IMOTEPAD: A mixed-signal 64-channel front-end ASIC for small-animal PET imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Xiaochao; Ollivier-Henry, Nicolas; Gao, Wu; Hu-Guo, Christine; Colledani, Claude; Humbert, Bernard; Brasse, David; Hu, Yann

2011-04-01

This paper presents the design and characteristics of a mixed-signal 64-channel front-end readout ASIC called IMOTEPAD dedicated to multi-channel plate (MCP) photodetector coupled to LYSO scintillating crystals for small-animal PET imaging. In our configuration, the crystals are oriented in the axial direction readout on both sides by individual photodetector channels allowing the spatial resolution and the detection efficiency to be independent of each other. As a result, both energy signals and timing triggers from the photodetectors are required to be read out by the front-end ASIC. This dedicated ASIC IMOTEPAD comprises two parts: the analog part IMOTEPA and the digital part IMOTEPD. The IMOTEPA is dedicated to energy measurement. And the timing information is digitized by the IMOTEPD in which the key principal element is a time-to-digital converter (TDC) based on a delay-locked loop (DLL) with 32 delay cells. The chip is designed and fabricated in 0.35 μm CMOS process. The measurements show that for the analog part IMOTEPA, the energy gain is 13.1 mV/pC while the peak time of a CR-RC pulse shaper is 280 ns. The SNR is 39 dB and the RMS noise is 300 μV. The nonlinearity is less than 3%. The crosstalk is less than 0.2%. For the IMOTEPD, the bin size of the TDC is 625 ps with a reference clock of 50 MHz. The RMS jitter of the DLL is less than 42 ps. The DNL of the TDC is equal to about 0.17 LSB and the INL is equal to 0.31 LSB. The power dissipation of each channel is less than 16.8 mW. The design of the ASIC, especially for TDC and the measurement results of the IMOTEPAD will be presented and discussed in this paper.

PFM2: a 32 × 32 processor for X-ray diffraction imaging at FELs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manghisoni, M.; Fabris, L.; Re, V.; Traversi, G.; Ratti, L.; Grassi, M.; Lodola, L.; Malcovati, P.; Vacchi, C.; Pancheri, L.; Benkechcache, M. E. A.; Dalla Betta, G.-F.; Xu, H.; Verzellesi, G.; Ronchin, S.; Boscardin, M.; Batignani, G.; Bettarini, S.; Casarosa, G.; Forti, F.; Giorgi, M.; Paladino, A.; Paoloni, E.; Rizzo, G.; Morsani, F.

2016-11-01

This work is concerned with the design of a readout chip for application to experiments at the next generation X-ray Free Electron Lasers (FEL). The ASIC, named PixFEL Matrix (PFM2), has been designed in a 65 nm CMOS technology and consists of 32 × 32 pixels. Each cell covers an area of 110 × 110 μm2 and includes a low-noise charge sensitive amplifier (CSA) with dynamic signal compression, a time-variant shaper used to process the preamplifier output signal, a 10-bit successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital circuitry for channel control and data readout. Two different solutions for the readout channel, based on different versions of the time-variant filter, have been integrated in the chip. Both solutions can be operated in such a way to cope with the high frame rate (exceeding 1 MHz) foreseen for future X-ray FEL machines. The ASIC will be bump bonded to a slim/active edge pixel sensor to form the first demonstrator for the PixFEL X-ray imager. This work has been carried out in the frame of the PixFEL project funded by Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Italy.

Design of a Multi-Channel Low-Noise Readout ASIC for CdZnTe-Based X-Ray and γ-Ray Spectrum Analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, B.; Wei, T.; Gao, W.; Zheng, R.; Hu, Y.

2015-10-01

In this paper, we report on the recent development of a 32-channel low-noise front-end readout ASIC for cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) X-ray and γ-ray detectors. Each readout channel includes a charge sensitive amplifier, a CR-RC shaping amplifier and an analog output buffer. The readout ASIC is implemented using TSMC 0.35 - μm mixed-signal CMOS technology, the die size of the prototype chip is 2.2 mm ×4.8 mm. At room temperature, the equivalent noise level of a typical channel reaches 133 e- (rms) with the input parasitic capacitance of 0 pF for the average power consumption of 2.8 mW per channel. The linearity error is less than ±2% and the input energy dynamic range of the readout ASIC is from 10 keV to 1 MeV. The crosstalk between the channels is less than 0.4%. By connecting the readout ASIC to a CdZnTe detector, we obtained a γ-ray spectrum, the energy resolution is 1.8% at the 662-keV line of 137Cs source.

LSST camera readout chip ASPIC: test tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antilogus, P.; Bailly, Ph; Jeglot, J.; Juramy, C.; Lebbolo, H.; Martin, D.; Moniez, M.; Tocut, V.; Wicek, F.

2012-02-01

The LSST camera will have more than 3000 video-processing channels. The readout of this large focal plane requires a very compact readout chain. The correlated ''Double Sampling technique'', which is generally used for the signal readout of CCDs, is also adopted for this application and implemented with the so called ''Dual Slope integrator'' method. We have designed and implemented an ASIC for LSST: the Analog Signal Processing asIC (ASPIC). The goal is to amplify the signal close to the output, in order to maximize signal to noise ratio, and to send differential outputs to the digitization. Others requirements are that each chip should process the output of half a CCD, that is 8 channels and should operate at 173 K. A specific Back End board has been designed especially for lab test purposes. It manages the clock signals, digitizes the analog differentials outputs of ASPIC and stores data into a memory. It contains 8 ADCs (18 bits), 512 kwords memory and an USB interface. An FPGA manages all signals from/to all components on board and generates the timing sequence for ASPIC. Its firmware is written in Verilog and VHDL languages. Internals registers permit to define various tests parameters of the ASPIC. A Labview GUI allows to load or update these registers and to check a proper operation. Several series of tests, including linearity, noise and crosstalk, have been performed over the past year to characterize the ASPIC at room and cold temperature. At present, the ASPIC, Back-End board and CCD detectors are being integrated to perform a characterization of the whole readout chain.

First results of the front-end ASIC for the strip detector of the PANDA MVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quagli, T.; Brinkmann, K.-T.; Calvo, D.; Di Pietro, V.; Lai, A.; Riccardi, A.; Ritman, J.; Rivetti, A.; Rolo, M. D.; Stockmanns, T.; Wheadon, R.; Zambanini, A.

2017-03-01

PANDA is a key experiment of the future FAIR facility and the Micro Vertex Detector (MVD) is the innermost part of its tracking system. PASTA (PAnda STrip ASIC) is the readout chip for the strip part of the MVD. The chip is designed to provide high resolution timestamp and charge information with the Time over Threshold (ToT) technique. Its architecture is based on Time to Digital Converters with analog interpolators, with a time bin width of 50 ps. The chip implements Single Event Upset (SEU) protection techniques for its digital parts. A first full-size prototype with 64 channels was produced in a commercial 110 nm CMOS technology and the first characterizations of the prototype were performed.

The use of low resistivity substrates for optimal noise reduction, ground referencing, and current conduction in mixed signal ASICs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zimmerman, T.

1997-12-01

This paper is distilled from a talk given at the 3rd International Meeting on Front End Electronics in Taos, N.M. on Nov. 7,1997. It is based on experience gained by designing and testing the SVX3 128 channel silicon strip detector readout chip. The SVX3 chip organization is shown in Fig. 1. The Front End section consists of an integrator and analog pipeline designed at Fermilab, and the Back End section is an ADC plus sparsification and readout logic designed at LBL. SVX3 is a deadtimeless readout chip, which means that the front end is acquiring low level analog signals whilemore » the back end is digitizing and reading out digital signals. It is thus a true mixed signal chip, and demands close attention to avoid disastrous coupling from the digital to the analog sections. SVX3 is designed in a bulk CMOS process (i.e., the circuits sit in a silicon substrate). In such a process, the substrate becomes a potential coupling path. This paper discusses the effect of the substrate resistivity on coupling, and also goes into a more general discussion of grounding and referencing in mixed signal designs and how low resistivity substrates can be used to advantage. Finally, an alternative power supply current conduction method for ASICs is presented as an additional advantage which can be obtained with low resistivity substrates. 1 ref., 13 figs., 1 tab.« less

Development of cryogenic CMOS Readout ASICs for the Point-Contact HPGe Detectors for Dark Matter Search and Neutrino Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Zhi; He, Li; Liu, Feng; Liu, Yinong; Xue, Tao; Li, Yulan; Yue, Qian

2017-05-01

The paper presents the developments of two cryogenic readout ASICs for the point-contact HPGe detectors for dark matter search and neutrino experiments. Extremely low noise readout electronics were demanded and the capability of working at cryogenic temperatures may bring great advantages. The first ASIC was a monolithic CMOS charge sensitive preamplifier with its noise optimized for ∼1 pF input capacitance. The second ASIC was a waveform recorder based on switched capacitor array. These two ASICs were fabricated in CMOS 350 nm and 180 nm processes respectively. The prototype chips were tested and showed promising results. Both ASICs worked well at low temperature. The preamplifier had achieved ENC of 10.3 electrons with 0.7 pF input capacitance and the SCA chip could run at 9 bit effective resolution and 25 MSPS sampling rate.

Inspecting Engineering Samples

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Goddard's Ritsko Wins 2011 SAVE Award The winner of the 2011 SAVE Award is Matthew Ritsko, a Goddard financial manager. His tool lending library would track and enable sharing of expensive space-flight tools and hardware after projects no longer need them. This set of images represents the types of tools used at NASA. To read more go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/people/features/ritsko-save.html Dr. Doug Rabin (Code 671) and PI La Vida Cooper (Code 564) inspect engineering samples of the HAS-2 imager which will be tested and readout using a custom ASIC with a 16-bit ADC (analog to digital converter) and CDS (correlated double sampling) circuit designed by the Code 564 ASIC group as a part of an FY10 IRAD. The purpose of the IRAD was to develop and high resolution digitizer for Heliophysics applications such as imaging. Future goals for the collaboration include characterization testing and eventually a sounding rocket flight of the integrated system. *ASIC= Application Specific Integrated Circuit NASA/GSFC/Chris Gunn

SALT, a dedicated readout chip for high precision tracking silicon strip detectors at the LHCb Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bugiel, Sz.; Dasgupta, R.; Firlej, M.; Fiutowski, T.; Idzik, M.; Kuczynska, M.; Moron, J.; Swientek, K.; Szumlak, T.

2016-02-01

The Upstream Tracker (UT) silicon strip detector, one of the central parts of the tracker system of the modernised LHCb experiment, will use a new 128-channel readout ASIC called SALT. It will extract and digitise analogue signals from the UT sensors, perform digital signal processing and transmit a serial output data. The SALT is being designed in CMOS 130 nm process and uses a novel architecture comprising of analog front-end and fast (40 MSps) ultra-low power (<0.5 mW) 6-bit ADC in each channel. The prototype ASICs of important functional blocks, like analogue front-end, 6-bit SAR ADC, PLL, and DLL, were designed, fabricated and tested. A prototype of an 8-channel version of the SALT chip, comprising all important functionalities was also designed and fabricated. The architecture and design of the SALT, together with the selected preliminary tests results, are presented.

A 0.18 micrometer CMOS Thermopile Readout ASIC Immune to 50 MRAD Total Ionizing Dose (SI) and Single Event Latchup to 174MeV-cm(exp 2)/mg

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quilligan, Gerard T.; Aslam, Shahid; Lakew, Brook; DuMonthier, Jeffery J.; Katz, Richard B.; Kleyner, Igor

2014-01-01

Radiation hardened by design (RHBD) techniques allow commercial CMOS circuits to operate in high total ionizing dose and particle fluence environments. Our radiation hard multi-channel digitizer (MCD) ASIC (Figure 1) is a versatile analog system on a chip (SoC) fabricated in 180nm CMOS. It provides 18 chopper stabilized amplifier channels, a 16- bit sigma-delta analog-digital converter (SDADC) and an on-chip controller. The MCD was evaluated at Goddard Space Flight Center and Texas A&M University's radiation effects facilities and found to be immune to single event latchup (SEL) and total ionizing dose (TID) at 174 MeV-cm(exp 2)/mg and 50 Mrad (Si) respectively.

Reliable and redundant FPGA based read-out design in the ATLAS TileCal Demonstrator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akerstedt, Henrik; Muschter, Steffen; Drake, Gary

The Tile Calorimeter at ATLAS [1] is a hadron calorimeter based on steel plates and scintillating tiles read out by PMTs. The current read-out system uses standard ADCs and custom ASICs to digitize and temporarily store the data on the detector. However, only a subset of the data is actually read out to the counting room. The on-detector electronics will be replaced around 2023. To achieve the required reliability the upgraded system will be highly redundant. Here the ASICs will be replaced with Kintex-7 FPGAs from Xilinx. This, in addition to the use of multiple 10 Gbps optical read-out links,more » will allow a full read-out of all detector data. Due to the higher radiation levels expected when the beam luminosity is increased, opportunities for repairs will be less frequent. The circuitry and firmware must therefore be designed for sufficiently high reliability using redundancy and radiation tolerant components. Within a year, a hybrid demonstrator including the new readout system will be installed in one slice of the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter. This will allow the proposed upgrade to be thoroughly evaluated well before the planned 2023 deployment in all slices, especially with regard to long term reliability. Different firmware strategies alongside with their integration in the demonstrator are presented in the context of high reliability protection against hardware malfunction and radiation induced errors.« less

A time-based front-end ASIC for the silicon micro strip sensors of the bar PANDA Micro Vertex Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Pietro, V.; Brinkmann, K.-Th.; Riccardi, A.; Ritman, J.; Rivetti, A.; Rolo, M. D.; Stockmanns, T.; Zambanini, A.

2016-03-01

The bar PANDA (Antiproton Annihilation at Darmstadt) experiment foresees many detectors for tracking, particle identification and calorimetry. Among them, the innermost is the MVD (Micro Vertex Detector) responsible for a precise tracking and the reconstruction of secondary vertices. This detector will be built from both hybrid pixel (two inner barrels and six forward disks) and double-sided micro strip (two outer barrels and outer rim of the last two disks) silicon sensors. A time-based approach has been chosen for the readout ASIC of the strip sensors. The PASTA (bar PANDA Strip ASIC) chip aims at high resolution time-stamping and charge information through the Time over Threshold (ToT) technique. It benefits from a Time to Digital Converter (TDC) allowing a time bin width down to 50 ps. The analog front-end was designed to serve both n-type and p-type strips and the performed simulations show remarkable performances in terms of linearity and electronic noise. The TDC consists of an analog interpolator, a digital local controller, and a digital global controller as the common back-end for all of the 64 channels.

SAMPA Chip: the New 32 Channels ASIC for the ALICE TPC and MCH Upgrades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adolfsson, J.; Ayala Pabon, A.; Bregant, M.; Britton, C.; Brulin, G.; Carvalho, D.; Chambert, V.; Chinellato, D.; Espagnon, B.; Hernandez Herrera, H. D.; Ljubicic, T.; Mahmood, S. M.; Mjörnmark, U.; Moraes, D.; Munhoz, M. G.; Noël, G.; Oskarsson, A.; Osterman, L.; Pilyar, A.; Read, K.; Ruette, A.; Russo, P.; Sanches, B. C. S.; Severo, L.; Silvermyr, D.; Suire, C.; Tambave, G. J.; Tun-Lanoë, K. M. M.; van Noije, W.; Velure, A.; Vereschagin, S.; Wanlin, E.; Weber, T. O.; Zaporozhets, S.

2017-04-01

This paper presents the test results of the second prototype of SAMPA, the ASIC designed for the upgrade of read-out front end electronics of the ALICE Time Projection Chamber (TPC) and Muon Chamber (MCH). SAMPA is made in a 130 nm CMOS technology with 1.25 V nominal voltage supply and provides 32 channels, with selectable input polarity, and three possible combinations of shaping time and sensitivity. Each channel consists of a Charge Sensitive Amplifier, a semi-Gaussian shaper and a 10-bit ADC; a Digital Signal Processor provides digital filtering and compression capability. In the second prototype run both full chip and single test blocks were fabricated, allowing block characterization and full system behaviour studies. Experimental results are here presented showing agreement with requirements for both the blocks and the full chip.

VMM - An ASIC for Micropattern Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iakovidis, George

2018-02-01

The VMM is a custom Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that can be used in a variety of charge interpolating tracking detectors. It is designed to be used with the resistive strip micromegas and sTGC detectors in the New Small Wheel upgrade of the ATLAS Muon spectrometer. The ASIC is designed at Brookhaven National Laboratory and fabricated in the 130 nm Global Foundries 8RF-DM process. It is packaged in a Ball Grid Array with outline dimensions of 21×21 mm2. It integrates 64 channels, each providing charge amplification, discrimination, neighbour logic, amplitude and timing measurements, analog-to-digital conversions, and either direct output for trigger or multiplexed readout. The front-end amplifier can operate with a wide range of input capacitances, has adjustable polarity, gain and peaking time. The VMM1 and VMM2 are the first two versions of the VMM ASIC family fabricated in 2012 and 2014 respectively. The design, tests and qualification of the VMM1, VMM2 and roadmap to VMM3 are described.

A 32-channel front-end ASIC for GEM detectors used in beam monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciciriello, F.; Altieri, P. R.; Corsi, F.; De Robertis, G.; Felici, G.; Loddo, F.; Lorusso, L.; Marzocca, C.; Matarrese, G.; Ranieri, A.; Stamerra, A.

2017-11-01

A multichannel, mixed-signal, front-end ASIC for GEM detectors, intended for beam monitoring in hadron therapy applications, has been designed and prototyped in a standard 0.35 μm CMOS technology. The analog channels are based on the classic CSA + shaper processing chain, followed by a peak detector which can work as an analog memory, to simplifiy the analog-to-digital conversion of the peak voltage of the output pulse, proportional to the energy of the detected event. The available hardware resources include an 8-bit A/D converter and a standard-cell digital part, which manages the read-out procedure, in sparse or serial mode. The ASIC is self-triggered and transfers energy and address data to the external DAQ via a fast 100 MHz LVDS link. Preliminary characterization results show that the non-linearity error is limited to 5% for a maximum input charge of about 70 fC, the measured ENC is about 1400e- and the time jitter of the trigger signal generated in response to an injected charge of 60 fC is close to 200 ps.

A custom readout electronics for the BESIII CGEM detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Da Rocha Rolo, M.; Alexeev, M.; Amoroso, A.; Baldini Ferroli, R.; Bertani, M.; Bettoni, D.; Bianchi, F.; Bugalho, R.; Calcaterra, A.; Canale, N.; Capodiferro, M.; Carassiti, V.; Cerioni, S.; Chai, J. Y.; Chiozzi, S.; Cibinetto, G.; Cossio, F.; Cotta Ramusino, A.; De Mori, F.; Destefanis, M.; Di Francesco, A.; Dong, J.; Evangelisti, F.; Farinelli, R.; Fava, L.; Felici, G.; Fioravanti, E.; Garzia, I.; Gatta, M.; Greco, M.; Lavezzi, L.; Leng, C. Y.; Li, H.; Maggiora, M.; Malaguti, R.; Marcello, S.; Marciniewski, P.; Melchiorri, M.; Mezzadri, G.; Mignone, M.; Morello, G.; Pacetti, S.; Patteri, P.; Pellegrino, J.; Pelosi, A.; Rivetti, A.; Savrié, M.; Scodeggio, M.; Soldani, E.; Sosio, S.; Spataro, S.; Tskhadadze, E.; Varela, J.; Verma, S.; Wheadon, R.; Yan, L.

2017-07-01

For the upgrade of the inner tracker of the BESIII spectrometer, planned for 2018, a lightweight tracker based on an innovative Cylindrical Gas Electron Multiplier (CGEM) detector is now under development. The analogue readout of the CGEM enables the use of a charge centroid algorithm to improve the spatial resolution to better than 130 μm while loosening the pitch strip to 650 μm, which allows to reduce the total number of channels to about 10 000. The channels are readout by 160 dedicated integrated 64-channel front-end ASICs, providing a time and charge measurement and featuring a fully-digital output. The energy measurement is extracted either from the time-over-threshold (ToT) or the 10-bit digitisation of the peak amplitude of the signal. The time of the event is generated by quad-buffered low-power TDCs, allowing for rates in excess of 60 kHz per channel. The TDCs are based on analogue interpolation techniques and produce a time stamp (or two, if working in ToT mode) of the event with a time resolution better than 50 ps. The front-end noise, based on a CSA and a two-stage complex conjugated pole shapers, dominate the channel intrinsic time jitter, which is less than 5 ns r.m.s. The time information of the hit can be used to reconstruct the track path, operating the detector as a small TPC and hence improving the position resolution when the distribution of the cloud, due to large incident angle or magnetic field, is very broad. Event data is collected by an off-detector motherboard, where each GEM-ROC readout card handles 4 ASIC carrier FEBs (512 channels). Configuration upload and data readout between the off-detector electronics and the VME-based data collector cards are managed by bi-directional fibre optical links. This paper covers the design of a custom front-end electronics for the readout of the new inner tracker of the BESIII experiment, addressing the relevant design aspects of the detector electronics and the front-end ASIC for the CGEM readout, and reviewing the first silicon results of the chip prototype.

Front End Spectroscopy ASIC for Germanium Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wulf, Eric

Large-area, tracking, semiconductor detectors with excellent spatial and spectral resolution enable exciting new access to soft (0.2-5 MeV) gamma-ray astrophysics. The improvements from semiconductor tracking detectors come with the burden of high density of strips and/or pixels that require high-density, low-power, spectroscopy quality readout electronics. CMOS ASIC technologies are a natural fit to this requirement and have led to high-quality readout systems for all current semiconducting tracking detectors except for germanium detectors. The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI), formerly NCT, at University of California Berkeley and the Gamma-Ray Imager/Polarimeter for Solar flares (GRIPS) at Goddard Space Flight Center utilize germanium cross-strip detectors and are on the forefront of NASA's Compton telescope research with funded missions of long duration balloon flights. The development of a readout ASIC for germanium detectors would allow COSI to replace their discrete electronics readout and would enable the proposed Gamma-Ray Explorer (GRX) mission utilizing germanium strip-detectors. We propose a 3-year program to develop and test a germanium readout ASIC to TRL 5 and to integrate the ASIC readout onto a COSI detector allowing a TRL 6 demonstration for the following COSI balloon flight. Our group at NRL led a program, sponsored by another government agency, to produce and integrate a cross-strip silicon detector ASIC, designed and fabricated by Dr. De Geronimo at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The ASIC was designed to handle the large (>30 pF) capacitance of three 10 cm^2 detectors daisy-chained together. The front-end preamplifier, selectable inverter, shaping times, and gains make this ASIC compatible with a germanium cross-strip detector as well. We therefore have the opportunity and expertise to leverage the previous investment in the silicon ASIC for a new mission. A germanium strip detector ASIC will also require precise timing of the signals at the anode and cathode of the device to allow the depth of the interaction within the crystal to be determined. Dr. De Geronimo has developed similar timing circuits for CZT detector ASICs. Furthermore, the timing circuitry of the ASIC is at the very end of the analog section, simplifying and mitigating risks in the redesign. In the first year, we propose to tweak the gain settings and to add timing to the silicon ASIC to match the requirements of a germanium detector. The design specifications of the ASIC will include advice from our collaborators Dr. Boggs from COSI and Dr. Shih from GRIPS. By using a master ASIC designer to integrate his proven front-end and back-end with only minor modifications, we are maximizing the probability of success. NRL has a commercial cross-strip germanium detector with 30 pF of capacitance per strip, including the flex circuit from the detector to the outside of the cryostat. The COSI and GRIPS detectors have a similar capacitance per strip on the outside of their mechanically cooled cryostat. The second year of the program will be devoted to testing the newly fabricated germanium cross-strip ASIC with the NRL germanium detector. At the end of the second year, NASA will have a TRL 5 ASIC for germanium detectors, allowing future missions, including COSI, GRX, and GRIPS, to operate within their thermal and electrical envelopes. At the end of the third year, a detector on COSI will be instrumented with the new ASIC allowing for a TRL 6 demonstration during the following COSI balloon flight.

ePix: a class of architectures for second generation LCLS cameras

DOE PAGES

Dragone, A.; Caragiulo, P.; Markovic, B.; ...

2014-03-31

ePix is a novel class of ASIC architectures, based on a common platform, optimized to build modular scalable detectors for LCLS. The platform architecture is composed of a random access analog matrix of pixel with global shutter, fast parallel column readout, and dedicated sigma-delta analog-to-digital converters per column. It also implements a dedicated control interface and all the required support electronics to perform configuration, calibration and readout of the matrix. Based on this platform a class of front-end ASICs and several camera modules, meeting different requirements, can be developed by designing specific pixel architectures. This approach reduces development time andmore » expands the possibility of integration of detector modules with different size, shape or functionality in the same camera. The ePix platform is currently under development together with the first two integrating pixel architectures: ePix100 dedicated to ultra low noise applications and ePix10k for high dynamic range applications.« less

SFERA: An Integrated Circuit for the Readout of X and gamma -Ray Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schembari, Filippo; Quaglia, Riccardo; Bellotti, Giovanni; Fiorini, Carlo

2016-06-01

In this work we present SFERA, a low-noise fully-programmable 16 channel readout ASIC designed for both Xand y-ray spectroscopy and imaging applications. The chip is designed to process signals coming from solid-state detectors and CMOS preamplifiers. The design has been guided by the use of Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) and CUBE charge sensitive amplifiers (CSAs), although we consider the ASIC sufficiently versatile to be used with other types of detectors. Five different gains are implemented, namely 2800 e-, 4400 e-, 10000 e-, 14000 e- and 20000 e-, considering the input connected to a 25 fF feedback capacitance CMOS preamplifier. Filter peaking times (tP) are also programmable among 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 μs. Each readout channel is the cascade of a 9th order semi-Gaussian shaping-amplifier (SA) and a peak detector (PKS), followed by a dedicated pile-up rejection (PUR) digital logic. Three data multiplexing strategies are implemented: the so-called polling X, intended for high-rate X-ray applications, the polling y, for scintillation light detection and the sparse, for signals derandomization. The spectroscopic characterization has shown an energy resolution of 122.1 eV FWHM on the Mn-Ku line of an 55Fe X-ray source using a 10 mm2 SDD cooled at -35 °C at 4 μs filter peaking time. The measured resolution is 130 eV at the peaking time of 500 ns. At 1 Mcps input count rate and 500 ns peaking time, we have measured 42% of processed events at the output of the ASIC after the PUR selection. Output data can be digitized on-chip by means of an embedded 12-bit successive-approximation ADC. The effective resolution of the data converter is 10.75-bit when operated at 4.5 MS/s. The chosen technology is the AMS 0.35 μm CMOS and the chip area occupancy is 5 × 5 mm2.

The AGILE silicon tracker: an innovative /γ-ray instrument for space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prest, M.; Barbiellini, G.; Bordignon, G.; Fedel, G.; Liello, F.; Longo, F.; Pontoni, C.; Vallazza, E.

2003-03-01

AGILE (Light Imager for Gamma-ray Astrophysics) is the first small scientific mission of ASI, the Italian Space Agency. It is a light (100kg for the scientific instrument) satellite for the detection of /γ-ray sources in the energy range 30MeV-50GeV within a large field of view (1/4 of the sky). It is planned to be operational in the years 2003-2006, a period in which no other gamma-ray mission in the same energy range is foreseen. AGILE is made of a silicon tungsten tracker, a CsI(Tl) minicalorimeter (1.5X0), an anticoincidence system of segmented plastic scintillators and a X-ray imaging detector sensitive in the 10-40keV range. The tracker consists of 14 planes, each of them made of two layers of 16 single-sided, AC coupled, 410μm thick, 9.5×9.5cm2 silicon detectors with a readout pitch of 242μm and a floating strip. The readout ASIC is the TAA1, an analog-digital, low noise, self-triggering ASIC used in a very low power configuration (<400μW/channel) with full analog readout. The trigger of the satellite is given by the tracker. The total number of readout channels is around 43000. We present a detailed description of the tracker, its trigger and readout logic, its assembly procedures and the prototype performance in several testbeam periods at the CERN PS.

MiniDSS: a low-power and high-precision miniaturized digital sun sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Boer, B. M.; Durkut, M.; Laan, E.; Hakkesteegt, H.; Theuwissen, A.; Xie, N.; Leijtens, J. L.; Urquijo, E.; Bruins, P.

2017-11-01

A high-precision and low-power miniaturized digital sun sensor has been developed at TNO. The single-chip sun sensor comprises an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) on which an active pixel sensor (APS), read-out and processing circuitry as well as communication circuitry are combined. The design was optimized for low recurrent cost. The sensor is albedo insensitive and the prototype combines an accuracy in the order of 0.03° with a mass of just 72 g and a power consumption of only 65 mW.

High-performance electronics for time-of-flight PET systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choong, W.-S.; Peng, Q.; Vu, C. Q.; Turko, B. T.; Moses, W. W.

2013-01-01

We have designed and built a high-performance readout electronics system for time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF PET) cameras. The electronics architecture is based on the electronics for a commercial whole-body PET camera (Siemens/CPS Cardinal electronics), modified to improve the timing performance. The fundamental contributions in the electronics that can limit the timing resolution include the constant fraction discriminator (CFD), which converts the analog electrical signal from the photo-detector to a digital signal whose leading edge is time-correlated with the input signal, and the time-to-digital converter (TDC), which provides a time stamp for the CFD output. Coincident events are identified by digitally comparing the values of the time stamps. In the Cardinal electronics, the front-end processing electronics are performed by an Analog subsection board, which has two application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), each servicing a PET block detector module. The ASIC has a built-in CFD and TDC. We found that a significant degradation in the timing resolution comes from the ASIC's CFD and TDC. Therefore, we have designed and built an improved Analog subsection board that replaces the ASIC's CFD and TDC with a high-performance CFD (made with discrete components) and TDC (using the CERN high-performance TDC ASIC). The improved Analog subsection board is used in a custom single-ring LSO-based TOF PET camera. The electronics system achieves a timing resolution of 60 ps FWHM. Prototype TOF detector modules are read out with the electronics system and give coincidence timing resolutions of 259 ps FWHM and 156 ps FWHM for detector modules coupled to LSO and LaBr3 crystals respectively.

High-performance electronics for time-of-flight PET systems.

PubMed

Choong, W-S; Peng, Q; Vu, C Q; Turko, B T; Moses, W W

2013-01-01

We have designed and built a high-performance readout electronics system for time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF PET) cameras. The electronics architecture is based on the electronics for a commercial whole-body PET camera (Siemens/CPS Cardinal electronics), modified to improve the timing performance. The fundamental contributions in the electronics that can limit the timing resolution include the constant fraction discriminator (CFD), which converts the analog electrical signal from the photo-detector to a digital signal whose leading edge is time-correlated with the input signal, and the time-to-digital converter (TDC), which provides a time stamp for the CFD output. Coincident events are identified by digitally comparing the values of the time stamps. In the Cardinal electronics, the front-end processing electronics are performed by an Analog subsection board, which has two application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), each servicing a PET block detector module. The ASIC has a built-in CFD and TDC. We found that a significant degradation in the timing resolution comes from the ASIC's CFD and TDC. Therefore, we have designed and built an improved Analog subsection board that replaces the ASIC's CFD and TDC with a high-performance CFD (made with discrete components) and TDC (using the CERN high-performance TDC ASIC). The improved Analog subsection board is used in a custom single-ring LSO-based TOF PET camera. The electronics system achieves a timing resolution of 60 ps FWHM. Prototype TOF detector modules are read out with the electronics system and give coincidence timing resolutions of 259 ps FWHM and 156 ps FWHM for detector modules coupled to LSO and LaBr 3 crystals respectively.

ASIC Readout Circuit Architecture for Large Geiger Photodiode Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vasile, Stefan; Lipson, Jerold

2012-01-01

The objective of this work was to develop a new class of readout integrated circuit (ROIC) arrays to be operated with Geiger avalanche photodiode (GPD) arrays, by integrating multiple functions at the pixel level (smart-pixel or active pixel technology) in 250-nm CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) processes. In order to pack a maximum of functions within a minimum pixel size, the ROIC array is a full, custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design using a mixed-signal CMOS process with compact primitive layout cells. The ROIC array was processed to allow assembly in bump-bonding technology with photon-counting infrared detector arrays into 3-D imaging cameras (LADAR). The ROIC architecture was designed to work with either common- anode Si GPD arrays or common-cathode InGaAs GPD arrays. The current ROIC pixel design is hardwired prior to processing one of the two GPD array configurations, and it has the provision to allow soft reconfiguration to either array (to be implemented into the next ROIC array generation). The ROIC pixel architecture implements the Geiger avalanche quenching, bias, reset, and time to digital conversion (TDC) functions in full-digital design, and uses time domain over-sampling (vernier) to allow high temporal resolution at low clock rates, increased data yield, and improved utilization of the laser beam.

Design and Measurement of a Low-Noise 64-Channels Front-End Readout ASIC for CdZnTe Detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gan, Bo; Wei, Tingcun; Gao, Wu

Cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) detectors, as one of the principal detectors for the next-generation X-ray and γ-ray imagers, have high energy resolution and supporting electrode patterning in the radiation environment at room-temperature. In the present, a number of internationally renowned research institutions and universities are actively using these detector systems to carry out researches of energy spectrum analysis, medical imaging, materials characterization, high-energy physics, nuclear plant monitoring, and astrophysics. As the most important part of the readout system for the CdZnTe detector, the front-end readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) would have an important impact on the performances of themore » whole detector system. In order to ensure the small signal to noise ratio (SNR) and sufficient range of the output signal, it is necessary to design a front-end readout ASIC with very low noise and very high dynamic range. In addition, radiation hardness should be considered when the detectors are utilized in the space applications and high energy physics experiments. In this paper, we present measurements and performances of a novel multi-channel radiation-hardness low-noise front-end readout ASIC for CdZnTe detectors. The readout circuits in each channel consist of charge sensitive amplifier, leakage current compensation circuit (LCC), CR-RC shaper, S-K filter, inverse proportional amplifier, peak detect and hold circuit (PDH), discriminator and trigger logic, time sequence control circuit and driving buffer. All of 64 readout channels' outputs enter corresponding inputs of a 64 channel multiplexer. The output of the mux goes directly out of the chip via the output buffer. The 64-channel readout ASIC is implemented using the TSMC 0.35 μm mixed-signal CMOS technology. The die size of the prototype chip is 2.7 mm x 8 mm. At room temperature, the equivalent noise level of a typical channel reaches 66 e{sup -} (rms) at zero farad for a power consumption of 8 mW per channel. The linearity error is lower than 1% and the overall gain of the readout channel is 165 V/pC. The crosstalk between the channels is less than 3%. By connecting the readout ASIC to a CdZnTe detector, we obtained a γ-ray spectrum, the energy resolution is 5.1% at the 59.5-keV line of {sup 241}Am source. (authors)« less

Design and characterization of the ePix10k: a high dynamic range integrating pixel ASIC for LCLS detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caragiulo, P.; Dragone, A.; Markovic, B.; Herbst, R.; Nishimura, K.; Reese, B.; Herrmann, S.; Hart, P.; Blaj, G.; Segal, J.; Tomada, A.; Hasi, J.; Carini, G.; Kenney, C.; Haller, G.

2015-05-01

ePix10k is a variant of a novel class of integrating pixel ASICs architectures optimized for the processing of signals in second generation LINAC Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-Ray cameras. The ASIC is optimized for high dynamic range application requiring high spatial resolution and fast frame rates. ePix ASICs are based on a common platform composed of a random access analog matrix of pixel with global shutter, fast parallel column readout, and dedicated sigma-delta analog to digital converters per column. The ePix10k variant has 100um×100um pixels arranged in a 176×192 matrix, a resolution of 140e- r.m.s. and a signal range of 3.5pC (10k photons at 8keV). In its final version it will be able to sustain a frame rate of 2kHz. A first prototype has been fabricated and characterized. Performance in terms of noise, linearity, uniformity, cross-talk, together with preliminary measurements with bump bonded sensors are reported here.

A Simulation of the Front End Signal Digitization for the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer thin RPC trigger upgrade project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Xiangting; Chapman, John; Levin, Daniel; Dai, Tiesheng; Zhu, Junjie; Zhou, Bing; Um Atlas Group Team

2016-03-01

The ATLAS Muon Spectrometer Phase-I (and Phase-II) upgrade includes the BIS78 muon trigger detector project: two sets of eight very thin Resistive Place Chambers (tRPCs) combined with small Monitored Drift Tube (MDT) chambers in the pseudorapidity region 1<| η|<1.3. The tRPCs will be comprised of triplet readout layer in each of the eta and azimuthal phi coordinates, with about 400 readout strips per layer. The anticipated hit rate is 100-200 kHz per strip. Digitization of the strip signals will be done by 32-channel CERN HPTDC chips. The HPTDC is a highly configurable ASIC designed by the CERN Microelectronics group. It can work in both trigger and trigger-less modes, be readout in parallel or serially. For Phase-I operation, a stringent latency requirement of 43 bunch crossings (1075 ns) is imposed. The latency budget for the front end digitization must be kept to a minimal value, ideally less than 350 ns. We conducted detailed HPTDC latency simulations using the Behavioral Verilog code from the CERN group. We will report the results of these simulations run for the anticipated detector operating environment and for various HPTDC configurations.

Characterization of the ePix100 prototype: a front-end ASIC for second-generation LCLS integrating hybrid pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caragiulo, P.; Dragone, A.; Markovic, B.; Herbst, R.; Nishimura, K.; Reese, B.; Herrmann, S.; Hart, P.; Blaj, G.; Segal, J.; Tomada, A.; Hasi, J.; Carini, G.; Kenney, C.; Haller, G.

