EXPERIMENT INSTRUCTIONS PHY05

PHY05 Spectral investigations

Fig. 1: Setup

Principle

The relationship between time of flight of ultrasonic echoes, the velocity of sound and the distance
between ultrasonic transducer and defect (reflector) for different size of defects is determined. Thus
the velocity of the sound passing through the sample is calculated and the position and size of the
defect is measured.

Directions for the use of the ultrasonic test plates and cylinder

With the reflection plates experiments to the spectral analysis of ultrasound can be done. For all
these experiments with the plates an ultrasound probe with 2 MHz or 4 MHz, the ultrasound
echoscope with a PC and ultrasonic coupling gel is needed.

For measurements to multiple reflections it is recommended to use a delay line. With this the
multiple reflections can be departed better from the initial echo at the probe surface. Additionally
the multiple reflections are not built at the probe surface, which would change the echo form with
frequency effects. As delay line the cylinder with a length of 40 mm can be used. To couple the
cylinder to the probe you can use water or better a drop of ultrasonic gel.

To couple a probe to the test plates you can use some gel or a water film. For the measurements at
the test plates we recommend to put the cylinder on top of the plates and first off all to search for
the ground echo. For this vary the transmitter and receiver amplifier.

The increasing damping from deeper layers can be corrected with the TGC (time gain control). The
adjustment of the device should be chosen that no measured signal is overdriven. The time of flight
or deep measurements of an echo should take place at the beginning of the increasing slope of the

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peaks in the amplitude signal. Time of flight measurements at the maximum of the peak can give
wrong results because the peak shape can be influenced by the frequency depending damping.

Note: Maintenance

The ultrasonic test plates and cylinder should be cleaned immediately after using with water
or a normal washing-up liquid. It is easier than to remove hard cured rests of ultrasonic gel. If
necessary use a soft brush. Never use alcohol or liquids with solvents to clean the plates or
cylinder. Strong scratches at the surface impact to the sonic coupling and should be avoided.

Connection of instruments

The transmission power of the echoscope is controllable in a range from 0-30 dB in steps of 10 dB.
For the receiver amplification the range is from 0-35dB with steps of 5 dB. For the TGC start point,
rise, width and threshold are continuously adjustable with a gain up to 30 dB. With the BNC outlets
different signals can be transferred to an external oscilloscope.

The reflection signal generated at the combination of delay path (40 mm cylinder) and the plate is
adjusted by means of TGC to nearly the same height for all reflexes. The distances of the multiple
reflexes are measured, then a spectrum of the first reflex, and respectively a spectrum and Cepstrum
(software function FFT) of the whole time range of the multiple reflexes are built. From that the
mean frequency distance and the first peak in the Cepstrum is measured, resp. in order to determine
the time of flight of one reflex. With the known velocity of sound of the plate (2670 m/sec) the
thickness is calculated.

Software

The software A-Scan serves to record, display and evaluate the data supplied from the echoscope.
Beside the display of data in diagrams, there are different evaluation and filter functions. Beside the
normal measurement mode the program has an offline simulation mode. This simulation will be
activated automatically when no device is connected. After starting the program the measure mode
is active and the main screen A-Scan mode is open. Beginning from here all actions and evaluations
can be selected and started. With the button Start the measure is started. The button display change
to Stop, the measure is running until this button is pressed.

Note
Pay attention to the special operation and safety instructions in the manual of the ultrasonic
echoscope.

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EXPERIMENT INSTRUCTIONS PHY05

Theory and Evaluation

The ultrasound echography (also sonography) developed to be one of the most important
investigation methods among others in medicine and NDT (non destructive testing). There are
unreviewable multitudes of ultrasonic devices for different applications. They all work on the same
basic principles of emitting a mechanical wave, whose reflection will be and recorded in an
echogram.

Using the ultrasonic echoscope an ultrasonic probe coupled to the medium under investigation is
excited by a short pulse. The emitted ultrasonic wave is reflected at inhomogeneities of the sound
impedance and this reflection is detected by the same transducer. The time of flight (t) between the
start of pulse at the transmitter and the appearance of the echo is related to the velocity of sound (c)
of the medium with the distance (s) of the defect from the ultrasonic probe in the following way:
∗
=
2
By means of Fourier transformation (FFT) it is possible to decompose a time variable signal into the
frequency components contained within it. From the generated spectrum one derives additional
properties of the object under investigation. The influence of a periodic excitation (here multiple
reflections) manifests as spectral maxima at multiples of the fundamental frequency F0. Thus as
multiplicative superpositions of the fundamental spectrum of the probe with an undulation in form
of equidistant maxima in the spectrum, the distance of which corresponds to the fundamental
frequency F0. From the distance of maxima follows via T0 = 1/F0 the time of fl ight between the refl
exes. By means of the so-called Cepstrum method the spectrum can be smoothed and the length of
the period T0 be determined directly. The Cepstrum arises by a FFT of the logarithmised spectrum. By
logarithmising the multiplicative superposition of the periodicity and the fundamental spectrum
becomes an addition.

If F0 and the fundamental frequency are wide apart from each other (e.g. 200 kHz and 2 MHz), the
now additive parts can be separated by a further FFT in the generated Cepstrum. If a filter is applied
in the Cepstrum between the frequency parts the fundamental spectrum can be restored by an
inverse Fourier transformation.

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Example Scans

Fig. 2: FFT over one echo peak (single plate)

Fig. 3: Using TGC

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Fig. 4: FFT and Cepstrum over 3 (multiple) echo peaks (single plate)

Fig. 5: FFT and Cepstrum of measurement with two plates

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Results

The echo image shows the first reflex at the transition of the delay path to the reflection plate. The
multiple reflexes appear inside the plate. If one measures the distances between the particular
multiple reflexes, one obtains 6,9 μs resp. and with a velocity of sound of 2670 m/s a thickness of 9,2
mm. A FFT over the first reflex at the plate yields the spectrum of the probe (Fig. 6) with a maximum
at 2 MHz.

Fig. 6: FFT over 1st reflex

A FFT over the three multiple reflexes in the plate gives a spectrum (Fig. 7) in which the parts of the
probe and the periodic parts of the reflections at the plate are superimposed. If one determines the
distance between the maxima one obtains a mean difference of frequency of 144 kHz. This
corresponds to a time of flight of 6.95 μs, which gives a plate thickness of 9,3 mm. The amplifier
(GAIN and TGC) are adjusted that 2 or 3 echoes with nearly the same size are visible. The distance of
frequency maxima in the spectrum can be measured with the cursors or with the use of an external
program after exporting the data.

Fig. 7: FFT over 3 multiple reflexes

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Creating (from this spectrum) the Cepstrum (Fig. 8) from the first maximum a periodic time of flight
of 6,9 μs can be read directly. Depending on the coupling and the selection of the time rage of the
echo curve different amplitudes in the Cepstrum occur. With suitable adjustments the time of flight
in the 7 mm plate (ca. 5 μs) as well as in the 10 mm plate (ca. 7 μs) and also their combination (12 μs)
and multiple are visible as peaks in the Cepstrum (Fig. 8). In this way the spectral evaluation methods
provide further possibilities for thickness measurements and the determination of scattering
distances for small periodic structures.

Fig. 8: Cepstrum of the spectrum

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