NGRF1500
Before I started freelancing, I worked at Prodrive Technologies as an electronics designer. While working there, I mostly worked on the NGRF1500, an RF amplifier used for 1.5 Tesla MRI systems. The amplifier was a real challenge on multiple fields, as it contained everything from power electronics to RF amplification and high-precision analog signal processing. It was the perfect project to gain a lot of experience in a variety of subjects.
The NGRF1500
Close-up of the RF combiner and amplifiers
My responsibilities
Within this project, I was responsible for the main control board. This board's main goal was to ensure the amplifier's output signal was exactly as it should be: the same as the input signal, but just a whole lot stronger. At 64MHz, this is easier said than done. The following techniques were used on the board:
RF modulation/demodulation
RF amplification and filtering
High-precision analog signal processing
High-speed digital interfacing
FPGA digital hardware
Digital signal processing
Although I was responsible for this board, the electronic design was always a collaboration with colleagues. The PCB design, FPGA programming, and firmware were never done by me.
Photograpy by Prodrive Technologies