2014-09-01

ePix100 is the first variant of a novel class of integrating pixel ASICs architectures optimized for the processing of signals in second generation LINAC Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-Ray cameras. ePix100 is optimized for ultra-low noise application requiring high spatial resolution. ePix ASICs are based on a common platform composed of a random access analog matrix of pixel with global shutter, fast parallel column readout, and dedicated sigma-delta analog to digital converters per column. The ePix100 variant has 50μmx50μm pixels arranged in a 352x384 matrix, a resolution of 50e- r.m.s. and a signal range of 35fC (100 photons at 8keV). In its final version it will be able to sustain a frame rate of 1kHz. A first prototype has been fabricated and characterized and the measurement results are reported here.

MUSIC: An 8 channel readout ASIC for SiPM arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez, Sergio; Gascón, David; Fernández, Gerard; Sanuy, Andreu; Mauricio, Joan; Graciani, Ricardo; Sanchez, David

2016-04-01

This paper presents an 8 channel ASIC for SiPM anode readout based on a novel low input impedance current conveyor (under patent1). This Multiple Use SiPM Integrated Circuit (MUSIC) has been designed to serve several purposes, including, for instance, the readout of SiPM arrays for some of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) cameras. The current division scheme at the very front end part of the circuit splits the input current into differently scaled copies which are connected to independent current mirrors. The circuit contains a tunable pole zero cancellation of the SiPM recovery time constant to deal with sensors from different manufacturers. Decay times up to 100 ns are supported covering most of the available SiPM devices in the market. MUSIC offers three main features: (1) differential output of the sum of the individual input channels; (2) 8 individual single ended analog outputs and; (3) 8 individual binary outputs. The digital outputs encode the amount of collected charge in the duration of the digital signal using a time over threshold technique. For each individual channel, the user must select the analog or digital output. Each functionality, the signal sum and the 8 A/D outputs, include a selectable dual-gain configuration. Moreover, the signal sum implements dual-gain output providing a 15 bit dynamic range. Full die simulation results of the MUSIC designed using AMS 0.35 µm SiGe technology are presented: total die size of 9 mm2, 500 MHz bandwidth for channel sum and 150 MHz bandwidth for A/D channels, low input impedance (≍32 Ω), single photon output pulse width at half maximum (FWHM) between 5 and 10 ns and with a power consumption of ≍ 30 mW/ch plus ≍ 200 mW for the 8 ch sum. Encapsulated prototype samples of the MUSIC are expected by March 2016.

Triroc: A Multi-Channel SiPM Read-Out ASIC for PET/PET-ToF Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Salleh; Fleury, Julien; de la Taille, Christophe; Seguin-Moreau, Nathalie; Dulucq, Frederic; Martin-Chassard, Gisele; Callier, Stephane; Thienpont, Damien; Raux, Ludovic

2015-06-01

Triroc is the latest addition to SiPM readout ASICs family developed at Weeroc, a start-up company from the Omega microelectronics group of IN2P3/CNRS. This chip is developed under the framework TRIMAGE European project which is aimed for building a cost effective tri-modal PET/MR/EEG brain scan. To ensure the flexibility and compatibility with any SiPM in the market, the ASIC is designed to be capable of accepting negative and positive polarity input signals. This 64-channel ASIC, is suitable for SiPM readout which requires high accuracy timing and charge measurements. Targeted applications would be PET prototyping with time-of-flight capability. Main features of Triroc includes high dynamic range ADC up to 2500 photoelectrons and TDC fine time binning of 40 ps. Triroc requires very minimal external components which means it is a good contender for compact multichannel PET prototyping. Triroc is designed by using AMS 0.35 μm SiGe technology and it was submitted in March 2014. The detail design of this chip will be presented.

Integrated input protection against discharges for Micro Pattern Gas Detectors readout ASICs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiutowski, T.; Dąbrowski, W.; Koperny, S.; Wiącek, P.

2017-02-01

Immunity against possible random discharges inside active detector volume of MPGDs is one of the key aspects that should be addressed in the design of the front-end electronics. This issue becomes particularly critical for systems with high channel counts and high density readout employing the front-end electronics built as multichannel ASICs implemented in modern CMOS technologies, for which the breakdown voltages are in the range of a few Volts. The paper presents the design of various input protection structures integrated in the ASIC manufactured in a 350 nm CMOS process and test results using an electrical circuit to mimic discharges in the detectors.

KLauS: an ASIC for silicon photomultiplier readout and its application in a setup for production testing of scintillating tiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briggl, K.; Dorn, M.; Hagdorn, R.; Harion, T.; Schultz-Coulon, H. C.; Shen, W.

2014-02-01

KLauS is an ASIC produced in the AMS 0.35 μm SiGe process to read out the charge signals from silicon photomultipliers. Developed as an analog front-end for future calorimeters with high granularity as pursued by the AHCAL concept in the CALICE collaboration, the ASIC is designed to measure the charge signal of the sensors in a large dynamic range and with low electronic noise contributions. In order to tune the operation voltage of each sensor individually, an 8-bit DAC to tune the voltage at the input terminal within a range of 2V is implemented. Using an integrated fast comparator with low jitter, the time information can be measured with sub-nanosecond resolution. The low power consumption of the ASIC can be further decreased using power gating techniques. Future versions of KLauS are under development and will incorporate an ADC with a resolution of up to 12-bits and blocks for digital data transmission. The chip is used in a setup for mass testing and characterization of scintillator tiles for the AHCAL test beam program.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fahim, Farah; Deptuch, Grzegorz; Shenai, Alpana

The Vertically Integrated Photon Imaging Chip - Large, (VIPIC-L), is a large area, small pixel (65μm), 3D integrated, photon counting ASIC with zero-suppressed or full frame dead-time-less data readout. It features data throughput of 14.4 Gbps per chip with a full frame readout speed of 56kframes/s in the imaging mode. VIPIC-L contain 192 x 192 pixel array and the total size of the chip is 1.248cm x 1.248cm with only a 5μm periphery. It contains about 120M transistors. A 1.3M pixel camera module will be developed by arranging a 6 x 6 array of 3D VIPIC-L’s bonded to a largemore » area silicon sensor on the analog side and to a readout board on the digital side. The readout board hosts a bank of FPGA’s, one per VIPIC-L to allow processing of up to 0.7 Tbps of raw data produced by the camera.« less

Implementation of the Timepix ASIC in the Scalable Readout System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lupberger, M.; Desch, K.; Kaminski, J.

2016-09-01

We report on the development of electronics hardware, FPGA firmware and software to provide a flexible multi-chip readout of the Timepix ASIC within the framework of the Scalable Readout System (SRS). The system features FPGA-based zero-suppression and the possibility to read out up to 4×8 chips with a single Front End Concentrator (FEC). By operating several FECs in parallel, in principle an arbitrary number of chips can be read out, exploiting the scaling features of SRS. Specifically, we tested the system with a setup consisting of 160 Timepix ASICs, operated as GridPix devices in a large TPC field cage in a 1 T magnetic field at a DESY test beam facility providing an electron beam of up to 6 GeV. We discuss the design choices, the dedicated hardware components, the FPGA firmware as well as the performance of the system in the test beam.

Linearity enhancement design of a 16-channel low-noise front-end readout ASIC for CdZnTe detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Huiming; Wei, Tingcun; Wang, Jia

2017-03-01

A 16-channel front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with linearity enhancement design for cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) detectors is presented in this paper. The resistors in the slow shaper are realized using a high-Z circuit to obtain constant resistance value instead of using only a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor, thus the shaping time of the slow shaper can be kept constant for different amounts of input energies. As a result, the linearity of conversion gain is improved significantly. The ASIC was designed and fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS process with a die size of 2.60 mm×3.53 mm. The tested results show that a typical channel provides an equivalent noise charge (ENC) of 109.7e-+16.3e-/pF with a power consumption of 4 mW and achieves a conversion gain of 87 mV/fC with a nonlinearity of <0.4%. The linearity of conversion gain is improved by at least 86.6% as compared with the traditional approaches using the same front-end readout architecture and manufacture process. Moreover, the inconsistency among channels is <0.3%. An energy resolution of 2.975 keV (FWHM) for gamma rays of 59.5 keV was measured by connecting the ASIC to a 5 mm×5 mm ×2 mm CdZnTe detector at room temperature. The front-end readout ASIC presented in this paper achieves an outstanding linearity performance without compromising the noise, power consumption, and chip size performances.

Design and performances of a low-noise and radiation-hardened readout ASIC for CdZnTe detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bo, Gan; Tingcun, Wei; Wu, Gao; Yongcai, Hu

2016-06-01

In this paper, we present the design and performances of a low-noise and radiation-hardened front-end readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) dedicated to CdZnTe detectors for a hard X-ray imager in space applications. The readout channel is comprised of a charge sensitive amplifier, a CR-RC shaping amplifier, an analog output buffer, a fast shaper, and a discriminator. An 8-channel prototype ASIC is designed and fabricated in TSMC 0.35-μm mixed-signal CMOS technology, the die size of the prototype chip is 2.2 × 2.2 mm2. The input energy range is from 5 to 350 keV. For this 8-channel prototype ASIC, the measured electrical characteristics are as follows: the overall gain of the readout channel is 210 V/pC, the linearity error is less than 2%, the crosstalk is less than 0.36%, The equivalent noise charge of a typical channel is 52.9 e- at zero farad plus 8.2 e- per picofarad, and the power consumption is less than 2.4 mW/channel. Through the measurement together with a CdZnTe detector, the energy resolution is 5.9% at the 59.5-keV line under the irradiation of the radioactive source 241Am. The radiation effect experiments show that the proposed ASIC can resist the total ionization dose (TID) irradiation of higher than 200 krad(Si). Project supported by the National Key Scientific Instrument and Equipment Development Project (No. 2011YQ040082), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11475136, 11575144, 61176094), and the Shaanxi Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 2015JM1016).

Development of n+-in-p planar pixel quadsensor flip-chipped with FE-I4 readout ASICs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unno, Y.; Kamada, S.; Yamamura, K.; Yamamoto, H.; Hanagaki, K.; Hori, R.; Ikegami, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Takubo, Y.; Takashima, R.; Tojo, J.; Kono, T.; Nagai, R.; Saito, S.; Sugibayashi, K.; Hirose, M.; Jinnouchi, O.; Sato, S.; Sawai, H.; Hara, K.; Sato, Kz.; Sato, Kj.; Iwabuchi, S.; Suzuki, J.

2017-01-01

We have developed flip-chip modules applicable to the pixel detector for the HL-LHC. New radiation-tolerant n+-in-p planar pixel sensors of a size of four FE-I4 application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are laid out in a 6-in wafer. Variation in readout connection for the pixels at the boundary of ASICs is implemented in the design of quadsensors. Bump bonding technology is developed for four ASICs onto one quadsensor. Both sensors and ASICs are thinned to 150 μm before bump bonding, and are held flat with vacuum chucks. Using lead-free SnAg solder bumps, we encounter deficiency with large areas of disconnected bumps after thermal stress treatment, including irradiation. Surface oxidation of the solder bumps is identified as a critical source of this deficiency after bump bonding trials, using SnAg bumps with solder flux, indium bumps, and SnAg bumps with a newly-introduced hydrogen-reflow process. With hydrogen-reflow, we establish flux-less bump bonding technology with SnAg bumps, appropriate for mass production of the flip-chip modules with thin sensors and thin ASICs.

The charge pump PLL clock generator designed for the 1.56 ns bin size time-to-digital converter pixel array of the Timepix3 readout ASIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Y.; Brezina, C.; Desch, K.; Poikela, T.; Llopart, X.; Campbell, M.; Massimiliano, D.; Gromov, V.; Kluit, R.; van Beauzekom, M.; Zappon, F.; Zivkovic, V.

2014-01-01

Timepix3 is a newly developed pixel readout chip which is expected to be operated in a wide range of gaseous and silicon detectors. It is made of 256 × 256 pixels organized in a square pixel-array with 55 μm pitch. Oscillators running at 640 MHz are distributed across the pixel-array and allow for a highly accurate measurement of the arrival time of a hit. This paper concentrates on a low-jitter phase locked loop (PLL) that is located in the chip periphery. This PLL provides a control voltage which regulates the actual frequency of the individual oscillators, allowing for compensation of process, voltage, and temperature variations.

Effects of high-energy particle showers on the embedded front-end electronics of an electromagnetic calorimeter for a future lepton collider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adloff, C.; Francis, K.; Repond, J.; Smith, J.; Trojand, D.; Xia, L.; Baldolemar, E.; Li, J.; Park, S. T.; Sosebee, M.; White, A. P.; Yu, J.; Mikami, Y.; Watson, N. K.; Mavromanolakis, G.; Thomson, M. A.; Ward, D. R.; Yan, W.; Benchekroun, D.; Hoummada, A.; Khoulaki, Y.; Benyamna, M.; Cârloganu, C.; Fehr, F.; Gay, P.; Manen, S.; Royer, L.; Blazey, G. C.; Dyshkant, A.; Zutshi, V.; Hostachy, J.-Y.; Morin, L.; Cornett, U.; David, D.; Fabbri, R.; Falley, G.; Gadow, K.; Garutti, E.; Göttlicher, P.; Günter, C.; Karstensen, S.; Krivan, F.; Lucaci-Timoce, A.-I.; Lu, S.; Lutz, B.; Marchesini, I.; Meyer, N.; Morozov, S.; Morgunov, V.; Reinecke, M.; Sefkow, F.; Smirnov, P.; Terwort, M.; Vargas-Trevino, A.; Wattimena, N.; Wendt, O.; Feege, N.; Haller, J.; Richter, S.; Samson, J.; Eckert, P.; Kaplan, A.; Schultz-Coulon, H.-Ch.; Shen, W.; Stamen, R.; Tadday, A.; Bilki, B.; Norbeck, E.; Onel, Y.; Kawagoe, K.; Uozumi, S.; Dauncey, P. D.; Magnan, A.-M.; Bartsch, V.; Salvatore, F.; Laktineh, I.; Calvo Alamillo, E.; Fouz, M.-C.; Puerta-Pelayo, J.; Frey, A.; Kiesling, C.; Simon, F.; Bonis, J.; Bouquet, B.; Callier, S.; Cornebise, P.; Doublet, Ph.; Dulucq, F.; Faucci Giannelli, M.; Fleury, J.; Li, H.; Martin-Chassard, G.; Richard, F.; de La Taille, Ch.; Pöschl, R.; Raux, L.; Seguin-Moreau, N.; Wicek, F.; Anduze, M.; Boudry, V.; Brient, J.-C.; Jeans, D.; Mora de Freitas, P.; Musat, G.; Reinhard, M.; Ruan, M.; Videau, H.; Marcisovsky, M.; Sicho, P.; Vrba, V.; Zalesak, J.; Belhorma, B.; Ghazlane, H.; Calice Collaboration

2011-10-01

Application Specific Integrated Circuits, ASICs, similar to those envisaged for the readout electronics of the central calorimeters of detectors for a future lepton collider have been exposed to high-energy electromagnetic showers. A salient feature of these calorimeters is that the readout electronics will be embedded into the calorimeter layers. In this article it is shown that interactions of shower particles in the volume of the readout electronics do not alter the noise pattern of the ASICs. No signal at or above the MIP level has been observed during the exposure. The upper limit at the 95% confidence level on the frequency of fake signals is smaller than 1×10-5 for a noise threshold of about 60% of a MIP. For ASICs with similar design to those which were tested, it can thus be largely excluded that the embedding of the electronics into the calorimeter layers compromises the performance of the calorimeters.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Geronimo, G.; Fried, J.; Rehak, P.

We present an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for high-resolution x-ray spectrometers (XRS). The ASIC reads out signals from pixelated silicon drift detectors (SDDs). The pixel does not have an integrated field effect transistor (FET); rather, readout is accomplished by wire-bonding the anodes to the inputs of the ASIC. The ASIC dissipates 32 mW, and offers 16 channels of low-noise charge amplification, high-order shaping with baseline stabilization, discrimination, a novel pile-up rejector, and peak detection with an analog memory. The readout is sparse and based on custom low-power tristatable low-voltage differential signaling (LPT-LVDS). A unit of 64 SDD pixels, read outmore » by four ASICs, covers an area of 12.8 cm{sup 2} and dissipates with the sensor biased about 15 mW/cm{sup 2}. As a tile-based system, the 64-pixel units cover a large detection area. Our preliminary measurements at -44 C show a FWHM of 145 eV at the 5.9 keV peak of a {sup 55}Fe source, and less than 80 eV on a test-pulse line at 200 eV.« less

A fast, low power and low noise charge sensitive amplifier ASIC for a UV imaging single photon detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seljak, A.; Cumming, H. S.; Varner, G.; Vallerga, J.; Raffanti, R.; Virta, V.

2017-04-01

NASA has funded, through their Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT) program, the development of a cross strip (XS) microchannel plate (MCP) detector with the intention to increase its technology readiness level (TRL), enabling prototyping for future NASA missions. One aspect of the development is to convert the large and high powered laboratory Parallel Cross Strip (PXS) readout electronics into application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) to decrease their mass, volume, and power consumption (all limited resources in space) and to make them more robust to the environments of rocket launch and space. The redesign also foresees to increase the overall readout event rate, and decrease the noise contribution of the readout system. This work presents the design and verification of the first stage for the new readout system, the 16 channel charge sensitive amplifier ASIC, called the CSAv3. The single channel amplifier is composed of a charge sensitive amplifier (pre-amplifier), a pole zero cancellation circuit and a shaping amplifier. An additional output stage buffer allows polarity selection of the output analog signal. The operation of the amplifier is programmable via serial bus. It provides an equivalent noise charge (ENC) of around 600 e^- and a baseline gain of 10 mV/fC. The full scale pulse shaped output signal is confined within 100 ns, without long recovery tails, enabling up to 10 MHz periodic event rates without signal pile up. This ASIC was designed and fabricated in 130 nm, TSMC CMOS 1.2 V technology. In addition, we briefly discuss the construction of the readout system and plans for the future work.

A front end readout electronics ASIC chip for position sensitive solid state detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kravis, S.D.; Tuemer, T.O.; Visser, G.J.

1998-12-31

A mixed signal Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip for front end readout electronics of position sensitive solid state detectors has been manufactured. It is called RENA (Readout Electronics for Nuclear Applications). This chip can be used for both medical and industrial imaging of X-rays and gamma rays. The RENA chip is a monolithic integrated circuit and has 32 channels with low noise high input impedance charge sensitive amplifiers. It works in pulse counting mode with good energy resolution. It also has a self triggering output which is essential for nuclear applications when the incident radiation arrives at random. Different,more » externally selectable, operational modes that includes a sparse readout mode is available to increase data throughput. It also has externally selectable shaping (peaking) times.« less

Controller and data acquisition system for SIDECAR ASIC driven HAWAII detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramaprakash, Anamparambu; Burse, Mahesh; Chordia, Pravin; Chillal, Kalpesh; Kohok, Abhay; Mestry, Vilas; Punnadi, Sujit; Sinha, Sakya

2010-07-01

SIDECAR is an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), which can be used for control and data acquisition from near-IR HAWAII detectors offered by Teledyne Imaging Sensors (TIS), USA. The standard interfaces provided by Teledyne are COM API and socket servers running under MS Windows platform. These interfaces communicate to the ASIC (and the detector) through an intermediate card called JWST ASIC Drive Electronics (JADE2). As part of an ongoing programme of several years, for developing astronomical focal plane array (CCDs, CMOS and Hybrid) controllers and data acquisition systems (CDAQs), IUCAA is currently developing the next generation controllers employing Virtex-5 family FPGA devices. We present here the capabilities which are built into these new CDAQs for handling HAWAII detectors. In our system, the computer which hosts the application programme, user interface and device drivers runs on a Linux platform. It communicates through a hot-pluggable USB interface (with an optional optical fibre extender) to the FPGA-based card which replaces the JADE2. The FPGA board in turn, controls the SIDECAR ASIC and through it a HAWAII-2RG detector, both of which are located in a cryogenic test Dewar set up which is liquid nitrogen cooled. The system can acquire data over 1, 4, or 32 readout channels, with or without binning, at different speeds, can define sub-regions for readout, offers various readout schemes like Fowler sampling, up-theramp etc. In this paper, we present the performance results obtained from a prototype system.

MO-F-CAMPUS-J-03: Development of a Human Brain PET for On-Line Proton Beam-Range Verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shao, Yiping

Purpose: To develop a prototype PET for verifying proton beam-range before each fractionated therapy that will enable on-line re-planning proton therapy. Methods: Latest “edge-less” silicon photomultiplier arrays and customized ASIC readout electronics were used to develop PET detectors with depth-of-interaction (DOI) measurement capability. Each detector consists of one LYSO array with each end coupled to a SiPM array. Multiple detectors can be seamlessly tiled together to form a large detector panel. Detectors with 1.5×1.5 and 2.0×2.0 mm crystals at 20 or 30 mm lengths were studied. Readout of individual SiPM or signal multiplexing was used to transfer 3D interaction position-codedmore » analog signals through flexible-print-circuit cables or PCB board to dedicated ASIC front-end electronics to output digital timing pulses that encode interaction information. These digital pulses can be transferred to, through standard LVDS cables, and decoded by a FPGA-based data acquisition of coincidence events and data transfer. The modular detector and scalable electronics/data acquisition will enable flexible PET system configuration for different imaging geometry. Results: Initial detector performance measurement shows excellent crystal identification even with 30 mm long crystals, ∼18% and 2.8 ns energy and timing resolutions, and around 2–3 mm DOI resolution. A small prototype PET scanner with one detector ring has been built and evaluated, validating the technology and design. A large size detector panel has been fabricated by scaling up from modular detectors. Different designs of resistor and capacitor based signal multiplexing boards were tested and selected based on optimal crystal identification and timing performance. Stackable readout electronics boards and FPGA-based data acquisition boards were developed and tested. A brain PET is under construction. Conclusion: Technology of large-size DOI detector based on SiPM array and advanced readout has been developed. PET imaging performance and initial phantom studies of on-line proton beam-range measurement will be conducted and reported. NIH grant R21CA187717; Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas grant RP120326.« less

Highly-Integrated CMOS Interface Circuits for SiPM-Based PET Imaging Systems.

PubMed

Dey, Samrat; Lewellen, Thomas K; Miyaoka, Robert S; Rudell, Jacques C

2012-01-01

Recent developments in the area of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detectors using Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) have demonstrated the feasibility of higher resolution PET scanners due to a significant reduction in the detector form factor. The increased detector density requires a proportionally larger number of channels to interface the SiPM array with the backend digital signal processing necessary for eventual image reconstruction. This work presents a CMOS ASIC design for signal reducing readout electronics in support of an 8×8 silicon photomultiplier array. The row/column/diagonal summation circuit significantly reduces the number of required channels, reducing the cost of subsequent digitizing electronics. Current amplifiers are used with a single input from each SiPM cathode. This approach helps to reduce the detector loading, while generating all the necessary row, column and diagonal addressing information. In addition, the single current amplifier used in our Pulse-Positioning architecture facilitates the extraction of pulse timing information. Other components under design at present include a current-mode comparator which enables threshold detection for dark noise current reduction, a transimpedance amplifier and a variable output impedance I/O driver which adapts to a wide range of loading conditions between the ASIC and lines with the off-chip Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs).

Highly-Integrated CMOS Interface Circuits for SiPM-Based PET Imaging Systems

PubMed Central

Dey, Samrat; Lewellen, Thomas K.; Miyaoka, Robert S.; Rudell, Jacques C.

2013-01-01

Recent developments in the area of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detectors using Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) have demonstrated the feasibility of higher resolution PET scanners due to a significant reduction in the detector form factor. The increased detector density requires a proportionally larger number of channels to interface the SiPM array with the backend digital signal processing necessary for eventual image reconstruction. This work presents a CMOS ASIC design for signal reducing readout electronics in support of an 8×8 silicon photomultiplier array. The row/column/diagonal summation circuit significantly reduces the number of required channels, reducing the cost of subsequent digitizing electronics. Current amplifiers are used with a single input from each SiPM cathode. This approach helps to reduce the detector loading, while generating all the necessary row, column and diagonal addressing information. In addition, the single current amplifier used in our Pulse-Positioning architecture facilitates the extraction of pulse timing information. Other components under design at present include a current-mode comparator which enables threshold detection for dark noise current reduction, a transimpedance amplifier and a variable output impedance I/O driver which adapts to a wide range of loading conditions between the ASIC and lines with the off-chip Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs). PMID:24301987

Detector Control and Data Acquisition for the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) with a Custom ASIC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Brian S.; Loose, Markus; Alkire, Greg; Joshi, Atul; Kelly, Daniel; Siskind, Eric; Rossetti, Dino; Mah, Jonathan; Cheng, Edward; Miko, Laddawan;

Toward VIP-PIX: A Low Noise Readout ASIC for Pixelated CdTe Gamma-Ray Detectors for Use in the Next Generation of PET Scanners.

PubMed

Macias-Montero, Jose-Gabriel; Sarraj, Maher; Chmeissani, Mokhtar; Puigdengoles, Carles; Lorenzo, Gianluca De; Martínez, Ricardo

2013-08-01

VIP-PIX will be a low noise and low power pixel readout electronics with digital output for pixelated Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) detectors. The proposed pixel will be part of a 2D pixel-array detector for various types of nuclear medicine imaging devices such as positron-emission tomography (PET) scanners, Compton gamma cameras, and positron-emission mammography (PEM) scanners. Each pixel will include a SAR ADC that provides the energy deposited with 10-bit resolution. Simultaneously, the self-triggered pixel which will be connected to a global time-to-digital converter (TDC) with 1 ns resolution will provide the event's time stamp. The analog part of the readout chain and the ADC have been fabricated with TSMC 0.25 μ m mixed-signal CMOS technology and characterized with an external test pulse. The power consumption of these parts is 200 μ W from a 2.5 V supply. It offers 4 switchable gains from ±10 mV/fC to ±40 mV/fC and an input charge dynamic range of up to ±70 fC for the minimum gain for both polarities. Based on noise measurements, the expected equivalent noise charge (ENC) is 65 e - RMS at room temperature.

A Low Noise CMOS Readout Based on a Polymer-Coated SAW Array for Miniature Electronic Nose

PubMed Central

Wu, Cheng-Chun; Liu, Szu-Chieh; Chiu, Shih-Wen; Tang, Kea-Tiong

2016-01-01

An electronic nose (E-Nose) is one of the applications for surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors. In this paper, we present a low-noise complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) based on an SAW sensor array for achieving a miniature E-Nose. The center frequency of the SAW sensors was measured to be approximately 114 MHz. Because of interference between the sensors, we designed a low-noise CMOS frequency readout circuit to enable the SAW sensor to obtain frequency variation. The proposed circuit was fabricated in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.18 μm 1P6M CMOS process technology. The total chip size was nearly 1203 × 1203 μm2. The chip was operated at a supply voltage of 1 V for a digital circuit and 1.8 V for an analog circuit. The least measurable difference between frequencies was 4 Hz. The detection limit of the system, when estimated using methanol and ethanol, was 0.1 ppm. Their linearity was in the range of 0.1 to 26,000 ppm. The power consumption levels of the analog and digital circuits were 1.742 mW and 761 μW, respectively. PMID:27792131

A Low Noise CMOS Readout Based on a Polymer-Coated SAW Array for Miniature Electronic Nose.

PubMed

Wu, Cheng-Chun; Liu, Szu-Chieh; Chiu, Shih-Wen; Tang, Kea-Tiong

2016-10-25

An electronic nose (E-Nose) is one of the applications for surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors. In this paper, we present a low-noise complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) based on an SAW sensor array for achieving a miniature E-Nose. The center frequency of the SAW sensors was measured to be approximately 114 MHz. Because of interference between the sensors, we designed a low-noise CMOS frequency readout circuit to enable the SAW sensor to obtain frequency variation. The proposed circuit was fabricated in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.18 μm 1P6M CMOS process technology. The total chip size was nearly 1203 × 1203 μm². The chip was operated at a supply voltage of 1 V for a digital circuit and 1.8 V for an analog circuit. The least measurable difference between frequencies was 4 Hz. The detection limit of the system, when estimated using methanol and ethanol, was 0.1 ppm. Their linearity was in the range of 0.1 to 26,000 ppm. The power consumption levels of the analog and digital circuits were 1.742 mW and 761 μW, respectively.

A 64ch readout module for PPD/MPPC/SiPM using EASIROC ASIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Isamu; Ishijima, N.; Hanagaki, K.; Yoshimura, K.; Nakai, Y.; Ueno, K.

2015-07-01

A readout module for PPD/MPPC/GAPD/SiPM is developed using EASIROC ASIC. The module can handle 64 PPDs and has on-board bias power supply, ADC for energy measurement, 1 ns TDC on FPGA as well as 64ch Logic output for external trigger. Controls and data transfer are through SiTCP technology implemented in FPGA. The module has NIM format for convenience, but can be operated without crate with 5 V AC/DC converter. Basic performance of production module was tested and the results are presented in the poster.

First results of the silicon telescope using an 'artificial retina' for fast track finding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neri, N.; Abba, A.; Caponio, F.

We present the first results of the prototype of a silicon tracker with trigger capabilities based on a novel approach for fast track finding. The working principle of the 'artificial retina' is inspired by the processing of visual images by the brain and it is based on extensive parallelization of data distribution and pattern recognition. The algorithm has been implemented in commercial FPGAs in three main logic modules: a switch for the routing of the detector hits, a pool of engines for the digital processing of the hits, and a block for the calculation of the track parameters. The architecturemore » is fully pipelined and allows the reconstruction of real-time tracks with a latency less then 100 clock cycles, corresponding to 0.25 microsecond at 400 MHz clock. The silicon telescope consists of 8 layers of single-sided silicon strip detectors with 512 strips each. The detector size is about 10 cm x 10 cm and the strip pitch is 183 μm. The detectors are read out by the Beetle chip, a custom ASICs developed for LHCb, which provides the measurement of the hit position and pulse height of 128 channels. The 'artificial retina' algorithm has been implemented on custom data acquisition boards based on FPGAs Xilinx Kintex 7 lx160. The parameters of the tracks detected are finally transferred to host PC via USB 3.0. The boards manage the read-out ASICs and the sampling of the analog channels. The read-out is performed at 40 MHz on 4 channels for each ASIC that corresponds to a decoding of the telescope information at 1.1 MHz. We report on the first results of the fast tracking device and compare with simulations. (authors)« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DE GERONIMO,G.; CHEN, W.; FRIED, J.

We present an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for high-resolution x-ray spectrometers. The ASIC is designed to read out signals from a pixelated silicon drift detector (SDD). Each hexagonal pixel has an area of 15 mmz and an anode capacitance of less than 100 fF. There is no integrated Field Effect transistor (FET) in the pixel, rather, the readout is done by wirebonding the anodes to the inputs of the ASIC. The ASIC provides 14 channels of low-noise charge amplification, high-order shaping with baseline stabilization, and peak detection with analog memory. The readout is sparse and based on low voltagemore » differential signaling. An interposer provides all the interconnections required to bias and operate the system. The channel dissipates 1.6 mW. The complete 14-pixel unit covers an area of 210 mm{sup 2}, dissipates 12 mW cm{sup -2}, and can be tiled to cover an arbitrarily large detection area. We measured a preliminary resolution of 172 eV at -35 C on the 6 keV peak of a {sup 55}Fe source.« less

Upgrading the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter Electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrió, Fernando

2013-11-01

This work summarizes the status of the on-detector and off-detector electronics developments for the Phase 2 Upgrade of the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter at the LHC scheduled around 2022. A demonstrator prototype for a slice of the calorimeter including most of the new electronics is planned to be installed in ATLAS in the middle of 2014 during the first Long Shutdown. For the on-detector readout, three different front-end boards (FEB) alternatives are being studied: a new version of the 3-in-1 card, the QIE chip and a dedicated ASIC called FATALIC. The Main Board will provide communication and control to the FEBs and the Daughter Board will transmit the digitized data to the off-detector electronics in the counting room, where the super Read-Out Driver (sROD) will perform processing tasks on them and will be the interface to the trigger levels 0, 1 and 2.

Development of a low-noise, 4th-order readout ASIC for CdZnTe detectors in gamma spectrometer applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jia; Su, Lin; Wei, Xiaomin; Zheng, Ran; Hu, Yann

2016-09-01

This paper presents an ASIC readout circuit development, which aims to achieve low noise. In order to compensate the leakage current and improve gain, a dual-stage CSA has been utilized. A 4th-order high-linearity shaper is proposed to obtain a Semi-Gaussian wave and further decrease the noise induced by the leakage current. The ASIC has been designed and fabricated in a standard commercial 2P4M 0.35 μm CMOS process. Die area of one channel is about 1190 μm×147 μm. The input charge range is 1.8 fC. The peaking time can be adjusted from 1 μs to 3 μs. Measured ENC is about 55e- (rms) at input capacitor of 0 F. The gain is 271 mV/fC at the peaking time of 1 μs.

A closed-loop compressive-sensing-based neural recording system.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Mitra, Srinjoy; Suo, Yuanming; Cheng, Andrew; Xiong, Tao; Michon, Frederic; Welkenhuysen, Marleen; Kloosterman, Fabian; Chin, Peter S; Hsiao, Steven; Tran, Trac D; Yazicioglu, Firat; Etienne-Cummings, Ralph

2015-06-01

This paper describes a low power closed-loop compressive sensing (CS) based neural recording system. This system provides an efficient method to reduce data transmission bandwidth for implantable neural recording devices. By doing so, this technique reduces a majority of system power consumption which is dissipated at data readout interface. The design of the system is scalable and is a viable option for large scale integration of electrodes or recording sites onto a single device. The entire system consists of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with 4 recording readout channels with CS circuits, a real time off-chip CS recovery block and a recovery quality evaluation block that provides a closed feedback to adaptively adjust compression rate. Since CS performance is strongly signal dependent, the ASIC has been tested in vivo and with standard public neural databases. Implemented using efficient digital circuit, this system is able to achieve >10 times data compression on the entire neural spike band (500-6KHz) while consuming only 0.83uW (0.53 V voltage supply) additional digital power per electrode. When only the spikes are desired, the system is able to further compress the detected spikes by around 16 times. Unlike other similar systems, the characteristic spikes and inter-spike data can both be recovered which guarantes a >95% spike classification success rate. The compression circuit occupied 0.11mm(2)/electrode in a 180nm CMOS process. The complete signal processing circuit consumes <16uW/electrode. Power and area efficiency demonstrated by the system make it an ideal candidate for integration into large recording arrays containing thousands of electrode. Closed-loop recording and reconstruction performance evaluation further improves the robustness of the compression method, thus making the system more practical for long term recording.

The design and development of low- and high-voltage ASICs for space-borne CCD cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waltham, N.; Morrissey, Q.; Clapp, M.; Bell, S.; Jones, L.; Torbet, M.

2017-12-01

The CCD remains the pre-eminent visible and UV wavelength image sensor in space science, Earth and planetary remote sensing. However, the design of space-qualified CCD readout electronics is a significant challenge with requirements for low-volume, low-mass, low-power, high-reliability and tolerance to space radiation. Space-qualified components are frequently unavailable and up-screened commercial components seldom meet project or international space agency requirements. In this paper, we describe an alternative approach of designing and space-qualifying a series of low- and high-voltage mixed-signal application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), the ongoing development of two low-voltage ASICs with successful flight heritage, and two new high-voltage designs. A challenging sub-system of any CCD camera is the video processing and digitisation electronics. We describe recent developments to improve performance and tolerance to radiation-induced single event latchup of a CCD video processing ASIC originally developed for NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and Solar Dynamics Observatory. We also describe a programme to develop two high-voltage ASICs to address the challenges presented with generating a CCD's bias voltages and drive clocks. A 0.35 μm, 50 V tolerant, CMOS process has been used to combine standard low-voltage 3.3 V transistors with high-voltage 50 V diffused MOSFET transistors that enable output buffers to drive CCD bias drains, gates and clock electrodes directly. We describe a CCD bias voltage generator ASIC that provides 24 independent and programmable 0-32 V outputs. Each channel incorporates a 10-bit digital-to-analogue converter, provides current drive of up to 20 mA into loads of 10 μF, and includes current-limiting and short-circuit protection. An on-chip telemetry system with a 12-bit analogue-to-digital converter enables the outputs and multiple off-chip camera voltages to be monitored. The ASIC can drive one or more CCDs and replaces the many discrete components required in current cameras. We also describe a CCD clock driver ASIC that provides six independent and programmable drivers with high-current capacity. The device enables various CCD clock parameters to be programmed independently, for example the clock-low and clock-high voltage levels, and the clock-rise and clock-fall times, allowing configuration for serial clock frequencies in the range 0.1-2 MHz and image clock frequencies in the range 10-100 kHz. Finally, we demonstrate the impact and importance of this technology for the development of compact, high-performance and low-power integrated focal plane electronics.

IDeF-X ECLAIRs: A CMOS ASIC for the Readout of CdTe and CdZnTe Detectors for High Resolution Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gevin, Olivier; Baron, Pascal; Coppolani, Xavier; Daly, FranÇois; Delagnes, Eric; Limousin, Olivier; Lugiez, Francis; Meuris, Aline; Pinsard, FrÉdÉric; Renaud, Diana

2009-08-01

The very last member of the IDeF-X ASIC family is presented: IDeF-X ECLAIRs is a 32-channel front end ASIC designed for the readout of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) Detectors. Thanks to its noise performance (Equivalent Noise Charge floor of 33 e- rms) and to its radiation hardened design (Single Event Latchup Linear Energy Transfer threshold of 56 MeV.cm2.mg-1), the chip is well suited for soft X-rays energy discrimination and high energy resolution, ldquospace proof,rdquo hard X-ray spectroscopy. We measured an energy low threshold of less than 4 keV with a 10 pF input capacitor and a minimal reachable sensitivity of the Equivalent Noise Charge (ENC) to input capacitance of less than 7 e-/pF obtained with a 6 mus peak time. IDeF-X ECLAIRs will be used for the readout of 6400 CdTe Schottky monopixel detectors of the 2D coded mask imaging telescope ECLAIRs aboard the SVOM satellite. IDeF-X ECLAIRs (or IDeF-X V2) has also been designed for the readout of a pixelated CdTe detector in the miniature spectro-imager prototype Caliste 256 that is currently foreseen for the high energy detector module of the Simbol-X mission.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Britton, C.L.; Jagadish, U.; Bryan, W.L.

