English

MaRCoS, an open-source electronic control system for low-field MRI

Medical Physics 2023-05-24 v1 Instrumentation and Detectors

Abstract

Every magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device requires an electronic control system that handles pulse sequences and signal detection and processing. Here we provide details on the architecture and performance of MaRCoS, a MAgnetic Resonance COntrol System developed by an open international community of low-field MRI researchers. MaRCoS is inexpensive and can handle cycle-accurate sequences without hard length limitations, rapid bursts of events, and arbitrary waveforms. It can also be easily adapted to meet further specifications required by the various academic and private institutions participating in its development. We describe the MaRCoS hardware, firmware and software that enable all of the above, including a Python-based graphical user interface for pulse sequence implementation, data processing and image reconstruction.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2208.01616,
  title  = {MaRCoS, an open-source electronic control system for low-field MRI},
  author = {Vlad Negnevitsky and Yolanda Vives-Gilabert and José M. Algarín and Lincoln Craven-Brightman and Rubén Pellicer-Guridi and Thomas O'Reilly and Jason P. Stockmann and Andrew Webb and Joseba Alonso and Benjamin Menküc},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2208.01616},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

10 pages, 4 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-25T01:25:23.019Z