The AVANCE NEO NMR system is an advancement over Bruker’s AVANCE III HD architecture, which is already offering groundbreaking NMR performance. The system offers optimized dynamic range, greater scalability and flexibility, and much faster control.
Built on the basis of a “transceive” principle, each NMR channel in the AVANCE NEO system exhibits both transmit and receive capabilities. Thus, each channel functions as its own independent spectrometer, including complete RF generation, transmission and receive framework.
This design offers the greatest flexibility with respect to multi-channel operation and instrument configuration. This new approach enables multi-receive experiments to be easily implemented.
In addition, the concept of an integrated acquisition server and combined client-server software architecture (TopSpin 4 and higher) is a novel feature of the AVANCE NEO system. Thanks to this feature, the spectrometer does not rely on the client computer, thus enabling the system to be controlled by users through the operating system and location of their choice (in principle, the system could be controlled via the cloud).
The frequency range of the AVANCE NEO system has now been extended to more than 1.2 GHz, including several functional advancements in terms of configuration, diagnostics, memory buffers, and more. Thus, the system is well placed to serve as the preferred research platform for the existing and next generation of NMR spectroscopists.
Advancing RF Generation and Detection One Step Further
The AVANCE NEO system integrates a new-generation digital receiver and the most sophisticated RF generation in an exclusive transceiver technology. A receiver and four independent numerically controlled oscillators (NCOs) are provided in each channel.
Users can simultaneously set phase, frequency and amplitude within 12.5 ns. Thanks to the 1 GB waveform memory provided in each transceiver, it is possible to execute even the most complex sequences and shapes.
Spectrometer frequencies above 1.25 GHz are facilitated since the receiver works at an intermediate frequency of 1.852 GHz. Digitally filtered spectra with a sweep width of up to 7.5 MHz can be acquired with the help of the analog-digital converter. Data overflow is thoroughly prevented by the accumulation of FIDs into double precision data.
Introducing Wide-Band RF Amplifiers
The innovative wide-band amplifiers provided in the AVANCE NEO system avoid the need for separate high-band and low-band amplifiers. Being a benchmark for liquids applications, these amplifiers enable full coverage of all frequencies, with more than 500 W in the heteronuclei range and more than 100 W in the high-frequency range. Instruments designed for solid-state NMR or imaging applications are equipped with a higher power amplifier.
HPLNA for Minimum Perturbations and Optimal Sensitivity
The HPLNA has been developed to offer the highest performance for both solid-state and liquid-state spectroscopy. The state-of-the-art GaAs technology ensures maximum sensitivity, and the innovative 4-kW peak power active transmit/receive switch offers complete linearity in the spectrometer’s transmit path. These features deliver very high selective excitation performance for NMR application of any type.
The system can be used in combination with the new AVANCE NEO electronics, thus providing a display of complex tuning and matching curve.
The HPLNA features carefully designed packaging and filtering, making it almost resistant to electromagnetic interferences. Thus, any pick-up from undesirable external RF sources like HDTV is eliminated. This leads to optimal sensitivity while reducing the risk of interference from digital communication surrounding the NMR laboratory.
Lock
The Digilock offers on-the-fly, high-speed digital signal processing by using FPGAs of the highest speed, and the most advanced digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters with clock rates of up to 320 MHz. This enables complex deuterated solvents with multiple solvent peaks to be locked on.
In combination with the cutting-edge high-speed converters and fast digital signal processing, this approach offers maximum performance with very high precision and greater resistance against external RF interferences. Unmatched lock sensitivity and stability can be realized upon coupling with cold deuterium pre-amplifiers integral to the design of all CryoProbes available from Bruker.
SmartVT and the SmartCooler
The SmartVT — a new and exclusive variable temperature (VT) architecture — includes a modular, plug-and-play multi-channel temperature control system along with the new SmartCooler. Thus, it enhances the overall stability of the spectrometer and performance of the NMR probe.
The SmartVT controller has been considerably optimized by adding innovative airflow monitoring and regulation capabilities, together with the ability to manage up to four heater channels, and monitor up to nine thermal sensors. The controller performs all these functions at a much higher regulation speed and precision than earlier.
The innovative SmartCooler, which is a new VT gas pre-conditioning unit from Bruker for its NMR probes, together with the new SmartVT, enables the NMR sample temperature to be monitored and controlled in a highly accurate manner. Thus, the NMR results are not affected by laboratory instabilities, for example, in the laboratory’s VT gas supply and daily cycles in temperature.
The direct communication between the variable temperature controller and the lock facilitates NMR thermometer features, as well as safety features like limiting of temperature based on the chosen solvent.