An Integrated Circuit (IC) readout chip with four channels arranged so as to receive input charge from the corners of the chip was designed for use with 5- to 7-mm pixel detectors. This Application Specific IC (ASIC) can be used for cold neutron imaging, for study of structural order in materials using cold neutron scattering or for particle physics experiments. The ASIC is fabricated in a 0.5-{micro}m n-well AMI process. The design of the ASIC and the test measurements made is reported. Noise measurements are also reported.

Development of 4-Sides Buttable CdTe-ASIC Hybrid Module for X-ray Flat Panel Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamaki, Mitsuru; Mito, Yoshio; Shuto, Yasuhiro; Kiyuna, Tatsuya; Yamamoto, Masaya; Sagae, Kenichi; Kina, Tooru; Koizumi, Tatsuhiro; Ohno, Ryoichi

2009-08-01

A 4-sides buttable CdTe-ASIC hybrid module suitable for use in an X-ray flat panel detector (FPD) has been developed by applying through silicon via (TSV) technology to the readout ASIC. The ASIC has 128 times 256 channels of charge integration type readout circuitry and an area of 12.9 mm times 25.7 mm. The CdTe sensor of 1 mm thickness, having the same area and pixel of 100 mum pitch, was fabricated from the Cl-doped CdTe single crystal grown by traveling heater method (THM). Then the CdTe pixel sensor was hybridized with the ASIC using the bump-bonding technology. The basic performance of this 4-sides buttable module was evaluated by taking X-ray images, and it was compared with that of a commercially available indirect type CsI(Tl) FPD. A prototype CdTe FPD was made by assembling 9 pieces of the 4-sides buttable modules into 3 times 3 arrays in which the neighboring modules were mounted on the interface board. The FPD covers an active area of 77 mm times 39 mm. The results showed the great potential of this 4-sides buttable module for the new real time X-ray FPD with high spatial resolution.

Asic developments for radiation imaging applications: The medipix and timepix family

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballabriga, Rafael; Campbell, Michael; Llopart, Xavier

2018-01-01

Hybrid pixel detectors were developed to meet the requirements for tracking in the inner layers at the LHC experiments. With low input capacitance per channel (10-100 fF) it is relatively straightforward to design pulse processing readout electronics with input referred noise of ∼ 100 e-rms and pulse shaping times consistent with tagging of events to a single LHC bunch crossing providing clean 'images' of the ionising tracks generated. In the Medipix Collaborations the same concept has been adapted to provide practically noise hit free imaging in a wide range of applications. This paper reports on the development of three generations of readout ASICs. Two distinctive streams of development can be identified: the Medipix ASICs which integrate data from multiple hits on a pixel and provide the images in the form of frames and the Timepix ASICs who aim to send as much information about individual interactions as possible off-chip for further processing. One outstanding circumstance in the use of these devices has been their numerous successful applications, thanks to a large and active community of developers and users. That process has even permitted new developments for detectors for High Energy Physics. This paper reviews the ASICs themselves and details some of the many applications.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Geronimo, G.; Li, S.; D'Andragora, A.

We present a front-end application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for a wire based time-projection-chamber (TPC) operating in liquid Argon (LAr). The LAr TPC will be used for long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments. The ASIC must provide a low-noise readout of the signals induced on the TPC wires, digitization of those signals at 2 MSamples/s, compression, buffering and multiplexing. A resolution of better than 1000 rms electrons at 200 pF input capacitance for an input range of 300 fC is required, along with low power and operation in LAr (at 87 K). We include the characterization of a commercial technology for operationmore » in the cryogenic environment and the first experimental results on the analog front end. The results demonstrate that complementary metal-oxide semiconductor transistors have lower noise and much improved dc characteristics at LAr temperature. Finally, we introduce the concept of '1/f equivalent' to model the low-frequency component of the noise spectral density, for use in the input metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor optimization.« less

Preliminary evaluation of a novel energy-resolved photon-counting gamma ray detector.

PubMed

Meng, L-J; Tan, J W; Spartiotis, K; Schulman, T

2009-06-11

In this paper, we present the design and preliminary performance evaluation of a novel energy-resolved photon-counting (ERPC) detector for gamma ray imaging applications. The prototype ERPC detector has an active area of 4.4 cm × 4.4 cm, which is pixelated into 128 × 128 square pixels with a pitch size of 350 µm × 350µm. The current detector consists of multiple detector hybrids, each with a CdTe crystal of 1.1 cm × 2.2 cm × 1 mm, bump-bonded onto a custom-designed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ERPC ASIC has 2048 readout channels arranged in a 32 × 64 array. Each channel is equipped with pre- and shaping-amplifiers, a discriminator, peak/hold circuitry and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for digitizing the signal amplitude. In order to compensate for the pixel-to-pixel variation, two 8-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are implemented into each channel for tuning the gain and offset. The ERPC detector is designed to offer a high spatial resolution, a wide dynamic range of 12-200 keV and a good energy resolution of 3-4 keV. The hybrid detector configuration provides a flexible detection area that can be easily tailored for different imaging applications. The intrinsic performance of a prototype ERPC detector was evaluated with various gamma ray sources, and the results are presented.

Development of a flight qualified 100 x 100 mm MCP UV detector using advanced cross strip anodes and associated ASIC electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallerga, John; McPhate, Jason; Tremsin, Anton; Siegmund, Oswald; Raffanti, Rick; Cumming, Harley; Seljak, Andrej; Virta, Vihtori; Varner, Gary

2016-07-01

Photon counting microchannel plate (MCP) imagers have been the detector of choice for most UV astronomical missions over the last three decades (e.g. EUVE, FUSE, COS on Hubble etc.) and been mentioned for instruments on future large telescopes in space such as LUVOIR14. Using cross strip anodes, improvements in the MCP laboratory readout technology have resulted in better spatial resolution (x10), temporal resolution (x 1000) and output event rate (x100), all the while operating at lower gain (x10) resulting in lower high voltage requirements and longer MCP lifetimes. A crossed strip anode MCP readout starts with a set of orthogonal conducting strips (e.g. 80 x 80), typically spaced at a 635 micron pitch onto which charge clouds from MCP amplified events land. Each strip has its own charge sensitive amplifier that is sampled continuously by a dedicated analog to digital converter (ADC). All of the ADC digital output lines are fed into a field programmable gate array (FGPA) which can detect charge events landing on the strips, measure the peak amplitudes of those charge events and calculate their spatial centroid along with their time of arrival (X,Y,T) and pass this information to a downstream computer. Laboratory versions of these electronics have demonstrated < 20 microns FWHM spatial resolution, count rates on the order of 2 MHz, and temporal resolution of 1ns. In 2012 our group at U.C. Berkeley, along with our partners at the U. Hawaii, received a NASA Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT) grant to raise the TRL of a cross strip detector from 4 to 6 by replacing most of the 19" rack mounted, high powered electronics with application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) which will lower the power, mass, and volume requirements of the detector electronics. We were also tasked to design and fabricate a "standard" 50mm square active area MCP detector incorporating these electronics that can be environmentally qualified for flight (temperature, vacuum, vibration). ASICs designed for this program have been successfully fabricated and are undergoing extensive testing. We will present the latest progress on these ASIC designs and their performance. We will also show our preliminary work on scaling these designs (detector and electronics) to a flight qualified 100 x 100 mm cross strip detector, which has recently been funded through a follow on SAT grant.

Cross strip anode readouts for microchannel plate detectors: developing flight qualified prototypes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallerga, John; Cooney, M.; Raffanti, R.; Varner, G.; Siegmund, O.; McPhate, J. B.; Tremsin, A.

2014-01-01

Photon counting microchannel plate (MCP) imagers have been the detector of choice for most UV astronomical missions over the last two decades (eg. EUVE, FUSE, COS on Hubble etc.). Over this duration, improvements in the MCP laboratory readout technology have resulted in better spatial resolution (x10), temporal resolution (x 1000) and output event rate (x100), all the while operating at lower gain (x 10) resulting in lower high voltage requirements and longer MCP lifetimes. One such technology is the parallel cross strip (PXS) readout. The PXS anode is a set of orthogonal conducting strips (80 x 80), typically spaced at a 635 micron pitch onto which charge clouds from MCP amplified events land. Each strip has its own charge sensitive amplifier that is sampled continuously by a dedicated analog to digital (ADC) converter at 50MHz. All of the 160 ADC digital output lines are fed into a field programmable gate array (FGPA) which can detect charge events landing on the strips, measure the peak amplitudes of those charge events and calculate their spatial centroid along with their time of arrival (X,Y,T). Laboratory versions of these electronics have demonstrated < 20 microns FWHM spatial resolution, count rates on the order of 2 MHz, and temporal resolution of ~ 1ns. In 2012 the our group at U.C. Berkeley, along with our partners at the U. Hawaii, received a Strategic Astrophysics Technology grant to raise the TRL of the PXS detector from 4 to 6 by replacing most of the 19" rack mounted, high powered electronics with application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) which will lower the power, mass and volume requirements of the PXS detector. We were also tasked to design and fabricate a "standard" 50mm square active area MCP detector incorporating these electronics that can be environmentally qualified for flight (temperature, vacuum, vibration). This detector design could then be modified for individual flight opportunities with a higher level of confidence than starting from scratch. We will present the latest progress on the ASIC designs, fabrication and performance and show imaging results from the 50mm XS detector using our current laboratory PXS electronics.

A comparative study of the time performance between NINO and FlexToT ASICs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarasola, I.; Nemallapudi, M. V.; Gundacker, S.; Sánchez, D.; Gascón, D.; Rato, P.; Marín, J.; Auffray, E.

2017-04-01

Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and CIEMAT have designed the FlexToT ASIC for the front-end readout of SiPM-based scintillator detectors. This ASIC is aimed at time of flight (ToF) positron emission tomography (PET) applications. In this work we have evaluated the time performance of the FlexToT v2 ASIC compared to the NINO ASIC, a fast ASIC developped at CERN. NINO electronics give 64 ps sigma for single-photon time resolution (SPTR) and 93 ps FWHM for coincidence time resolution (CTR) with 2 × 2 × 5 mm3 LSO:Ce,Ca crystals and S13360-3050CS SiPMs. Using the same SiPMs and crystals, the FlexToT v2 ASIC yields 91 ps sigma for SPTR and 123 ps FWHM for CTR. Despite worse time performace than NINO, FlexToT v2 features lower power consumption (11 vs. 27 mW/ch) and linear ToT energy measurement.

Latency study of the High Performance Time to Digital Converter for the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer trigger upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, X. T.; Levin, D. S.; Chapman, J. W.; Li, D. C.; Yao, Z. E.; Zhou, B.

2017-02-01

The High Performance Time to Digital Converter (HPTDC), a multi-channel ASIC designed by the CERN Microelectronics group, has been proposed for the digitization of the thin-Resistive Plate Chambers (tRPC) in the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer Phase-1 upgrade project. These chambers, to be staged for higher luminosity LHC operation, will increase trigger acceptance and reduce or eliminate the fake muon trigger rates in the barrel-endcap transition region, corresponding to pseudo-rapidity range 1<|η|<1.3. Low level trigger candidates must be flagged within a maximum latency of 1075 ns, thus imposing stringent signal processing time performance requirements on the readout system in general, and on the digitization electronics in particular. This paper investigates the HPTDC signal latency performance based on a specially designed evaluation board coupled with an external FPGA evaluation board, when operated in triggerless mode, and under hit rate conditions expected in Phase-I. This hardware based study confirms previous simulations and demonstrates that the HPTDC in triggerless operation satisfies the digitization timing requirements in both leading edge and pair modes.

TOFPET2: a high-performance ASIC for time and amplitude measurements of SiPM signals in time-of-flight applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Francesco, A.; Bugalho, R.; Oliveira, L.; Pacher, L.; Rivetti, A.; Rolo, M.; Silva, J. C.; Silva, R.; Varela, J.

2016-03-01

We present a readout and digitization ASIC featuring low-noise and low-power for time-of flight (TOF) applications using SiPMs. The circuit is designed in standard CMOS 110 nm technology, has 64 independent channels and is optimized for time-of-flight measurement in Positron Emission Tomography (TOF-PET). The input amplifier is a low impedance current conveyor based on a regulated common-gate topology. Each channel has quad-buffered analogue interpolation TDCs (time binning 20 ps) and charge integration ADCs with linear response at full scale (1500 pC). The signal amplitude can also be derived from the measurement of time-over-threshold (ToT). Simulation results show that for a single photo-electron signal with charge 200 (550) fC generated by a SiPM with 320 pF capacitance the circuit has 24 (30) dB SNR, 75(39) ps r.m.s. resolution, and 4(8) mW power consumption. The event rate is 600 kHz per channel, with up to 2 MHz dark counts rejection.

Design of a Multichannel Low-Noise Front-End Readout ASIC Dedicated to CZT Detectors for PET Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, W.; Liu, H.; Gan, B.; Wei, T.; Gao, D.; Hu, Y.

2014-10-01

In this paper, we present the design and preliminary results of a novel low-noise front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for a PET imaging system whose objective is to achieve the following performances: the spatial resolution of 1 mm3, the detection efficiency of 15% and the time resolution of 1 ns. A cascode amplifier based on the PMOS input transistor is selected to realize the charge-sensitive amplifier (CSA) for the sake of good noise performances. The output of the CSA is split into two branches. One is connected to a slow shaper for energy measurements. The other is connected to a fast shaper for time acquisition. A novel monostable circuits is designed to adjust the time delay of the trigger signals so that the peak value of the shaped voltages can be sampled and stored. An eight-channel front-end readout prototype chip is designed and implemented in 0.35 μm CMOS process. The die size is 2.286 mm ×2.282 mm. The input range of the ASIC is from 2000 e- to 180000 e-, reflecting to the energy level of the gamma ray from 11.2 keV to 1 MeV. The gain of the readout channel is 65 mV/fC. The tested result of ENC is 86.5 e- at zero farad plus 9.3 e- per picofarad. The nonlinearity is less than 3%. The crosstalk is less than 2%. The power dissipation is about 3 mW/channel.

The SIRIUS mixed analog-digital ASIC developed for the LOFT LAD and WFM instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cros, A.; Rambaud, D.; Moutaye, E.; Ravera, L.; Barret, D.; Caïs, P.; Clédassou, R.; Bodin, P.; Seyler, J. Y.; Bonzo, A.; Feroci, M.; Labanti, C.; Evangelista, Y.; Favre, Y.

2014-07-01

We report on the development and characterization of the low-noise, low power, mixed analog-digital SIRIUS ASICs for both the LAD and WFM X-ray instruments of LOFT. The ASICs we developed are reading out large area silicon drift detectors (SDD). Stringent requirements in terms of noise (ENC of 17 e- to achieve an energy resolution on the LAD of 200 eV FWHM at 6 keV) and power consumption (650 μW per channel) were basis for the ASICs design. These SIRIUS ASICs are developed to match SDD detectors characteristics: 16 channels ASICs adapted for the LAD (970 microns pitch) and 64 channels for the WFM (145 microns pitch) will be fabricated. The ASICs were developed with the 180nm mixed technology of TSMC.

Interface and protocol development for STS read-out ASIC in the CBM experiment at FAIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasinski, Krzysztof; Zabolotny, Wojciech; Szczygiel, Robert

2014-11-01

This paper presents a proposal of a protocol for communication between the read-out integrated circuit for the STS (Silicon Tracking System) and the Data Processing Board (DPB) at CBM (Compressed Baryonic Matter) experiment at FAIR, GSI (Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH) in Germany. The application background, objectives and proposed solution is presented.

Prototype readout electronics and silicon strip detector study for the silicon tracking system at compressed baryonic matter experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasiński, Krzysztof; Szczygieł, Robert; Gryboś, Paweł

2011-10-01

This paper presents the prototype detector readout electronics for the STS (Silicon Tracking System) at CBM (Compressed Baryonic Matter) experiment at FAIR, GSI (Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH) in Germany. The emphasis has been put on the strip detector readout chip and its interconnectivity with detector. Paper discusses the impact of the silicon strip detector and interconnection cable construction on the overall noise of the system and architecture of the TOT02 readout ASIC. The idea and problems of the double-sided silicon detector usage are also presented.

SiGe Integrated Circuit Developments for SQUID/TES Readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prêle, D.; Voisin, F.; Beillimaz, C.; Chen, S.; Piat, M.; Goldwurm, A.; Laurent, P.

2018-03-01

SiGe integrated circuits dedicated to the readout of superconducting bolometer arrays for astrophysics have been developed since more than 10 years at APC. Whether for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations with the QUBIC ground-based experiment (Aumont et al. in astro-ph.IM, 2016. arXiv:1609.04372) or for the Hot and Energetic Universe science theme with the X-IFU instrument on-board of the ATHENA space mission (Barret et al. in SPIE 9905, space telescopes & instrumentation 2016: UV to γ Ray, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232432), several kinds of Transition Edge Sensor (TES) (Irwin and Hilton, in ENSS (ed) Cryogenic particle detection, Springer, Berlin, 2005) arrays have been investigated. To readout such superconducting detector arrays, we use time or frequency domain multiplexers (TDM, FDM) (Prêle in JINST 10:C08015, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/10/08/C08015) with Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUID). In addition to the SQUID devices, low-noise biasing and amplification are needed. These last functions can be obtained by using BiCMOS SiGe technology in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). ASIC technology allows integration of highly optimised circuits specifically designed for a unique application. Moreover, we could reach very low-noise and wide band amplification using SiGe bipolar transistor either at room or cryogenic temperatures (Cressler in J Phys IV 04(C6):C6-101, 1994. https://doi.org/10.1051/jp4:1994616). This paper discusses the use of SiGe integrated circuits for SQUID/TES readout and gives an update of the last developments dedicated to the QUBIC telescope and to the X-IFU instrument. Both ASIC called SQmux128 and AwaXe are described showing the interest of such SiGe technology for SQUID multiplexer controls.

Development of a dedicated readout ASIC for TPC based X-ray polarimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongyan; Deng, Zhi; Li, Hong; Liu, Yinong; Feng, Hua

2016-07-01

X-ray polarimetry with time projection chambers was firstly proposed by JK Black in 2007 and has been greatly developed since then. It measured two dimensional photoelectron tracks with one dimensional strip and the other dimension was estimated by the drift time from the signal waveforms. A readout ASIC, APV25, originally developed for CMS silicon trackers was used and has shown some limitations such as waveform sampling depth. A dedicated ASIC was developed for TPC based X-ray polarimeters in this paper. It integrated 32 channel circuits and each channel consisted of an analog front-end and a waveform sampler based on switched capacitor array. The analog front-end has a charge sensitive preamplifier with a gain of 25 mV/fC, a CR-RC shaper with a peaking time of 25 ns, a baseline holder and a discriminator for self-triggering. The SCA has a buffer latency of 3.2 μs with 64 cells operating at 20 MSPS. The ASIC was fabricated in a 0.18 μm CMOS process. The equivalent noise charge (ENC) of the analog front-end was measured to be 274.8 e+34.6 e/pF. The effective resolution of the SCA was 8.8 bits at sampling rate up to 50 MSPS. The total power consumption was 2.8 mW per channel. The ASIC was also tested with real TPC detectors and two dimensional photoelectron tracks have been successfully acquired. More tests and analysis on the sensitivity to the polarimetry are undergoing and will be presented in this paper.

High-voltage pixel sensors for ATLAS upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perić, I.; Kreidl, C.; Fischer, P.; Bompard, F.; Breugnon, P.; Clemens, J.-C.; Fougeron, D.; Liu, J.; Pangaud, P.; Rozanov, A.; Barbero, M.; Feigl, S.; Capeans, M.; Ferrere, D.; Pernegger, H.; Ristic, B.; Muenstermann, D.; Gonzalez Sevilla, S.; La Rosa, A.; Miucci, A.; Nessi, M.; Iacobucci, G.; Backhaus, M.; Hügging, Fabian; Krüger, H.; Hemperek, T.; Obermann, T.; Wermes, N.; Garcia-Sciveres, M.; Quadt, A.; Weingarten, J.; George, M.; Grosse-Knetter, J.; Rieger, J.; Bates, R.; Blue, A.; Buttar, C.; Hynds, D.

2014-11-01

The high-voltage (HV-) CMOS pixel sensors offer several good properties: a fast charge collection by drift, the possibility to implement relatively complex CMOS in-pixel electronics and the compatibility with commercial processes. The sensor element is a deep n-well diode in a p-type substrate. The n-well contains CMOS pixel electronics. The main charge collection mechanism is drift in a shallow, high field region, which leads to a fast charge collection and a high radiation tolerance. We are currently evaluating the use of the high-voltage detectors implemented in 180 nm HV-CMOS technology for the high-luminosity ATLAS upgrade. Our approach is replacing the existing pixel and strip sensors with the CMOS sensors while keeping the presently used readout ASICs. By intelligence we mean the ability of the sensor to recognize a particle hit and generate the address information. In this way we could benefit from the advantages of the HV sensor technology such as lower cost, lower mass, lower operating voltage, smaller pitch, smaller clusters at high incidence angles. Additionally we expect to achieve a radiation hardness necessary for ATLAS upgrade. In order to test the concept, we have designed two HV-CMOS prototypes that can be readout in two ways: using pixel and strip readout chips. In the case of the pixel readout, the connection between HV-CMOS sensor and the readout ASIC can be established capacitively.

An Electronic-Nose Sensor Node Based on a Polymer-Coated Surface Acoustic Wave Array for Wireless Sensor Network Applications

PubMed Central

Tang, Kea-Tiong; Li, Cheng-Han; Chiu, Shih-Wen

2011-01-01

This study developed an electronic-nose sensor node based on a polymer-coated surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor array. The sensor node comprised an SAW sensor array, a frequency readout circuit, and an Octopus II wireless module. The sensor array was fabricated on a large K2 128° YX LiNbO3 sensing substrate. On the surface of this substrate, an interdigital transducer (IDT) was produced with a Cr/Au film as its metallic structure. A mixed-mode frequency readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) was fabricated using a TSMC 0.18 μm process. The ASIC output was connected to a wireless module to transmit sensor data to a base station for data storage and analysis. This sensor node is applicable for wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. PMID:22163865

An electronic-nose sensor node based on a polymer-coated surface acoustic wave array for wireless sensor network applications.

PubMed

Tang, Kea-Tiong; Li, Cheng-Han; Chiu, Shih-Wen

2011-01-01

This study developed an electronic-nose sensor node based on a polymer-coated surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor array. The sensor node comprised an SAW sensor array, a frequency readout circuit, and an Octopus II wireless module. The sensor array was fabricated on a large K(2) 128° YX LiNbO3 sensing substrate. On the surface of this substrate, an interdigital transducer (IDT) was produced with a Cr/Au film as its metallic structure. A mixed-mode frequency readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) was fabricated using a TSMC 0.18 μm process. The ASIC output was connected to a wireless module to transmit sensor data to a base station for data storage and analysis. This sensor node is applicable for wireless sensor network (WSN) applications.

Integrated low power digital gyro control electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

M'Closkey, Robert (Inventor); Grayver, Eugene (Inventor); Challoner, A. Dorian (Inventor); Hayworth, Ken J. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

Embodiments of the invention generally encompass a digital, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) has been designed to perform excitation of a selected mode within a vibratory rate gyroscope, damping, or force-rebalance, of other modes within the sensor, and signal demodulation of the in-phase and quadrature components of the signal containing the angular rate information. The ASIC filters dedicated to each channel may be individually programmed to accommodate different rate sensor designs/technology or variations within the same class of sensors. The ASIC architecture employs a low-power design, making the ASIC, particularly suitable for use in power-sensitive applications.

Characteristics of a multichannel low-noise front-end ASIC for CZT-based small animal PET imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, W.; Liu, H.; Gan, B.; Hu, Y.

2014-05-01

In this paper, we present the design and characteristics of a novel low-noise front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit dedicated to CdZnTe (CZT) detectors for a small animal PET imaging system. A low-noise readout method based on the charge integration and the delayed peak detection is proposed. An eight-channel front-end readout prototype chip is designed and implemented in a 0.35 μm CMOS process. The die size is 2.3 mm ×2.3 mm. The prototype chip is tested in different methods including electronic test, energy spectrum test and irradiation test. The input range of the ASIC is from 2000e- to 180,000e-, reflecting the energy of the gamma ray from 11.2 keV to 1 MeV. The gain of the readout channel is 65 mV/fC at the shaping time of 1 μs. The best test result of the equivalent noise charge (ENC) is 58.9 e- at zero farad plus 5.4 e- per picofarad. The nonlinearity and the crosstalk are less than 3% and less than 2%, respectively, at the room temperature. The static power dissipation is about 3 mW/channel.

A multi-purpose readout electronics for CdTe and CZT detectors for x-ray imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, X. B.; Deng, Z.; Xing, Y. X.; Liu, Y. N.

2017-09-01

A multi-purpose readout electronics based on the DPLMS digital filter has been developed for CdTe and CZT detectors for X-ray imaging applications. Different filter coefficients can be synthesized optimized either for high energy resolution at relatively low counting rate or for high rate photon-counting with reduced energy resolution. The effects of signal width constraints, sampling rate and length were numerical studied by Mento Carlo simulation with simple CRRC shaper input signals. The signal width constraint had minor effect and the ENC was only increased by 6.5% when the signal width was shortened down to 2 τc. The sampling rate and length depended on the characteristic time constants of both input and output signals. For simple CR-RC input signals, the minimum number of the filter coefficients was 12 with 10% increase in ENC when the output time constant was close to the input shaping time. A prototype readout electronics was developed for demonstration, using a previously designed analog front ASIC and a commercial ADC card. Two different DPLMS filters were successfully synthesized and applied for high resolution and high counting rate applications respectively. The readout electronics was also tested with a linear array CdTe detector. The energy resolutions of Am-241 59.5 keV peak were measured to be 6.41% in FWHM for the high resolution filter and to be 13.58% in FWHM for the high counting rate filter with 160 ns signal width constraint.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, A. E., E-mail: bolotnik@bnl.gov; Ackley, K.; Camarda, G. S.

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors coupled to a front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6 × 6 × 15 mm{sup 3} detectors grouped into 3 × 3 sub-arrays of 2 × 2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We presentmore » the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readout electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.« less

Cryogenic low noise and low dissipation multiplexing electronics, using HEMT+SiGe ASICs, for the readout of high impedance sensors: New version

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de la Broïse, Xavier; Lugiez, Francis; Bounab, Ayoub; Le Coguie, Alain

2015-07-01

High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), optimized by CNRS/LPN laboratory for ultra-low noise at very low temperature, have demonstrated their capacity to be used in place of Si JFETs when working temperatures below 100 K are required. We associated them with specific SiGe ASICs that we developed, to implement a complete readout channel able to read highly segmented high impedance detectors within a framework of very low thermal dissipation. Our electronics is dimensioned to read 4096 detection channels, of typically 1 MΩ impedance, and performs 32:1 multiplexing and amplifying, dissipating only 6 mW at 2.5 K and 100 mW at 15 K thanks to high impedance commuting of input stage, with a typical noise of 1 nV/√Hz at 1 kHz.

Characterisation of the high dynamic range Large Pixel Detector (LPD) and its use at X-ray free electron laser sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veale, M. C.; Adkin, P.; Booker, P.; Coughlan, J.; French, M. J.; Hart, M.; Nicholls, T.; Schneider, A.; Seller, P.; Pape, I.; Sawhney, K.; Carini, G. A.; Hart, P. A.

2017-12-01

The STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have delivered the Large Pixel Detector (LPD) for MHz frame rate imaging at the European XFEL. The detector system has an active area of 0.5 m × 0.5 m and consists of a million pixels on a 500 μm pitch. Sensors have been produced from 500 μm thick Hammamatsu silicon tiles that have been bump bonded to the readout ASIC using a silver epoxy and gold stud technique. Each pixel of the detector system is capable of measuring 105 12 keV photons per image readout at 4.5 MHz. In this paper results from the testing of these detectors at the Diamond Light Source and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) are presented. The performance of the detector in terms of linearity, spatial uniformity and the performance of the different ASIC gain stages is characterised.

A fast embedded readout system for large-area Medipix and Timepix systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brogna, A. S.; Balzer, M.; Smale, S.; Hartmann, J.; Bormann, D.; Hamann, E.; Cecilia, A.; Zuber, M.; Koenig, T.; Zwerger, A.; Weber, M.; Fiederle, M.; Baumbach, T.

2014-05-01

In this work we present a novel readout electronics for an X-ray sensor based on a Si crystal bump-bonded to an array of 3 × 2 Medipix ASICs. The pixel size is 55 μm × 55 μm with a total number of ~ 400k pixels and a sensitive area of 42 mm × 28 mm. The readout electronics operate Medipix-2 MXR or Timepix ASICs with a clock speed of 125 MHz. The data acquisition system is centered around an FPGA and each of the six ASICs has a dedicated I/O port for simultaneous data acquisition. The settings of the auxiliary devices (ADCs and DACs) are also processed in the FPGA. Moreover, a high-resolution timer operates the electronic shutter to select the exposure time from 8 ns to several milliseconds. A sophisticated trigger is available in hardware and software to synchronize the acquisition with external electro-mechanical motors. The system includes a diagnostic subsystem to check the sensor temperature and to control the cooling Peltier cells and a programmable high-voltage generator to bias the crystal. A network cable transfers the data, encapsulated into the UDP protocol and streamed at 1 Gb/s. Therefore most notebooks or personal computers are able to process the data and to program the system without a dedicated interface. The data readout software is compatible with the well-known Pixelman 2.x running both on Windows and GNU/Linux. Furthermore the open architecture encourages users to write their own applications. With a low-level interface library which implements all the basic features, a MATLAB or Python script can be implemented for special manipulations of the raw data. In this paper we present selected images taken with a microfocus X-ray tube to demonstrate the capability to collect the data at rates up to 120 fps corresponding to 0.76 Gb/s.

A front-end readout mixed chip for high-efficiency small animal PET imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ollivier-Henry, N.; Berst, J. D.; Colledani, C.; Hu-Guo, Ch.; Mbow, N. A.; Staub, D.; Guyonnet, J. L.; Hu, Y.

2007-02-01

Today, the main challenge of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) systems dedicated to small animal imaging is to obtain high detection efficiency and a highly accurate localization of radioisotopes. If we focus only on the PET characteristics such as the spatial resolution, its accuracy depends on the design of detector and on the electronics readout system as well. In this paper, we present a new design of such readout system with full custom submicrometer CMOS implementation. The front end chip consists of two main blocks from which the energy information and the time stamp with subnanosecond resolution can be obtained. In our A Multi-Modality Imaging System for Small Animal (AMISSA) PET system design, a matrix of LYSO crystals has to be read at each end by a 64 channels multianode photomultiplier tube. A specific readout electronic has been developed at the Hubert Curien Multidisciplinary Institute (IPHC, France). The architecture of this readout for the energy information detection is composed of a low-noise preamplifier, a CR-RC shaper and an analogue memory. In order to obtain the required dynamic range from 15 to 650 photoelectrons with good linearity, a current mode approach has been chosen for the preamplifier. To detect the signal with a temporal resolution of 1 ns, a comparator with a very low threshold (˜0.3 photoelectron) has been implemented. It gives the time reference of arrival signal coming from the detector. In order to obtain the time coincidence with a temporal resolution of 1 ns, a Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) based on a Delay-Locked-Loop (DLL) has been designed. The chip is fabricated with AMS 0.35 μm process. The ASIC architecture and some simulation results will be presented in the paper.

Tests of the MICE Electron Muon Ranger frontend electronics with a small scale prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolognini, D.; Bene, P.; Blondel, A.; Cadoux, F.; Debieux, S.; Giannini, G.; Graulich, J. S.; Lietti, D.; Masciocchi, F.; Prest, M.; Rothenfusser, K.; Vallazza, E.; Wisting, H.

2011-08-01

The MICE experiment is being commissioned at RAL to demonstrate the feasibility of the muon ionization cooling technique for future applications such as the Neutrino Factory and the Muon Collider. The cooling will be evaluated by measuring the emittance before and after the cooling channel with two 4 T spectrometers; to distinguish muons from the background, a multi-detector particle identification system is foreseen: three Time of Flight stations, two Cherenkov counters and a calorimetric system consisting of a pre-shower layer and a fully active scintillator detector (EMR) are used to discriminate muons from pions and electrons. EMR consists of 48 planes of triangular scintillating bars coupled to WLS fibers readout by single PMTs on one side and MAPMTs on the other; each plane sensible area is 1 m 2. This article deals with a small scale prototype of the EMR detector which has been used to test the MAPMT frontend electronics based on the MAROC ASIC; the tests with cosmic rays using both an analog mode and a digital readout mode are presented. A very preliminary study on the cross talk problem is also shown.

Downsampling Photodetector Array with Windowing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patawaran, Ferze D.; Farr, William H.; Nguyen, Danh H.; Quirk, Kevin J.; Sahasrabudhe, Adit

2012-01-01

In a photon counting detector array, each pixel in the array produces an electrical pulse when an incident photon on that pixel is detected. Detection and demodulation of an optical communication signal that modulated the intensity of the optical signal requires counting the number of photon arrivals over a given interval. As the size of photon counting photodetector arrays increases, parallel processing of all the pixels exceeds the resources available in current application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and gate array (GA) technology; the desire for a high fill factor in avalanche photodiode (APD) detector arrays also precludes this. Through the use of downsampling and windowing portions of the detector array, the processing is distributed between the ASIC and GA. This allows demodulation of the optical communication signal incident on a large photon counting detector array, as well as providing architecture amenable to algorithmic changes. The detector array readout ASIC functions as a parallel-to-serial converter, serializing the photodetector array output for subsequent processing. Additional downsampling functionality for each pixel is added to this ASIC. Due to the large number of pixels in the array, the readout time of the entire photodetector is greater than the time between photon arrivals; therefore, a downsampling pre-processing step is done in order to increase the time allowed for the readout to occur. Each pixel drives a small counter that is incremented at every detected photon arrival or, equivalently, the charge in a storage capacitor is incremented. At the end of a user-configurable counting period (calculated independently from the ASIC), the counters are sampled and cleared. This downsampled photon count information is then sent one counter word at a time to the GA. For a large array, processing even the downsampled pixel counts exceeds the capabilities of the GA. Windowing of the array, whereby several subsets of pixels are designated for processing, is used to further reduce the computational requirements. The grouping of the designated pixel frame as the photon count information is sent one word at a time to the GA, the aggregation of the pixels in a window can be achieved by selecting only the designated pixel counts from the serial stream of photon counts, thereby obviating the need to store the entire frame of pixel count in the gate array. The pixel count se quence from each window can then be processed, forming lower-rate pixel statistics for each window. By having this processing occur in the GA rather than in the ASIC, future changes to the processing algorithm can be readily implemented. The high-bandwidth requirements of a photon counting array combined with the properties of the optical modulation being detected by the array present a unique problem that has not been addressed by current CCD or CMOS sensor array solutions.

Silicon technologies for the CLIC vertex detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spannagel, S.

2017-06-01

CLIC is a proposed linear e+e- collider designed to provide particle collisions at center-of-mass energies of up to 3 TeV. Precise measurements of the properties of the top quark and the Higgs boson, as well as searches for Beyond the Standard Model physics require a highly performant CLIC detector. In particular the vertex detector must provide a single point resolution of only a few micrometers while not exceeding the envisaged material budget of around 0.2% X0 per layer. Beam-beam interactions and beamstrahlung processes impose an additional requirement on the timestamping capabilities of the vertex detector of about 10 ns. These goals can only be met by using novel techniques in the sensor and ASIC design as well as in the detector construction. The R&D program for the CLIC vertex detector explores various technologies in order to meet these demands. The feasibility of planar sensors with a thickness of 50-150 μm, including different active edge designs, are evaluated using Timepix3 ASICs. First prototypes of the CLICpix readout ASIC, implemented in 65 nm CMOS technology and with a pixel size of 25×25μm 2, have been produced and tested in particle beams. An updated version of the ASIC with a larger pixel matrix and improved precision of the time-over-threshold and time-of-arrival measurements has been submitted. Different hybridization concepts have been developed for the interconnection between the sensor and readout ASIC, ranging from small-pitch bump bonding of planar sensors to capacitive coupling of active HV-CMOS sensors. Detector simulations based on Geant 4 and TCAD are compared with experimental results to assess and optimize the performance of the various designs. This contribution gives an overview of the R&D program undertaken for the CLIC vertex detector and presents performance measurements of the prototype detectors currently under investigation.

Characterisation of the high dynamic range Large Pixel Detector (LPD) and its use at X-ray free electron laser sources

DOE PAGES

Veale, M. C.; Adkin, P.; Booker, P.; ...

2017-12-04

The STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have delivered the Large Pixel Detector (LPD) for MHz frame rate imaging at the European XFEL. The detector system has an active area of 0.5 m × 0.5 m and consists of a million pixels on a 500 μm pitch. Sensors have been produced from 500 μm thick Hammamatsu silicon tiles that have been bump bonded to the readout ASIC using a silver epoxy and gold stud technique. Each pixel of the detector system is capable of measuring 10 5 12 keV photons per image readout at 4.5 MHz. In this paper results from themore » testing of these detectors at the Diamond Light Source and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) are presented. As a result, the performance of the detector in terms of linearity, spatial uniformity and the performance of the different ASIC gain stages is characterised.« less

Characterisation of the high dynamic range Large Pixel Detector (LPD) and its use at X-ray free electron laser sources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veale, M. C.; Adkin, P.; Booker, P.

The STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have delivered the Large Pixel Detector (LPD) for MHz frame rate imaging at the European XFEL. The detector system has an active area of 0.5 m × 0.5 m and consists of a million pixels on a 500 μm pitch. Sensors have been produced from 500 μm thick Hammamatsu silicon tiles that have been bump bonded to the readout ASIC using a silver epoxy and gold stud technique. Each pixel of the detector system is capable of measuring 10 5 12 keV photons per image readout at 4.5 MHz. In this paper results from themore » testing of these detectors at the Diamond Light Source and the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) are presented. As a result, the performance of the detector in terms of linearity, spatial uniformity and the performance of the different ASIC gain stages is characterised.« less

The front-end data conversion and readout electronics for the CMS ECAL upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazza, G.; Cometti, S.

2018-03-01

The High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) will require a significant upgrade of the readout electronics for the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter (ECAL). The Very Front-End (VFE) output signal will be sampled at 160 MS/s (i.e. four times the current sampling rate) with a 13 bits resolution. Therefore, a high-speed, high-resolution ADC is required. Moreover, each readout channel will produce 2.08 Gb/s, thus requiring a fast data transmission circuitry. A new readout architecture, based on two 12 bit, 160 MS/s ADCs, lossless data compression algorithms and fast serial links have been developed for the ECAL upgrade. These functions will be integrated in a single ASIC which is currently under design in a commercial CMOS 65 nm technology using radiation damage mitigation techniques.

Tests with beam setup of the TileCal phase-II upgrade electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reward Hlaluku, Dingane

2017-09-01

The LHC has planned a series of upgrades culminating in the High Luminosity LHC which will have an average luminosity 5-7 times larger than the nominal Run-2 value. The ATLAS Tile calorimeter plans to introduce a new readout architecture by completely replacing the back-end and front-end electronics for the High Luminosity LHC. The photomultiplier signals will be fully digitized and transferred for every bunch crossing to the off-detector Tile PreProcessor. The Tile PreProcessor will further provide preprocessed digital data to the first level of trigger with improved spatial granularity and energy resolution in contrast to the current analog trigger signals. A single super-drawer module commissioned with the phase-II upgrade electronics is to be inserted into the real detector to evaluate and qualify the new readout and trigger concepts in the overall ATLAS data acquisition system. This new super-drawer, so-called hybrid Demonstrator, must provide analog trigger signals for backward compatibility with the current system. This Demonstrator drawer has been inserted into a Tile calorimeter module prototype to evaluate the performance in the lab. In parallel, one more module has been instrumented with two other front-end electronics options based on custom ASICs (QIE and FATALIC) which are under evaluation. These two modules together with three other modules composed of the current system electronics were exposed to different particles and energies in three test-beam campaigns during 2015 and 2016.

Automated Design of Board and MCM Level Digital Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-10-01

Partitioning for Multicomponent Synthesis 159 Appendix K: Resource Constrained RTL Partitioning for Synthesis of Multi- FPGA Designs 169 Appendix L...digital signal processing) ar- chitectures. These target architectures, illustrated in Figure 1, can contain application-specific ASICS, FPGAs ...synthesis tools for ASIC, FPGA and MCM synthesis (Figure 8). Multicomponent Partitioning Engine The par- titioning engine is a hierarchical partitioning

Science Enabling ASICs and FEEs for the JUICE and JEO Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paschalidis, Nicholas; Sittler, Ed; Cooper, John; Christian, Eric; Moore, Tom

2011-01-01

A family of science enabling radiation hard Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Front End Electronics (FEEs) and Event Processing Systems, with flight heritage on many NASA missions, is presented. These technologies play an important role in the miniaturization of instruments -and spacecraft systems- at the same time increasing performance and reducing power. The technologies target time of flight, position sensing, and energy measurements as well as standard housekeeping and telemetry functions for particle and fields instruments, but find applications in other instrument categories too. More specifically the technologies include: the TOF chip, 1D and 2D Delay Lines with MCP detectors, for high precision fast and low power time of flight and position sensing; the Energy chip for multichannel SSD readout with time over threshold and standard voltage read out for TDC and ADC digitization; Fast multi channel read out chip with commandable thresholds; the TRIO chip for multiplexed ADC and housekeeping etc. It should be mentioned that the ASICs include basic trigger capabilities to enable random event processing in a heavy background of penetrators and UV foreground. Typical instruments include time of flight versus energy and look angle particle analyzers such as: plasma composition, energetic particle, neutral atom imaging as well as fast plasma and deltaE/E ion/electron telescopes. Flight missions include: Cassini/LEMMS, IMAGE/HENA, MESSENGER/EPPS/MLA/X-ray/MLA, STEREO, PLUTO-NH/PEPSSI/LORI, IBEX-Lo, JUNO/JEDI, RBSP/RBSPICE, MMS/HPCA/EPD, SO/SIS. Given the proven capability on heavy radiation missions such as JUNO, MMS and RBSB, as well diverse long duration missions such as MESSENGER, PLUTO and Cassini, it is expected that these technologies will play an important role in the particle and fields (at least) instruments on the upcoming JUICE and JEO missions.

Development of slew-rate-limited time-over-threshold (ToT) ASIC for a multi-channel silicon-based ion detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uenomachi, M.; Orita, T.; Shimazoe, K.; Takahashi, H.; Ikeda, H.; Tsujita, K.; Sekiba, D.

2018-01-01

High-resolution Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (HERDA), which consists of a 90o sector magnetic spectrometer and a position-sensitive detector (PSD), is a method of quantitative hydrogen analysis. In order to increase sensitivity, a HERDA system using a multi-channel silicon-based ion detector has been developed. Here, as a parallel and fast readout circuit from a multi-channel silicon-based ion detector, a slew-rate-limited time-over-threshold (ToT) application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) was designed, and a new slew-rate-limited ToT method is proposed. The designed ASIC has 48 channels and each channel consists of a preamplifier, a slew-rate-limited shaping amplifier, which makes ToT response linear, and a comparator. The measured equivalent noise charges (ENCs) of the preamplifier, the shaper, and the ToT on no detector capacitance were 253±21, 343±46, and 560±56 electrons RMS, respectively. The spectra from a 241Am source measured using a slew-rate-limited ToT ASIC are also reported.

The GBT-SCA, a radiation tolerant ASIC for detector control and monitoring applications in HEP experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caratelli, A.; Bonacini, S.; Kloukinas, K.; Marchioro, A.; Moreira, P.; De Oliveira, R.; Paillard, C.

2015-03-01

The future upgrades of the LHC experiments will increase the beam luminosity leading to a corresponding growth of the amounts of data to be treated by the data acquisition systems. To address these needs, the GBT (Giga-Bit Transceiver optical link [1,2]) architecture was developed to provide the simultaneous transfer of readout data, timing and trigger signals as well as slow control and monitoring data. The GBT-SCA ASIC, part of the GBT chip-set, has the purpose to distribute control and monitoring signals to the on-detector front-end electronics and perform monitoring operations of detector environmental parameters. In order to meet the requirements of different front-end ASICs used in the experiments, it provides various user-configurable interfaces capable to perform simultaneous operations. It is designed employing radiation tolerant design techniques to ensure robustness against SEUs and TID radiation effects and is implemented in a commercial 130 nm CMOS technology. This work presents the GBT-SCA architecture, the ASIC interfaces, the data transfer protocol, and its integration with the GBT optical link.

Burst Mode ASIC-Based Modem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center is sponsoring the Advanced Communication Technology Insertion (ACTION) for Commercial Space Applications program. The goal of the program is to expedite the development of new technology with a clear path towards productization and enhancing the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers. The industry has made significant investment in developing ASIC-based modem technology for continuous-mode applications and has made investigations into East, reliable acquisition of burst-mode digital communication signals. With rapid advances in analog and digital communications ICs, it is expected that more functions will be integrated onto these parts in the near future. In addition custom ASIC's can also be developed to address the areas not covered by the other IC's. Using the commercial chips and custom ASIC's, lower-cost, compact, reliable, and high-performance modems can be built for demanding satellite communication application. This report outlines a frequency-hop burst modem design based on commercially available chips.

New electronics for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (NECTAr)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naumann, C. L.; Delagnes, E.; Bolmont, J.; Corona, P.; Dzahini, D.; Feinstein, F.; Gascón, D.; Glicenstein, J.-F.; Guilloux, F.; Nayman, P.; Rarbi, F.; Sanuy, A.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Toussenel, F.; Vincent, P.; Vorobiov, S.

2012-12-01

The international CTA consortium has recently entered into its preparatory phase towards the construction of the next-generation Cherenkov Telescope Array CTA. This experiment will be a successor, and based on the return of experience from the three major current-generation arrays H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS, and aims to significantly improve upon the sensitivity as well as the energy range of its highly successful predecessors. Construction is planned to begin by 2013, and when finished, CTA will be able to explore the highest-energy gamma ray sky in unprecedented detail. To achieve this increase in sensitivity and energy range, CTA will employ the order of 100 telescopes of three different sizes on two sites, with around 1000-4000 channels per camera, depending on the telescope size. To equip and reliably operate the order of 100000 channels of photodetectors (compared to 6000 of the H.E.S.S. array), a new kind of flexible and powerful yet inexpensive front-end hardware will be required. One possible solution is pursued by the NECTAr (New Electronics for the Cherenkov Telescope Array) project. Its main feature is the integration of as much as possible of the front-end electronics (amplifiers, fast analogue samplers, memory and ADCs) into a single ASIC, which will allow very fast readout performances while significantly reducing the cost and the power consumption per channel. Also included is a low-cost FPGA for digital treatment and online data processing, as well as an Ethernet connection. Other priorities of NECTAr are the modularity of the system, a high degree of flexibility in the trigger system as well as the possibility of flexible readout modes to optimise the signal-to-noise ratio while at the same time allowing a significant reduction of data rates, both of which could improve the sensitivity of CTA compared to current detection systems. This paper gives an overview over the development work for the Nectar system, with particular focus on its main component, the NECTAr ASIC.

GET: A generic electronics system for TPCs and nuclear physics instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollacco, E. C.; Grinyer, G. F.; Abu-Nimeh, F.; Ahn, T.; Anvar, S.; Arokiaraj, A.; Ayyad, Y.; Baba, H.; Babo, M.; Baron, P.; Bazin, D.; Beceiro-Novo, S.; Belkhiria, C.; Blaizot, M.; Blank, B.; Bradt, J.; Cardella, G.; Carpenter, L.; Ceruti, S.; De Filippo, E.; Delagnes, E.; De Luca, S.; De Witte, H.; Druillole, F.; Duclos, B.; Favela, F.; Fritsch, A.; Giovinazzo, J.; Gueye, C.; Isobe, T.; Hellmuth, P.; Huss, C.; Lachacinski, B.; Laffoley, A. T.; Lebertre, G.; Legeard, L.; Lynch, W. G.; Marchi, T.; Martina, L.; Maugeais, C.; Mittig, W.; Nalpas, L.; Pagano, E. V.; Pancin, J.; Poleshchuk, O.; Pedroza, J. L.; Pibernat, J.; Primault, S.; Raabe, R.; Raine, B.; Rebii, A.; Renaud, M.; Roger, T.; Roussel-Chomaz, P.; Russotto, P.; Saccà, G.; Saillant, F.; Sizun, P.; Suzuki, D.; Swartz, J. A.; Tizon, A.; Usher, N.; Wittwer, G.; Yang, J. C.

2018-04-01

General Electronics for TPCs (GET) is a generic, reconfigurable and comprehensive electronics and data-acquisition system for nuclear physics instrumentation of up to 33792 channels. The system consists of a custom-designed ASIC for signal processing, front-end cards that each house 4 ASIC chips and digitize the data in parallel through 12-bit ADCs, concentration boards to read and process the digital data from up to 16 ASICs, a 3-level trigger and master clock module to trigger the system and synchronize the data, as well as all of the associated firmware, communication and data-acquisition software. An overview of the system including its specifications and measured performances are presented.

An array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors and a front-end application-specific integrated circuit for large-area position-sensitive gamma-ray cameras.

PubMed

Bolotnikov, A E; Ackley, K; Camarda, G S; Cherches, C; Cui, Y; De Geronimo, G; Fried, J; Hodges, D; Hossain, A; Lee, W; Mahler, G; Maritato, M; Petryk, M; Roy, U; Salwen, C; Vernon, E; Yang, G; James, R B

2015-07-01

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors coupled to a front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6 × 6 × 15 mm(3) detectors grouped into 3 × 3 sub-arrays of 2 × 2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readout electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays' performance and reduction of their cost are possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.

Silicon pixel R&D for CLIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munker, M.

2017-01-01

Challenging detector requirements are imposed by the physics goals at the future multi-TeV e+ e- Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). A single point resolution of 3 μm for the vertex detector and 7 μm for the tracker is required. Moreover, the CLIC vertex detector and tracker need to be extremely light weighted with a material budget of 0.2% X0 per layer in the vertex detector and 1-2% X0 in the tracker. A fast time slicing of 10 ns is further required to suppress background from beam-beam interactions. A wide range of sensor and readout ASIC technologies are investigated within the CLIC silicon pixel R&D effort. Various hybrid planar sensor assemblies with a pixel size of 25×25 μm2 and 55×55 μm2 have been produced and characterised by laboratory measurements and during test-beam campaigns. Experimental and simulation results for thin (50 μm-500 μm) slim edge and active-edge planar, and High-Voltage CMOS sensors hybridised to various readout ASICs (Timepix, Timepix3, CLICpix) are presented.

A Concept for Power Cycling the Electronics of CALICE-AHCAL with the Train Structure of ILC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Göottlicher, Peter; The Calice-Collaboration

Particle flow algorithm calorimetry requires high granularity three-dimensional readout. The tight power requirement of 40 μW/channel is reached by enabling readout ASIC currents only during beam delivery, corresponding to a 1% duty cycle. EMI noise caused by current switching needs to be minimized by the power system and this paper presents ideas, simulations and first measurements for minimizing disturbances. A carefully design of circuits, printed circuit boards, grounding scheme and use of floating supplies allows current loops to be closed locally, stabilized voltages and minimal currents in the metal structures.

Low-noise analog readout channel for SDD in X-ray spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkin, E.; Gusev, A.; Krivchenko, A.; Levin, V.; Malankin, E.; Normanov, D.; Rotin, A.; Sagdiev, I.; Samsonov, V.

2016-01-01

A low-noise analog readout channel optimized for operation with the Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) with built-in JFET is presented. The Charge Sensitive Amplifier (CSA) operates in a pulse reset mode using the reset diode built-in the SDD detector. The shaper is a 6th order semi-Gaussian filter with switchable discrete shaping times. The readout channel provides the Equivalent Noise Charge (ENC) of 12e- (simulation) and input dynamic range of 30 keV . The measured energy resolution at the 5,89 keV line of a 55Fe X-ray source is 336 eV (FWHM). The channel was prototyped via Europractice in the AMS 350 nm process as miniASIC. The simulation and first measurement results are presented in the paper.

Single software platform used for high speed data transfer implementation in a 65k pixel camera working in single photon counting mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maj, P.; Kasiński, K.; Gryboś, P.; Szczygieł, R.; Kozioł, A.

2015-12-01

Integrated circuits designed for specific applications generally use non-standard communication methods. Hybrid pixel detector readout electronics produces a huge amount of data as a result of number of frames per seconds. The data needs to be transmitted to a higher level system without limiting the ASIC's capabilities. Nowadays, the Camera Link interface is still one of the fastest communication methods, allowing transmission speeds up to 800 MB/s. In order to communicate between a higher level system and the ASIC with a dedicated protocol, an FPGA with dedicated code is required. The configuration data is received from the PC and written to the ASIC. At the same time, the same FPGA should be able to transmit the data from the ASIC to the PC at the very high speed. The camera should be an embedded system enabling autonomous operation and self-monitoring. In the presented solution, at least three different hardware platforms are used—FPGA, microprocessor with real-time operating system and the PC with end-user software. We present the use of a single software platform for high speed data transfer from 65k pixel camera to the personal computer.

HREXI prototype for 4piXIO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grindlay, Jonathan

We propose to complete our development of the High Resolution Energetic X-ray Imager (HREXI) and to build and test a full Engineering Model of a detector and telescope system for a 12U Cubesat that will be proposed for a test flight. This will enable a future SMEX (or MIDEX) proposal for a 4piXIO mission: a constellation of Cubesats (or Smallsats) that would dramatically increase the sensitivity, source location precision and especially number of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) to explore the Early Universe. Over the past two years of our current APRA grant, we have developed the world's first (to our knowledge) readout of a high-level imaging detector that is entirely three dimensional so that imaging detectors can then be tiled in close-packed arrays of arbitrary total area. This important new technology is achieved by replacing the external lateral readout of an ASIC, which reads out data from (for example) a 2 x 2 cm imaging detector through "wire bonds" to external circuits in the same plane but beyond the detector, with a vertical readout through the ASIC itself to external circuits directly below. This new technology greatly simplifies the assembly of the large area, tiled arrays of such detectors and their readout ASICs used for coded aperture wide-field telescopes that are uniquely able to discover and study X-ray (and low energy gamma-ray) transients and bursts that are key to understanding the physics and evolution of black holes. The first actual fabrication of such 3D-readout of close-tiled HREXI imaging detectors is underway and will be demonstrated in this third and final year of the current APRA grant. This proposal takes the HREXI detector concept a major step further. By incorporating this technology into the design and fabrication of a complete Engineering Model of a HREXI detector and coded aperture telescope that would fit, with comfortable margins, in a 12U Cubesat, it opens the way for a future low-cost constellation of 25 such 12U Cubesats to achieve the first full-sky, full-time imaging survey for Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) and transients. The full-sky/time coverage immediately increases GRB detections by factors of 6, a significant increase in the search for GRBs from the Early Universe. The proposal will also extend the development of smaller pixel size for the required ASIC chips which will significantly improve angular resolution and make the low-cost Cubesat mission even more compelling. The science goals that a multi-satellite mission enabled by HREXI detectors for high resolution imaging over the full sky include using GRBs to trace star formation back to the very first (Pop III) stars and using flares from quasars to track the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes. Both are key NASA and PCOS science objectives. This is achieved by combining coordinated optical and IR data from a 4piXIO mission with LSST ground-based optical data as well as optical/IR spectra from a future optical-IR spectroscopy telescope in space, such as the proposed TSO probe-class mission.

The DCU: the detector control unit for SPICA-SAFARI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clénet, Antoine; Ravera, Laurent; Bertrand, Bernard; den Hartog, Roland H.; Jackson, Brian D.; van Leeuven, Bert-Joost; van Loon, Dennis; Parot, Yann; Pointecouteau, Etienne; Sournac, Anthony

2014-08-01

IRAP is developing the warm electronic, so called Detector Control Unit" (DCU), in charge of the readout of the SPICA-SAFARI's TES type detectors. The architecture of the electronics used to readout the 3 500 sensors of the 3 focal plane arrays is based on the frequency domain multiplexing technique (FDM). In each of the 24 detection channels the data of up to 160 pixels are multiplexed in frequency domain between 1 and 3:3 MHz. The DCU provides the AC signals to voltage-bias the detectors; it demodulates the detectors data which are readout in the cold by a SQUID; and it computes a feedback signal for the SQUID to linearize the detection chain in order to optimize its dynamic range. The feedback is computed with a specific technique, so called baseband feedback (BBFB) which ensures that the loop is stable even with long propagation and processing delays (i.e. several µs) and with fast signals (i.e. frequency carriers at 3:3 MHz). This digital signal processing is complex and has to be done at the same time for the 3 500 pixels. It thus requires an optimisation of the power consumption. We took the advantage of the relatively reduced science signal bandwidth (i.e. 20 - 40 Hz) to decouple the signal sampling frequency (10 MHz) and the data processing rate. Thanks to this method we managed to reduce the total number of operations per second and thus the power consumption of the digital processing circuit by a factor of 10. Moreover we used time multiplexing techniques to share the resources of the circuit (e.g. a single BBFB module processes 32 pixels). The current version of the firmware is under validation in a Xilinx Virtex 5 FPGA, the final version will be developed in a space qualified digital ASIC. Beyond the firmware architecture the optimization of the instrument concerns the characterization routines and the definition of the optimal parameters. Indeed the operation of the detection and readout chains requires to properly define more than 17 500 parameters (about 5 parameters per pixel). Thus it is mandatory to work out an automatic procedure to set up these optimal values. We defined a fast algorithm which characterizes the phase correction to be applied by the BBFB firmware and the pixel resonance frequencies. We also defined a technique to define the AC-carrier initial phases in such a way that the amplitude of their sum is minimized (for a better use of the DAC dynamic range).

Development of the hard x-ray monitor onboard WF-MAXI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arimoto, Makoto; Yatsu, Yoichi; Kawai, Nobuyuki; Ikeda, Hirokazu; Harayama, Atsushi; Takeda, Shin'ichiro; Takahashi, Tadayuki; Tomida, Hiroshi; Ueno, Shiro; Kimura, Masashi; Mihara, Tatehiro; Serino, Motoko; Tsunemi, Hiroshi; Yoshida, Atsumasa; Sakamoto, Takanori; Kohmura, Tadayoshi; Negoro, Hitoshi; Ueda, Yoshihiro

2014-07-01

WF-MAXI is a mission to detect and localize X-ray transients with short-term variability as gravitational-wave (GW) candidates including gamma-ray bursts, supernovae etc. We are planning on starting observations by WF-MAXI to be ready for the initial operation of the next generation GW telescopes (e.g., KAGRA, Advanced LIGO etc.). WF-MAXI consists of two main instruments, Soft X-ray Large Solid Angle Camera (SLC) and Hard X-ray Monitor (HXM) which totally cover 0.7 keV to 1 MeV band. HXM is a multi-channel array of crystal scintillators coupled with APDs observing photons in the hard X-ray band with an effective area of above 100 cm2. We have developed an analog application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) dedicated for the readout of 32-channel APDs' signals using 0.35 μm CMOS technology based on Open IP project and an analog amplifier was designed to achieve a low-noise readout. The developed ASIC showed a low-noise performance of 2080 e- + 2.3 e-/pF at root mean square and with a reverse-type APD coupled to a Ce:GAGG crystal a good FWHM energy resolution of 6.9% for 662 keV -rays.

Back-end and interface implementation of the STS-XYTER2 prototype ASIC for the CBM experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasinski, K.; Szczygiel, R.; Zabolotny, W.

2016-11-01

Each front-end readout ASIC for the High-Energy Physics experiments requires robust and effective hit data streaming and control mechanism. A new STS-XYTER2 full-size prototype chip for the Silicon Tracking System and Muon Chamber detectors in the Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR, Germany) is a 128-channel time and amplitude measuring solution for silicon microstrip and gas detectors. It operates at 250 kHit/s/channel hit rate, each hit producing 27 bits of information (5-bit amplitude, 14-bit timestamp, position and diagnostics data). The chip back-end implements fast front-end channel read-out, timestamp-wise hit sorting, and data streaming via a scalable interface implementing the dedicated protocol (STS-HCTSP) for chip control and hit transfer with data bandwidth from 9.7 MHit/s up to 47 MHit/s. It also includes multiple options for link diagnostics, failure detection, and throttling features. The back-end is designed to operate with the data acquisition architecture based on the CERN GBTx transceivers. This paper presents the details of the back-end and interface design and its implementation in the UMC 180 nm CMOS process.

TOFPET 2: A high-performance circuit for PET time-of-flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Francesco, Agostino; Bugalho, Ricardo; Oliveira, Luis; Rivetti, Angelo; Rolo, Manuel; Silva, Jose C.; Varela, Joao

2016-07-01

We present a readout and digitization ASIC featuring low-noise and low-power for time-of flight (TOF) applications using SiPMs. The circuit is designed in standard CMOS 110 nm technology, has 64 independent channels and is optimized for time-of-flight measurement in Positron Emission Tomography (TOF-PET). The input amplifier is a low impedance current conveyor based on a regulated common-gate topology. Each channel has quad-buffered analogue interpolation TDCs (time binning 20 ps) and charge integration ADCs with linear response at full scale (1500 pC). The signal amplitude can also be derived from the measurement of time-over-threshold (ToT). Simulation results show that for a single photo-electron signal with charge 200 (550) fC generated by a SiPM with (320 pF) capacitance the circuit has 24 (30) dB SNR, 75 (39) ps r.m.s. resolution, and 4 (8) mW power consumption. The event rate is 600 kHz per channel, with up to 2 MHz dark counts rejection.

Digital circuits using universal logic gates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, Sterling R. (Inventor); Miles, Lowell H. (Inventor); Cameron, Eric G. (Inventor); Donohoe, Gregory W. (Inventor); Gambles, Jody W. (Inventor)

2004-01-01

According to the invention, a digital circuit design embodied in at least one of a structural netlist, a behavioral netlist, a hardware description language netlist, a full-custom ASIC, a semi-custom ASIC, an IP core, an integrated circuit, a hybrid of chips, one or more masks, a FPGA, and a circuit card assembly is disclosed. The digital circuit design includes first and second sub-circuits. The first sub-circuits comprise a first percentage of the digital circuit design and the second sub-circuits comprise a second percentage of the digital circuit design. Each of the second sub-circuits is substantially comprised of one or more kernel circuits. The kernel circuits are comprised of selection circuits. The second percentage is at least 5%. In various embodiments, the second percentage could be at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 95%.

ASIC For Complex Fixed-Point Arithmetic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petilli, Stephen G.; Grimm, Michael J.; Olson, Erlend M.

1995-01-01

Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) performs 24-bit, fixed-point arithmetic operations on arrays of complex-valued input data. High-performance, wide-band arithmetic logic unit (ALU) designed for use in computing fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) and for performing ditigal filtering functions. Other applications include general computations involved in analysis of spectra and digital signal processing.

Digital imaging mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Bamberger, Casimir; Renz, Uwe; Bamberger, Andreas

2011-06-01

Methods to visualize the two-dimensional (2D) distribution of molecules by mass spectrometric imaging evolve rapidly and yield novel applications in biology, medicine, and material surface sciences. Most mass spectrometric imagers acquire high mass resolution spectra spot-by-spot and thereby scan the object's surface. Thus, imaging is slow and image reconstruction remains cumbersome. Here we describe an imaging mass spectrometer that exploits the true imaging capabilities by ion optical means for the time of flight mass separation. The mass spectrometer is equipped with the ASIC Timepix chip as an array detector to acquire the position, mass, and intensity of ions that are imaged by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) directly from the target sample onto the detector. This imaging mass spectrometer has a spatial resolving power at the specimen of (84 ± 35) μm with a mass resolution of 45 and locates atoms or organic compounds on a surface area up to ~2 cm(2). Extended laser spots of ~5 mm(2) on structured specimens allows parallel imaging of selected masses. The digital imaging mass spectrometer proves high hit-multiplicity, straightforward image reconstruction, and potential for high-speed readout at 4 kHz or more. This device demonstrates a simple way of true image acquisition like a digital photographic camera. The technology may enable a fast analysis of biomolecular samples in near future.

SPD very front end electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luengo, S.; Gascón, D.; Comerma, A.; Garrido, L.; Riera, J.; Tortella, S.; Vilasís, X.

2006-11-01

The Scintillator Pad Detector (SPD) is part of the LHCb calorimetry system [D. Breton, The front-end electronics for LHCb calorimeters, Tenth International Conference on Calorimetry in Particle Physics, CALOR, Pasadena, 2002] that provides high-energy hadron, electron and photon candidates for the first level trigger. The SPD is designed to distinguish electrons from photons. It consists of a plastic scintillator layer, divided into about 6000 cells of different size to obtain better granularity near the beam [S. Amato, et al., LHCb technical design report, CERN/LHCC/2000-0036, 2000]. Charged particles will produce, and photons will not, ionization in the scintillator. This ionization generates a light pulse that is collected by a WaveLength Shifting (WLS) fiber that is coiled inside the scintillator cell. The light is transmitted through a clear fiber to the readout system that is placed at the periphery of the detector. Due to space constraints, and in order to reduce costs, these 6000 cells are divided in groups using a MAPMT [Z. Ajaltouni, et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 504 (2003) 9] of 64 channels that provides information to the VFE readout electronics. The SPD signal has rather large statistical fluctuations because of the low number (20-30) of photoelectrons per MIP. Therefore the signal is integrated over the whole bunch crossing length of 25 ns in order to have the maximum value. Since in average about 85% of the SPD signal is within 25 ns, 15% of a sample is subtracted from the following one using an operational amplifier. The SPD VFE readout system that will be presented consists of the following components. A specific ASIC [D. Gascon, et al., Discriminator ASIC for the VFE SPD of the LHCb Calorimeter, LHCB Technical Note, LHCB 2004-xx] integrates the signal, makes the signal-tail subtraction, and compares the level obtained to a programmable threshold (to distinguish electrons from photons). A FPGA programmes the ASIC threshold and the value for signal-tail subtraction. Finally, a LVDS serializer sends the information to the first level trigger system.

Development of a beam test telescope based on the Alibava readout system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marco-Hernández, R.

2011-01-01

A telescope for a beam test have been developed as a result of a collaboration among the University of Liverpool, Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica (CNM) of Barcelona and Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC) of Valencia. This system is intended to carry out both analogue charge collection and spatial resolution measurements with different types of microstrip or pixel silicon detectors in a beam test environment. The telescope has four XY measurement as well as trigger planes (XYT board) and it can accommodate up to twelve devices under test (DUT board). The DUT board uses two Beetle ASICs for the readout of chilled silicon detectors. The board could operate in a self-triggering mode. The board features a temperature sensor and it can be mounted on a rotary stage. A peltier element is used for cooling the DUT. Each XYT board measures the track space points using two silicon strip detectors connected to two Beetle ASICs. It can also trigger on the particle tracks in the beam test. The board includes a CPLD which allows for the synchronization of the trigger signal to a common clock frequency, delaying and implementing coincidence with other XYT boards. An Alibava mother board is used to read out and to control each XYT/DUT board from a common trigger signal and a common clock signal. The Alibava board has a TDC on board to have a time stamp of each trigger. The data collected by each Alibava board is sent to a master card by means of a local data/address bus following a custom digital protocol. The master board distributes the trigger, clock and reset signals. It also merges the data streams from up to sixteen Alibava boards. The board has also a test channel for testing in a standard mode a XYT or DUT board. This board is implemented with a Xilinx development board and a custom patch board. The master board is connected with the DAQ software via 100M Ethernet. Track based alignment software has also been developed for the data obtained with the DAQ software.

Large Area Coverage of a TPC Endcap with GridPix Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaminski, Jochen

2018-02-01

The Large Prototype TPC at DESY, Hamburg, was built by the LCTPC collaboration as a testbed for new readout technologies of Time Projection Chambers. Up to seven modules of about 400 cm2 each can be placed in the endcap. Three of these modules were equipped with a total of 160 GridPix detectors. This is a combination of a highly pixelated readout ASIC and a Micromegas built on top. GridPix detectors have a very high efficiency of detecting primary electrons, which leads to excellent spatial and energy resolutions. For the first time a large number of GridPix detectors has been operated and long segments of tracks have been recorded with excellent precision.

High Rate Digital Demodulator ASIC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghuman, Parminder; Sheikh, Salman; Koubek, Steve; Hoy, Scott; Gray, Andrew

1998-01-01

The architecture of High Rate (600 Mega-bits per second) Digital Demodulator (HRDD) ASIC capable of demodulating BPSK and QPSK modulated data is presented in this paper. The advantages of all-digital processing include increased flexibility and reliability with reduced reproduction costs. Conventional serial digital processing would require high processing rates necessitating a hardware implementation in other than CMOS technology such as Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) which has high cost and power requirements. It is more desirable to use CMOS technology with its lower power requirements and higher gate density. However, digital demodulation of high data rates in CMOS requires parallel algorithms to process the sampled data at a rate lower than the data rate. The parallel processing algorithms described here were developed jointly by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The resulting all-digital receiver has the capability to demodulate BPSK, QPSK, OQPSK, and DQPSK at data rates in excess of 300 Mega-bits per second (Mbps) per channel. This paper will provide an overview of the parallel architecture and features of the HRDR ASIC. In addition, this paper will provide an over-view of the implementation of the hardware architectures used to create flexibility over conventional high rate analog or hybrid receivers. This flexibility includes a wide range of data rates, modulation schemes, and operating environments. In conclusion it will be shown how this high rate digital demodulator can be used with an off-the-shelf A/D and a flexible analog front end, both of which are numerically computer controlled, to produce a very flexible, low cost high rate digital receiver.

Readout electronics for LGAD sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso, O.; Franch, N.; Canals, J.; Palacio, F.; López, M.; Vilà, A.; Diéguez, A.; Carulla, M.; Flores, D.; Hidalgo, S.; Merlos, A.; Pellegrini, G.; Quirion, D.

2017-02-01

In this paper, an ASIC fabricated in 180 nm CMOS technology from AMS with the very front-end electronics used to readout LGAD sensors is presented as well as its experimental results. The front-end has the typical architecture for Si-strip readout, i.e., preamplification stage with a Charge Sensitive Amplifier (CSA) followed by a CR-RC shaper. Both amplifiers are based on a folded cascode structure with a PMOS input transistor and the shaper only uses passive elements for the feedback stage. The CSA has programmable gain and a configurable input stage in order to adapt to the different input capacitance of the LGAD sensors (pixelated, short and long strips) and to the different input signal (depending on the gain of the LGAD). The fabricated prototype has an area of 0.865 mm × 0.965 mm and includes the biasing circuit for the CSA and the shaper, 4 analog channels (CSA+shaper) and programmable charge injection circuits included for testing purposes. Noise and power analysis performed during simulation fixed the size of the input transistor to W/L = 860 μm/0.2 μm. The shaping time is fixed by design at 1 us and, in this ASIC version, the feedback elements of the shaper are passive, which means that the area of the shaper can be reduced using active elements in future versions. Finally, the different gains of the CSA have been selected to maintain an ENC below 400 electrons for a detector capacitor of 20 pF, with a power consumption of 150 μ W per channel.

Design of a wideband CMOS impedance spectroscopy ASIC analog front-end for multichannel biosensor interfaces.

PubMed

Valente, Virgilio; Dai Jiang; Demosthenous, Andreas

2015-08-01

This paper presents the preliminary design and simulation of a flexible and programmable analog front-end (AFE) circuit with current and voltage readout capabilities for electric impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The AFE is part of a fully integrated multifrequency EIS platform. The current readout comprises of a transimpedance stage and an automatic gain control (AGC) unit designed to accommodate impedance changes larger than 3 order of magnitude. The AGC is based on a dynamic peak detector that tracks changes in the input current over time and regulates the gain of a programmable gain amplifier in order to optimise the signal-to-noise ratio. The system works up to 1 MHz. The voltage readout consists of a 2 stages of fully differential current-feedback instrumentation amplifier which provide 100 dB of CMRR and a programmable gain up to 20 V/V per stage with a bandwidth in excess of 10MHz.

Handheld readout electronics to fully exploit the particle discrimination capabilities of elpasolite scintillators

DOE PAGES

Budden, B. S.; Stonehill, L. C.; Warniment, A.; ...

2015-06-10

In this study, a new class of elpasolite scintillators has garnered recent attention due to the ability to perform as simultaneous gamma spectrometers and thermal neutron detectors. Such a dual-mode capability is made possible by pulse-shape discrimination (PSD), whereby the emission waveform profiles of gamma and neutron events are fundamentally unique. To take full advantage of these materials, we have developed the Compact Advanced Readout Electronics for Elpasolites (CAREE). This handheld instrument employs a multi-channel PSD-capable ASIC, custom micro-processor board, front-end electronics, power supplies, and a 2 in. photomultiplier tube for readout of the scintillator. The unit is highly configurablemore » to allow for performance optimization amongst a wide sample of elpasolites which provide PSD in fundamentally different ways. We herein provide an introduction to elpasolites, then describe the motivation for the work, mechanical and electronic design, and preliminary performance results.« less

Handheld readout electronics to fully exploit the particle discrimination capabilities of elpasolite scintillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budden, B. S.; Stonehill, L. C.; Warniment, A.; Michel, J.; Storms, S.; Dallmann, N.; Coupland, D. D. S.; Stein, P.; Weller, S.; Borges, L.; Proicou, M.; Duran, G.; Kamto, J.

2015-09-01

A new class of elpasolite scintillators has garnered recent attention due to the ability to perform as simultaneous gamma spectrometers and thermal neutron detectors. Such a dual-mode capability is made possible by pulse-shape discrimination (PSD), whereby the emission waveform profiles of gamma and neutron events are fundamentally unique. To take full advantage of these materials, we have developed the Compact Advanced Readout Electronics for Elpasolites (CAREE). This handheld instrument employs a multi-channel PSD-capable ASIC, custom micro-processor board, front-end electronics, power supplies, and a 2 in. photomultiplier tube for readout of the scintillator. The unit is highly configurable to allow for performance optimization amongst a wide sample of elpasolites which provide PSD in fundamentally different ways. We herein provide an introduction to elpasolites, then describe the motivation for the work, mechanical and electronic design, and preliminary performance results.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vernon, E.; De Geronimo, G.; Ackley, K.

We report on the development of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for 3D position sensitive detectors (3D PSD). The ASIC is designed to operate with pixelated wide bandgap sensors like Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CZT), Mercuric Iodide (Hgl2) and Thallium Bromide (TIBr). It measures the amplitudes and timings associated with an ionizing event on 128 anodes, the anode grid, and the cathode. Each channel provides low-noise charge amplification, high-order shaping with peaking time adjustable from 250 ns to 12 {micro}s, gain adjustable to 20 mV/fC or 120 mV/fC (for a dynamic range of 3.2 MeV and 530 keV in CZT), amplitude discriminationmore » with 5-bit trimming, and positive and negative peak and timing detections. The readout can be full or sparse, based on a flag and single- or multi-cycle token passing. All channels, triggered channels only, or triggered with neighbors can be read out thus increasing the rate capability of the system to more than 10 kcps. The ASIC dissipates 330 mW which corresponds to about 2.5 mW per channel.« less

Stability of the Baseline Holder in Readout Circuits For Radiation Detectors

PubMed Central

Chen, Y.; Cui, Y.; O’Connor, P.; Seo, Y.; Camarda, G. S.; Hossain, A.; Roy, U.; Yang, G.; James, R. B.

