Abstract: A high performance gradient waveform generator based on the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, digital signal processing (DSP) and 24-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) technologies were designed and made for uses in magnetic resonance imaging. The main feature of the design is that the gradient waveform generator contains up-to 5 pre-emphasis units with different time constants and corresponding amplitudes. The details about the design of the gradient waveform generator and the experimental result obtained using this device were given in the paper.

Key words: MRI, gradient waveform generator, DSP, eddy current, pre-emphasis