The AVANCE™SGU NMR Spectrometer
At the Forefront probe. The new AVANCE™SGU electronics has been
designed to meet this challenge and to give the outstanding
of Electronics Design performance demanded by modern NMR experiments and by
experienced research scientists.
The concept of a flexible, multinuclear NMR spectrometer
Tonio Gianotti, Frank Decker, Stéphane Kreiss line requires the use of a well-defined set of building blocks or
system modules. These modules are designed to operate over
Bruker BioSpin GmbH
the entire range of frequencies needed for all magnetic field
76287 Rheinstetten, Germany
strengths and applications. Thus, the same state-of-the-art
technology found in the AVANCE™ 900 is also used in the
low-field AVANCE™ 300 system and represents the core of
the Dynamic Platform Concept of Bruker NMR spectrometers.
Introduction No compromises on NMR performance are made at any field
High magnetic fields of up to 21.14 Tesla (1H resonance strength or for any application.
frequencies of up to 900 MHz), CryoProbe accessories, and
sophisticated multidimensional pulse sequences have paved Dynamic Platform Concept
the way for sensational advances in NMR performance and AVANCE™ NMR spectrometers are designed for operation
new applications. As a result, the requirements placed on at a large range of magnetic field strengths and Larmor
spectrometer performance, in particular the RF electronics, frequencies and with a large number of independent RF
have become more stringent and demanding from year to year. channels, a wide range of transmitter output powers, and
Thus, spectrometer quality specifications must be an order of multiple receivers. The spectrometer configuration can be
magnitude better than the highest achievable NMR sensitivity optimized for the applications of interest simply by selecting the
to ensure that noise, spikes, harmonic distortion, inter- appropriate set of electronics modules. Fig. 1 provides an
modulation, and other artifacts are at such low levels that they overview of the AVANCE™modular concept and indicates the
do not degrade the quality of the RF signal delivered by the variety of configurations available.
Fig. 1:
Block diagram for the
AVANCE™SGU
spectrometer line,
illustrating the flexible
modular design concept.
Optional accessories
and extension units for
up to 8 independent
RF channels are shown
in red.
8
advantage of the AVANCE™platform concept is that,
regardless of magnetic field, number of RF channels, types of
probes and other accessories, all systems use the same
sophisticated software package and meet the same electronics
performance specifications.
Digital Technology
In the field of communications and satellite technology, for
example, we have witnessed tremendous progress in recent
years through the aggressive introduction of digital techniques.
This was made possible by new generations of very fast and
relatively inexpensive CPUs, digital signal processors (DSPs),
analog-digital converters (ADC, DAC), high-speed switches,
and other digital components. Bruker has also taken this
development path with the pacesetting AVANCE™series,
Fig. 2: Various electronics console and housing configurations are including the newest AVANCE™ SGU NMR spectrometer
available to satisfy the widest possible range of space limitations and
application preferences while employing a unified technology.
line. The magic word is digital, and the advantages are obvious.
Digital systems are:
K precise and reproducible,
K stable and reliable,
Space requirements can also be tailored to the user’s needs and
K flexible, programmable, and fast.
the methods preferred (Fig. 2). Bruker offers the more
conventional MicroBay, OneBay and TwoBay consoles as The typical weaknesses of classical analog circuits: component
well as specialized, dedicated enclosures such as the INCA or aging, drift, temperature effects, interferences, non-linearities,
ICE systems, which are designed and optimized for a particular and variable response times, are essentially eliminated through
hardware combination and range of applications. A major the use of digital counterparts.
Fig. 3: Bruker’s one-chip
DDS architecture for the
digital generation of
complete pulse trains at
the RF offset frequency
(13 - 23 MHz),
including phase and
amplitude modulation as
well as high-speed
frequency switching. The
output of the DDS is
converted to the final
analog RF output (3-
1100 MHz) by the
frequency converter, using
a freely selectable base
frequency (5 MHz
steps).
9
Several functions in the AVANCE™ SGU are now 100% generation in the transmitter path. The quality of RF pulses,
digital thanks to the introduction of specially designed, i.e., frequency purity, amplitude and phase stability, waveform
application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), such as the precision, and timing accuracy, is fundamental for high-
new Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS), which produces RF performance NMR spectroscopy and imaging. Even small
Fig. 4:
Details of the Numeric
Controlled Oscillator
(high-resolution frequency
and phase generator) and
Digital Amplitude
Modulation (real-time
16-bit digital multiplier)
used in the DDS.