2016-01-01

Baseline holder (BLH) circuits are used widely to stabilize the analog output of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for high-count-rate applications. The careful design of BLH circuits is vital to the overall stability of the analog-signal-processing chain in ASICs. Recently, we observed self-triggered fluctuations in an ASIC in which the shaping circuits have a BLH circuit in the feedback loop. In fact, further investigations showed that methods of enhancing small-signal stabilities cause an even worse situation. To resolve this problem, we used large-signal analyses to study the circuit’s stability. We found that a relatively small gain for the error amplifier and a small current in the non-linear stage of the BLH are required to enhance stability in large-signal analysis, which will compromise the properties of the BLH. These findings were verified by SPICE simulations. In this paper, we present our detailed analysis of the BLH circuits, and propose an improved version of them that have only minimal self-triggered fluctuations. We summarize the design considerations both for the stability and the properties of the BLH circuits. PMID:27182081

A CMOS ASIC Design for SiPM Arrays

PubMed Central

Dey, Samrat; Banks, Lushon; Chen, Shaw-Pin; Xu, Wenbin; Lewellen, Thomas K.; Miyaoka, Robert S.; Rudell, Jacques C.

2012-01-01

Our lab has previously reported on novel board-level readout electronics for an 8×8 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array featuring row/column summation technique to reduce the hardware requirements for signal processing. We are taking the next step by implementing a monolithic CMOS chip which is based on the row-column architecture. In addition, this paper explores the option of using diagonal summation as well as calibration to compensate for temperature and process variations. Further description of a timing pickoff signal which aligns all of the positioning (spatial channels) pulses in the array is described. The ASIC design is targeted to be scalable with the detector size and flexible to accommodate detectors from different vendors. This paper focuses on circuit implementation issues associated with the design of the ASIC to interface our Phase II MiCES FPGA board with a SiPM array. Moreover, a discussion is provided for strategies to eventually integrate all the analog and mixed-signal electronics with the SiPM, on either a single-silicon substrate or multi-chip module (MCM). PMID:24825923

Thermal Radiometer Signal Processing Using Radiation Hard CMOS Application Specific Integrated Circuits for Use in Harsh Planetary Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quilligan, G.; DuMonthier, J.; Aslam, S.; Lakew, B.; Kleyner, I.; Katz, R.

2015-01-01

Thermal radiometers such as proposed for the Europa Clipper flyby mission require low noise signal processing for thermal imaging with immunity to Total Ionizing Dose (TID) and Single Event Latchup (SEL). Described is a second generation Multi- Channel Digitizer (MCD2G) Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that accurately digitizes up to 40 thermopile pixels with greater than 50 Mrad (Si) immunity TID and 174 MeV-sq cm/mg SEL. The MCD2G ASIC uses Radiation Hardened By Design (RHBD) techniques with a 180 nm CMOS process node.

Thermal Radiometer Signal Processing using Radiation Hard CMOS Application Specific Integrated Circuits for use in Harsh Planetary Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quilligan, G.; DuMonthier, J.; Aslam, S.; Lakew, B.; Kleyner, I.; Katz, R.

2015-10-01

Thermal radiometers such as proposed for the Europa Clipper flyby mission [1] require low noise signal processing for thermal imaging with immunity to Total Ionizing Dose (TID) and Single Event Latchup (SEL). Described is a second generation Multi- Channel Digitizer (MCD2G) Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) that accurately digitizes up to 40 thermopile pixels with greater than 50 Mrad (Si) immunity TID and 174 MeV-cm2/mg SEL. The MCD2G ASIC uses Radiation Hardened By Design (RHBD) techniques with a 180 nm CMOS process node.

Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor With Transmit Beamforming Based on a PMUT Array Bonded to CMOS Circuitry.

PubMed

Jiang, Xiaoyue; Tang, Hao-Yen; Lu, Yipeng; Ng, Eldwin J; Tsai, Julius M; Boser, Bernhard E; Horsley, David A

2017-09-01

In this paper, we present a single-chip 65 ×42 element ultrasonic pulse-echo fingerprint sensor with transmit (TX) beamforming based on piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers directly bonded to a CMOS readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The readout ASIC was realized in a standard 180-nm CMOS process with a 24-V high-voltage transistor option. Pulse-echo measurements are performed column-by-column in sequence using either one column or five columns to TX the ultrasonic pulse at 20 MHz. TX beamforming is used to focus the ultrasonic beam at the imaging plane where the finger is located, increasing the ultrasonic pressure and narrowing the 3-dB beamwidth to [Formula: see text], a factor of 6.4 narrower than nonbeamformed measurements. The surface of the sensor is coated with a poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer to provide good acoustic impedance matching to skin. Scanning laser Doppler vibrometry of the PDMS surface was used to map the ultrasonic pressure field at the imaging surface, demonstrating the expected increase in pressure, and reduction in beamwidth. Imaging experiments were conducted using both PDMS phantoms and real fingerprints. The average image contrast is increased by a factor of 1.5 when beamforming is used.

An Efficient, FPGA-Based, Cluster Detection Algorithm Implementation for a Strip Detector Readout System in a Time Projection Chamber Polarimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, Kyle J.; Hill, Joanne E. (Editor); Black, J. Kevin; Baumgartner, Wayne H.; Jahoda, Keith

2016-01-01

A fundamental challenge in a spaceborne application of a gas-based Time Projection Chamber (TPC) for observation of X-ray polarization is handling the large amount of data collected. The TPC polarimeter described uses the APV-25 Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) to readout a strip detector. Two dimensional photoelectron track images are created with a time projection technique and used to determine the polarization of the incident X-rays. The detector produces a 128x30 pixel image per photon interaction with each pixel registering 12 bits of collected charge. This creates challenging requirements for data storage and downlink bandwidth with only a modest incidence of photons and can have a significant impact on the overall mission cost. An approach is described for locating and isolating the photoelectron track within the detector image, yielding a much smaller data product, typically between 8x8 pixels and 20x20 pixels. This approach is implemented using a Microsemi RT-ProASIC3-3000 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), clocked at 20 MHz and utilizing 10.7k logic gates (14% of FPGA), 20 Block RAMs (17% of FPGA), and no external RAM. Results will be presented, demonstrating successful photoelectron track cluster detection with minimal impact to detector dead-time.

X-ray and gamma ray detector readout system

DOEpatents

Tumer, Tumay O; Clajus, Martin; Visser, Gerard

2010-10-19

A readout electronics scheme is under development for high resolution, compact PET (positron emission tomography) imagers based on LSO (lutetium ortho-oxysilicate, Lu.sub.2SiO.sub.5) scintillator and avalanche photodiode (APD) arrays. The key is to obtain sufficient timing and energy resolution at a low power level, less than about 30 mW per channel, including all required functions. To this end, a simple leading edge level crossing discriminator is used, in combination with a transimpedance preamplifier. The APD used has a gain of order 1,000, and an output noise current of several pA/ Hz, allowing bipolar technology to be used instead of CMOS, for increased speed and power efficiency. A prototype of the preamplifier and discriminator has been constructed, achieving timing resolution of 1.5 ns FWHM, 2.7 ns full width at one tenth maximum, relative to an LSO/PMT detector, and an energy resolution of 13.6% FWHM at 511 keV, while operating at a power level of 22 mW per channel. Work is in progress towards integration of this preamplifier and discriminator with appropriate coincidence logic and amplitude measurement circuits in an ASIC suitable for a high resolution compact PET instrument. The detector system and/or ASIC can also be used for many other applications for medical to industrial imaging.

TDC-based readout electronics for real-time acquisition of high resolution PET bio-images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marino, N.; Saponara, S.; Ambrosi, G.; Baronti, F.; Bisogni, M. G.; Cerello, P.,; Ciciriello, F.; Corsi, F.; Fanucci, L.; Ionica, M.; Licciulli, F.; Marzocca, C.; Morrocchi, M.; Pennazio, F.; Roncella, R.; Santoni, C.; Wheadon, R.; Del Guerra, A.

2013-02-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a clinical and research tool for in vivo metabolic imaging. The demand for better image quality entails continuous research to improve PET instrumentation. In clinical applications, PET image quality benefits from the time of flight (TOF) feature. Indeed, by measuring the photons arrival time on the detectors with a resolution less than 100 ps, the annihilation point can be estimated with centimeter resolution. This leads to better noise level, contrast and clarity of detail in the images either using analytical or iterative reconstruction algorithms. This work discusses a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based magnetic-field compatible TOF-PET module with depth of interaction (DOI) correction. The detector features a 3D architecture with two tiles of SiPMs coupled to a single LYSO scintillator on both its faces. The real-time front-end electronics is based on a current-mode ASIC where a low input impedance, fast current buffer allows achieving the required time resolution. A pipelined time to digital converter (TDC) measures and digitizes the arrival time and the energy of the events with a timestamp of 100 ps and 400 ps, respectively. An FPGA clusters the data and evaluates the DOI, with a simulated z resolution of the PET image of 1.4 mm FWHM.

Characterisation of capacitively coupled HV/HR-CMOS sensor chips for the CLIC vertex detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremastiotis, I.

2017-12-01

The capacitive coupling between an active sensor and a readout ASIC has been considered in the framework of the CLIC vertex detector study. The CLICpix Capacitively Coupled Pixel Detector (C3PD) is a High-Voltage CMOS sensor chip produced in a commercial 180 nm HV-CMOS process for this purpose. The sensor was designed to be connected to the CLICpix2 readout chip. It therefore matches the dimensions of the readout chip, featuring a matrix of 128×128 square pixels with 25μm pitch. The sensor chip has been produced with the standard value for the substrate resistivity (~20 Ωcm) and it has been characterised in standalone testing mode, before receiving and testing capacitively coupled assemblies. The standalone measurement results show a rise time of ~20 ns for a power consumption of 5μW/pixel. Production of the C3PD HV-CMOS sensor chip with higher substrate resistivity wafers (~20, 80, 200 and 1000 Ωcm) is foreseen. The expected benefits of the higher substrate resistivity will be studied using future assemblies with the readout chip.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braga, D.; Coleman-Smith, P. J.; Davinson, T.

We have designed a read-out ASIC for nuclear decay spectroscopy as part of the AIDA project - the Advanced Implantation Detector Array. AIDA will be installed in experiments at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in GSI, Darmstadt. The AIDA ASIC will measure the signals when unstable nuclei are implanted into the detector, followed by the much smaller signals when the nuclei subsequently decay. Implant energies can be as high as 20 GeV; decay products need to be measured down to 25 keV within just a few microseconds of the initial implants. The ASIC uses two amplifiers per detectormore » channel, one covering the 20 GeV dynamic range, the other selectable over a 20 MeV or 1 GeV range. The amplifiers are linked together by bypass transistors which are normally switched off. The arrival of a large signal causes saturation of the low-energy amplifier and a fluctuation of the input voltage, which activates the link to the high-energy amplifier. The bypass transistors switch on and the input charge is integrated by the high-energy amplifier. The signal is shaped and stored by a peak-hold, then read out on a multiplexed output. Control logic resets the amplifiers and bypass circuit, allowing the low-energy amplifier to measure the subsequent decay signal. We present simulations and test results, demonstrating the AIDA ASIC operation over a wide range of input signals. (authors)« less

The PANDA Endcap Disc DIRC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Föhl, K.; Ali, A.; Belias, A.; Dzhygadlo, R.; Gerhardt, A.; Götzen, K.; Kalicy, G.; Krebs, M.; Lehmann, D.; Nerling, F.; Patsyuk, M.; Peters, K.; Schepers, G.; Schmitt, L.; Schwarz, C.; Schwiening, J.; Traxler, M.; Böhm, M.; Eyrich, W.; Lehmann, A.; Pfaffinger, M.; Uhlig, F.; Düren, M.; Etzelmüller, E.; Hayrapetyan, A.; Kreutzfeld, K.; Merle, O.; Rieke, J.; Schmidt, M.; Wasem, T.; Achenbach, P.; Cardinali, M.; Hoek, M.; Lauth, W.; Schlimme, S.; Sfienti, C.; Thiel, M.

2018-02-01

Positively identifying charged kaons in the PANDA forward endcap solid angle range can be achieved with the Endcap Disc DIRC, allowing kaon-pion separation from 1 up to 4 GeV/c with a separation power of at least 3 standard deviations. Design, performance, and components of this DIRC are given, including the recently introduced TOFPET-ASIC based read-out. Results of a prototype operated in a test beam at DESY in 2016 are shown.

Silicon pixel-detector R&D for CLIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nürnberg, A.

2016-11-01

The physics aims at the future CLIC high-energy linear e+e- collider set very high precision requirements on the performance of the vertex and tracking detectors. Moreover, these detectors have to be well adapted to the experimental conditions, such as the time structure of the collisions and the presence of beam-induced backgrounds. The principal challenges are: a point resolution of a few μm, ultra-low mass (~ 0.2%X0 per layer for the vertex region and ~ 1%X0 per layer for the outer tracker), very low power dissipation (compatible with air-flow cooling in the inner vertex region) and pulsed power operation, complemented with ~ 10 ns time stamping capabilities. A highly granular all-silicon vertex and tracking detector system is under development, following an integrated approach addressing simultaneously the physics requirements and engineering constraints. For the vertex-detector region, hybrid pixel detectors with small pitch (25 μm) and analog readout are explored. For the outer tracking region, both hybrid concepts and fully integrated CMOS sensors are under consideration. The feasibility of ultra-thin sensor layers is validated with Timepix3 readout ASICs bump bonded to active edge planar sensors with 50 μm to 150 μm thickness. Prototypes of CLICpix readout ASICs implemented in 6525 nm CMOS technology with 25 μm pixel pitch have been produced. Hybridisation concepts have been developed for interconnecting these chips either through capacitive coupling to active HV-CMOS sensors or through bump-bonding to planar sensors. Recent R&D achievements include results from beam tests with all types of hybrid assemblies. Simulations based on Geant4 and TCAD are used to validate the experimental results and to assess and optimise the performance of various detector designs.

A Wireless Capsule Endoscope System With Low-Power Controlling and Processing ASIC.

PubMed

Xinkai Chen; Xiaoyu Zhang; Linwei Zhang; Xiaowen Li; Nan Qi; Hanjun Jiang; Zhihua Wang

2009-02-01

This paper presents the design of a wireless capsule endoscope system. The proposed system is mainly composed of a CMOS image sensor, a RF transceiver and a low-power controlling and processing application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Several design challenges involving system power reduction, system miniaturization and wireless wake-up method are resolved by employing optimized system architecture, integration of an area and power efficient image compression module, a power management unit (PMU) and a novel wireless wake-up subsystem with zero standby current in the ASIC design. The ASIC has been fabricated in 0.18-mum CMOS technology with a die area of 3.4 mm * 3.3 mm. The digital baseband can work under a power supply down to 0.95 V with a power dissipation of 1.3 mW. The prototype capsule based on the ASIC and a data recorder has been developed. Test result shows that proposed system architecture with local image compression lead to an average of 45% energy reduction for transmitting an image frame.

An optical fiber-based flexible readout system for micro-pattern gas detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, C.; Feng, C. Q.; Zhu, D. Y.; Liu, S. B.; An, Q.

2018-04-01

This paper presents an optical fiber-based readout system that is intended to provide a general purpose multi-channel readout solution for various Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors (MPGDs). The proposed readout system is composed of several front-end cards (FECs) and a data collection module (DCM). The FEC exploits the capability of an existing 64-channel generic TPC readout ASIC chip, named AGET, to implement 256 channels readout. AGET offers FEC a large flexibility in gain range (4 options from 120 fC to 10 pC), peaking time (16 options from 50 ns to 1 us) and sampling freqency (100 MHz max.). The DCM contains multiple 1 Gbps optical fiber serial link interfaces that allow the system scaling up to 1536 channels with 6 FECs and 1 DCM. Further scaling up is possible through cascading of multiple DCMs, by configuring one DCM as a master while other DCMs in slave mode. This design offers a rapid readout solution for different application senario. Tests indicate that the nonlinearity of each channel is less than 1%, and the equivalent input noise charge is typically around 0.7 fC in RMS (root mean square), with a noise slope of about 0.01 fC/pF. The system level trigger rate limit is about 700 Hz in all channel readout mode. When in hit channel readout mode, supposing that typically 10 percent of channels are fired, trigger rate can go up to about 7 kHz. This system has been tested with Micromegas detector and GEM detector, confirming its capability in MPGD readout. Details of hardware and FPGA firmware design, as well as system performances, are described in the paper.

Status of the KLOE-2 Inner Tracker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Lucia, Erika

2018-01-01

KLOE-2 at the DAΦNE Φ-factory is the main experiment of the INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (LNF) and is the first high-energy experiment using the GEM technology with a cylindrical geometry, a novel idea developed at LNF. Four concentric cylindrical triple-GEM detectors compose the Inner Tracker, inserted around the interaction region and before the inner wall of the pre-existing KLOE Drift Chamber to improve the resolution on decay vertices close to the interaction point. State-of-the-art solutions have been expressly developed or tuned for this project: single-mask GEM etching, multi-layer XV patterned readout, PEEK spacer grid, GASTONE front-end board, a custom 64-channel ASIC with digital output, and the Global Interface Board for data collection, with a configurable FPGA architecture and Gigabit Ethernet. Alignment and calibration of a cylindrical GEM detector was never done before and represents one of the challenging activities of the experiment. The Inner Tracker detector construction, operation, calibration and performance obtained with cosmic-ray muons and Bhabha scattering events will be reported.

Combining endoscopic ultrasound with Time-Of-Flight PET: The EndoTOFPET-US Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frisch, Benjamin

2013-12-01

The EndoTOFPET-US collaboration develops a multimodal imaging technique for endoscopic exams of the pancreas or the prostate. It combines the benefits of high resolution metabolic imaging with Time-Of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography (TOF PET) and anatomical imaging with ultrasound (US). EndoTOFPET-US consists of a PET head extension for a commercial US endoscope and a PET plate outside the body in coincidence with the head. The high level of miniaturization and integration creates challenges in fields such as scintillating crystals, ultra-fast photo-detection, highly integrated electronics, system integration and image reconstruction. Amongst the developments, fast scintillators as well as fast and compact digital SiPMs with single SPAD readout are used to obtain the best coincidence time resolution (CTR). Highly integrated ASICs and DAQ electronics contribute to the timing performances of EndoTOFPET. In view of the targeted resolution of around 1 mm in the reconstructed image, we present a prototype detector system with a CTR better than 240 ps FWHM. We discuss the challenges in simulating such a system and introduce reconstruction algorithms based on graphics processing units (GPU).

Development of a multifunctional particle spectrometer for space radiation imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maddox, Erik; Palacios, Alex; Lampridis, Dimitris; Kraft, Stefan; Owens, Alan; Tomuta, Dana; Ostendorf, Reint

2008-06-01

For future exploration of the solar system, the European Space Agency (ESA) is planning missions to Mercury (BepiColombo), the Sun (SolarOrbiter) and to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. The expected intensity of radiation during such missions is hazardous for the scientific instruments and the satellite. To extend the lifetime of the satellite and its payload a multifunctional particle spectrometer (MPS) is being developed. The basic function of the MPS is to send an alarm signal to the satellite control system during periods of high radiation. In addition the MPS is a scientific instrument that will unfold the composition of the different contributing particles on-line by the dE/dx versus E method. The energy spectrum and angular distribution of the particles will be recorded as well. This article describes the main requirements and the base line design for the MPS. A readout scheme consisting of a 32 channel ASIC from IDEAS is proposed and the signal filtering algorithm will run on a digital signal processor based on FPGA technology. Results are shown from prototype calibration studies with a proton beam.

Simulation environment based on the Universal Verification Methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiergolski, A.

2017-01-01

Universal Verification Methodology (UVM) is a standardized approach of verifying integrated circuit designs, targeting a Coverage-Driven Verification (CDV). It combines automatic test generation, self-checking testbenches, and coverage metrics to indicate progress in the design verification. The flow of the CDV differs from the traditional directed-testing approach. With the CDV, a testbench developer, by setting the verification goals, starts with an structured plan. Those goals are targeted further by a developed testbench, which generates legal stimuli and sends them to a device under test (DUT). The progress is measured by coverage monitors added to the simulation environment. In this way, the non-exercised functionality can be identified. Moreover, the additional scoreboards indicate undesired DUT behaviour. Such verification environments were developed for three recent ASIC and FPGA projects which have successfully implemented the new work-flow: (1) the CLICpix2 65 nm CMOS hybrid pixel readout ASIC design; (2) the C3PD 180 nm HV-CMOS active sensor ASIC design; (3) the FPGA-based DAQ system of the CLICpix chip. This paper, based on the experience from the above projects, introduces briefly UVM and presents a set of tips and advices applicable at different stages of the verification process-cycle.

Development of a Position Decoding ASIC for SPECT using Silicon Photomultiplier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, M.; Kim, H.; Lim, K. T.; Cho, G.

2016-01-01

Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography(SPECT) is a widely used diagnosis modality for detecting metabolic diseases. In general, SPECT system is consisted of a sensor, a pre-amplifier, position decoding circuits(PDC) and a data acquisition(DAQ) system. Due to such complexity, it is quite costly to assemble SPECT system by putting discrete components together. Moreover, using discrete components would make the system rather bulky. In this work, we designed a channel module ASIC for SPECT system. This system was composed of a transimpedance amplifier(TIA), comparators and digital logics. In this particular module, a TIA was selected as a preamplifier because the decay time and the rise time are shorter than that of other preamplifier topologies. In the proposed module, the amplified pulse from the TIA was split into two separate signals and each signal was then fed into two comparators with different reference levels, e.g., a low and high level. Then an XOR gate combined the comparator outputs and the output of XOR gate was sent to the suceeding digital logic. Furthermore, the output of each component in the module is composed of a signal packet. The packet includes the information on the energy, the time and the position of the incident photon. The energy and position information of a detected radiation can be derived from the output of the D-flipflop(DFF) in the module via time-over-threshold(TOT). The timing information was measured using a delayed rising edge from the low-level referenced comparator. There are several advantages in developing the channel module ASIC. First of all, the ASIC has only digital outputs and thus a correction circuit for analog signal distortion can be neglected. In addition, it is possible to cut down the system production cost because the volume of the system can be reduced due to the compactness of ASIC. The benefits of channel module is not only limited to SPECT but also beneficial to many other radiation detecting systems.

VEGA: A low-power front-end ASIC for large area multi-linear X-ray silicon drift detectors: Design and experimental characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahangarianabhari, Mahdi; Macera, Daniele; Bertuccio, Giuseppe; Malcovati, Piero; Grassi, Marco

2015-01-01

We present the design and the first experimental characterization of VEGA, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) designed to read out large area monolithic linear Silicon Drift Detectors (SDD's). VEGA consists of an analog and a digital/mixed-signal section to accomplish all the functionalities and specifications required for high resolution X-ray spectroscopy in the energy range between 500 eV and 50 keV. The analog section includes a charge sensitive preamplifier, a shaper with 3-bit digitally selectable shaping times from 1.6 μs to 6.6 μs and a peak stretcher/sample-and-hold stage. The digital/mixed-signal section includes an amplitude discriminator with coarse and fine threshold level setting, a peak discriminator and a logic circuit to fulfill pile-up rejection, signal sampling, trigger generation, channel reset and the preamplifier and discriminators disabling functionalities. A Serial Peripherical Interface (SPI) is integrated in VEGA for loading and storing all configuration parameters in an internal register within few microseconds. The VEGA ASIC has been designed and manufactured in 0.35 μm CMOS mixed-signal technology in single and 32 channel versions with dimensions of 200 μm×500 μm per channel. A minimum intrinsic Equivalent Noise Charge (ENC) of 12 electrons r.m.s. at 3.6 μs peaking time and room temperature is measured and the linearity error is between -0.9% and +0.6% in the whole input energy range. The total power consumption is 481 μW and 420 μW per channel for the single and 32 channels version, respectively. A comparison with other ASICs for X-ray SDD's shows that VEGA has a suitable low noise and offers high functionality as ADC-ready signal processing but at a power consumption that is a factor of four lower than other similar existing ASICs.

Dedicated multichannel readout ASIC coupled with single crystal diamond for dosimeter application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabbri, A.; Falco, M. D.; De Notaristefani, F.; Galasso, M.; Marinelli, M.; Orsolini Cencelli, V.; Tortora, L.; Verona, C.; Verona Rinati, G.

2013-02-01

This paper reports on the tests of a low-noise, multi-channel readout integrated circuit used as a readout electronic front-end for a diamond multi-pixel dosimeter. The system is developed for dose distribution measurement in radiotherapy applications. The first 10-channel prototype chip was designed and fabricated in a 0.18 um CMOS process. Every channel includes a charge integrator with a 10 pF capacitor and a double slope A/D converter. The diamond multi-pixel detector, based on CVD synthetic single crystal diamond Schottky diodes, is made by a 3 × 3 sensor matrix. The overall device has been tested under irradiation with 6 MeV radio therapeutic photon beams at the Policlinico ``Tor Vergata'' (PTV) hospital. Measurements show a 20 fA RMS leakage current from the front-end input stage and a negligible dark current from the diamond detector, a stable temporal response and a good linear behaviour as a function of both dose and dose rate. These characteristics were common to each tested channel.

Design Study of a Multi-channel Array Particle Spectrometer for Space Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trindade, Andreia; Assis, P.; Brogueira, P.; Gonçalves, P.; Keating, A.; Pimenta, M.; Rodrigues, P.; Trindade, A.

In this work, a novel particle spectrometer is proposed to fulfil the need to map the space radiation environment for future space missions and to provide more accurate scientific data. The concept of the instrument brings together new radiation-hard technologies, for the photo-sensors and scintillating materials that will improve the quality of the data, while taking into account the limited resources such as mass, power and accommodation, allocated for space radiation monitors. The Multi-channel Array Particle Spectrometer (MAPS), can measure fluxes and energy dis-tributions of protons, ions, electrons and gammas in a wide energy range based on the 3D reconstruction of the particle track through the detector and its deposited energy in the active volume. It consists on a 8 x 8 segmented scintillator block built from 3.2 x 3.2 x 20 mm3 indi-vidual LYSO:Ce rods that are readout at both ends by two 64 pixel Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPMs) matrices, a new generation of high gain (105-106) avalanche photodiodes working in controlled Geiger mode, that collect the scintillating light produced by the interactions of the charged particles in the crystals. Each SiPM matrix is readout by a 64 channel mixed sig-nal analog-digital ASIC, offering both particle identification and particle counting capabilities. Power cycling design of the ASIC allows to activate the particle identification block only during a pre-determined time slice, keeping the total power budget of less than 1 mW/channel. An on-board FPGA sorts the serialized data from the two ASICs and computes the trigger primitives in real-time and in an event-by-event basis. Whenever a charged particle crosses the segmented volume of the detector, the XY coordinates, given by the pixelized crystal positions, and the deposited energy in each crystal is recorded. The double readout scheme allows to compute the light collection asymmetry between both ends of the crystal and to use that information to record the longitudinal interaction coordinate along the crystal with a resolution between 2-3 mm FWHM. As a result of determining the interaction coordinates and the topology of the energy depositions in the different layers of crystals, the type, incident energy and direction of the incoming particles can be reconstructed. A direct outcome of this concept is the up-down discrimination and lateral veto for radiation background rejection while keeping a simple read-out arrangement. Using this segmented, independent channel approach, a maximum count-rate of 1.3 MHz/cm2 and 6.3 MHz/cm2 for a 1% and 5% event pileup probability, respectively, can be achieved. In this work, the Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation toolkit was used to demonstrate the MAPS design feasibility and to assess its performance in different radiation scenarios. First results have shown the capability to measure protons from 1 to 350 MeV and alphas from 5 to 800 MeV, representing a significant increase in the energy range of traditional scintillator-based radiation monitors and with almost no ambiguity in particle discrimination. As a result of the proposed concept based on compact photo-sensors and electronics architecture, the current design of MAPS points to a power budget of 1Watt, a mass of 0.5 kg and a total dimen-sion of 10 x 10 x 10 cm3 matching the requirements for space applications. In a subsequent phase, space qualification of the new designed detector has to be addressed. A detailed assess-ment of MAPS performance, using the instrument Geant4 simulation interfaced with typical observation scenarios and including the first experimental results, will be presented and dis-cussed at COSPAR2010.

General-purpose readout electronics for white neutron source at China Spallation Neutron Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Q.; Cao, P.; Qi, X.; Yu, T.; Ji, X.; Xie, L.; An, Q.

2018-01-01

The under-construction White Neutron Source (WNS) at China Spallation Neutron Source is a facility for accurate measurements of neutron-induced cross section. Seven spectrometers are planned at WNS. As the physical objectives of each spectrometer are different, the requirements for readout electronics are not the same. In order to simplify the development of the readout electronics, this paper presents a general method for detector signal readout. This method has advantages of expansibility and flexibility, which makes it adaptable to most detectors at WNS. In the WNS general-purpose readout electronics, signals from any kinds of detectors are conditioned by a dedicated signal conditioning module corresponding to this detector, and then digitized by a common waveform digitizer with high speed and high precision (1 GSPS at 12-bit) to obtain the full waveform data. The waveform digitizer uses a field programmable gate array chip to process the data stream and trigger information in real time. PXI Express platform is used to support the functionalities of data readout, clock distribution, and trigger information exchange between digitizers and trigger modules. Test results show that the performance of the WNS general-purpose readout electronics can meet the requirements of the WNS spectrometers.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Ackley, K.; Camarda, G. S.

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (CZT) detectors coupled to a front-end readout ASIC for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6x6x15 mm 3 detectors grouped into 3x3 sub-arrays of 2x2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readoutmore » electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are made possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.« less

Particle tracking with a Timepix based triple GEM detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, S. P.; Murtas, F.; Alozy, J.; Curioni, A.; Rosenfeld, A. B.; Silari, M.

2015-11-01

This paper details the response of a triple GEM detector with a 55 μmetre pitch pixelated ASIC for readout. The detector is operated as a micro TPC with 9.5 cm3 sensitive volume and characterized with a mixed beam of 120 GeV protons and positive pions. A process for reconstruction of incident particle tracks from individual ionization clusters is described and scans of the gain and drift fields are performed. The angular resolution of the measured tracks is characterized. Also, the readout was operated in a mixed mode where some pixels measure drift time and others charge. This was used to measure the energy deposition in the detector and the charge cloud size as a function of interaction depth. The future uses of the device, including in microdosimetry are discussed.

X-ray imaging using amorphous selenium: a photoinduced discharge readout method for digital mammography.

PubMed

Rowlands, J A; Hunter, D M; Araj, N

1991-01-01

A new digital image readout method for electrostatic charge images on photoconductive plates is described. The method can be used to read out images on selenium plates similar to those used in xeromammography. The readout method, called the air-gap photoinduced discharge method (PID), discharges the latent image pixel by pixel and measures the charge. The PID readout method, like electrometer methods, is linear. However, the PID method permits much better resolution than scanning electrometers while maintaining quantum limited performance at high radiation exposure levels. Thus the air-gap PID method appears to be uniquely superior for high-resolution digital imaging tasks such as mammography.

A Low-Power ASIC Signal Processor for a Vestibular Prosthesis.

PubMed

Töreyin, Hakan; Bhatti, Pamela T

2016-06-01

A low-power ASIC signal processor for a vestibular prosthesis (VP) is reported. Fabricated with TI 0.35 μm CMOS technology and designed to interface with implanted inertial sensors, the digitally assisted analog signal processor operates extensively in the CMOS subthreshold region. During its operation the ASIC encodes head motion signals captured by the inertial sensors as electrical pulses ultimately targeted for in-vivo stimulation of vestibular nerve fibers. To achieve this, the ASIC implements a coordinate system transformation to correct for misalignment between natural sensors and implanted inertial sensors. It also mimics the frequency response characteristics and frequency encoding mappings of angular and linear head motions observed at the peripheral sense organs, semicircular canals and otolith. Overall the design occupies an area of 6.22 mm (2) and consumes 1.24 mW when supplied with ± 1.6 V.

A Low-Power ASIC Signal Processor for a Vestibular Prosthesis

PubMed Central

Töreyin, Hakan; Bhatti, Pamela T.

2017-01-01

A low-power ASIC signal processor for a vestibular prosthesis (VP) is reported. Fabricated with TI 0.35 μm CMOS technology and designed to interface with implanted inertial sensors, the digitally assisted analog signal processor operates extensively in the CMOS subthreshold region. During its operation the ASIC encodes head motion signals captured by the inertial sensors as electrical pulses ultimately targeted for in-vivo stimulation of vestibular nerve fibers. To achieve this, the ASIC implements a coordinate system transformation to correct for misalignment between natural sensors and implanted inertial sensors. It also mimics the frequency response characteristics and frequency encoding mappings of angular and linear head motions observed at the peripheral sense organs, semicircular canals and otolith. Overall the design occupies an area of 6.22 mm2 and consumes 1.24 mW when supplied with ± 1.6 V. PMID:26800546

Characterization and commissioning of the SST-1M camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilar, J. A.; Bilnik, W.; Błocki, J.; Bogacz, L.; Borkowski, J.; Bulik, T.; Cadoux, F.; Christov, A.; Curyło, M.; della Volpe, D.; Dyrda, M.; Favre, Y.; Frankowski, A.; Grudnik, Ł.; Grudzińska, M.; Heller, M.; Idźkowski, B.; Jamrozy, M.; Janiak, M.; Kasperek, J.; Lalik, K.; Lyard, E.; Mach, E.; Mandat, D.; Marszałek, A.; Medina Miranda, L. D.; Michałowski, J.; Moderski, R.; Montaruli, T.; Neronov, A.; Niemiec, J.; Ostrowski, M.; Paśko, P.; Pech, M.; Porcelli, A.; Prandini, E.; Rajda, P.; Rameez, M.; Schioppa, E., Jr.; Schovanek, P.; Seweryn, K.; Skowron, K.; Sliusar, V.; Sowiński, M.; Stawarz, Ł.; Stodulska, M.; Stodulski, M.; Toscano, S.; Troyano Pujadas, I.; Walter, R.; Wiȩcek, M.; Zagdański, A.; Ziȩtara, K.; Żychowski, P.

2017-02-01

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next generation very high energy gamma-rays observatory, will consist of three types of telescopes: large (LST), medium (MST) and small (SST) size telescopes. The SSTs are dedicated to the observation of gamma-rays with energy between a few TeV and a few hundreds of TeV. The SST array is expected to have 70 telescopes of different designs. The single-mirror small size telescope (SST-1 M) is one of the proposed telescope designs under consideration for the SST array. It will be equipped with a 4 m diameter segmented mirror dish and with an innovative camera based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). The challenge is not only to build a telescope with exceptional performance but to do it foreseeing its mass production. To address both of these challenges, the camera adopts innovative solutions both for the optical system and readout. The Photo-Detection Plane (PDP) of the camera is composed of 1296 pixels, each made of a hollow, hexagonal light guide coupled to a hexagonal SiPM designed by the University of Geneva and Hamamatsu. As no commercial ASIC would satisfy the CTA requirements when coupled to such a large sensor, dedicated preamplifier electronics have been designed. The readout electronics also use an innovative approach in gamma-ray astronomy by adopting a fully digital approach. All signals coming from the PDP are digitized in a 250 MHz Fast ADC and stored in ring buffers waiting for a trigger decision to send them to the pre-processing server where calibration and higher level triggers will decide whether the data are stored. The latest generation of FPGAs is used to achieve high data rates and also to exploit all the flexibility of the system. As an example each event can be flagged according to its trigger pattern. All of these features have been demonstrated in laboratory measurements on realistic elements and the results of these measurements will be presented in this contribution.

Low-power low-noise mixed-mode VLSI ASIC for infinite dynamic range imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turchetta, Renato; Hu, Y.; Zinzius, Y.; Colledani, C.; Loge, A.

1998-11-01

Solid state solutions for imaging are mainly represented by CCDs and, more recently, by CMOS imagers. Both devices are based on the integration of the total charge generated by the impinging radiation, with no processing of the single photon information. The dynamic range of these devices is intrinsically limited by the finite value of noise. Here we present the design of an architecture which allows efficient, in-pixel, noise reduction to a practically zero level, thus allowing infinite dynamic range imaging. A detailed calculation of the dynamic range is worked out, showing that noise is efficiently suppressed. This architecture is based on the concept of single-photon counting. In each pixel, we integrate both the front-end, low-noise, low-power analog part and the digital part. The former consists of a charge preamplifier, an active filter for optimal noise bandwidth reduction, a buffer and a threshold comparator, and the latter is simply a counter, which can be programmed to act as a normal shift register for the readout of the counters' contents. Two different ASIC's based on this concept have been designed for different applications. The first one has been optimized for silicon edge-on microstrips detectors, used in a digital mammography R and D project. It is a 32-channel circuit, with a 16-bit binary static counter.It has been optimized for a relatively large detector capacitance of 5 pF. Noise has been measured to be equal to 100 + 7*Cd (pF) electron rms with the digital part, showing no degradation of the noise performances with respect to the design values. The power consumption is 3.8mW/channel for a peaking time of about 1 microsecond(s) . The second circuit is a prototype for pixel imaging. The total active area is about (250 micrometers )**2. The main differences of the electronic architecture with respect to the first prototype are: i) different optimization of the analog front-end part for low-capacitance detectors, ii) in- pixel 4-bit comparator-offset compensation, iii) 15-bit pseudo-random counter. The power consumption is 255 (mu) W/channel for a peaking time of 300 ns and an equivalent noise charge of 185 + 97*Cd electrons rms. Simulation and experimental result as well as imaging results will be presented.

