Multi-ultrasound board card scanning synchronization system

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of multi-ultrasonic board card scanning synchronization systems, belong to industrial ultrasonic detection technical field.The application is by the signal of encoder group is only accessed first ultrasonic board card, and utilize synchronization line to carry out cascade with subsequent second to N ultrasonic board card of first ultrasonic board card.The first ultrasonic board card generates synchronous pulse signal according to encoder position information between set position interval, and the synchronous pulse signal triggers the ultrasonic emission and reception of all subsequent ultrasonic board cards in turn by synchronization line, realizes synchronous scanning.Each ultrasonic board card uploads to host computer after adding the data packet header containing pulse count value to the A scanning data collected, and the unified position information of all ultrasonic board cards is matched by host computer according to pulse count value.Accurate position information is matched for the data of all ultrasonic board cards by host computer according to the uniformity of pulse count value.The application can realize multi-board card synchronization only by a set of encoder group and single cable, effectively reduces system cost and wiring complexity, significantly improves anti-interference ability and data positioning accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ultrasonic nondestructive testing technology, specifically a multi-ultrasonic board scanning synchronous system. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of industrial ultrasonic testing, multiple probes are often required for automated scanning of large workpieces. Specifically, the number of probes can range from a few to dozens or even hundreds. Since the number of probes that can be connected to a single ultrasonic board is limited, multiple ultrasonic boards need to operate simultaneously. During ultrasonic scanning, encoders are often used to record the scanning position. One encoder can record the probe's position information in one direction. If the probe needs to move in multiple dimensions, multiple encoders are needed to form an encoder group. For example, if the ultrasonic probe needs to move in the X, Y, and Z dimensions, three encoders are required to form an encoder group. Each encoder's output signal typically includes two signals, a and b, resulting in six output signals from three encoders.

[0003] Ensuring that each ultrasonic transducer receives information from the encoder group and operates synchronously is crucial for the stable operation of an ultrasonic testing system. In most ultrasonic scanning applications, the relative positions between probes are fixed, meaning only one encoder group is needed to acquire position information. To provide encoder information to each ultrasonic transducer, one approach is to connect an encoder group to each transducer. However, this requires a large number of encoders, leading to high costs and inconvenient installation. Another approach uses only one encoder group, splitting its signal into multiple paths and connecting them to each transducer via hardware circuitry. However, this results in numerous cables and increased susceptibility to environmental noise, leading to inaccurate data. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-ultrasound board synchronous scanning system, which can realize the technical objective of scanning multiple ultrasonic boards simultaneously with one encoder group, and can reduce cable connections and improve anti-interference capability.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A multi-ultrasound board scanning synchronization system includes an encoder group whose output signal is connected to a first ultrasound board.

[0007] The first ultrasonic board is cascaded to the second ultrasonic board, the third ultrasonic board, and so on up to the Nth ultrasonic board via a synchronization line, forming a cascaded structure; each ultrasonic board is connected to a switch via a network cable, and the switch is connected to a host computer for communication.

[0008] The first ultrasonic board starts ultrasonic transmission and reception when a preset position interval is reached, based on the position information provided by the encoder group, and generates a synchronization pulse signal.

[0009] The synchronization pulse signal is transmitted sequentially to each subsequent ultrasonic board through the synchronization line, triggering each ultrasonic board to synchronously perform ultrasonic transmission and reception.

[0010] Each of the aforementioned ultrasound boards obtains one A-scan data after completing one ultrasound transmission and reception, and adds identification information to the data packet header;

[0011] The first ultrasonic board adds encoder position information and pulse count value to the data packet header;

[0012] The remaining ultrasound boards add pulse count values ​​to the data packet header;

[0013] The host computer matches the pulse count values ​​uploaded by each of the ultrasound cards with the pulse count value of the first ultrasound card to supplement the position information of the A-scan data of the other ultrasound cards.

[0014] Furthermore, the synchronization pulse signal has different pulse widths to represent different control commands: when the pulse width is the first pulse width, it indicates the starting point of the position, and the ultrasonic board receiving the synchronization pulse signal will clear the pulse counter to zero; when the pulse width is not the first pulse width, it indicates a non-starting point position, and the ultrasonic board receiving the synchronization pulse signal will increment the pulse counter by 1.

[0015] Furthermore, when the pulse width is a functionally defined pulse width other than the first pulse width, it indicates that the ultrasonic transmission parameters need to be switched; the ultrasonic board receiving the synchronization pulse signal switches the current ultrasonic transmission parameters to preset ultrasonic transmission parameters corresponding to the functionally defined pulse width.

