Electronic calibration of focal spot position in an X-ray tube

An x-ray system, comprising:

• an x-ray tube comprising:
• a cathode including an electron emitter configured to emit an electron beam,
• an anode configured to receive the electron beam and generate x-rays with a central ray from electrons of the electron beam colliding on a focal spot of the anode, and
• a steering magnetic multipole between the cathode and the anode that is configured to produce a steering magnetic field from a steering signal and at least two poles of the steering magnetic multipole are on opposite sides of the electron beam, wherein the steering magnetic field moves the focal spot of the electron beam on the anode;
• and
• a tube control unit (TCU) configured to receive a position correction value and convert the position correction value to the steering signal, wherein the position correction value represents a distance of a deflected central ray from a specified deflection position, and the TCU comprises:
• at least one steering driver configured to generate the steering signal.

A tube control unit (TCU) configured to calibrate a deflected position of a central ray of an x-ray tube to a radiation imager, comprising:

• at least one steering driver configured to generate a steering signal for at least one steering coil of a steering magnetic multipole for an x-ray tube;
• memory configured to store steering position calibration data representing current values to generate at least one steering position using the steering magnetic multipole for a tube voltage and tube current combination;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• receive a position correction value representing a distance of a deflected central ray from a specified deflection position of an x-ray imager, generate a deflection value using steering position calibration data, and
• sum the position correction value and the deflection value of the central ray for a corrected specified deflection position, and
• control the at least one steering driver to generate the steering signal based on the sum of the position correction value and the deflection value.