Multicore DSP-based Front-end board for a high channel, modular, ultrasound research system

In ultrasound (US) research, a key role is currently played by open platforms, i.e. flexible scanners with unlimited access to raw echo-data, which facilitate the implementation and experimental test of new echographic methods. The methods proposed by research laboratories are increasingly demanding in terms of computational power and number of transmit/receive channels necessary for a suitable control of US array probes. In this paper, the basic module of a new 256-channel open platform is described. Such module, called Front-end (FE) board, integrates all of the electronics to simultaneously control 32 probe elements. Each FE board hosts four analog front-end chips, two DSPs and one FPGA, and is connected to the other boards in a ring with total I/O bandwidth of 80 Gbit/s full-duplex.