ST AN3240 Application note

AN3240

Application note

Ultrasound HV pulser demonstration board

Introduction

This application note describes all the possible demo applications helpful in carrying out a
full evaluation of STHV748 functions.

The STHV748 high-voltage, high-speed pulser generator features four independent
channels. It is designed for medical ultrasound applications, but can also be used for other
piezoelectric, capacitive, or MEMS transducers.

The device contains a controller logic interface circuit, level translators, MOSFET gate
drivers, noise blocking diodes, and high-power P-channel and N-channel MOSFETs as
output stages for each channel. There is also a clamping-to-ground circuitry, anti-leakage,
an anti-memory effect block, a thermal sensor, and a HV receiver switch (HVR_SW), which
guarantees a strong decoupling during the transmission phase.

Moreover, the STHV748 includes self-biasing and thermal shutdown blocks (see block
diagram in Figure 1). Each channel can support up to five active output levels with two half
bridges. The output stage of each channel is able to provide ±2 A peak output current. In
order to reduce power dissipation during continuous wave mode, the peak current is limited
to 0.6 A (a dedicated half bridge is used).

December 2010 Doc ID 17689 Rev 1 1/32

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Contents AN3240

Contents

1 STHV748 - pinout configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2 STHV748 block diagram and truth table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3 STHV748 PCB demo description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

4 PCB demo description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

4.0.1 Capacitances and resistances list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

5 Operating supply conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

5.1 Load selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

5.2 Fixed STHV748 pins on PCB demo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

6 Demonstration kit composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

6.1 Method 1 (flexible - based on BNC PCB adapter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

6.1.1 How to drive the STHV748 for method 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

6.2 Method 2 (use of the motherboard based on the STM3210E-EVAL) . . . . 20

6.2.1 Motherboard communication setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

6.2.2 Motherboard driving performance for the PCB demo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

6.2.3 Turn on demo system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

6.2.4 Turn off demo system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

6.2.5 Acquisition examples of PW, CW and PC mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

6.3 Method 3 (LabView interface - use of the HSDIO PCB connector) . . . . . 29

7 Revision history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

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AN3240 List of tables

List of tables

Table 1. Pinout configuration table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Table 2. STHV748 truth table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Table 3. Capacitances and resistances list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Table 4. C1 head connector pin vs STHV748 pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Table 5. DC working supply conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Table 6. Current consumption in CW mode, @ 5 MHz, HVP/M1=±5 V, no-load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Table 7. Power-up sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Table 8. Special pin connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Table 9. STM3210E-EVAL pin configuration table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Table 10. Document revision history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Doc ID 17689 Rev 1 3/32

List of figures AN3240

List of figures

Figure 1. STHV748 single channel block diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Figure 2. PCB demo schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Figure 3. PCB top layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Figure 4. C1 (CONN1) head connector description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Figure 5. PCB demo image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Figure 6. Load configuration schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Figure 7. Demonstration kit composition (PCB demo plus BNC PCB adapter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Figure 8. PCB adapter image, top layout and top schematic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Figure 9. Demonstration kit system image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Figure 10. Inputs set of generators for PW mode (4 cycles - TX0 pulser Chx) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Figure 11. Diodes LED status on the PCB adapter which indicates IN4=1 and IN3=0 . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Figure 12. Demonstration kit based on the STM3210E-EVAL system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Figure 13. Demonstration kit based on the STM3210E-EVAL system image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Figure 14. STM3210E-EVAL pin connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Figure 15. PW mode functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Figure 16. CW mode functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Figure 17. PC mode functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Figure 18. Supply connection for demonstration kit with the STM3210E-EVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Figure 19. Main menu on STM3210E-EVAL display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Figure 20. Main menu selection on the STM3210E-EVAL display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Figure 21. Example of “Continuous Mode” selection on the STM3210E-EVAL display. . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Figure 22. Exit the mode selected on the STM3210E-EVAL display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Figure 23. Reset key on the STM3210E-EVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Figure 24. PW mode (HVP0=60 V HVM0=-60 V 100 W//300 pF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Figure 25. CW mode HVP1=5 V HVM1=-5 V 100 W//300 pF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Figure 26. CW mode HVP1=10 V HVM1=-10 V 100 W//300 pF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Figure 27. PC mode HVP0=60 V HVM0=-60 V 100 W//300 pF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Figure 28. LabView equipment used to develop the STHV749 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Figure 29. STHV748 LabView PC control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Figure 30. STHV748 demo system for LabView evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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AN3240 STHV748 - pinout configuration