Readout architecture based on the use of Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM, or MMPC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marteau, J.; Carlus, B.; Gardien, S.; Girerd, C.; Ianigro, J.-C.; Montorio, J.-L.; Gibert, D.; Nicollin, F.

2012-04-01

The DIAPHANE project is pluri-disciplinary collaboration between particle physicists and geophysicists to perform the tomography of large geological structure mainly devoted to the study of active volcanoes. The detector used for this tomography, hereafter referred to as telescope, uses a standard, robust, cost-effective and well-known technology based on solid plastic scintillator readout by photomultiplier(s). The first generation of those telescopes, presently running in the Mont-Terri underground laboratory (St-Ursanne, Switzerland) and on the active volcano of La Soufrière (Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles, France), uses Hamamatsu H8804-200mod photomultipliers. We present an upgrade of the readout architecture based on the use of Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM, or MMPC) which allows to simplify the optical connections w.r.t. the present design and to benefit from the high photo-dectection efficiency of the SiPM. To ensure an effective increase in the muon detection efficiency one has to optimize the first trigger level and find the best compromise between photostatistics and the tails of the dark noise contributions. Several readout architectures, based or not on dedicated ASICs, are discussed and compared in this article.

VHDL Modeling and Simulation of a Digital Image Synthesizer for Countering ISAR

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-01

This thesis discusses VHDL modeling and simulation of a full custom Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for a Digital Image Synthesizer...necessary for a given application . With such a digital method, it is possible for a small ship to appear as large as an aircraft carrier or any high...INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL IMAGE SYNTHESIZER (DIS) A. BACKGROUND The Digital Image Synthesizer (DIS) is an Application Specific Integrated Circuit

A low power biomedical signal processor ASIC based on hardware software codesign.

PubMed

Nie, Z D; Wang, L; Chen, W G; Zhang, T; Zhang, Y T

2009-01-01

A low power biomedical digital signal processor ASIC based on hardware and software codesign methodology was presented in this paper. The codesign methodology was used to achieve higher system performance and design flexibility. The hardware implementation included a low power 32bit RISC CPU ARM7TDMI, a low power AHB-compatible bus, and a scalable digital co-processor that was optimized for low power Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) calculations. The co-processor could be scaled for 8-point, 16-point and 32-point FFTs, taking approximate 50, 100 and 150 clock circles, respectively. The complete design was intensively simulated using ARM DSM model and was emulated by ARM Versatile platform, before conducted to silicon. The multi-million-gate ASIC was fabricated using SMIC 0.18 microm mixed-signal CMOS 1P6M technology. The die area measures 5,000 microm x 2,350 microm. The power consumption was approximately 3.6 mW at 1.8 V power supply and 1 MHz clock rate. The power consumption for FFT calculations was less than 1.5 % comparing with the conventional embedded software-based solution.

A feasibility study of a data acquisition system for a silicon strip detector with a digital readout scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, Hirokazu; Ikeda, Mitsuo; Inaba, Susumu; Tanaka, Manobu

1993-06-01

We describe a prototype data acquisition system for a silicon strip detector, which has been developed in terms of a digital readout scheme. The system consists of a master timing generator, readout controller, and a detector emulator card on which we use custom VLSI shift registers with operating clock frequency of 30 MHz.

Design exploration and verification platform, based on high-level modeling and FPGA prototyping, for fast and flexible digital communication in physics experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magazzù, G.; Borgese, G.; Costantino, N.; Fanucci, L.; Incandela, J.; Saponara, S.

2013-02-01

In many research fields as high energy physics (HEP), astrophysics, nuclear medicine or space engineering with harsh operating conditions, the use of fast and flexible digital communication protocols is becoming more and more important. The possibility to have a smart and tested top-down design flow for the design of a new protocol for control/readout of front-end electronics is very useful. To this aim, and to reduce development time, costs and risks, this paper describes an innovative design/verification flow applied as example case study to a new communication protocol called FF-LYNX. After the description of the main FF-LYNX features, the paper presents: the definition of a parametric SystemC-based Integrated Simulation Environment (ISE) for high-level protocol definition and validation; the set up of figure of merits to drive the design space exploration; the use of ISE for early analysis of the achievable performances when adopting the new communication protocol and its interfaces for a new (or upgraded) physics experiment; the design of VHDL IP cores for the TX and RX protocol interfaces; their implementation on a FPGA-based emulator for functional verification and finally the modification of the FPGA-based emulator for testing the ASIC chipset which implements the rad-tolerant protocol interfaces. For every step, significant results will be shown to underline the usefulness of this design and verification approach that can be applied to any new digital protocol development for smart detectors in physics experiments.

MAROC, a generic photomultiplier readout chip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blin, S.; Barrillon, P.; de La Taille, C.

2010-12-01

The MAROC ASICs family is dedicated to the readout of 64-channel Multi Anode PMT and similar detectors. Its main roles are to correct the gain spread of MAPMT channels thanks to an individual variable gain preamplifier and to discriminate the input signals (from 50fC i.e 1/3 photo-electron) in order to produce 64 trigger outputs. A multiplexed analog charge output is also available with a dynamic range around 10 pe ( ~ 1.6 pC) and a 12 bit Wilkinson ADC is embedded. Three versions of this chip have been submitted. MAROC 2 is the production version for the ATLAS luminometer and MAROC3 is a version with lower dissipation and significant improvements concerning the charge (30 pe: ~ 5 pC) and trigger (discrimination from 10fC). This third version showed very good characteristics that are presented here.

Silicon photomultipliers for scintillating trackers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabaioli, S.; Berra, A.; Bolognini, D.; Bonvicini, V.; Bosisio, L.; Ciano, S.; Iugovaz, D.; Lietti, D.; Penzo, A.; Prest, M.; Rashevskaya, I.; Reia, S.; Stoppani, L.; Vallazza, E.

2012-12-01

In recent years, silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) have been proposed as a new kind of readout device for scintillating detectors in many experiments. A SiPM consists of a matrix of parallel-connected pixels, which are independent photon counters working in Geiger mode with very high gain (∼106). This contribution presents the use of an array of eight SiPMs (manufactured by FBK-irst) for the readout of a scintillating bar tracker (a small size prototype of the Electron Muon Ranger detector for the MICE experiment). The performances of the SiPMs in terms of signal to noise ratio, efficiency and time resolution will be compared to the ones of a multi-anode photomultiplier tube (MAPMT) connected to the same bars. Both the SiPMs and the MAPMT are interfaced to a VME system through a 64 channel MAROC ASIC.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Budden, B. S.; Stonehill, L. C.; Warniment, A.

In this study, a new class of elpasolite scintillators has garnered recent attention due to the ability to perform as simultaneous gamma spectrometers and thermal neutron detectors. Such a dual-mode capability is made possible by pulse-shape discrimination (PSD), whereby the emission waveform profiles of gamma and neutron events are fundamentally unique. To take full advantage of these materials, we have developed the Compact Advanced Readout Electronics for Elpasolites (CAREE). This handheld instrument employs a multi-channel PSD-capable ASIC, custom micro-processor board, front-end electronics, power supplies, and a 2 in. photomultiplier tube for readout of the scintillator. The unit is highly configurablemore » to allow for performance optimization amongst a wide sample of elpasolites which provide PSD in fundamentally different ways. We herein provide an introduction to elpasolites, then describe the motivation for the work, mechanical and electronic design, and preliminary performance results.« less

Application of large area SiPMs for the readout of a plastic scintillator based timing detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betancourt, C.; Blondel, A.; Brundler, R.; Dätwyler, A.; Favre, Y.; Gascon, D.; Gomez, S.; Korzenev, A.; Mermod, P.; Noah, E.; Serra, N.; Sgalaberna, D.; Storaci, B.

2017-11-01

In this study an array of eight 6 mm × 6 mm area SiPMs was coupled to the end of a long plastic scintillator counter which was exposed to a 2.5 GeV/c muon beam at the CERN PS. Timing characteristics of bars with dimensions 150 cm × 6 cm × 1 cm and 120 cm × 11 cm × 2.5 cm have been studied. An 8-channel SiPM anode readout ASIC (MUSIC R1) based on a novel low input impedance current conveyor has been used to read out and amplify SiPMs independently and sum the signals at the end. Prospects for applications in large-scale particle physics detectors with timing resolution below 100 ps are provided in light of the results.

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS): Camera Electronics Designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajima, H.; Buckley, J.; Byrum, K.; Drake, G.; Falcone, A.; Funk, S.; Holder, J.; Horan, D.; Krawczynski, H.; Ong, R.; Swordy, S.; Wagner, R.; Williams, D.

2008-04-01

AGIS, a next generation of atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays, aims to achieve a sensitivity level of a milliCrab for gamma-ray observations in the energy band of 40 GeV to 100 TeV. Such improvement requires cost reduction of individual components with high reliability in order to equip the order of 100 telescopes necessary to achieve the sensitivity goal. We are exploring several design concepts to reduce the cost of camera electronics while improving their performance. These design concepts include systems based on multi-channel waveform sampling ASIC optimized for AGIS, a system based on IIT (image intensifier tube) for large channel (order of 1 million channels) readout as well as a multiplexed FADC system based on the current VERITAS readout design. Here we present trade-off in the studies of these design concepts.

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS): Camera Electronics Designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajima, Hiroyasu; Buckley, J.; Byrum, K.; Drake, G.; Falcone, A.; Funk, S.; Holder, J.; Horan, D.; Krawczynski, H.; Ong, R.; Swordy, S.; Wagner, R.; Wakely, S.; Williams, D.; Camera Electronics Working Group; AGIS Collaboration

2008-03-01

AGIS, a next generation of atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays, aims to achieve a sensitivity level of a milliCrab for gamma-ray observations in in the energy band of 40 GeV to 100 TeV. Such improvement requires cost reduction of individual components with high reliability in order to equip the order of 100 telescopes necessary to achieve the sensitivity goal. We are exploring several design concepts to reduce the cost of camera electronics while improving their performance. These design concepts include systems based on multi-channel waveform sampling ASIC optimized for AGIS, a system based on IIT (image intensifier tube) for large channel (order of 1 million channels) readout as well as a multiplexed FADC system based on the current VERITAS readout design. Here we present trade-off studies of these design concepts.

A Complete Readout Chain of the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter for the HL-LHC: from FATALIC Front-End Electronics to Signal Reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senkin, Sergey

2018-01-01

The ATLAS Collaboration has started a vast programme of upgrades in the context of high-luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) foreseen in 2024. We present here one of the frontend readout options, an ASIC called FATALIC, proposed for the high-luminosity phase LHC upgrade of the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter. Based on a 130 nm CMOS technology, FATALIC performs the complete signal processing, including amplification, shaping and digitisation. We describe the full characterisation of FATALIC and also the Optimal Filtering signal reconstruction method adapted to fully exploit the FATALIC three-range layout. Additionally we present the resolution performance of the whole chain measured using the charge injection system designed for calibration. Finally we discuss the results of the signal reconstruction used on real data collected during a preliminary beam test at CERN.

Front-end electronics development for TPC detector in the MPD/NICA project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheremukhina, G.; Movchan, S.; Vereschagin, S.; Zaporozhets, S.

2017-06-01

The article is aimed at describing the development status, measuring results and design changes of the TPC front-end electronics. The TPC is placed in the middle of Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD) and provides tracing and identifying of charged particles in the pseudorapidity range |η| < 1.2. The readout system is one of the most complex parts of the TPC. The electronics of each readout chamber is an independent system. The whole system contains 95232 channels, 1488 64-channel—front-end cards (FEC), 24 readout control units (RCU). The front-end electronics (FEE) is based on ASICs, FPGAs and high-speed serial links. The concept of the TPC front-end electronics has been motivated from one side—by the requirements concerning the NICA accelerator complex which will operate at the luminosity up to 1027 cm-2 s-1 for Au79+ ions over the energy range of 4 < √SNN < 11 GeV with the trigger rate up to 7 kHz and from the other side—by the requirements of the 4-π geometry to minimize the substance on the end-caps of the TPC.

OSCAR: A Compact, Powerful and Versatile On Board Computer Based on LEON3 Core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poupat, Jean-Luc; Lefevre, Aurelien; Koebel, Franck

2011-08-01

Satellites are controlled via a platform On Board Computer (OBC) that manages different parameters (attitude, orbit, modes, temperatures ...) with respect to its payload mission (telecommunication, earth observation, scientific mission). The platform OBC is connected to the satellite and the ground control via digital links, and executes on board software.The main functions of a platform OBC are to provide the satellite flight segment with the following features: o Processing resources for the flight mission software o TM/TC services and interfaces with the RF communication chaino General communication services with the Avionicsand payload equipments through an on-board communication bus based on the MIL-1553B standard or CANo Time synchronization and distributiono Failure tolerant architecture based on the use of redounded reconfiguration units and redundancyimplementationFrom a hardware point of view, it groups a lot of digital functions usually dispatched on numerous chips (processor, co-processor, digital links IP ...) together. In order to reach an ultimate level of integration, Astrium has designed an ASIC gathering on a single chip all the required digital functions: the SCOC3 ASIC.Astrium has developed an OBC based on this SCOC3 ASIC: the OSCAR (Optimized Spacecraft Computer Architecture with Reconfiguration). It is now available off-the-shelf as the new OBC product family of Astrium.This paper presents the major innovations introduced by Astrium for SCOC3 and OSCAR with the objective to save cost and mass through a solution compatible with any class quality project, using a unique software development environment for user.

Fast front-end electronics for semiconductor tracking detectors: Trends and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivetti, Angelo

2014-11-01

In the past few years, extensive research efforts pursued by both the industry and the academia have lead to major improvements in the performance of Analog to Digital Converters (ADCs) and Time to Digital Converters (TDCs). ADCs achieving 8-10 bit resolution, 50-100 MHz conversion frequency and less than 1 mW power consumption are the today's standard, while TDCs have reached sub-picosecond time resolution. These results have been made possible by architectural upgrades combined with the use of ultra deep submicron CMOS technologies with minimum feature size of 130 nm or smaller. Front-end ASICs in which a prompt digitization is followed by signal conditioning in the digital domain can now be envisaged also within the tight power budget typically available in high density tracking systems. Furthermore, tracking detectors embedding high resolution timing capabilities are gaining interest. In the paper, ADC's and TDC's developments which are of particular relevance for the design front-end electronics for semiconductor trackers are discussed along with the benefits and challenges of exploiting such high performance building blocks in implementing the next generation of ASICs for high granularity particle detectors.

High-speed MCP anodes for high time resolution low-energy charged particle spectrometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Yoshifumi; Yokota, Shoichiro; Asamura, Kazushi; Krieger, Amanda

2017-02-01

The time resolution of low-energy charged particle measurements is becoming higher and higher. In order to realize high time resolution measurements, a 1-D circular delay line anode has been developed as a high-speed microchannel plate (MCP) anode. The maximum count rate of the 1-D circular delay line anode is around 1 × 107/s/360°, which is much higher than the widely used resistive anode, whose maximum count rate is around 1 × 106/s/360°. In order to achieve much higher speeds, an MCP anode with application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) has been developed. We have decided to adopt an anode configuration in which a discrete anode is formed on a ceramic substrate, and a bare ASIC chip is installed on the back of the ceramic. It has been found that the anode can detect at a high count rate of 2 × 108/s/360°. Developments in both delay line and discrete anodes, as well as readout electronics, will be reviewed.

The Panda Strip Asic: Pasta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, A.

2018-01-01

PASTA is the 64 channel front-end chip, designed in a 110 nm CMOS technology to read out the strip sensors of the Micro Vertex Detector (MVD) of the PANDA experiment. This chip provides high resolution timestamp and deposited charge information by means of the time-over-threshold technique. Its working principle is based on a predecessor, the TOFPET ASIC, that was designed for medical applications. A general restructuring of the architecture was needed, in order to meet the specific requirements imposed by the physics programme of PANDA, especially in terms of radiation tolerance, spatial constraints, and readout in absence of a first level hardware trigger. The first revision of PASTA is currently under evaluation at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, where a data acquisition system dedicated to the MVD prototypes has been developed. This paper describes the main aspect of the chip design, gives an overview of the data acquisition system used for the verification, and shows the first results regarding the performance of PASTA.

Noise Characterization and Filtering in the MicroBooNE Liquid Argon TPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acciarri, R.; Adams, C.; An, R.; Anthony, J.; Asaadi, J.; Auger, M.; Bagby, L.; Balasubramanian, S.; Baller, B.; Barnes, C.; Barr, G.; Bass, M.; Bay, F.; Bishai, M.; Blake, A.; Bolton, T.; Bullard, B.; Camilleri, L.; Caratelli, D.; Carls, B.; Castillo Fernandez, R.; Cavanna, F.; Chen, H.; Church, E.; Cianci, D.; Cohen, E.; Collin, G. H.; Conrad, J. M.; Convery, M.; Crespo-Anadón, J. I.; De Geronimo, G.; Del Tutto, M.; Devitt, D.; Dytman, S.; Eberly, B.; Ereditato, A.; Escudero Sanchez, L.; Esquivel, J.; Fadeeva, A. A.; Fleming, B. T.; Foreman, W.; Furmanski, A. P.; Garcia-Gamez, D.; Garvey, G. T.; Genty, V.; Goeldi, D.; Gollapinni, S.; Graf, N.; Gramellini, E.; Greenlee, H.; Grosso, R.; Guenette, R.; Hackenburg, A.; Hamilton, P.; Hen, O.; Hewes, J.; Hill, C.; Ho, J.; Horton-Smith, G.; Hourlier, A.; Huang, E.-C.; James, C.; de Vries, J. Jan; Jen, C.-M.; Jiang, L.; Johnson, R. A.; Joshi, J.; Jostlein, H.; Kaleko, D.; Karagiorgi, G.; Ketchum, W.; Kirby, B.; Kirby, M.; Kobilarcik, T.; Kreslo, I.; Laube, A.; Li, S.; Li, Y.; Lister, A.; Littlejohn, B. R.; Lockwitz, S.; Lorca, D.; Louis, W. C.; Luethi, M.; Lundberg, B.; Luo, X.; Marchionni, A.; Mariani, C.; Marshall, J.; Martinez Caicedo, D. A.; Meddage, V.; Miceli, T.; Mills, G. B.; Moon, J.; Mooney, M.; Moore, C. D.; Mousseau, J.; Murrells, R.; Naples, D.; Nienaber, P.; Nowak, J.; Palamara, O.; Paolone, V.; Papavassiliou, V.; Pate, S. F.; Pavlovic, Z.; Piasetzky, E.; Porzio, D.; Pulliam, G.; Qian, X.; Raaf, J. L.; Radeka, V.; Rafique, A.; Rescia, S.; Rochester, L.; von Rohr, C. Rudolf; Russell, B.; Schmitz, D. W.; Schukraft, A.; Seligman, W.; Shaevitz, M. H.; Sinclair, J.; Smith, A.; Snider, E. L.; Soderberg, M.; Söldner-Rembold, S.; Soleti, S. R.; Spentzouris, P.; Spitz, J.; St. John, J.; Strauss, T.; Szelc, A. M.; Tagg, N.; Terao, K.; Thomson, M.; Thorn, C.; Toups, M.; Tsai, Y.-T.; Tufanli, S.; Usher, T.; Van De Pontseele, W.; Van de Water, R. G.; Viren, B.; Weber, M.; Wickremasinghe, D. A.; Wolbers, S.; Wongjirad, T.; Woodruff, K.; Yang, T.; Yates, L.; Yu, B.; Zeller, G. P.; Zennamo, J.; Zhang, C.

2017-08-01

The low-noise operation of readout electronics in a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) is critical to properly extract the distribution of ionization charge deposited on the wire planes of the TPC, especially for the induction planes. This paper describes the characteristics and mitigation of the observed noise in the MicroBooNE detector. The MicroBooNE's single-phase LArTPC comprises two induction planes and one collection sense wire plane with a total of 8256 wires. Current induced on each TPC wire is amplified and shaped by custom low-power, low-noise ASICs immersed in the liquid argon. The digitization of the signal waveform occurs outside the cryostat. Using data from the first year of MicroBooNE operations, several excess noise sources in the TPC were identified and mitigated. The residual equivalent noise charge (ENC) after noise filtering varies with wire length and is found to be below 400 electrons for the longest wires (4.7 m). The response is consistent with the cold electronics design expectations and is found to be stable with time and uniform over the functioning channels. This noise level is significantly lower than previous experiments utilizing warm front-end electronics.

Design and implementation of the ATLAS TRT front end electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newcomer, Mitch; Atlas TRT Collaboration

2006-07-01

The ATLAS TRT subsystem is comprised of 380,000 4 mm straw tube sensors ranging in length from 30 to 80 cm. Polypropelene plastic layers between straws and a xenon-based gas mixture in the straws allow the straws to be used for both tracking and transition radiation detection. Detector-mounted electronics with data sparsification was chosen to minimize the cable plant inside the super-conducting solenoid of the ATLAS inner tracker. The "on detector" environment required a small footprint, low noise, low power and radiation-tolerant readout capable of triggering at rates up to 20 MHz with an analog signal dynamic range of >300 times the discriminator setting. For tracking, a position resolution better than 150 μm requires leading edge trigger timing with ˜1 ns precision and for transition radiation detection, a charge collection time long enough to integrate the direct and reflected signal from the unterminated straw tube is needed for position-independent energy measurement. These goals have been achieved employing two custom Application-specific integrated circuits (ASICS) and board design techniques that successfully separate analog and digital functionality while providing an integral part of the straw tube shielding.

Design methodology: edgeless 3D ASICs with complex in-pixel processing for pixel detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fahim Farah, Fahim Farah; Deptuch, Grzegorz W.; Hoff, James R.

The design methodology for the development of 3D integrated edgeless pixel detectors with in-pixel processing using Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools is presented. A large area 3 tier 3D detector with one sensor layer and two ASIC layers containing one analog and one digital tier, is built for x-ray photon time of arrival measurement and imaging. A full custom analog pixel is 65μm x 65μm. It is connected to a sensor pixel of the same size on one side, and on the other side it has approximately 40 connections to the digital pixel. A 32 x 32 edgeless array withoutmore » any peripheral functional blocks constitutes a sub-chip. The sub-chip is an indivisible unit, which is further arranged in a 6 x 6 array to create the entire 1.248cm x 1.248cm ASIC. Each chip has 720 bump-bond I/O connections, on the back of the digital tier to the ceramic PCB. All the analog tier power and biasing is conveyed through the digital tier from the PCB. The assembly has no peripheral functional blocks, and hence the active area extends to the edge of the detector. This was achieved by using a few flavors of almost identical analog pixels (minimal variation in layout) to allow for peripheral biasing blocks to be placed within pixels. The 1024 pixels within a digital sub-chip array have a variety of full custom, semi-custom and automated timing driven functional blocks placed together. The methodology uses a modified mixed-mode on-top digital implementation flow to not only harness the tool efficiency for timing and floor-planning but also to maintain designer control over compact parasitically aware layout. The methodology uses the Cadence design platform, however it is not limited to this tool.« less

Design methodology: edgeless 3D ASICs with complex in-pixel processing for pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fahim, Farah; Deptuch, Grzegorz W.; Hoff, James R.; Mohseni, Hooman

2015-08-01

The design methodology for the development of 3D integrated edgeless pixel detectors with in-pixel processing using Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools is presented. A large area 3 tier 3D detector with one sensor layer and two ASIC layers containing one analog and one digital tier, is built for x-ray photon time of arrival measurement and imaging. A full custom analog pixel is 65μm x 65μm. It is connected to a sensor pixel of the same size on one side, and on the other side it has approximately 40 connections to the digital pixel. A 32 x 32 edgeless array without any peripheral functional blocks constitutes a sub-chip. The sub-chip is an indivisible unit, which is further arranged in a 6 x 6 array to create the entire 1.248cm x 1.248cm ASIC. Each chip has 720 bump-bond I/O connections, on the back of the digital tier to the ceramic PCB. All the analog tier power and biasing is conveyed through the digital tier from the PCB. The assembly has no peripheral functional blocks, and hence the active area extends to the edge of the detector. This was achieved by using a few flavors of almost identical analog pixels (minimal variation in layout) to allow for peripheral biasing blocks to be placed within pixels. The 1024 pixels within a digital sub-chip array have a variety of full custom, semi-custom and automated timing driven functional blocks placed together. The methodology uses a modified mixed-mode on-top digital implementation flow to not only harness the tool efficiency for timing and floor-planning but also to maintain designer control over compact parasitically aware layout. The methodology uses the Cadence design platform, however it is not limited to this tool.

The SAFIR experiment: Concept, status and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Robert; Buck, Alfred; Casella, Chiara; Dissertori, Günther; Fischer, Jannis; Howard, Alexander; Ito, Mikiko; Khateri, Parisa; Lustermann, Werner; Oliver, Josep F.; Röser, Ulf; Warnock, Geoffrey; Weber, Bruno

2017-02-01

The SAFIR development represents a novel Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detector, conceived for preclinical fast acquisitions inside the bore of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner. The goal is hybrid and simultaneous PET/MRI dynamic studies at unprecedented temporal resolutions of a few seconds. The detector relies on matrices of scintillating LSO-based crystals coupled one-to-one with SiPM arrays and readout by fast ASICs with excellent timing resolution and high rate capabilities. The paper describes the detector concept and the initial results in terms of simulations and characterisation measurements.

JWST Near-Infrared Detectors: Latest Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Erin C.; Rauscher, Bernard J.; Alexander, David; Brambora, Clifford K.; Chiao, Meng; Clemons, Brian L.; Derro, Rebecca; Engler, Chuck; Fox, Ori; Garrison, Matthew B.;

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Averyanov, A. V.; Bajajin, A. G.; Chepurnov, V. F.

The time-projection chamber (TPC) is the main tracking detector in the MPD/NICA. The information on charge-particle tracks in the TPC is registered by the MWPG with cathode pad readout. The frontend electronics (FEE) are developed with use of modern technologies such as application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), and data transfer to a concentrator via a fast optical interface. The main parameters of the FEE are as follows: total number of channels, ∼95 000; data stream from the whole TPC, 5 GB/s; low power consumption, less than 100 mW/ch; signal to noise ratio (S/N), 30; equivalent noisemore » charge (ENC), <1000e{sup –} (C{sub in} = 10–20 pF); and zero suppression (pad signal rejection ∼90%). The article presents the status of the readout chamber construction and the data acquisition system. The results of testing FEE prototypes are presented.« less

Heterogeneous IP Ecosystem enabling Reuse (HIER)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-22

Technical Approach and Justification IP reuse is a cornerstone of the commercial electronics market particularly in the digital domain...even in the digital domain. Significant investments in custom ASIC designs have been made by the government, but the IP resulting from such... approach to address requirements for that program. Research Plan The original vision for the HIER activity involved the evaluation

Fast Low-Cost Multiple Sensor Readout System

DOEpatents

Carter-Lewis, David; Krennich, Frank; Le Bohec, Stephane; Petry, Dirk; Sleege, Gary

2004-04-06

A low resolution data acquisition system is presented. The data acquisition system has a plurality of readout modules serially connected to a controller. Each readout module has a FPGA in communication with analog to digital (A/D) converters, which are connected to sensors. The A/D converter has eight bit or lower resolution. The FPGA detects when a command is addressed to it and commands the A/D converters to convert analog sensor data into digital data. The digital data is sent on a high speed serial communication bus to the controller. A graphical display is used in one embodiment to indicate if a sensor reading is outside of a predetermined range.

Optimal CCD readout by digital correlated double sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alessandri, C.; Abusleme, A.; Guzman, D.; Passalacqua, I.; Alvarez-Fontecilla, E.; Guarini, M.

2016-01-01

Digital correlated double sampling (DCDS), a readout technique for charge-coupled devices (CCD), is gaining popularity in astronomical applications. By using an oversampling ADC and a digital filter, a DCDS system can achieve a better performance than traditional analogue readout techniques at the expense of a more complex system analysis. Several attempts to analyse and optimize a DCDS system have been reported, but most of the work presented in the literature has been experimental. Some approximate analytical tools have been presented for independent parameters of the system, but the overall performance and trade-offs have not been yet modelled. Furthermore, there is disagreement among experimental results that cannot be explained by the analytical tools available. In this work, a theoretical analysis of a generic DCDS readout system is presented, including key aspects such as the signal conditioning stage, the ADC resolution, the sampling frequency and the digital filter implementation. By using a time-domain noise model, the effect of the digital filter is properly modelled as a discrete-time process, thus avoiding the imprecision of continuous-time approximations that have been used so far. As a result, an accurate, closed-form expression for the signal-to-noise ratio at the output of the readout system is reached. This expression can be easily optimized in order to meet a set of specifications for a given CCD, thus providing a systematic design methodology for an optimal readout system. Simulated results are presented to validate the theory, obtained with both time- and frequency-domain noise generation models for completeness.

ASICs for the Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paschalidis, Nicholas; McNutt, Ralph

One of the most critical challenges of the Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Inves-tigation (PEPSSI) was to meet the science requirements with a total mass and power of ¡1.5 kg and ¡2.5 W, respectively. A key, enabling technology to achieve these goals was the exten-sive use of high-performance, low-power, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for the miniaturization of the 12-channel solid state detector (SSD) readout system, the time-of-flight (TOF) system, and the power supply and housekeeping systems. The PEPSSI instrument is a TOF-versus-energy, compact particle spectrometer that provides measurements of ions and electrons from 20keV to 1MeV in a 160 x 12 solid angle field of view divided into six dual-channel sectors. TOF, constant fraction discriminator (CFD), energy, peak detector, and temperature, remote input/output (TRIO, housekeeping) ASICs were all used synergistically in the instrument enabling the high science performance within the resource constraints. The ASICs were space qualified in accord with military specifications (Class S) for total radiation dose and single-event effects (SEEs), and, most importantly, for a 2000-hour life test to increase the reliability for the long duration of the mission. PEPSSI flies on-board the New Horizons NASA spacecraft to measure pick-up ions from the Pluto's outgassing atmosphere. The space-craft was launched 19 Jan 2006 and presently is en route to Pluto, having passed Jupiter in early 2007. Closest approach to Pluto will occur in mid-July 2015. The instrument has already produced excellent measurements in interplanetary space and during the traversal of Jupiter's magnetotail in 2007.

X-ray fluorescence imaging system for fast mapping of pigment distributions in cultural heritage paintings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zielińska, A.; Dąbrowski, W.; Fiutowski, T.; Mindur, B.; Wiącek, P.; Wróbel, P.

2013-10-01

Conventional X-ray fluorescence imaging technique uses a focused X-ray beam to scan through the sample and an X-ray detector with high energy resolution but no spatial resolution. The spatial resolution of the image is then determined by the size of the exciting beam, which can be obtained either from a synchrotron source or from an X-ray tube with a micro-capillary lens. Such a technique based on a pixel-by-pixel measurement is very slow and not suitable for imaging large area samples. The goal of this work is to develop a system capable of simultaneous imaging of large area samples by using a wide field uniform excitation X-ray beam and a position sensitive and energy dispersive detector. The development is driven by possible application of such a system to imaging of distributions of hidden pigments containing specific elements in cultural heritage paintings, which is of great interest for the cultural heritage research. The fluorescence radiation from the area of 10 × 10 cm2 is projected through a pinhole camera on the Gas Electron Multiplier detector of the same area. The detector is equipped with two sets of orthogonal readout strips. The strips are read out by the GEMROC Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC)s, which deliver time and amplitude information for each hit. This ASIC architecture combined with a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based readout system allows us to reconstruct the position and the total energy of each detected photon for high count rates up to 5 × 106 cps. Energy resolution better than 20% FWHM for the 5.9 keV line and spatial resolution of 1 mm FWHM have been achieved for the prototype system. Although the energy resolution of the Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector is, by principle, not competitive with that of specialised high energy resolution semiconductor detectors, it is sufficient for a number of applications. Compared to conventional micro-XRF techniques the developed system allows shortening of the measurement time by 2-3 orders of magnitude.

180-GHz Interferometric Imager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kangaslahti, Pekka P.; Lim, Boon H.; O'Dwyer, Ian J.; Soria, Mary M.; Owen, Heather R.; Gaier, Todd C.; Lambrigtsen, Bjorn, H.; Tanner, Alan B.; Ruf, Christopher

2011-01-01

A 180-GHz interferometric imager uses compact receiver modules, combined high- and low-gain antennas, and ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) correlator technology, enabling continuous, all-weather observations of water vapor with 25-km resolution and 0.3-K noise in 15 minutes of observation for numerical weather forecasting and tropical storm prediction. The GeoSTAR-II prototype instrument is broken down into four major subsystems: the compact, low-noise receivers; sub-array modules; IF signal distribution; and the digitizer/correlator. Instead of the single row of antennas adopted in GeoSTAR, this version has four rows of antennas on a coarser grid. This dramatically improves the sensitivity in the desired field of view. The GeoSTAR-II instrument is a 48-element, synthetic, thinned aperture radiometer operating at 165-183 GHz. The instrument has compact receivers integrated into tiles of 16 elements in a 4x4 arrangement. These tiles become the building block of larger arrays. The tiles contain signal distribution for bias controls, IF signal, and local oscillator signals. The IF signals are digitized and correlated using an ASIC correlator to minimize power consumption. Previous synthetic aperture imagers have used comparatively large multichip modules, whereas this approach uses chip-scale modules mounted on circuit boards, which are in turn mounted on the distribution manifolds. This minimizes the number of connectors and reduces system mass. The use of ASIC technology in the digitizers and correlators leads to a power reduction close to an order of magnitude.

Present and Future Applications of Digital Electronics in Nuclear Science - a Commercial Prospective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Hui

2011-10-01

Digital readout electronics instrumenting radiation detectors have experienced significant advancements in the last decade or so. This on one hand can be attributed to the steady improvements in commercial digital processing components such as analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), field-programmable-gate-arrays (FPGAs), and digital-signal-processors (DSPs), and on the other hand can also be attributed to the increasing needs for improved time, position, and energy resolution in nuclear physics experiments, which have spurred the rapid development of commercial off-the-shelf high speed, high resolution digitizers or spectrometers. Absent from conventional analog electronics, the capability to record fast decaying pulses from radiation detectors in digital readout electronics has profoundly benefited nuclear physics researchers since they now can perform detailed pulse processing for applications such as gamma-ray tracking and decay-event selection and reconstruction. In this talk, present state-of-the-art digital readout electronics and its applications in a variety of nuclear science fields will be discussed, and future directions in hardware development for digital electronics will also be outlined, all from the prospective of a commercial manufacturer of digital electronics.

Trigger readout electronics upgrade for the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinkespiler, B.

2017-09-01

The upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) scheduled for the 2019-2020 shut-down period, referred to as Phase-I upgrade, will increase the instantaneous luminosity to about three times the design value. Since the current ATLAS trigger system does not allow sufficient increase of the trigger rate, an improvement of the trigger system is required. The Liquid Argon (LAr) Calorimeter read-out will therefore be modified to deliver digital trigger signals with a higher spatial granularity in order to improve the identification efficiencies of electrons, photons, tau, jets and missing energy, at high background rejection rates at the Level-1 trigger. The new trigger signals will be arranged in 34000 so-called Super Cells which achieves 5-10 times better granularity than the trigger towers currently used and allows an improved background rejection. The readout of the trigger signals will process the signal of the Super Cells at every LHC bunch-crossing at 12-bit precision and a frequency of 40 MHz. The data will be transmitted to the Back End using a custom serializer and optical converter and 5.12 Gb/s optical links. In order to verify the full functionality of the future Liquid Argon trigger system, a demonstrator set-up has been installed on the ATLAS detector and is operated in parallel to the regular ATLAS data taking during the LHC Run-2 in 2015 and 2016. Noise level and linearity on the energy measurement have been verified to be within our requirements. In addition, we have collected data from 13 TeV proton collisions during the LHC 2015 and 2016 runs, and have observed real pulses from the detector through the demonstrator system. The talk will give an overview of the Phase-I Upgrade of the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter readout and present the custom developed hardware including their role in real-time data processing and fast data transfer. This contribution will also report on the performance of the newly developed ASICs including their radiation tolerance and on the performance of the prototype boards in the demonstrator system based on various measurements with the 13 TeV collision data. Results of the high-speed link test with the prototypes of the final electronic boards will be also reported.

System-level considerations for the front-end readout ASIC in the CBM experiment from the power supply perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasinski, K.; Koczon, P.; Ayet, S.; Löchner, S.; Schmidt, C. J.

2017-03-01

New fixed target experiments using high intensity beams with energy up to 10 AGeV from the SIS100 synchrotron presently being constructed at FAIR/GSI are under preparation. Most of the readout electronics and power supplies are expected to be exposed to a very high flux of nuclear reaction products and have to be radiation tolerant up to 3 MRad (TID) and sustain up to 1014/cm2 of 1 MeV neutron equivalent in their life time. Moreover, the mostly minimum ionising particles under investigation leave very little signal in the sensors. Therefore very low noise level amplitude measurements are required by the front-end electronics for effective tracking. Sensor and interconnecting micro-cable capacitance and series resistance in conjunction with intrinsic noise of the charge sensitive amplifier are dominant noise sources in the system. However, the single-ended architecture of the amplifiers employed for the charge processing channels implies a potential problem with noise contributions from power supply sources. Strict system-level constraints leave very little freedom in selecting a power supply structure optimal with respect to: power efficiency, cooling capabilities and power density on modules, but also noise injection to the front-end via the power supply lines. Design of the power supply and distribution system of the Silicon Tracking System in the CBM experiment together with details on the front-end ASICs (STS -XYTER2) and measurement results of power supply and conditioning electronics (selected DC/DC converter and LDO regulators) are presented.

