NQR Spectrometer SoC FPGA External Memory Standalone Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing NQR spectrometers face limitations in portability, usability, and sensitivity due to memory constraints, requiring connection to a host station for data transmission and limited stand-alone measurement time, which restricts their ability to perform measurements away from the host station and affects accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) spectrometer utilizing a System on Chip (SoC) Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) communicatively coupled to an external memory, enabling the processing and storage of acquired signals, allowing for phase-cycling and digital signal processing, and featuring a Direct Digital Synthesizer for generating RF excitation pulses, thus enhancing portability and sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing NQR spectrometers are used, then measurement function is provided, but portability is limited due to requirement of host station connection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the host station functions (pulse programmer, acquisition module, signal processing, and data storage) directly into the portable NQR spectrometer unit. The FPGA performs pulse programming and signal acquisition, while the external memory stores measurement data locally, eliminating the need for external host station connection and enabling standalone operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable NQR spectrometer is designed to perform all measurement functions independently without requiring external host station support. The device generates its own control signals via FPGA, acquires and processes signals internally, and stores data in its own memory system, making it fully self-sufficient and portable.
2Measurement precision
If spectral resolution and acquisition frequency range are increased, then measurement accuracy is improved, but memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The acquisition module performs preliminary signal processing operations including filtering, denoising, and decimation of the acquired analog response signal before storage. This preprocessing reduces the data volume that needs to be stored in external memory while preserving the essential spectral information, thereby enabling high spectral resolution without proportionally increasing memory requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts processing parameters such as filtering coefficients, decimation rates, and accumulation parameters to optimize the balance between spectral resolution and memory usage. The FPGA configures these parameters based on the specific measurement requirements, allowing adaptive control of the trade-off between data quality and storage demands.
3Duration of action of moving object
If stand-alone measurement time is extended, then usability is improved, but memory constraints limit the measurement duration
Solution Approach 1:
The acquisition module performs real-time signal processing including filtering, denoising, and decimation during the measurement process, reducing the amount of raw data that needs to be stored. This preliminary processing extends the effective measurement duration by minimizing the memory consumption rate while maintaining data quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements signal accumulation by retrieving previously accumulated FIDs from external memory, processing them further, and storing the results. This approach allows the system to effectively reuse memory space by processing and replacing data in cycles, thereby extending the measurement duration beyond the raw memory capacity would allow.
4Measurement precision
If signal processing operations are performed, then sensitivity is improved, but computational resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The acquisition module performs essential signal processing operations (filtering, denoising, decimation) immediately after signal acquisition while the signal is still in memory. This preliminary processing enhances sensitivity by removing noise and artifacts early in the measurement chain, reducing the need for more computationally intensive post-processing operations that would consume additional energy.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure notably relates to a Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) spectrometer comprising a System on Chip (SoC) Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) (240) communicatively coupled to an external memory (320). The SoC FPGA (240) is configured to perform the function of a pulse programmer (250) for producing pulse sequences. The pulse programmer is configured for reading, sequentially, instructions stored on the external memory. The SoC FPGA (240) is further configured to perform the function of an acquisition module (260) for processing an acquired analog response signal (FID) emitted by nuclei of a material to be studied and for recording the processed signal on the external memory. The NQR spectrometer offers improved portability, usability and sensitivity with respect to the state of the art.