pulse trains by simultaneous generation of RF pulse frequency, errors or variations in these parameters can lead to artifacts or
phase, waveform and timing - all on a single chip. The DDS less-than-optimal NMR results. Therefore, a completely new
uses a unique architecture (Fig. 3), consisting of three unit, the Signal Generation Unit (SGU), was specifically
independent Numeric Controlled Oscillators (NCOs), each designed with the intention of minimizing or eliminating any
containing three phase registers which are used for the execution possible source of error, interference, or unwanted delays.
of phase programs or phase modulation (waveforms). The
The most fascinating feature of this new SGU module is the
NCOs can be selected via a fast switching network which
integration of all digital and analog functions needed for RF
allows fast frequency switching while retaining phase coherence
pulse sequence generation on one single printed-circuit board.
or specifically programmed phase relationships. For the first
In previous spectrometer generations these functions were
time, Digital Amplitude Modulation has been integrated into a
distributed over several discrete units using external frequency
DDS (Fig. 4). The unique advantages are not only a large
synthesizers. The units were often bulky, far apart, and
dynamic range of 96 dB but also amplitude shaping which is
connected with long coaxial cables. The new integrated
an inherent part of the synthesis process, free from distortions
synthesizer concept of Bruker’s DDS IC (as described above)
and phase errors and providing perfect RF blanking between
was the breakthrough that made the design of the new SGU
pulses (zero amplitude really means zero RF output).
possible.
The digital output of the DDS represents an RF offset
Large-scale Integration frequency with a range of 10 MHz with extremely fine phase
The functions mentioned above could only be realized by and frequency resolution (Fig. 4). This output is converted to
taking advantage of the most modern electronic technology an analog waveform via a DAC and combined in a
available with a high degree of integration. From the beginning, sophisticated mixing process with an appropriate base frequency
the focus was set on improving the overall performance of RF BF, which can be set in 5 MHz steps to cover all nuclei and
10
Thus, on an area the size of a
standard A4 page (Fig. 5), highly
integrated components for digital
functions and RF generation of
frequencies up to 1.5 GHz have
been compactly arranged, side-by-
side, for the ultimate reduction in
propagation delays. Remarkably,
the various components operate
without mutual interference, made
possible through the use of inte-
grated shielding and superior
board materials with extremely low
RF losses.
Fig. 5: Overview of the one-board AVANCE™ SGU, illustrating its functional characteristics and the
compact, highly integrated and shielded design.
Ultimate Performance
field strengths. This frequency conversion retains the phase and The capabilities of the AVANCE™ SGU are truly astonishing.
frequency resolution of the DDS offset at the final RF With a single digital input connection, a few standard reference
frequency, which passes through a high-speed, digitally frequencies, and a 50-ns clock, each SGU can create complete
controlled attenuator (power level setting) before being sent to pulse sequences for a given RF channel with arbitrary phase
the appropriate linear power amplifier. The SGU also and amplitude modulation and with a freely selectable output
generates the local oscillator (LO) reference frequency for frequency in the range of 3 to 1100 MHz. Thus, the SGU is
detection of the selected nucleus with the selected receiver the heart of all AVANCE™ SGU spectrometers and replaces
channel, while a high-speed transmit/receive switching network previous-generation synthesizer technology which cannot
ensures optimal phase coherence and transmitter blanking provide the performance required by the newest solids NMR
during NMR signal detection. experiments. The SGU provides extremely fast and precise
phase, frequency and amplitude switching (Fig. 6). Any
residual frequency-dependent amplitude errors
or amplitude-dependent phase errors, for
example, are minimized via on-board factory-
adjusted compensation. The RF output pulses
from the SGU need only be amplified by the
transmitter endstage for use in NMR
experiments.
The performance specifications described here
provide some indication of the basic capabilities
of the system, but actual measurements give a
more accurate impression of the outstanding
performance of the AVANCE™ SGU system
(Fig. 7). Precision and flexibility are well-
demonstrated by the NMR experiments in
Fig. 8, which require the highest precision in
phase or frequency shifts.
Fig. 6: Performance specifications for the AVANCE™ SGU.
11
Fig. 7: Experimental demonstration of the
AVANCE™ SGU performance was obtained
by combining the output of two SGUs in a
ring mixer and examining the difference
frequency with an oscilloscope. One SGU
served as a reference so that frequency and
phase switching of the second SGU could be
precisely monitored. The results show that
phase and frequency switching over a 1 MHz
range are complete within 120 ns, which is
important for techniques such as frequency-
shifted Lee-Goldburg (FSLG) decoupling in
solids. The performance of the digital
amplitude modulator was tested with a
staircase waveform; an expansion of one step
in the resulting shaped pulse is shown here.
considerably and ensures excellent performance
without trial and error. Furthermore, transmitter
linearity is the indispensable basis for reliable
probe protection, as introduced with the
PowerCheck function in XWIN-NMR 3.5.