Optical transmission modules for multi-channel superconducting quantum interference device readouts.

PubMed

Kim, Jin-Mok; Kwon, Hyukchan; Yu, Kwon-kyu; Lee, Yong-Ho; Kim, Kiwoong

2013-12-01

We developed an optical transmission module consisting of 16-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC), digital-noise filter, and one-line serial transmitter, which transferred Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) readout data to a computer by a single optical cable. A 16-channel ADC sent out SQUID readouts data with 32-bit serial data of 8-bit channel and 24-bit voltage data at a sample rate of 1.5 kSample/s. A digital-noise filter suppressed digital noises generated by digital clocks to obtain SQUID modulation as large as possible. One-line serial transmitter reformed 32-bit serial data to the modulated data that contained data and clock, and sent them through a single optical cable. When the optical transmission modules were applied to 152-channel SQUID magnetoencephalography system, this system maintained a field noise level of 3 fT/√Hz @ 100 Hz.

A design of a valid signal selecting and position decoding ASIC for PET using silicon photomultipliers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, M.; Lim, K.-t.; Kim, H.; Yeom, J.-y.; Kim, J.; Lee, C.; Choi, H.; Cho, G.

2017-01-01

In most cases, a PET system has numerous electrical components and channel circuits and thus it would rather be a bulky product. Also, most existing systems receive analog signals from detectors which make them vulnerable to signal distortions. For these reasons, channel reduction techniques are important. In this work, an ASIC for PET module is being proposed. An ASIC chip for 16 PET detector channels, VSSPDC, has been designed and simulated. The main function of the chip is 16-to-1 channel reduction, i.e., finding the position of only the valid signals, signal timing, and magnitudes in all 16 channels at every recorded event. The ASIC comprises four of 4-channel modules and a 2nd 4-to-1 router. A single channel module comprises a transimpedance amplifier for the silicon photomultipliers, dual comparators with high and low level references, and a logic circuitry. While the high level reference was used to test the validity of the signal, the low level reference was used for the timing. The 1-channel module of the ASIC produced an energy pulse by time-over-threshold method and it also produced a time pulse with a fixed delayed time. Since the ASIC chip outputs only a few digital pulses and does not require an external clock, it has an advantage over noise properties. The cadence simulation showed the good performance of the chip as designed.

CLARO: an ASIC for high rate single photon counting with multi-anode photomultipliers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baszczyk, M.; Carniti, P.; Cassina, L.; Cotta Ramusino, A.; Dorosz, P.; Fiorini, M.; Gotti, C.; Kucewicz, W.; Malaguti, R.; Pessina, G.

2017-08-01

The CLARO is a radiation-hard 8-channel ASIC designed for single photon counting with multi-anode photomultiplier tubes. Each channel outputs a digital pulse when the input signal from the photomultiplier crosses a configurable threshold. The fast return to baseline, typically within 25 ns, and below 50 ns in all conditions, allows to count up to 107 hits/s on each channel, with a power consumption of about 1 mW per channel. The ASIC presented here is a much improved version of the first 4-channel prototype. The threshold can be precisely set in a wide range, between 30 ke- (5 fC) and 16 Me- (2.6 pC). The noise of the amplifier with a 10 pF input capacitance is 3.5 ke- (0.6 fC) RMS. All settings are stored in a 128-bit configuration and status register, protected against soft errors with triple modular redundancy. The paper describes the design of the ASIC at transistor-level, and demonstrates its performance on the test bench.

Implementation and Performance of GaAs Digital Signal Processing ASICs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, William D.; Buchanan, Jeffrey R.; Burke, Gary R.; Chow, Terrance W.; Graham, J. Scott; Kowalski, James E.; Lam, Barbara; Siavoshi, Fardad; Thompson, Matthew S.; Johnson, Robert A.

1993-01-01

The feasibility of performing high speed digital signal processing in GaAs gate array technology has been demonstrated with the successful implementation of a VLSI communications chip set for NASA's Deep Space Network. This paper describes the techniques developed to solve some of the technology and implementation problems associated with large scale integration of GaAs gate arrays.

WE-C-217BCD-10: Development of High Performance PET for Animal Imaging and Therapy Applications.

PubMed

Shao, Y; Sun, X; Lan, K; Bircher, C

2012-06-01

A prototype small animal PET is developed with several novel technologies to measure 3D gamma-interaction positions and to substantially improve imaging performance. Each new detector has an 8×8 array of 1.95×1.95×30 mm̂3 LYSO scintillators, with each end optically connected to a solid-state photo multiplier (SSPM) array through a light guide. This dual-ended-readout enables the depth-of-interaction (DOI) measurement. Each SSPM array has 16 SSPMs arranged in a 4×4 matrix. Each SSPM has active area about 3×3 mm̂2, with its output read by an ASIC electronics that directly converts analog signals to digital timing pulses which encode the interaction information for energy, timing, crystal of interaction, and DOI calculations. These digital pulses are transferred to and decoded by FPGA-based TDC for coincident event selection and data acquisition. This independent readout of each SSPM and parallel signal process significantly improve signal-to-noise ratio and permit applying flexible data processing algorithms. The current prototype system consists of two rotating detector panels on a portable gantry, with 4 detectors linearly packed together in each panel to provide ∼16 mm axial and variable trans- axial FOV with adjustable panel-to-panel distance. List-mode OSEM-based image reconstruction with resolution modeling was implemented. Both Na- 22 point source and phantom were used to evaluate the system performance. The measured energy, timing, spatial and DOI resolutions for each crystal were around 16%, 2.6 ns, 2.0 mm and 5.0 mm, respectively. The measured spatial resolutions with DOI were ∼1.7 mm across the entire FOV in all direction, while those without DOI were much worse and non-uniform across the FOV, in the range predominately around 3.0 to 4.0 mm. In addition, images from a F-18 hot-rod phantom with DOI show significantly improved quality compared to those without DOI. DOI- measurable PET shows substantially improved image performance for a compact system. National Institute of Health. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Integrated Cryogenic Electronics Testbed (ICE-T) for Evaluation of Superconductor and Cryo-Semiconductor Integrated Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dotsenko, V. V.; Sahu, A.; Chonigman, B.; Tang, J.; Lehmann, A. E.; Gupta, V.; Talalevskii, A.; Ruotolo, S.; Sarwana, S.; Webber, R. J.; Gupta, D.

2017-02-01

Research and development of cryogenic application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), such as high-frequency (tens of GHz) semiconductor and superconductor mixed-signal circuits and large-scale (>10,000 Josephson Junctions) superconductor digital circuits, have long been hindered by the absence of specialized cryogenic test apparatus. During their iterative development phase, most ASICs require many additional input-output lines for applying independent bias controls, injecting test signals, and monitoring outputs of different sub-circuits. We are developing a full suite of modular test apparatus based on cryocoolers that do not consume liquid helium, and support extensive electrical interfaces to standard and custom test equipment. Our design separates the cryogenics from electrical connections, allowing even inexperienced users to conduct testing by simply mounting their ASIC on a removable electrical insert. Thermal connections between the cold stages and the inserts are made with robust thermal links. ICE-T accommodates two independent electrical inserts at the same time. We have designed various inserts, such as universal ones with all 40 or 80 coaxial cables and those with customized wiring and temperature-controlled stages. ICE-T features fast thermal cycling for rapid testing, enables detailed testing over long periods (days to months, if necessary), and even supports automated testing of digital ICs with modular additions.

Status of the photomultiplier-based FlashCam camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pühlhofer, G.; Bauer, C.; Eisenkolb, F.; Florin, D.; Föhr, C.; Gadola, A.; Garrecht, F.; Hermann, G.; Jung, I.; Kalekin, O.; Kalkuhl, C.; Kasperek, J.; Kihm, T.; Koziol, J.; Lahmann, R.; Manalaysay, A.; Marszalek, A.; Rajda, P. J.; Reimer, O.; Romaszkan, W.; Rupinski, M.; Schanz, T.; Schwab, T.; Steiner, S.; Straumann, U.; Tenzer, C.; Vollhardt, A.; Weitzel, Q.; Winiarski, K.; Zietara, K.

2014-07-01

The FlashCam project is preparing a camera prototype around a fully digital FADC-based readout system, for the medium sized telescopes (MST) of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The FlashCam design is the first fully digital readout system for Cherenkov cameras, based on commercial FADCs and FPGAs as key components for digitization and triggering, and a high performance camera server as back end. It provides the option to easily implement different types of trigger algorithms as well as digitization and readout scenarios using identical hardware, by simply changing the firmware on the FPGAs. The readout of the front end modules into the camera server is Ethernet-based using standard Ethernet switches and a custom, raw Ethernet protocol. In the current implementation of the system, data transfer and back end processing rates of 3.8 GB/s and 2.4 GB/s have been achieved, respectively. Together with the dead-time-free front end event buffering on the FPGAs, this permits the cameras to operate at trigger rates of up to several ten kHz. In the horizontal architecture of FlashCam, the photon detector plane (PDP), consisting of photon detectors, preamplifiers, high voltage-, control-, and monitoring systems, is a self-contained unit, mechanically detached from the front end modules. It interfaces to the digital readout system via analogue signal transmission. The horizontal integration of FlashCam is expected not only to be more cost efficient, it also allows PDPs with different types of photon detectors to be adapted to the FlashCam readout system. By now, a 144-pixel mini-camera" setup, fully equipped with photomultipliers, PDP electronics, and digitization/ trigger electronics, has been realized and extensively tested. Preparations for a full-scale, 1764 pixel camera mechanics and a cooling system are ongoing. The paper describes the status of the project.

Beam test of CSES silicon strip detector module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Da-Li; Lu, Hong; Wang, Huan-Yu; Li, Xin-Qiao; Xu, Yan-Bing; An, Zheng-Hua; Yu, Xiao-xia; Wang, Hui; Shi, Feng; Wang, Ping; Zhao, Xiao-Yun

2017-05-01

The silicon-strip tracker of the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) consists of two double-sided silicon strip detectors (DSSDs) which provide incident particle tracking information. A low-noise analog ASIC VA140 was used in this study for DSSD signal readout. A beam test on the DSSD module was performed at the Beijing Test Beam Facility of the Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPC) using a 400-800 MeV/c proton beam. The pedestal analysis results, RMSE noise, gain correction, and intensity distribution of incident particles of the DSSD module are presented. Supported by the XXX Civil Space Programme

Digital radiography using amorphous selenium: photoconductively activated switch (PAS) readout system.

PubMed

Reznik, Nikita; Komljenovic, Philip T; Germann, Stephen; Rowlands, John A

2008-03-01

A new amorphous selenium (a-Se) digital radiography detector is introduced. The proposed detector generates a charge image in the a-Se layer in a conventional manner, which is stored on electrode pixels at the surface of the a-Se layer. A novel method, called photoconductively activated switch (PAS), is used to read out the latent x-ray charge image. The PAS readout method uses lateral photoconduction at the a-Se surface which is a revolutionary modification of the bulk photoinduced discharge (PID) methods. The PAS method addresses and eliminates the fundamental weaknesses of the PID methods--long readout times and high readout noise--while maintaining the structural simplicity and high resolution for which PID optical readout systems are noted. The photoconduction properties of the a-Se surface were investigated and the geometrical design for the electrode pixels for a PAS radiography system was determined. This design was implemented in a single pixel PAS evaluation system. The results show that the PAS x-ray induced output charge signal was reproducible and depended linearly on the x-ray exposure in the diagnostic exposure range. Furthermore, the readout was reasonably rapid (10 ms for pixel discharge). The proposed detector allows readout of half a pixel row at a time (odd pixels followed by even pixels), thus permitting the readout of a complete image in 30 s for a 40 cm x 40 cm detector with the potential of reducing that time by using greater readout light intensity. This demonstrates that a-Se based x-ray detectors using photoconductively activated switches could form a basis for a practical integrated digital radiography system.

An array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors and a front-end application-specific integrated circuit for large-area position-sensitive gamma-ray cameras

DOE PAGES

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Ackley, K.; Camarda, G. S.; ...

2015-07-28

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (CZT) detectors coupled to a front-end readout ASIC for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6x6x15 mm 3 detectors grouped into 3x3 sub-arrays of 2x2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readoutmore » electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are made possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.« less

Development of a 32-channel ASIC for an X-ray APD detector onboard the ISS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arimoto, Makoto; Harita, Shohei; Sugita, Satoshi; Yatsu, Yoichi; Kawai, Nobuyuki; Ikeda, Hirokazu; Tomida, Hiroshi; Isobe, Naoki; Ueno, Shiro; Mihara, Tatehiro; Serino, Motoko; Kohmura, Takayoshi; Sakamoto, Takanori; Yoshida, Atsumasa; Tsunemi, Hiroshi; Hatori, Satoshi; Kume, Kyo; Hasegawa, Takashi

2018-02-01

We report on the design and performance of a mixed-signal application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) dedicated to avalanche photodiodes (APDs) in order to detect hard X-ray emissions in a wide energy band onboard the International Space Station. To realize wide-band detection from 20 keV to 1 MeV, we use Ce:GAGG scintillators, each coupled to an APD, with low-noise front-end electronics capable of achieving a minimum energy detection threshold of 20 keV. The developed ASIC has the ability to read out 32-channel APD signals using 0.35 μm CMOS technology, and an analog amplifier at the input stage is designed to suppress the capacitive noise primarily arising from the large detector capacitance of the APDs. The ASIC achieves a performance of 2099 e- + 1.5 e-/pF at root mean square (RMS) with a wide 300 fC dynamic range. Coupling a reverse-type APD with a Ce:GAGG scintillator, we obtain an energy resolution of 6.7% (FWHM) at 662 keV and a minimum detectable energy of 20 keV at room temperature (20 °C). Furthermore, we examine the radiation tolerance for space applications by using a 90 MeV proton beam, confirming that the ASIC is free of single-event effects and can operate properly without serious degradation in analog and digital processing.

X-ray imaging using amorphous selenium: photoinduced discharge (PID) readout for digital general radiography.

PubMed

Rowlands, J A; Hunter, D M

1995-12-01

Digital radiographic systems based on photoconductive layers with the latent charge image readout by photoinduced discharge (PID) are investigated theoretically. Previously, a number of different systems have been proposed using sandwiched photoconductor and insulator layers and readout using a scanning laser beam. These systems are shown to have the general property of being very closely coupled (i.e., optimization of one imaging characteristic usually impacts negatively on others). The presence of a condensed state insulator between the photoconductor surface and the readout electrode does, however, confer a great advantage over systems using air gaps with their relatively low breakdown field. The greater breakdown field of condensed state dielectrics permits the modification of the electric field during the period between image formation and image readout. The trade-off between readout speed and noise makes this system suitable for instant general radiography and even rapid sequence radiography, however, the system is unsuitable for the low exposure rates used in fluoroscopy.

Development of double-sided silicon strip detectors for solar hard x-ray observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Shinya; Ishikawa, Shin-Nosuke; Watanabe, Shin; Odaka, Hirokazu; Sugimoto, Soichiro; Fukuyama, Taro; Kokubun, Motohide; Takahashi, Tadayuki; Terada, Yukikatsu; Tajima, Hiroyasu; Tanaka, Takaaki; Krucker, Säm; Christe, Steven; McBride, Steve; Glesener, Lindsay

2010-07-01

The Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI) is a rocket experiment scheduled for January 2011 launch. FOXSI observes 5 - 15 keV hard X-ray emission from quiet-region solar flares in order to study the acceleration process of electrons and the mechanism of coronal heating. For observing faint hard X-ray emission, FOXSI uses focusing optics for the first time in solar hard X-ray observation, and attains 100 times higher sensitivity than RHESSI, which is the present solar hard X-ray observing satellite. Now our group is working on developments of both Double-sided Silicon Strip Detector (DSSD) and read-out analog ASIC "VATA451" used for FOXSI. Our DSSD has a very fine strip pitch of 75 μm, which has sufficient position resolution for FOXSI mirrors with angular resolution (FWHM) of 12 arcseconds. DSSD also has high spectral resolution and efficiency in the FOXSI's energy range of 5 - 15 keV, when it is read out by our 64-channel analog ASIC. In advance of the FOXSI launch, we have established and tested a setup of 75 μm pitch DSSD bonded with "VATA451" ASICs. We successfully read out from almost all the channels of the detector, and proved ability to make a shadow image of tungsten plate. We also confirmed that our DSSD has energy resolution (FWHM) of 0.5 keV, lower threshold of 5 keV, and position resolution less than 63 μm. These performance satisfy FOXSI's requirements.

Noise Characterization and Filtering in the MicroBooNE Liquid Argon TPC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Acciarri, R.; et al.

The low-noise operation of readout electronics in a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) is critical to properly extract the distribution of ionization charge deposited on the wire planes of the TPC, especially for the induction planes. This paper describes the characteristics and mitigation of the observed noise in the MicroBooNE detector. The MicroBooNE's single-phase LArTPC comprises two induction planes and one collection sense wire plane with a total of 8256 wires. Current induced on each TPC wire is amplified and shaped by custom low-power, low-noise ASICs immersed in the liquid argon. The digitization of the signal waveform occurs outsidemore » the cryostat. Using data from the first year of MicroBooNE operations, several excess noise sources in the TPC were identified and mitigated. The residual equivalent noise charge (ENC) after noise filtering varies with wire length and is found to be below 400 electrons for the longest wires (4.7 m). The response is consistent with the cold electronics design expectations and is found to be stable with time and uniform over the functioning channels. This noise level is significantly lower than previous experiments utilizing warm front-end electronics.« less

Noise Characterization and Filtering in the MicroBooNE Liquid Argon TPC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Acciarri, R.; Adams, C.; An, R.

The low-noise operation of readout electronics in a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) is critical to properly extract the distribution of ionization charge deposited on the wire planes of the TPC, especially for the induction planes. This paper describes the characteristics and mitigation of the observed noise in the MicroBooNE detector. The MicroBooNE's single-phase LArTPC comprises two induction planes and one collection sense wire plane with a total of 8256 wires. Current induced on each TPC wire is amplified and shaped by custom low-power, low-noise ASICs immersed in the liquid argon. The digitization of the signal waveform occurs outsidemore » the cryostat. Using data from the first year of MicroBooNE operations, several excess noise sources in the TPC were identified and mitigated. The residual equivalent noise charge (ENC) after noise filtering varies with wire length and is found to be below 400 electrons for the longest wires (4.7 m). The response is consistent with the cold electronics design expectations and is found to be stable with time and uniform over the functioning channels. In conclusion, this noise level is significantly lower than previous experiments utilizing warm front-end electronics.« less

Noise Characterization and Filtering in the MicroBooNE Liquid Argon TPC

DOE PAGES

Acciarri, R.; Adams, C.; An, R.; ...

2017-08-04

The low-noise operation of readout electronics in a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) is critical to properly extract the distribution of ionization charge deposited on the wire planes of the TPC, especially for the induction planes. This paper describes the characteristics and mitigation of the observed noise in the MicroBooNE detector. The MicroBooNE's single-phase LArTPC comprises two induction planes and one collection sense wire plane with a total of 8256 wires. Current induced on each TPC wire is amplified and shaped by custom low-power, low-noise ASICs immersed in the liquid argon. The digitization of the signal waveform occurs outsidemore » the cryostat. Using data from the first year of MicroBooNE operations, several excess noise sources in the TPC were identified and mitigated. The residual equivalent noise charge (ENC) after noise filtering varies with wire length and is found to be below 400 electrons for the longest wires (4.7 m). The response is consistent with the cold electronics design expectations and is found to be stable with time and uniform over the functioning channels. In conclusion, this noise level is significantly lower than previous experiments utilizing warm front-end electronics.« less

ISFET-based sensor signal processor chip design for environment monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Wen-Yaw; Yang, Chung-Huang; Wang, Ming-Ga

2004-12-01

In recent years Ion-Sensitive Field Effect Transistor (ISFET) based transducers create valuable applications in physiological data acquisition and environment monitoring. This paper presents a mixed-mode ASIC design for potentiometric ISFET-based bio-chemical sensor applications including H+ sensing and hand-held pH meter. For battery power consideration, the proposed system consists of low voltage (3V) analog front-end readout circuits and digital processor has been developed and fabricated in a 0.5mm double-poly double-metal CMOS technology. To assure that the correct pH value can be measured, the two-point calibration circuitry based on the response of standard pH4 and pH7 buffer solution has been implemented by using algorithmic state machine hardware algorithms. The measurement accuracy of the chip is 10 bits and the measured range between pH 2 to pH 12 compared to ideal values is within the accuracy of 0.1pH. For homeland environmental applications, the system provide rapid, easy to use, and cost-effective on-site testing on the quality of water, such as drinking water, ground water and river water. The processor has a potential usage in battery-operated and portable devices in environmental monitoring applications compared to commercial hand-held pH meter.

Front-end ASICs for high-energy astrophysics in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gevin, O.; Limousin, O.; Meuris, A.

2016-07-01

In most of embedded imaging systems for space applications, high granularity and increasing size of focal planes justify an almost systematic use of integrated circuits. . To fulfill challenging requirements for excellent spatial and energy resolution, integrated circuits must fit the sensors perfectly and interface the system such a way to optimize simultaneously noise, geometry and architecture. Moreover, very low power consumption and radiation tolerance are mandatory to envision a use onboard a payload in space. Consequently, being part of an optimized detection system for space, the integrated circuit is specifically designed for each application and becomes an Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC). The paper focuses on mixed analog and digital signal ASICs for spectro-imaging systems in the keVMeV energy band. The first part of the paper summarizes the main advantages conferred by the use of front-end ASICs for highenergy astrophysics instruments in space mission. Space qualification of ASICs requires the chip to be radiation hard. The paper will shortly describe some of the typical hardening techniques and give some guidelines that an ASIC designer should follow to choose the most efficient technology for his project. The first task of the front-end electronics is to convert the charge coming from the detector into a voltage. For most of the Silicon detectors (CCD, DEPFET, SDD) this is conversion happens in the detector itself. For other sensor materials, charge preamplifiers operate the conversion. The paper shortly describes the different key parameters of charge preamplifiers and the binding parameters for the design. Filtering is generally mandatory in order to increase the signal to noise ratio or to reduce the duration of the signal. After a brief review on the main noise sources, the paper reviews noise-filtering techniques that are commonly used in Integrated circuits designs. The way sensors and ASICs are interconnected together plays a major role in the noise performances of the detection systems. The geometry of a sensor is therefore critical and drives the ASIC design. The second part of the paper takes the geometry of the detector as a story line to explore different kinds of ASIC structures and architectures. From the simple single-channel ASIC for CCDs to the most advanced 3D ASIC prototypes used to build dead-zone free imaging systems, the paper reports on different families of circuits for spectro-imaging systems. It emphasizes a variety of designer choices, all around the word, in different space missions.

A CMOS application-specified-integrated-circuit for 40 GHz high-electron-mobility-transistors automatic biasing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Matteis, M.; De Blasi, M.; Vallicelli, E. A.; Zannoni, M.; Gervasi, M.; Bau, A.; Passerini, A.; Baschirotto, A.

2017-02-01

This paper presents the design and the experimental results of a CMOS Automatic Control System (ACS) for the biasing of High-Electron-Mobility-Transistors (HEMT). The ACS is the first low-power mixed-signal Application-Specified-Integrated-Circuit (ASIC) able to automatically set and regulate the operating point of an off-chip 6 HEMT Low-Noise-Amplifiers (LNAs), hence it composes a two-chip system (the ACS+LNAs) to be used in the Large Scale Polarization Explorer (LSPE) stratospheric balloon for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) signal observation. The hereby presented ACS ASIC provides a reliable instrumentation for gradual and very stable LNAs characterization, switching-on, and operating point (<4 mV accuracy). Moreover, it simplifies the electronic instrumentation needed for biasing the LNAs, since it replaces several off-the-shelf and digital programmable device components. The ASIC prototype has been implemented in a CMOS 0.35 μ m technology (12 mm2 area occupancy). It operates at 4 kHz clock frequency. The power consumption of one-channel ASIC (biasing one LNA) is 3.6 mW, whereas 30 mW are consumed by a single LNA device.

A CMOS application-specified-integrated-circuit for 40 GHz high-electron-mobility-transistors automatic biasing.

PubMed

De Matteis, M; De Blasi, M; Vallicelli, E A; Zannoni, M; Gervasi, M; Bau, A; Passerini, A; Baschirotto, A

2017-02-01

This paper presents the design and the experimental results of a CMOS Automatic Control System (ACS) for the biasing of High-Electron-Mobility-Transistors (HEMT). The ACS is the first low-power mixed-signal Application-Specified-Integrated-Circuit (ASIC) able to automatically set and regulate the operating point of an off-chip 6 HEMT Low-Noise-Amplifiers (LNAs), hence it composes a two-chip system (the ACS+LNAs) to be used in the Large Scale Polarization Explorer (LSPE) stratospheric balloon for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) signal observation. The hereby presented ACS ASIC provides a reliable instrumentation for gradual and very stable LNAs characterization, switching-on, and operating point (<4 mV accuracy). Moreover, it simplifies the electronic instrumentation needed for biasing the LNAs, since it replaces several off-the-shelf and digital programmable device components. The ASIC prototype has been implemented in a CMOS 0.35 μm technology (12 mm 2 area occupancy). It operates at 4 kHz clock frequency. The power consumption of one-channel ASIC (biasing one LNA) is 3.6 mW, whereas 30 mW are consumed by a single LNA device.

NECTAR: New electronics for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naumann, Christopher Lindsay; Bolmont, J.; Corona, P.; Delagnes, E.; Dzahini, D.; Feinstein, F.; Gascon, D.; Glicenstein, J.-F.; Nayman, P.; Rarbi, F.; Ribo, M.; Sanuy, A.; Siero, X.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Toussenel, F.; Vincent, P.; Vorobiov, S.

2012-12-01

The international CTA consortium is currently in the preparatory phase for the development of the next-generation Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA [1]), based on the return of experience from the three major current-generation arrays H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS. To achieve an unprecedented sensitivity and energy range for TeV gamma rays, a new kind of flexible and powerful yet inexpensive front-end hardware will be required for the order of 105 channels of photodetectors in up to 100 telescopes. One possible solution is the NECTAr (New Electronics for the Cherenkov Telescope Array) system, based on the integration of as much as possible of the front-end electronics (amplifiers, fast analogue samplers, memory and ADCs) into a single ASIC for very fast readout performance and a significant reduction of the cost and the lower consumption per channel, while offering a high degree of flexibility both for the triggering and the readout of the telescope. The current status of its development is presented, along with newest results from measurements and simulation studies.

Radiation dosimeter

DOEpatents

Fox, Richard J.

1983-01-01

A radiation detector readout circuit is provided which produces a radiation dose-rate readout from a detector even though the detector output may be highly energy dependent. A linear charge amplifier including an output charge pump circuit amplifies the charge signal pulses from the detector and pumps the charge into a charge storage capacitor. The discharge rate of the capacitor through a resistor is controlled to provide a time-dependent voltage which when integrated provides an output proportional to the dose-rate of radiation detected by the detector. This output may be converted to digital form for readout on a digital display.

Radiation dosimeter

DOEpatents

Fox, R.J.

1981-09-01

A radiation detector readout circuit is provided which produces a radiation dose-rate readout from a detector even through the detector output may be highly energy dependent. A linear charge amplifier including an output charge pump circuit amplifies the charge signal pulses from the detector and pumps the charge into a charge storage capacitor. The discharge rate of the capacitor through a resistor is controlled to provide a time-dependent voltage which when integrated provides an output proportional to the dose-rate of radiation detected by the detector. This output may be converted to digital form for readout on a digital display.

The readout electronics for Plastic Scintillator Detector of DAMPE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Jie; Yang, Haibo; Zhao, Hongyun; Su, Hong; Sun, Zhiyu; Yu, Yuhong; JingZhe, Zhang; Wang, XiaoHui; Liu, Jie; Xiao, Guoqing; Ma, Xinwen

2016-07-01

The Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) satellite, which launched in December 2015, is designed to find the evidence of the existence of dark matter particles in the universe via the detection of the high-energy electrons and gamma-ray particles produced possibly by the annihilation of dark matter particles. Plastic Scintillator Detector (PSD) is one of major part of the satellite payload, which is comprised of a crossed pair of layers with 41 plastic scintillator-strips, each read out from both ends by the same Hamamatsu R4443MOD2 photo-multiplier tubes (PMTs). In order to extend linear dynamic range of detector, PMTs read out each plastic scintillator-strip separately with two dynode pickoffs. Therefore, the readout electronics system comprises of four Front-end boards to receive the pulses from 328 PMTs and implement charge measurement, which is based on the Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip VA160, 16 bits ADC and FPGA. The electronics of the detector has been designed following stringent requirements on mechanical and thermal stability, power consumption, radiation hardness and double redundancy. Various experiments are designed and implemented to check the performance of the electronics, some excellent results has been achieved.According to experimental results analysis, it is proved that the readout electronics works well.

Design of a Multi-Channel Front-End Readout ASIC With Low Noise and Large Dynamic Input Range for APD-Based PET Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, X. C.; Hu-Guo, Ch.; Ollivier-Henry, N.; Brasse, D.; Hu, Y.

2010-06-01

This paper represents the design of a low-noise, wide band multi-channel readout integrated circuit (IC) used as front end readout electronics of avalanche photo diodes (APD) dedicated to a small animal positron emission tomography (PET) system. The first ten-channel prototype chip (APD-Chip) of the analog parts has been designed and fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS process. Every channel of the APD_Chip includes a charge-sensitive preamplifier (CSA), a CR-(RC)2 shaper, and an analog buffer. In a channel, the CSA reads charge signals (10 bits dynamic range) from an APD array having 10 pF of capacitance per pixel. A linearized degenerated differential pair which ensures high linearity in all dynamical range is used as the high feedback resistor for preventing pile up of signals. The designed CSA has the capability of compensating automatically up to 200 nA leakage current from the detector. The CR-(RC)2 shaper filters and shapes the output signal of the CSA. An equivalent input noise charge obtained from test is 275 e -+ 10 e-/pF. In this paper the prototype is presented for both its theoretical analysis and its test results.

Wideband pulse amplifiers for the NECTAr chip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanuy, A.; Delagnes, E.; Gascon, D.; Sieiro, X.; Bolmont, J.; Corona, P.; Feinstein, F.; Glicenstein, J.-F.; Naumann, C. L.; Nayman, P.; Ribó, M.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Toussenel, F.; Vincent, P.; Vorobiov, S.

2012-12-01

The NECTAr collaboration's FE option for the camera of the CTA is a 16 bits and 1-3 GS/s sampling chip based on analog memories including most of the readout functions. This works describes the input amplifiers of the NECTAr ASIC. A fully differential wideband amplifier, with voltage gain up to 20 V/V and a BW of 400 MHz. As it is impossible to design a fully differential OpAmp with an 8 GHz GBW product in a 0.35 CMOS technology, an alternative implementation based on HF linearized transconductors is explored. The output buffer is a class AB miller operational amplifier, with special non-linear current boost.

Multi-element germanium detectors for synchrotron applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumaiz, A. K.; Kuczewski, A. J.; Mead, J.; Vernon, E.; Pinelli, D.; Dooryhee, E.; Ghose, S.; Caswell, T.; Siddons, D. P.; Miceli, A.; Baldwin, J.; Almer, J.; Okasinski, J.; Quaranta, O.; Woods, R.; Krings, T.; Stock, S.

2018-04-01

We have developed a series of monolithic multi-element germanium detectors, based on sensor arrays produced by the Forschungzentrum Julich, and on Application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) developed at Brookhaven. Devices have been made with element counts ranging from 64 to 384. These detectors are being used at NSLS-II and APS for a range of diffraction experiments, both monochromatic and energy-dispersive. Compact and powerful readout systems have been developed, based on the new generation of FPGA system-on-chip devices, which provide closely coupled multi-core processors embedded in large gate arrays. We will discuss the technical details of the systems, and present some of the results from them.

FITPix COMBO—Timepix detector with integrated analog signal spectrometric readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holik, M.; Kraus, V.; Georgiev, V.; Granja, C.

2016-02-01

The hybrid semiconductor pixel detector Timepix has proven a powerful tool in radiation detection and imaging. Energy loss and directional sensitivity as well as particle type resolving power are possible by high resolution particle tracking and per-pixel energy and quantum-counting capability. The spectrometric resolving power of the detector can be further enhanced by analyzing the analog signal of the detector common sensor electrode (also called back-side pulse). In this work we present a new compact readout interface, based on the FITPix readout architecture, extended with integrated analog electronics for the detector's common sensor signal. Integrating simultaneous operation of the digital per-pixel information with the common sensor (called also back-side electrode) analog pulse processing circuitry into one device enhances the detector capabilities and opens new applications. Thanks to noise suppression and built-in electromagnetic interference shielding the common hardware platform enables parallel analog signal spectroscopy on the back side pulse signal with full operation and read-out of the pixelated digital part, the noise level is 600 keV and spectrometric resolution around 100 keV for 5.5 MeV alpha particles. Self-triggering is implemented with delay of few tens of ns making use of adjustable low-energy threshold of the particle analog signal amplitude. The digital pixelated full frame can be thus triggered and recorded together with the common sensor analog signal. The waveform, which is sampled with frequency 100 MHz, can be recorded in adjustable time window including time prior to the trigger level. An integrated software tool provides control, on-line display and read-out of both analog and digital channels. Both the pixelated digital record and the analog waveform are synchronized and written out by common time stamp.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Breton, D.; /Orsay, LAL; Delagnes, E.

There is a considerable interest to develop new time-of-flight detectors using, for example, micro-channel-plate photodetectors (MCP-PMTs). The question we pose in this paper is if new waveform digitizer ASICs, such as the WaveCatcher and TARGET, operating with a sampling rate of 2-3 GSa/s can compete with 1GHz BW CFD/TDC/ADC electronics. We have performed a series of measurements with these waveform digitizers coupled to MCP-PMTs operating at low gain and with a signal equivalent to {approx}40 photoelectrons. The tests were done with a laser diode on detectors operating under the same condition used previously in SLAC and Fermilab beam tests. Ourmore » test results indicate that one can achieve similar resolution with both methods. Although the commercial CFD-based electronics does exist and performs very well, it is difficult to implement on a very large scale, and therefore the custom electronics is needed. In addition, the analog delay line requirement makes it very difficult to incorporate CFD discriminators in ASIC designs.« less

An NFC-Enabled CMOS IC for a Wireless Fully Implantable Glucose Sensor.

PubMed

DeHennis, Andrew; Getzlaff, Stefan; Grice, David; Mailand, Marko

2016-01-01

This paper presents an integrated circuit (IC) that merges integrated optical and temperature transducers, optical interface circuitry, and a near-field communication (NFC)-enabled digital, wireless readout for a fully passive implantable sensor platform to measure glucose in people with diabetes. A flip-chip mounted LED and monolithically integrated photodiodes serve as the transduction front-end to enable fluorescence readout. A wide-range programmable transimpedance amplifier adapts the sensor signals to the input of an 11-bit analog-to-digital converter digitizing the measurements. Measurement readout is enabled by means of wireless backscatter modulation to a remote NFC reader. The system is able to resolve current levels of less than 10 pA with a single fluorescent measurement energy consumption of less than 1 μJ. The wireless IC is fabricated in a 0.6-μm-CMOS process and utilizes a 13.56-MHz-based ISO15693 for passive wireless readout through a NFC interface. The IC is utilized as the core interface to a fluorescent, glucose transducer to enable a fully implantable sensor-based continuous glucose monitoring system.

Processing inferences derived from event-related potential measures in a monitoring task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horst, R. L.; Munson, R. C.; Ruchkin, D. S.

1985-01-01

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from the scalp of subjects as they monitored changing digital readouts for values that went 'out-of-bounds'. Workload was manipulated by varying the number of readouts that were monitored concurrently. The ERPs elicited by changes in the readouts showed long latency positivities that increased in amplitude, not only with the number of readouts monitored, but also with the number of monitored readouts that were 'in danger' of going out-of-bounds. No effects were found due to the number of nonmonitored readouts 'in danger'. This evidence indicates that subjects (1) selectively attended to the monitored readouts and (2) processed the monitored readouts differently as the readouts approached the out-of-bounds levels to which an overt response was required.

Read-out electronics for DC squid magnetic measurements

DOEpatents

Ganther, Jr., Kenneth R.; Snapp, Lowell D.

2002-01-01

Read-out electronics for DC SQUID sensor systems, the read-out electronics incorporating low Johnson noise radio-frequency flux-locked loop circuitry and digital signal processing algorithms in order to improve upon the prior art by a factor of at least ten, thereby alleviating problems caused by magnetic interference when operating DC SQUID sensor systems in magnetically unshielded environments.

Analog pulse processor

DOEpatents

Wessendorf, Kurt O.; Kemper, Dale A.

2003-06-03

A very low power analog pulse processing system implemented as an ASIC useful for processing signals from radiation detectors, among other things. The system incorporates the functions of a charge sensitive amplifier, a shaping amplifier, a peak sample and hold circuit, and, optionally, an analog to digital converter and associated drivers.

