Multichannel FPGA-based arbitrary waveform generator for medical ultrasound

A compact and cost-effective method for generating simultaneous arbitrary waveforms over several channels is presented. This method exploits the sigma–delta technique combined with the LVDS circuit capability of sustaining bitstreams up to 1 Gbit/s. A 32-channel synthesiser has been successfully fitted in a single FPGA. Experimental results show that this technique is suitable for generating the excitation waveforms needed for medical ultrasound array probes.