A low-voltage transmit/receive switch that acts to protect sensitive
low-voltage electronics from high-voltage pulse signals used to drive an
ultrasonic transducer. The low-voltage transmit/receive switch comprises
a series resistor and a parallel MOSFET pair. The parallel MOSFETs are
low-voltage devices. The low-voltage transmit/receive switch is placed
between the output of a high-voltage pulser and the input of a receive
pre-amplifier. If dual high- and low-voltage pulsers are used, then the
low-voltage pulser is connected so that it is also protected from the
high-voltage pulse signals by the low-voltage transmit/receive switch. In
an alternative embodiment, the low-voltage pulser and the receive
pre-amplifier are protected from the high-voltage pulse signals by a
high-voltage transmit/receive switch.