[0016] Furthermore, the host computer sends configuration parameters to each ultrasound board through a network interface and receives A-scan data uploaded by each ultrasound board.

[0017] Furthermore, the encoder group includes at least one encoder, each of which is used to detect the motion position of the ultrasound probe in different dimensions.

[0018] Furthermore, the synchronization line is a single cable used to transmit synchronization pulse signals.

[0019] Furthermore, the ultrasonic board is equipped with an FPGA module, which is used to realize encoder signal parsing, pulse generation, pulse width detection, pulse counting, ultrasonic transmission and reception, and data packaging functions.

[0020] Furthermore, the FPGA module includes:

[0021] The encoder parsing module is used to parse the a-phase and b-phase signals of the encoder group to obtain the multi-dimensional position information of the ultrasonic probe.

[0022] The pulse generation module is used to generate synchronous pulse signals of different widths according to the received position information and output them through the synchronization line, or to output the synchronous pulse signal received by the pulse width detection module from the previous ultrasonic card through the synchronization line.

[0023] The pulse width detection module is used to detect the width of the received synchronization pulse signal and perform corresponding operations.

[0024] A pulse counter is used to count the synchronization pulse signals and is reset to zero when a synchronization pulse signal with the first pulse width is received.

[0025] The ultrasonic transmitter and receiver module is used to perform ultrasonic transmission and reception based on the received synchronization pulse signal, and input the received ultrasonic A-scan data into the data packaging module;

[0026] The data packaging module is used to package A-scan data and add header information.

[0027] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0028] The multi-ultrasound board scanning synchronization system of the present invention achieves significant technical effects through an innovative cascaded synchronization architecture, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

[0029] (1) By driving multiple ultrasonic boards to work synchronously through an encoder group, the problem caused by equipping each ultrasonic board with an independent encoder or using a complex hardware splitting scheme in the existing technology is fundamentally solved. This greatly reduces the number of encoders used in the system, reduces hardware costs and equipment installation complexity.

[0030] (2) The pulse signal is cascaded and transmitted using a single synchronous line, which replaces the traditional multi-path parallel wiring method. This not only simplifies the system wiring and reduces the amount of cables and connection points, but also significantly improves the system's anti-interference ability and operational stability, and avoids data error problems caused by numerous lines and noise interference.

[0031] (3) By combining pulse counting with data packet header identification, the problem of missing ultrasound card position information is cleverly solved while ensuring that all ultrasound cards are strictly triggered synchronously. The positioner can accurately match the position information of all A scan data by comparing the pulse count value, which ensures the spatial consistency and accuracy of the acquired data and lays a solid foundation for the reliability of subsequent data processing and imaging.

[0032] In summary, the multi-ultrasound board scanning synchronization system of the present invention achieves multiple positive effects, including cost reduction, system simplification, improved stability, and guaranteed data quality, while realizing high-precision synchronization of multiple ultrasound boards. Attached Figure Description

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this invention clearer, the following figures are provided for illustration:

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-ultrasound board scanning synchronization system of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a pulse counter that is reset to zero during the first pulse width and incremented by 1 during the non-pulse width.

[0036] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of switching ultrasonic transmission parameters when the pulse width is defined as the functional pulse width;

[0037] Figure 4 This is the schematic diagram of the FPGA module. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the multi-ultrasound board scanning synchronization system of this embodiment includes an encoder group whose output signal is connected to the first ultrasound board. Specifically, the encoder group includes at least one encoder, each encoder being used to detect the motion position of the ultrasound probe in different dimensions.

[0040] Specifically, the first ultrasound board is cascaded sequentially to the second, third, and so on, up to the Nth ultrasound board, via a synchronization line, forming a cascaded structure. That is, the first and second ultrasound boards are connected by a single synchronization line, the second and third ultrasound boards are connected by a single synchronization line, and so on, with the (N-1)th and Nth ultrasound boards connected by a single synchronization line. In a preferred embodiment, the synchronization line is a single cable used to transmit synchronization pulse signals, further reducing the number of cables. In this embodiment, each ultrasound board is connected to a switch via a network cable, and the switch communicates with the host computer. Each ultrasound board has an independent IP address. The host computer sends configuration parameters to each ultrasound board through a network interface. After sampling ultrasound data, the ultrasound boards upload it to the host computer via the network port; that is, the host computer can receive the A-scan data uploaded by each ultrasound board.

