INTEGRATED PREAMPLIFIERS FOR ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCERS.

Abstract

A systematic analysis is presented of the effects of including an integrated (built-in) preamplifier into an ultrasonic piezoelectric probe (hydrophone). The design parameters considered include the end-of-cable sensitivity, gain, dynamic range, power supply requirements, construction intricacy and cost. The rationale behind the inclusion of a preamplifier is given, and it is shown that the additional complexity introduced by the preamplifier into the measurement chain may not be warranted in all applications. Guidelines for selection of the preamplifier are also presented.