resetting HW_Reset). Please reference Figure 8 and Table 4 below.
The recommended mating connector for header JP601 can be obtained through Digi-Key Part Number:
1658527-4-ND.
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Figure 7: BNC T-Adapter on oscilloscope with coaxial
transmission line connected on the le t and BNC 50 Ohm
Impedance connected on the right, to terminate the line.

RadioProcessor-G
HW_Trigger pin 3) When this input is set to logical 0 for example by shorting it with pin 4), a hardware
trigger is produced. This has the same effects as issuing a trigger through software, although the hardware
trigger is more precise, since there are no software latencies involved.
HW_Reset pin 1) When this input is set to logical 0 for example by shorting it with pin 2), the pulse
program is reset.
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Figure 8: JP601: Hardware Trigger/Reset Header pin out
Table 4: Shrouded IDC Output Header J601 signal list.
Pin number Function
1 Reset
2Ground
3 Trigger
4 Ground
5 LED0
6 Ground
7LED1
8 Ground
9LED2
10 Ground