[0041] The ultrasonic transceiver operates under position control via encoders. The first ultrasonic transceiver, based on position information obtained from signals provided by the encoder group, enters ultrasonic transmission and reception mode when it reaches a preset required operating position interval, generating a synchronization pulse signal. This synchronization pulse signal is sequentially transmitted to subsequent ultrasonic transceivers via a synchronization line, triggering each transceiver to synchronously transmit and receive ultrasonic signals. For example, if the synchronization pulse signal is transmitted to the second ultrasonic transceiver, upon receiving the pulse signal, the second transceiver enters transmission and reception mode and simultaneously outputs a synchronization pulse signal of the same pulse width, transmitting it to the third ultrasonic transceiver. The third transceiver, upon receiving the synchronization pulse signal, also enters ultrasonic transmission and reception mode, and so on.

[0042] Each ultrasound board acquires an A-scan data point after completing one ultrasound transmission and reception cycle. Identification information is added to the data packet header before uploading it to the host computer. The first ultrasound board, having position information provided by the encoder group, can include this information in the data packet header and transmit it to the host computer. The host computer reads the data packet header to determine the location of the ultrasound probe that acquired the A-scan. However, subsequent ultrasound boards lack position information. If the position information of the first ultrasound board is used to supplement the position information of other ultrasound boards, misalignment problems will occur. To solve this technical problem, this embodiment incorporates a pulse counter within each ultrasound board. Specifically, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, the synchronization pulse signals have different pulse widths to represent different control commands. Specifically, when the pulse width is the first pulse width, it indicates the starting point of the position, and the ultrasonic board receiving this synchronization pulse signal resets its pulse counter to zero. When the pulse width is not the first pulse width, it indicates a non-starting point position, and the ultrasonic board receiving this synchronization pulse signal increments its pulse counter by 1. In this embodiment, the first pulse width is set to 2T, meaning that when the first ultrasonic board starts working at the starting point, it generates and sends a 2T-width synchronization pulse signal, and the ultrasonic board resets its pulse counter to zero when it receives the 2T-width synchronization pulse signal. When the first ultrasonic board is not at the starting point, it generates and sends a synchronization pulse signal with a width other than 2T (such as 1T), and the ultrasonic board increments its pulse counter by 1 when it receives a pulse with a width other than 2T. In this embodiment, the first ultrasonic board adds encoder position information and pulse count value to the data packet header; the other ultrasonic boards add pulse count value to the data packet header. The host computer matches the pulse count values ​​uploaded by each ultrasound board with the pulse count value of the first ultrasound board to supplement the position information of the A-scan data of the remaining ultrasound boards.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment of this example, when the pulse width is a functionally defined pulse width other than the first pulse width, it indicates that the ultrasonic emission parameters need to be switched. The ultrasonic board receiving the synchronization pulse signal switches the current ultrasonic emission parameters to preset ultrasonic emission parameters corresponding to the functionally defined pulse width. Specifically, when different parameters are required to scan different positions of the workpiece, different synchronization pulse signals can be modified and transmitted to the subsequent ultrasonic boards. For example, when the workpiece needs to be adjusted to different emission voltages at different positions, a 50V emission voltage is initially used. After reaching the set position, due to the larger thickness of the workpiece, a switch to a 100V emission voltage is required. When the first ultrasonic board obtains the position information indicating that the emission voltage needs to be switched, it adjusts the pulse width of the synchronization pulse signal to 3T. When the subsequent ultrasonic board detects that the pulse width is 3T, it switches the emission voltage parameter to 100V. Figure 3 As shown. Other parameters that need to change according to position can be switched in the same way.

[0044] like Figure 4 As shown, the ultrasonic board in this embodiment has an internal FPGA module for implementing encoder signal parsing, pulse generation, pulse width detection, pulse counting, ultrasonic transmission and reception, and data packaging functions. Specifically, the FPGA module in this embodiment includes functional modules.

[0045] The encoder parsing module is used to parse the a-phase and b-phase signals of the encoder group to obtain the multi-dimensional position information of the ultrasonic probe.

[0046] The pulse generation module is used to generate synchronous pulse signals of different widths based on the received position information and output them to the synchronous output interface, and then output them through the synchronous line. Alternatively, if the corresponding ultrasonic card is not connected to the encoder group signal, it is used to output the synchronous pulse signal received by the pulse width detection module from the previous ultrasonic card to the synchronous output interface, and then output it through the synchronous line.

[0047] The pulse width detection module receives synchronization signals from the pulse generation module and external interface inputs. It detects the width of the received synchronization pulse signal and performs corresponding operations. If the ultrasound board is not connected to the encoder group signal, it will use the externally input synchronization pulse signal. If the ultrasound board is connected to the encoder group signal, it will use the synchronization pulse signal generated by the pulse generation module. The pulse width detection module detects the width of the synchronization pulse signal. If a 2T width synchronization pulse signal is detected, the pulse counter is reset. If a 3T width pulse is detected, the ultrasound transmitter / receiver module is notified to switch the transmission voltage. If a pulse width defined by other functions is detected, the ultrasound transmitter / receiver module is notified in the same way to switch functions.

