Which term describes the mapping of signal amplitude to grayscale levels on the display?

Which term describes the mapping of signal amplitude to grayscale levels on the display?

• A. Dynamic range
• B. Apodization
• C. Gray-scale map
• D. Frame rate

Answer: (C)

The term that describes mapping signal amplitude to grayscale levels on the display is the gray-scale map. This is the transfer function or lookup table that converts numeric echo amplitudes into brightness values, so each detected signal is assigned a specific shade of gray. The way this map is designed—linear, logarithmic, or other nonlinear forms—controls image contrast and how well subtle echoes are seen, by compressing or expanding ranges of amplitudes to fit the display’s limited gray-scale levels. This concept is distinct from dynamic range (the overall span of amplitudes the system can handle), apodization (beam shaping to reduce sidelobes), and frame rate (how many images per second).

The term that describes mapping signal amplitude to grayscale levels on the display is the gray-scale map. This is the transfer function or lookup table that converts numeric echo amplitudes into brightness values, so each detected signal is assigned a specific shade of gray. The way this map is designed—linear, logarithmic, or other nonlinear forms—controls image contrast and how well subtle echoes are seen, by compressing or expanding ranges of amplitudes to fit the display’s limited gray-scale levels. This concept is distinct from dynamic range (the overall span of amplitudes the system can handle), apodization (beam shaping to reduce sidelobes), and frame rate (how many images per second).