1 STHV748 - pinout configuration

Table 1. Pinout configuration table

Pin number Pin name

1AGND

2 RIF_HVM1_1

3HVM1_A

4HVM0_A

5HVOUT_A

6 HVP0_A

7 RIF_HVP1_1

8 HVP1_A

9 HVP1_B

10 RIF_HVP0_1

11 HVP0_B

12 HVOUT_B

13 HVM0_B

14 HVM1_B

15 RIF_HVM0_1

16 D_CTR

17 IN4

18 IN1_B

19 IN2_B

20 IN3_B

21 VDDP_1

22 GND_PWR_3

23 XDCR_B

24 LVOUT_B

25 LVOUT_C

26 XDCR_C

27 GND_PWR_2

28 VDDM_1

29 IN3_C

30 IN2_C

31 IN1_C

32 THSD

Doc ID 17689 Rev 1 5/32

STHV748 - pinout configuration AN3240

Table 1. Pinout configuration table (continued)

Pin number Pin name

33 AGND_1

34 RIF_HVM1

35 HVM1_C

36 HVM0_C

37 HVOUT_C

38 HVP0_C

39 RIF_HVP1

40 HVP1_C

41 HVP1_D

42 RIF_HVP0

43 HVP0_D

44 HVOUT_D

45 HVM0_D

46 HVM1_D

47 RIF_HVM0

48 DGND

49 DVDD

50 IN1_D

51 IN2_D

52 IN3_D

53 VDDP

54 GND_PWR_1

55 XDCR_D

56 LVOUT_D

57 LVOUT_A

58 XDCR_A

59 GND_PWR

60 VDDM

61 IN3_A

62 IN2_A

63 IN1_A

64 EN

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AN3240 STHV748 block diagram and truth table

2 STHV748 block diagram and truth table

Figure 1. STHV748 single channel block diagram

Table 2. STHV748 truth table

Global Per channel State

THSD IN4 IN3 IN2 IN1

1 x x 0 0 Clamp

10001 HVM0

10010 HVP0

1x011 HVR_SW

10101 HVM1

10110 HVP1

10111 HZ

11111 HVR_SW

11001Max HVM0 & HVM1

1 1 0 1 0 Max HVP0 & HVP1

11101 CW HVM1

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STHV748 block diagram and truth table AN3240

Table 2. STHV748 truth table (continued)

Global Per channel State

THSD IN4 IN3 IN2 IN1

11110 CW HVP1

0xxxx HZ

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AN3240 STHV748 PCB demo description

3 STHV748 PCB demo description

The STHV748 PCB demo can drive four transducers as 4-channel transmitters/receivers for
ultrasound and other applications. The demo board consists of one STHV748 in a 64-lead
9x9x1 mm QFN package.

The STHV748 can deliver up to a ±2.0 A source and sink current to a capacitive transducer.
It is designed for medical ultrasound imaging and ultrasound material NDT applications.

The STHV748 output waveforms can be displayed directly for each channel Ch A/B/C/D
using an oscilloscope by connecting the scope probe to the J1, J2, J3, and J4 jumpers,
moreover, the user can select whether or not to connect the onboard equivalent load, a 300
pF 200 V capacitor paralleled with a 100 Ω, 2 W resistor (or alternatively, 200 Ω//50 pF -
200 Ω//250 pF - no-load). A coaxial cable can also be used to easily connect the user
transducer.

IN1/2/3/4, for each channel available in IC, is controlled via the 13 pins of the C1 (CONN1)
head connector on the board (34 pins).

The main issues in this PCB design are the capacitance values, to ensure good filtering and
an effective decoupling between the low voltage inputs (IN1, IN2, IN3, IN4, and EN for each
channel) and the HV switching signals (XDCR, HVOUT, etc.,) which is ensured by the layer
separation used.

Doc ID 17689 Rev 1 9/32

4 PCB demo description

Figure 2. PCB demo schematic

Doc ID 17689 Rev 1 10/32

AN3240 PCB demo description

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