title: A home-built digital optical MRI console using high-speed serial links.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a high performance, cost-effective digital optical console for scalable multichannel MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  The console system was implemented with flexibility and efficiency based on a modular architecture with distributed pulse sequencers. High-speed serial links were optimally utilized to interconnect the system, providing fast digital communication with a multi-gigabit data rate. The conventional analog radio frequency (RF) chain was replaced with a digital RF manipulation. The acquisition electronics were designed in close proximity to RF coils and preamplifiers, using a digital optical link to transmit the MR signal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A prototype of the console was constructed with a broad frequency range from direct current to 100 MHz. A temporal resolution of 1 μs was achieved for both the RF and gradient operations. The MR signal was digitized in the scanner room with an overall dynamic range between 16 and 24 bits and was transmitted to a master controller over a duplex optic fiber with a high data rate of 3.125 gigabits per second. High-quality phantom and human images were obtained using the prototype on both 0.36T and 1.5T clinical MRI scanners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A homemade digital optical MRI console with high-speed serial interconnection has been developed to better serve imaging research and clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.|Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.|McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weinan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.|Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.|Institute of Quantum Electronics, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.|Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wentao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.|Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yajun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.|Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Engineering, College of Information Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.|Beijing City Key Lab for Medical Physics and Engineering, Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.|McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jia-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055096:Optical Devices; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: MRI console; digital optical interconnection; high-speed serial link; multichannel; system interconnect