However, even the most carefully constructed
RF amplifiers will exhibit minor distortions in
gain and phase when the entire available dynamic
range is utilized. To compensate for any hardware
limitations, Bruker has developed a very powerful
software tool called CORTAB, a calibration
procedure which measures the amplitude and phase
performance over the entire RF transmitter path as a function
Stability and Linearity of attenuation setting and computes a correction table which is
Perfect pulse sequence generation would be of little use unless automatically used by the SGU in subsequent experiments to
all other electronic components located downstream provide eliminate any deviation from ideal behavior. Typical
matching performance. The excellent linearity of the SGU can performance before and after calibration via CORTAB is
only be utilized when the entire transmitter/receiver path shown in Fig. 9. Furthermore, it is possible to calibrate the
operates within the tightest specifications. Thus, the linearity of individual RF levels from each FCU/SGU channel so that
the power amplifiers and routing hardware is equally important. the final output from each power amplifier is the same regardless
of the RF source and routing.
Remarkable progress has been achieved in the terms of stability
and noise figure for the power amplifiers. Thanks to the use of For an AVANCE™ SGU spectrometer equipped with the
new RF pads which compensate for temperature variations, HADC2 digitizer unit, a typical 10-min run with CORTAB
gain drift has been reduced to 0.01 dB/°C, while the noise for an 80-dB RF amplitude range results in the following
figure is now below 7 dB. performance figures:
The amplitude and phase linearity of the transmitter path are K max. amplitude error: ± 0.1 dB
important parameters for most NMR experiments, but in K max. phase error: ± 0.5º
particular when spin-lock or shaped pulses are used. A free K max. amplitude variation: ± 0.1 dB
bonus of a highly linear system is that all pulse amplitudes (one amplifier fed from different FCU/SGUs).
(attenuation), lengths, and waveforms for one RF channel can
be calculated from the results of one 90° (0 dB) pulse
calibration. This simplifies the setup of complex experiments
12
First, all hardware components have been selected for quality
and longevity. Second, the uniformity of the AVANCE™
architecture means that many components are the same in 300
to 900 MHz systems, leading to larger production volumes for
standardized units and the associated economies of scale.
Consequently, more effort can be invested in efficient production
methods and uniform testing tools to reliably and objectively
assess spectrometer performance during installation and at
regular intervals over a long lifetime. With a minimal basis set
of hardware modules, it is easier to create accurate and
informative documentation and testing tools for service
engineers and interested customers.
Thus, the AVANCE™ SGU spectrometer line clearly
represents the most advanced and future-oriented NMR system
available, satisfying the most demanding requirements of
modern NMR applications and the most optimistic hopes of
the serious NMR specialist.
Fig. 8: Demonstration of SGU performance in critical NMR
applications. Top: phase resolution and precision are tested using a
multipulse spin-echo sequence which in effect multiplies the RF phase
offset ±ϕ applied to the π pulses by a factor 128 in terms of the
resulting signal phase (signal phase advances 2ϕ after each π pulse).
When the smallest phase increment ∆ϕ which the SGU can generate is
applied (increment and decrement phase commands), the signal phase
advances by 128∆ϕ = 0.7° per experiment (solid curve). The plotted
spectra show the result after every 18 RF phase increments, whereby the
signal phase has advanced by 12.65°. Bottom: A 13C homonuclear
double-quantum/single-quantum 2D correlation experiment is shown for
uniformly [13C]-labeled tyrosine-HCl in the solid state. The pulse
sequence places severe demands on the precision and speed of phase
shifting. Two SC14 cycles (B1 field: 70 kHz ) for DQ excitation and
reconversion were applied (20 kHz spinning rate, 256 t1 increments,
16 transients each, 1K time-domain points, 1K × 1K transform). The
F2 cross section (red) at the position of the arrow shows the correlations
for ring carbons δ1,ε1 and δ2,ε2 which have the same DQ frequencies.
Quality Assurance
Of course, the best spectrometer design intentions must go
hand-in-hand with appropriate quality assurance in production
and testing so that the superior performance capabilities of
AVANCE™ SGU spectrometers actually reaches the Fig. 9: Calibration of the entire transmitter chain using the CORTAB
customer’s laboratory. The goal is to produce and deliver a software in NMRSuite. A: measured (G) vs. theoretical (solid line) RF
spectrometer system which provides error-free operation at amplitude (log scale) as a function of attenuation setting (pl) in dB.
B: measured vs. theoretical RF amplitude after correction via the
design specifications for many years. Therefore, we have taken CORTAB calibration. C: measured RF phase error before (upper
the necessary steps to quickly reach this very ambitious goal. curve, black) and after (lower curve, red) CORTAB calibration.
13
