If repetition frequency is set too high, what issue is likely to occur?

• A. Reduced penetration
• B. Over-pulsing and distortion
• C. Increased defect visibility
• D. Decreased signal-to-noise ratio

Answer: (A)

Repetition frequency is the number of ultrasonic pulses sent per second. If you set it too high, echoes from deeper features don’t have enough time to return before the next pulse is emitted. Those overlapping returns create range ambiguity and blur depth information, so you can’t resolve signals from deeper regions as well—this is effectively reduced penetration. Other effects listed are related to pulse energy, gain, or noise in different ways and aren’t the primary consequence of pushing the repetition rate too high.