[0048] A pulse counter is used to count the synchronization pulse signals and is reset to zero when a synchronization pulse signal with a first pulse width is received.

[0049] The ultrasound transmitter / receiver module is used to perform ultrasound transmission and reception based on the received synchronization pulse signal, and inputs the received ultrasound A-scan data into the data packaging module. Specifically, after receiving the synchronization pulse signal, the ultrasound transmitter / receiver module loads the pre-stored configuration issued by the host computer, and then performs ultrasound transmission and reception according to the configuration.

[0050] The data packaging module is used to package A-scan data and add header information. The main function of this module is to add the data packet header. If the ultrasound board is connected to an encoder group signal, the data packet header contains the position information of each encoder in the encoder group and the pulse counter count value. If the ultrasound board is not connected to an encoder group signal, the data packet header contains the pulse counter count value. In addition, the packet header also contains other A-scan information, network parameters, etc.

[0051] The above-described embodiments are merely preferred embodiments provided to fully illustrate the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention are all within the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-ultrasound board scanning synchronous system, characterized in that: Includes an encoder assembly whose output signal is connected to the first ultrasonic board; The first ultrasonic board is cascaded to the second ultrasonic board, the third ultrasonic board, and so on up to the Nth ultrasonic board via a synchronization line, forming a cascaded structure; each ultrasonic board is connected to a switch via a network cable, and the switch is connected to a host computer for communication. The first ultrasonic board starts ultrasonic transmission and reception when a preset position interval is reached, based on the position information provided by the encoder group, and generates a synchronization pulse signal. The synchronization pulse signal is transmitted sequentially to each subsequent ultrasonic board through the synchronization line, triggering each ultrasonic board to synchronously perform ultrasonic transmission and reception. Each of the aforementioned ultrasound boards obtains one A-scan data after completing one ultrasound transmission and reception, and adds identification information to the data packet header; The first ultrasonic board adds encoder position information and pulse count value to the data packet header; The remaining ultrasound boards add pulse count values ​​to the data packet header; The host computer matches the pulse count value uploaded by each ultrasound board with the pulse count value of the first ultrasound board to supplement the position information of the A-scan data of the other ultrasound boards. The synchronization pulse signal has different pulse widths to represent different control commands: when the pulse width is the first pulse width, it indicates the starting point of the position, and the ultrasonic board receiving the synchronization pulse signal will clear the pulse counter to zero; when the pulse width is not the first pulse width, it indicates a non-starting point position, and the ultrasonic board receiving the synchronization pulse signal will increment the pulse counter by 1.

2. The multi-ultrasound card scanning synchronization system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the pulse width is a functionally defined pulse width other than the first pulse width, it indicates that the ultrasonic transmission parameters need to be switched; the ultrasonic board receiving the synchronization pulse signal will switch the current ultrasonic transmission parameters to preset ultrasonic transmission parameters corresponding to the functionally defined pulse width.

3. The multi-ultrasound card scanning synchronization system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The host computer sends configuration parameters to each ultrasound board through a network interface and receives A-scan data uploaded by each ultrasound board.

4. The multi-ultrasound card scanning synchronization system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The encoder group includes at least one encoder, each of which is used to detect the motion position of the ultrasound probe in different dimensions.

5. The multi-ultrasound card scanning synchronization system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The synchronization line is a single cable used to transmit synchronization pulse signals.

6. The multi-ultrasound card scanning synchronization system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The ultrasonic board has an internal FPGA module for implementing encoder signal parsing, pulse generation, pulse width detection, pulse counting, ultrasonic transmission and reception, and data packaging functions.

7. The multi-ultrasound board scanning synchronization system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The FPGA module includes: The encoder parsing module is used to parse the a-phase and b-phase signals of the encoder group to obtain the multi-dimensional position information of the ultrasonic probe. The pulse generation module is used to generate synchronous pulse signals of different widths according to the received position information and output them through the synchronization line, or to output the synchronous pulse signal received by the pulse width detection module from the previous ultrasound board through the synchronization line. The pulse width detection module is used to detect the width of the received synchronization pulse signal and perform corresponding operations. A pulse counter is used to count the synchronization pulse signals and is reset to zero when a synchronization pulse signal with the first pulse width is received. The ultrasonic transmitter and receiver module is used to perform ultrasonic transmission and reception based on the received synchronization pulse signal, and input the received ultrasonic A-scan data into the data packaging module; The data packaging module is used to package A-scan data and add header information.

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