Development of Thermal Infrared Sensor to Supplement Operational Land Imager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shu, Peter; Waczynski, Augustyn; Kan, Emily; Wen, Yiting; Rosenberry, Robert

2012-01-01

The thermal infrared sensor (TIRS) is a quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP)-based instrument intended to supplement the Operational Land Imager (OLI) for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The TIRS instrument is a far-infrared imager operating in the pushbroom mode with two IR channels: 10.8 and 12 m. The focal plane will contain three 640 512 QWIP arrays mounted onto a silicon substrate. The readout integrated circuit (ROIC) addresses each pixel on the QWIP arrays and reads out the pixel value (signal). The ROIC is controlled by the focal plane electronics (FPE) by means of clock signals and bias voltage value. The means of how the FPE is designed to control and interact with the TIRS focal plane assembly (FPA) is the basis for this work. The technology developed under the FPE is for the TIRS focal plane assembly (FPA). The FPE must interact with the FPA to command and control the FPA, extract analog signals from the FPA, and then convert the analog signals to digital format and send them via a serial link (USB) to a computer. The FPE accomplishes the described functions by converting electrical power from generic power supplies to the required bias power that is needed by the FPA. The FPE also generates digital clocking signals and shifts the typical transistor-to-transistor logic (TTL) to }5 V required by the FPA. The FPE also uses an application- specific integrated circuit (ASIC) named System Image, Digitizing, Enhancing, Controlling, And Retrieving (SIDECAR) from Teledyne Corp. to generate the clocking patterns commanded by the user. The uniqueness of the FPE for TIRS lies in that the TIRS FPA has three QWIP detector arrays, and all three detector arrays must be in synchronization while in operation. This is to avoid data skewing while observing Earth flying in space. The observing scenario may be customized by uploading new control software to the SIDECAR.

Digital signal processing for the ATLAS/LUCID detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

2015-07-01

Both the detector and the associated read-out electronics have been improved in order to cope with the LHC luminosity increase foreseen for RUN 2 and RUN 3. The new operating conditions require a careful tuning of the read-out electronics in order to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio. The new read-out electronics will allow the use of digital filtering of the photo multiplier tube signals. In this talk, we will present the first results that we obtained in the optimization of the signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, we will introduce the next steps to adapt this system to high performance read-out chains formore » low energy gamma rays. Such systems are based, for instance, on Silicon Drift Detector devices and can be used in applications at Free-Electron-Laser facilities such as the XFEL under construction at DESY. (authors)« less

pMUT+ASIC integrated platform for wide range ultrasonic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tillak, J.; Saeed, N.; Khazaaleh, S.; Viegas, J.; Yoo, J.

2017-03-01

We propose an integrated platform of Aluminum Nitrate (AlN) based Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (pMUT) phased array with Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for medical imaging and industrial diagnosis. The ASIC provides wide driving range for frequencies between 100 kHz and 5 MHz and channelscalable, programmable application adaptive transmitting beamformer. The system supports operation in various media, including gasses, liquids and biological tissue. The scan resolution for 5 MHz operation is 68 μm in air. The beamformer covers a test volume from -30° to +30° with a step of 3° and scan depth of 10 cm. The ASIC system features low noise receiver electronics, power saving transmission circuitry, and high-voltage drive of large capacitance transducer (up to 500 pF). Integrated pMUT phased array consists of 4 channels of single-membrane ultrasonic transducer of 400 nm deflection and 20 pF feed-thru capacitance, which produce 15 Pa pressure at 500 μm distance from the surface of the transducers. The active area of the ASIC is (700×1490) μm2, which includes channel scalable TX, 8-channale low noise RX, digital back end with autonomous beamformer and power management unit. The system is battery powered with 3.3V-5V standard supply, representing a truly portable solution for ultrasonic applications. Given the CMOS-compatible fabrication process for the AlN pMUTs, dense, miniaturized arrays are possible. Furthermore the smooth surface of dielectric AlN renders optical quality MEMS surfaces for integration in miniaturized photonic + ultrasound microsystems.

Highest integration in microelectronics: Development of digital ASICs for PARS3-LR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholler, Peter; Vonlutz, Rainer

Essential electronic system components by PARS3-LR, show high requirements in calculation power, power consumption and reliability, by immediately increasing integration thicknesses. These problems are solved by using integrated circuits, developed by LSI LOGIC, that uses the technical and economic advantages of this leading edge technology.

Digital Filter ASIC for NASA Deep Space Radio Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kowalski, James E.

1995-01-01

This paper is about the implementation of an 80 MHz, 16-bit, multi-stage digital filter to decimate by 1600, providing a 50 kHz output with bandpass ripple of less than +/-0.1 dB. The chip uses two decimation by five units and six decimations by two executed by a single decimation by two units. The six decimations by two consist of six halfband filters, five having 30-taps and one having 51-taps. Use of a 16x16 register file for the digital delay lines enables implementation in the Vitesse 350K gate array.

Command Interface ASIC - Analog Interface ASIC Chip Set

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruiz, Baldes; Jaffe, Burton; Burke, Gary; Lung, Gerald; Pixler, Gregory; Plummer, Joe; Katanyoutanant,, Sunant; Whitaker, William

2003-01-01

A command interface application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and an analog interface ASIC have been developed as a chip set for remote actuation and monitoring of a collection of switches, which can be used to control generic loads, pyrotechnic devices, and valves in a high-radiation environment. The command interface ASIC (CIA) can be used alone or in combination with the analog interface ASIC (AIA). Designed primarily for incorporation into spacecraft control systems, they are also suitable for use in high-radiation terrestrial environments (e.g., in nuclear power plants and facilities that process radioactive materials). The primary role of the CIA within a spacecraft or other power system is to provide a reconfigurable means of regulating the power bus, actuating all valves, firing all pyrotechnic devices, and controlling the switching of power to all switchable loads. The CIA is a mixed-signal (analog and digital) ASIC that includes an embedded microcontroller with supporting fault-tolerant switch control and monitoring circuitry that is capable of connecting to a redundant set of interintegrated circuit (I(sup 2)C) buses. Commands and telemetry requests are communicated to the CIA. Adherence to the I(sup 2)C bus standard helps to reduce development costs by facilitating the use of previously developed, commercially available components. The AIA is a mixed-signal ASIC that includes the analog circuitry needed to connect the CIA to a custom higher powered version of the I(sup 2)C bus. The higher-powered version is designed to enable operation with bus cables longer than those contemplated in the I(sup 2)C standard. If there are multiple higher-power I(sup 2)C-like buses, then there must an AIA between the CIA and each such bus. The AIA includes two identical interface blocks: one for the side-A I(sup 2)C clock and data buses and the other for the side B buses. All the AIAs on each side are powered from a common power converter module (PCM). Sides A and B of the I(sup 2)C buses are electrically isolated from each other (see figure). They are also isolated from the CIA by use of transformer coupling of signals between the AIA blocks and the CIA.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ross, Steve; Haji-Sheikh, Michael; Huntington, Andrew

The Voxtel VX-798 is a prototype X-ray pixel array detector (PAD) featuring a silicon sensor photodiode array of 48 x 48 pixels, each 130 mu m x 130 mu m x 520 mu m thick, coupled to a CMOS readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The first synchrotron X-ray characterization of this detector is presented, and its ability to selectively count individual X-rays within two independent arrival time windows, a programmable energy range, and localized to a single pixel is demonstrated. During our first trial run at Argonne National Laboratory's Advance Photon Source, the detector achieved a 60 ns gatingmore » time and 700 eV full width at half-maximum energy resolution in agreement with design parameters. Each pixel of the PAD holds two independent digital counters, and the discriminator for X-ray energy features both an upper and lower threshold to window the energy of interest discarding unwanted background. This smart-pixel technology allows energy and time resolution to be set and optimized in software. It is found that the detector linearity follows an isolated dead-time model, implying that megahertz count rates should be possible in each pixel. Measurement of the line and point spread functions showed negligible spatial blurring. When combined with the timing structure of the synchrotron storage ring, it is demonstrated that the area detector can perform both picosecond time-resolved X-ray diffraction and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements.« less

Advanced testing of the DEPFET minimatrix particle detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andricek, L.; Kodyš, P.; Koffmane, C.; Ninkovic, J.; Oswald, C.; Richter, R.; Ritter, A.; Rummel, S.; Scheirich, J.; Wassatsch, A.

2012-01-01

The DEPFET (DEPleted Field Effect Transistor) is an active pixel particle detector with a MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) integrated in each pixel, providing first amplification stage of readout electronics. Excellent signal over noise performance is gained this way. The DEPFET sensor will be used as a vertex detector in the Belle II experiment at SuperKEKB, electron-positron collider in Japan. The vertex detector will be composed of two layers of pixel detectors (DEPFET) and four layers of strip detectors. The DEPFET sensor requires switching and current readout circuits for its operation. These circuits have been designed as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) in several different versions, but they provide insufficient flexibility for precise detector testing. Therefore, a test system with a flexible control cycle range and minimal noise has been designed for testing and characterizing of small detector prototypes (Minimatrices). Sensors with different design layouts and thicknesses are produced in order to evaluate and select the one with the best performance for the Belle II application. Description of the test system as well as measurement results are presented.

A cylindrical SPECT camera with de-centralized readout scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habte, F.; Stenström, P.; Rillbert, A.; Bousselham, A.; Bohm, C.; Larsson, S. A.

2001-09-01

An optimized brain single photon emission computed tomograph (SPECT) camera is being designed at Stockholm University and Karolinska Hospital. The design goal is to achieve high sensitivity, high-count rate and high spatial resolution. The sensitivity is achieved by using a cylindrical crystal, which gives a closed geometry with large solid angles. A de-centralized readout scheme where only a local environment around the light excitation is readout supports high-count rates. The high resolution is achieved by using an optimized crystal configuration. A 12 mm crystal plus 12 mm light guide combination gave an intrinsic spatial resolution better than 3.5 mm (140 keV) in a prototype system. Simulations show that a modified configuration can improve this value. A cylindrical configuration with a rotating collimator significantly simplifies the mechanical design of the gantry. The data acquisition and control system uses early digitization and subsequent digital signal processing to extract timing and amplitude information, and monitors the position of the collimator. The readout system consists of 12 or more modules each based on programmable logic and a digital signal processor. The modules send data to a PC file server-reconstruction engine via a Firewire (IEEE-1394) network.

Note: A 102 dB dynamic-range charge-sampling readout for ionizing particle/radiation detectors based on an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pullia, A.; Zocca, F.; Capra, S.

2018-02-01

An original technique for the measurement of charge signals from ionizing particle/radiation detectors has been implemented in an application-specific integrated circuit form. The device performs linear measurements of the charge both within and beyond its output voltage swing. The device features an unprecedented spectroscopic dynamic range of 102 dB and is suitable for high-resolution ion and X-γ ray spectroscopy. We believe that this approach may change a widespread paradigm according to which no high-resolution spectroscopy is possible when working close to or beyond the limit of the preamplifier's output voltage swing.

Note: A 102 dB dynamic-range charge-sampling readout for ionizing particle/radiation detectors based on an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

PubMed

Pullia, A; Zocca, F; Capra, S

2018-02-01

An original technique for the measurement of charge signals from ionizing particle/radiation detectors has been implemented in an application-specific integrated circuit form. The device performs linear measurements of the charge both within and beyond its output voltage swing. The device features an unprecedented spectroscopic dynamic range of 102 dB and is suitable for high-resolution ion and X-γ ray spectroscopy. We believe that this approach may change a widespread paradigm according to which no high-resolution spectroscopy is possible when working close to or beyond the limit of the preamplifier's output voltage swing.

Reading Out Single-Molecule Digital RNA and DNA Isothermal Amplification in Nanoliter Volumes with Unmodified Camera Phones

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Digital single-molecule technologies are expanding diagnostic capabilities, enabling the ultrasensitive quantification of targets, such as viral load in HIV and hepatitis C infections, by directly counting single molecules. Replacing fluorescent readout with a robust visual readout that can be captured by any unmodified cell phone camera will facilitate the global distribution of diagnostic tests, including in limited-resource settings where the need is greatest. This paper describes a methodology for developing a visual readout system for digital single-molecule amplification of RNA and DNA by (i) selecting colorimetric amplification-indicator dyes that are compatible with the spectral sensitivity of standard mobile phones, and (ii) identifying an optimal ratiometric image-process for a selected dye to achieve a readout that is robust to lighting conditions and camera hardware and provides unambiguous quantitative results, even for colorblind users. We also include an analysis of the limitations of this methodology, and provide a microfluidic approach that can be applied to expand dynamic range and improve reaction performance, allowing ultrasensitive, quantitative measurements at volumes as low as 5 nL. We validate this methodology using SlipChip-based digital single-molecule isothermal amplification with λDNA as a model and hepatitis C viral RNA as a clinically relevant target. The innovative combination of isothermal amplification chemistry in the presence of a judiciously chosen indicator dye and ratiometric image processing with SlipChip technology allowed the sequence-specific visual readout of single nucleic acid molecules in nanoliter volumes with an unmodified cell phone camera. When paired with devices that integrate sample preparation and nucleic acid amplification, this hardware-agnostic approach will increase the affordability and the distribution of quantitative diagnostic and environmental tests. PMID:26900709

On DESTINY Science Instrument Electrical and Electronics Subsystem Framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kizhner, Semion; Benford, Dominic J.; Lauer, Tod R.

2009-01-01

Future space missions are going to require large focal planes with many sensing arrays and hundreds of millions of pixels all read out at high data rates'' . This will place unique demands on the electrical and electronics (EE) subsystem design and it will be critically important to have high technology readiness level (TRL) EE concepts ready to support such missions. One such omission is the Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM) charged with making precise measurements of the expansion rate of the universe to reveal vital clues about the nature of dark energy - a hypothetical form of energy that permeates all of space and tends to increase the rate of the expansion. One of three JDEM concept studies - the Dark Energy Space Telescope (DESTINY) was conducted in 2008 at the NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. This paper presents the EE subsystem framework, which evolved from the DESTINY science instrument study. It describes the main challenges and implementation concepts related to the design of an EE subsystem featuring multiple focal planes populated with dozens of large arrays and millions of pixels. The focal planes are passively cooled to cryogenic temperatures (below 140 K). The sensor mosaic is controlled by a large number of Readout Integrated Circuits and Application Specific Integrated Circuits - the ROICs/ASICs in near proximity to their sensor focal planes. The ASICs, in turn, are serviced by a set of "warm" EE subsystem boxes performing Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based digital signal processing (DSP) computations of complex algorithms, such as sampling-up-the-ramp algorithm (SUTR), over large volumes of fast data streams. The SUTR boxes are supported by the Instrument Control/Command and Data Handling box (ICDH Primary and Backup boxes) for lossless data compression, command and low volume telemetry handling, power conversion and for communications with the spacecraft. The paper outlines how the JDEM DESTINY concept instrument EE subsystem can be built now, a design; which is generally U.S. Government work not protected by U.S. copyright IEEEAC paper # 1429. Version 4. Updated October 19, 2009 applicable to a wide variety of missions using large focal planes with lar ge mosaics of sensors.

Drift chamber readout system of the DIRAC experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afanasyev, L.; Karpukhin, V.

2002-10-01

A drift chamber readout system of the DIRAC experiment at CERN is presented. The system is intended to read out the signals from planar chambers operating in a high current mode. The sense wire signals are digitized in the 16-channel time-to-digital converter boards which are plugged in the signal plane connectors. This design results in a reduced number of modules, a small number of cables and high noise immunity. The system has been successfully operating in the experiment since 1999.

SCOC3: A Brand New Heart for Space Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poupat, Jean-Luc; Lefevre, Aurelien

2012-08-01

Satellites are controlled via a platform On Board Computer (OBC) that manages different parameters (attitude, orbit, modes, temperatures ...) with respect to its payload mission (telecommunication, earth observation, scientific mission). The platform OBC is connected to the satellite and the ground control via digital links, and executes on board software.The main functions of a platform OBC are to provide the satellite flight segment with the following features: o Processing resources for the flight mission softwareo TM/TC services and interfaces with the RF communication chaino General communication services with the Avionics and payload equipments through on- board communication buso Time synchronization and distributiono Failure tolerant architecture based on the use of redounded reconfiguration units and redundancy implementationIn order to reach an ultimate level of integration, Astrium has designed an ASIC gathering on a single chip all these required digital functions: the SCOC3 ASIC.This paper presents in a first part the major innovations introduced by Astrium for SCOC3, in a second part the development tools associated to SCOC3, and in a third part the status concerning its commercialization.

A Radiation Hard Multi-Channel Digitizer ASIC for Operation in the Harsh Jovian Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aslam, Shahid; Aslam, S.; Akturk, A.; Quilligan, G.

2011-01-01

In 1995, the Galileo spacecraft arrived at Jupiter to conduct follow-up experiments on pathfinder Pioneer and key Voyager discoveries especially at Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. These new observations helped expand our scientific knowledge of the prominent Galilean satellites; studies revealed diversity with respect to their geology, internal structure, evolution and degree of past and present activity. Jupiter's diverse Galilean satellites, of which three are believed to harbor internal oceans, are central to understanding the habitability of icy worlds. Galileo provided for the first time compelling evidence of a near-surface global ocean on Europa. Furthermore, by understanding the Jupiter system and unraveling the history of its evolution from initial formation to the emergence of possible habitats and life, gives insight into how giant planets and their satellite systems form and evolve. Most important, new light is shed on the potential for the emergence and existence of life in icy satellite oceans. In 2009, NASA released a detailed Jupiter Europa Mission Study (EJSM) that proposed an ambitious Flagship Mission to understand more fully the satellites Europa and Ganymede within the context of the Jovian system. Key to EJSM is the NASA led Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) and the ESA led Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (JGO). JEO and JGO would execute a choreographed exploration of the Jovian system before settling into orbit around Europa and Ganymede, respectively. The National Academies Planetary Decadal Survey, 2011 has listed the NASA-led JEO as the second highest priority mission for the decade 2013-2022, and if chosen it would be launched in 2020 with arrival at Jupiter in 2025. If the JEO mission is not chosen it is anticipated that there will be opportunities in future decadal cycles. Jupiter Orbit Insertion (JOI) begins a 30-month Jovian system tour followed by nine months of science mapping after Europa Orbit Insertion (EOI) in July 2028. The orbiter will ultimately impact the surface of Europa after the mission is completed. The current JEO mission concept includes a range of instruments on the payload, to monitor dynamic phenomena (such as Io's volcanoes and Jupiters atmosphere), map the Jovian magnetosphere and its interactions with the Galilean satellites, and characterize water oceans beneath the ice shells of Europa and Ganymede. The payload includes a low mass (3.7 Kg) and low power (< 5 W) Thermal Instrument (TI) concept for measuring possible warm thermal anomalies on Europa s cold surface caused by recent (< 10,000 years) eruptive activity. Regions of anomalously high heat flow will be identified by thermal mapping using a nadir pointing, push-broom filter radiometer that provides far-IR imagery in two broad band spectral wavelength regions, 8-20 m and 20-100 m, for surface temperature measurements with better than a 2 K accuracy and a spatial resolution of 250 m/pixel obtained from a 100 Km orbit. The temperature accuracy permits a search for elevated temperatures when combined with albedo information. The spatial resolution is sufficient to resolve Europa's larger cracks and ridge axial valleys. In order to accomplish the thermal mapping, the TI uses sensitive thermopile arrays that are readout by a custom designed low-noise Multi-Channel Digitizer (MCD) ASIC that resides very close to the thermopile linear array outputs. Both the thermopile array and the MCD ASIC will need to show full functionality within the harsh Jovian radiation environment, operating at cryogenic temperatures, typically 150 K to 170 K. In the following, a radiation mitigation strategy together with a low risk Radiation-Hardened-By-Design (RHBD) methodology using commercial foundry processes is given for the design and manufacture of a MCD ASIC that will meet this challenge.

Photon Counting Energy Dispersive Detector Arrays for X-ray Imaging

PubMed Central

Iwanczyk, Jan S.; Nygård, Einar; Meirav, Oded; Arenson, Jerry; Barber, William C.; Hartsough, Neal E.; Malakhov, Nail; Wessel, Jan C.

2009-01-01

The development of an innovative detector technology for photon-counting in X-ray imaging is reported. This new generation of detectors, based on pixellated cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector arrays electrically connected to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for readout, will produce fast and highly efficient photon-counting and energy-dispersive X-ray imaging. There are a number of applications that can greatly benefit from these novel imagers including mammography, planar radiography, and computed tomography (CT). Systems based on this new detector technology can provide compositional analysis of tissue through spectroscopic X-ray imaging, significantly improve overall image quality, and may significantly reduce X-ray dose to the patient. A very high X-ray flux is utilized in many of these applications. For example, CT scanners can produce ~100 Mphotons/mm2/s in the unattenuated beam. High flux is required in order to collect sufficient photon statistics in the measurement of the transmitted flux (attenuated beam) during the very short time frame of a CT scan. This high count rate combined with a need for high detection efficiency requires the development of detector structures that can provide a response signal much faster than the transit time of carriers over the whole detector thickness. We have developed CdTe and CZT detector array structures which are 3 mm thick with 16×16 pixels and a 1 mm pixel pitch. These structures, in the two different implementations presented here, utilize either a small pixel effect or a drift phenomenon. An energy resolution of 4.75% at 122 keV has been obtained with a 30 ns peaking time using discrete electronics and a 57Co source. An output rate of 6×106 counts per second per individual pixel has been obtained with our ASIC readout electronics and a clinical CT X-ray tube. Additionally, the first clinical CT images, taken with several of our prototype photon-counting and energy-dispersive detector modules, are shown. PMID:19920884

Photon Counting Energy Dispersive Detector Arrays for X-ray Imaging.

PubMed

Iwanczyk, Jan S; Nygård, Einar; Meirav, Oded; Arenson, Jerry; Barber, William C; Hartsough, Neal E; Malakhov, Nail; Wessel, Jan C

2009-01-01

The development of an innovative detector technology for photon-counting in X-ray imaging is reported. This new generation of detectors, based on pixellated cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector arrays electrically connected to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for readout, will produce fast and highly efficient photon-counting and energy-dispersive X-ray imaging. There are a number of applications that can greatly benefit from these novel imagers including mammography, planar radiography, and computed tomography (CT). Systems based on this new detector technology can provide compositional analysis of tissue through spectroscopic X-ray imaging, significantly improve overall image quality, and may significantly reduce X-ray dose to the patient. A very high X-ray flux is utilized in many of these applications. For example, CT scanners can produce ~100 Mphotons/mm(2)/s in the unattenuated beam. High flux is required in order to collect sufficient photon statistics in the measurement of the transmitted flux (attenuated beam) during the very short time frame of a CT scan. This high count rate combined with a need for high detection efficiency requires the development of detector structures that can provide a response signal much faster than the transit time of carriers over the whole detector thickness. We have developed CdTe and CZT detector array structures which are 3 mm thick with 16×16 pixels and a 1 mm pixel pitch. These structures, in the two different implementations presented here, utilize either a small pixel effect or a drift phenomenon. An energy resolution of 4.75% at 122 keV has been obtained with a 30 ns peaking time using discrete electronics and a (57)Co source. An output rate of 6×10(6) counts per second per individual pixel has been obtained with our ASIC readout electronics and a clinical CT X-ray tube. Additionally, the first clinical CT images, taken with several of our prototype photon-counting and energy-dispersive detector modules, are shown.

Design and theoretical investigation of a digital x-ray detector with large area and high spatial resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gui, Jianbao; Guo, Jinchuan; Yang, Qinlao; Liu, Xin; Niu, Hanben

2007-05-01

X-ray phase contrast imaging is a promising new technology today, but the requirements of a digital detector with large area, high spatial resolution and high sensitivity bring forward a large challenge to researchers. This paper is related to the design and theoretical investigation of an x-ray direct conversion digital detector based on mercuric iodide photoconductive layer with the latent charge image readout by photoinduced discharge (PID). Mercuric iodide has been verified having a good imaging performance (high sensitivity, low dark current, low voltage operation and good lag characteristics) compared with the other competitive materials (α-Se,PbI II,CdTe,CdZnTe) and can be easily deposited on large substrates in the manner of polycrystalline. By use of line scanning laser beam and parallel multi-electrode readout make the system have high spatial resolution and fast readout speed suitable for instant general radiography and even rapid sequence radiography.

KM3NeT Digital Optical Module electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Real, Diego

2016-04-01

The KM3NeT collaboration is currently building of a neutrino telescope with a volume of several cubic kilometres at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The telescope consists of a matrix of Digital Optical Modules that will detect the Cherenkov light originated by the interaction of the neutrinos in the proximity of the detector. This contribution describes the main components of the read-out electronics of the Digital Optical Module: the Power Board, which delivers all the power supply required by the Digital Optical Molule electronics; the Central Logic Board, the main core of the read-out system, hosting 31 Time to Digital Converters with 1 ns resolution and the White Rabbit protocol embedded in the Central Logic Board Field Programmable Gate Array; the Octopus boards, that transfer the Low Voltage Digital Signals from the PMT bases to the Central Logic Board and finally the PMT bases, in charge of converting the analogue signal produced in the 31 3" PMTs into a Low Voltage Digital Signal.

Design, construction and commissioning of the Digital Hadron Calorimeter—DHCAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, C.; Bambaugh, A.; Bilki, B.; Butler, J.; Corriveau, F.; Cundiff, T.; Drake, G.; Francis, K.; Furst, B.; Guarino, V.; Haberichter, B.; Hazen, E.; Hoff, J.; Holm, S.; Kreps, A.; DeLurgio, P.; Matijas, Z.; Dal Monte, L.; Mucia, N.; Norbeck, E.; Northacker, D.; Onel, Y.; Pollack, B.; Repond, J.; Schlereth, J.; Skrzecz, F.; Smith, J. R.; Trojand, D.; Underwood, D.; Velasco, M.; Walendziak, J.; Wood, K.; Wu, S.; Xia, L.; Zhang, Q.; Zhao, A.

2016-07-01

A novel hadron calorimeter is being developed for future lepton colliding beam detectors. The calorimeter is optimized for the application of Particle Flow Algorithms (PFAs) to the measurement of hadronic jets and features a very finely segmented readout with 1 × 1 cm2 cells. The active media of the calorimeter are Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) with a digital, i.e. one-bit, readout. To first order the energy of incident particles in this calorimeter is reconstructed as being proportional to the number of pads with a signal over a given threshold. A large-scale prototype calorimeter with approximately 500,000 readout channels has been built and underwent extensive testing in the Fermilab and CERN test beams. This paper reports on the design, construction, and commissioning of this prototype calorimeter.

Integrated readout electronics for Belle II pixel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco, R.; Leys, R.; Perić, I.

2018-03-01

This paper describes the readout components for Belle II that have been designed as integrated circuits. The ICs are connected to DEPFET sensor by bump bonding. Three types of ICs have been developed: SWITCHER for pixel matrix control, DCD for readout and digitizing of sensor signals and DHP for digital data processing. The ICs are radiation tolerant and use several novel features, such as the multiple-input differential amplifiers and the fast and radiation hard high-voltage drivers. SWITCHER and DCD have been developed at University of Heidelberg, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and DHP at Bonn University. The IC-development started in 2009 and was accomplished in 2016 with the submissions of final designs. The final ICs for Belle II pixel detector and the related measurement results will be presented in this contribution.

Localization and Behaviors in Null Mice Suggest that ASIC1 and ASIC2 Modulate Responses to Aversive Stimuli

PubMed Central

Price, Margaret P.; Gong, Huiyu; Parsons, Meredith G.; Kundert, Jacob R.; Reznikov, Leah R.; Bernardinelli, Luisa; Chaloner, Kathryn; Buchanan, Gordon F.; Wemmie, John A.; Richerson, George B.; Cassell, Martin D.; Welsh, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) generate H+-gated Na+ currents that contribute to neuronal function and animal behavior. Like ASIC1, ASIC2 subunits are expressed in the brain and multimerize with ASIC1 to influence acid-evoked currents and facilitate ASIC1 localization to dendritic spines. To better understand how ASIC2 contributes to brain function, we localized the protein and tested the behavioral consequences of ASIC2 gene disruption. For comparison, we also localized ASIC1 and studied ASIC1−/− mice. ASIC2 was prominently expressed in areas of high synaptic density, and with a few exceptions, ASIC1 and ASIC2 localization exhibited substantial overlap. Loss of ASIC1 or ASIC2 decreased freezing behavior in contextual and auditory cue fear conditioning assays, in response to predator odor, and in response to CO2 inhalation. In addition, loss of ASIC1 or ASIC2 increased activity in a forced swim assay. These data suggest that ASIC2, like ASIC1, plays a key role in determining the defensive response to aversive stimuli. They also raise the question of whether gene variations in both ASIC1 and ASIC2 might affect fear and panic in humans. PMID:24256442

A free-running, time-based readout method for particle detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goerres, A.; Bugalho, R.; Di Francesco, A.; Gastón, C.; Gonçalves, F.; Mazza, G.; Mignone, M.; Di Pietro, V.; Riccardi, A.; Ritman, J.; Rivetti, A.; Rolo, M. D.; da Silva, J. C.; Silva, R.; Stockmanns, T.; Varela, J.; Veckalns, V.; Wheadon, R.

2014-03-01

For the EndoTOFPET-US experiment, the TOFPET ASIC has been developed as a front-end chip to read out data from silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) [1]. It introduces a time of flight information into the measurement of a PET scanner and hence reduces radiation exposure of the patient [2]. The chip is designed to work with a high event rate up to 100 kHz and a time resolution of 50 ps LSB. Using two threshold levels, it can measure the leading edge of the event pulse precisely while successfully suppressing dark counts from the SiPM. This also enables a time over threshold determination, leading to a charge measurement of the signal's pulse. The same, time-based concept is chosen for the PASTA chip used in the PANDA experiment. This high-energy particle detector contains sub-systems for specific measurement goals. The innermost of these is the Micro Vertex Detector, a silicon-based tracking system. The PASTA chip's approach is much like the TOFPET ASIC with some differences. The most significant ones are a changed amplifying part for different input signals as well as protection for radiation effects of the high-radiation environment. Apart from that, the simple and general concept combined with a small area and low power consumption support the choice for using this approach.

Multi-channel detector readout method and integrated circuit

DOEpatents

Moses, William W.; Beuville, Eric; Pedrali-Noy, Marzio

2006-12-12

An integrated circuit which provides multi-channel detector readout from a detector array. The circuit receives multiple signals from the elements of a detector array and compares the sampled amplitudes of these signals against a noise-floor threshold and against one another. A digital signal is generated which corresponds to the location of the highest of these signal amplitudes which exceeds the noise floor threshold. The digital signal is received by a multiplexing circuit which outputs an analog signal corresponding the highest of the input signal amplitudes. In addition a digital control section provides for programmatic control of the multiplexer circuit, amplifier gain, amplifier reset, masking selection, and test circuit functionality on each input thereof.

Multi-channel detector readout method and integrated circuit

DOEpatents

Moses, William W.; Beuville, Eric; Pedrali-Noy, Marzio

2004-05-18

An integrated circuit which provides multi-channel detector readout from a detector array. The circuit receives multiple signals from the elements of a detector array and compares the sampled amplitudes of these signals against a noise-floor threshold and against one another. A digital signal is generated which corresponds to the location of the highest of these signal amplitudes which exceeds the noise floor threshold. The digital signal is received by a multiplexing circuit which outputs an analog signal corresponding the highest of the input signal amplitudes. In addition a digital control section provides for programmatic control of the multiplexer circuit, amplifier gain, amplifier reset, masking selection, and test circuit functionality on each input thereof.

Untitled Document

Science.gov Websites

charged tracks or associated with photons or neutral hadrons. Hardware effort: A Digital Hadron fine segmentation, the energy resolution for single hadrons is preserved with a simple digital readout Physics Division Digital Hadron Calorimeter with RPCs (US effort) CALICE Collaboration American Linear

A programmable time alignment scheme for detector signals from the upgraded muon spectrometer at the ATLAS experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jinhong; Guan, Liang; Chapman, J.; Zhou, Bing; Zhu, Junjie

2017-11-01

We present a programmable time alignment scheme used in an ASIC for the ATLAS forward muon trigger development. The scheme utilizes regenerated clocks with programmable phases to compensate for the timing offsets introduced by different detector trace lengths. Each ASIC used in the design has 104 input channels with delay compensation circuitry providing steps of ∼3 ns and a full range of 25 ns for each channel. Detailed implementation of the scheme including majority logic to suppress single-event effects is presented. The scheme is flexible and fully synthesizable. The approach is adaptable to other applications with similar phase shifting requirements. In addition, the design is resource efficient and is suitable for cost-effective digital implementation with a large number of channels.

A Radiation Dosimeter Concept for the Lunar Surface Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, James H.; Christl, Mark J.; Watts, John; Kuznetsov, Eugeny N.; Parnell, Thomas A.; Pendleton, Geoff N.

2007-01-01

A novel silicon detector configuration for radiation dose measurements in an environment where solar energetic particles are of most concern is described. The dosimeter would also measure the dose from galactic cosmic rays. In the lunar environment a large range in particle flux and ionization density must be measured and converted to dose equivalent. This could be accomplished with a thick (e.g. 2mm) silicon detector segmented into cubic volume elements "voxels" followed by a second, thin monolithic silicon detector. The electronics needed to implement this detector concept include analog signal processors (ASIC) and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) for data accumulation and conversion to linear energy transfer (LET) spectra and to dose-equivalent (Sievert). Currently available commercial ASIC's and FPGA's are suitable for implementing the analog and digital systems.

Encrypted IP video communication system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogdan, Apetrechioaie; Luminiţa, Mateescu

2010-11-01

Digital video transmission is a permanent subject of development, research and improvement. This field of research has an exponentially growing market in civil, surveillance, security and military aplications. A lot of solutions: FPGA, ASIC, DSP have been used for this purpose. The paper presents the implementation of an encrypted, IP based, video communication system having a competitive performance/cost ratio .

Simultaneous single-shot readout of multi-qubit circuits using a traveling-wave parametric amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, Kevin

Observing and controlling the state of ever larger quantum systems is critical for advancing quantum computation. Utilizing a Josephson traveling wave parametric amplifier (JTWPA), we demonstrate simultaneous multiplexed single shot readout of 10 transmon qubits in a planar architecture. We employ digital image sideband rejection to eliminate noise at the image frequencies. We quantify crosstalk and infidelity due to simultaneous readout and control of multiple qubits. Based on current amplifier technology, this approach can scale to simultaneous readout of at least 20 qubits. This work was supported by the Army Research Office.

Multi-element germanium detectors for synchrotron applications

DOE PAGES

Rumaiz, A. K.; Kuczewski, A. J.; Mead, J.; ...

2018-04-27

In this paper, we have developed a series of monolithic multi-element germanium detectors, based on sensor arrays produced by the Forschungzentrum Julich, and on Application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) developed at Brookhaven. Devices have been made with element counts ranging from 64 to 384. These detectors are being used at NSLS-II and APS for a range of diffraction experiments, both monochromatic and energy-dispersive. Compact and powerful readout systems have been developed, based on the new generation of FPGA system-on-chip devices, which provide closely coupled multi-core processors embedded in large gate arrays. Finally, we will discuss the technical details of the systems,more » and present some of the results from them.« less

Multi-element germanium detectors for synchrotron applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rumaiz, A. K.; Kuczewski, A. J.; Mead, J.

In this paper, we have developed a series of monolithic multi-element germanium detectors, based on sensor arrays produced by the Forschungzentrum Julich, and on Application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) developed at Brookhaven. Devices have been made with element counts ranging from 64 to 384. These detectors are being used at NSLS-II and APS for a range of diffraction experiments, both monochromatic and energy-dispersive. Compact and powerful readout systems have been developed, based on the new generation of FPGA system-on-chip devices, which provide closely coupled multi-core processors embedded in large gate arrays. Finally, we will discuss the technical details of the systems,more » and present some of the results from them.« less

NIR camera and spectrograph SWIMS for TAO 6.5m telescope: array control system and its performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terao, Yasunori; Motohara, Kentaro; Konishi, Masahiro; Takahashi, Hidenori; Kato, Natsuko M.; Kitagawa, Yutaro; Kobayakawa, Yutaka; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Tateuchi, Ken; Todo, Soya

2016-08-01

SWIMS (Simultaneous-color Wide-field Infrared Multi-object Spectrograph) is a near-infrared imager and multi-object spectrograph as one of the first generation instruments for the University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) 6.5m telescope. In this paper, we describe an array control system of SWIMS and results of detector noise performance evaluation. SWIMS incorporates four (and eight in future) HAWAII-2RG focal plane arrays for detectors, each driven by readout electronics components: a SIDECAR ASIC and a JADE2 Card. The readout components are controlled by a HAWAII-2RG Testing Software running on a virtual Windows machine on a Linux PC called array control PC. All of those array control PCs are then supervised by a SWIMS control PC. We have developed an "array control software system", which runs on the array control PC to control the HAWAII-2RG Testing Software, and consists of a socket client and a dedicated server called device manager. The client runs on the SWIMS control PC, and the device manager runs on the array control PC. An exposure command, issued by the client on the SWIMS control PC, is sent to the multiple device managers on the array control PCs, and then multiple HAWAII-2RGs are driven simultaneously. Using this system, we evaluate readout noise performances of the detectors, both in a test dewar and in a SWIMS main dewar. In the test dewar, we confirm the readout noise to be 4.3 e- r.m.s. by 32 times multiple sampling when we operate only a single HAWAII-2RG, whereas in the case of simultaneous driving of two HAWAII-2RGs, we still obtain sufficiently low readout noise of 10 e- r.m.s. In the SWIMS main dewar, although there are some differences between the detectors, the readout noise is measured to be 4:1-4:6 e- r.m.s. with simultaneous driving by 64 times multiple sampling, which meets the requirement for background-limited observations in J band of 14 e- r.m.s..

Compact pulse width modulation circuitry for silicon photomultiplier readout.

PubMed

Bieniosek, M F; Olcott, P D; Levin, C S

2013-08-07

The adoption of solid-state photodetectors for positron emission tomography (PET) system design and the interest in 3D interaction information from PET detectors has lead to an increasing number of readout channels in PET systems. To handle these additional readout channels, PET readout electronics should be simplified to reduce the power consumption, cost, and size of the electronics for a single channel. Pulse-width modulation (PWM), where detector pulses are converted to digital pulses with width proportional to the detected photon energy, promises to simplify PET readout by converting the signals to digital form at the beginning of the processing chain, and allowing a single time-to-digital converter to perform the data acquisition for many channels rather than routing many analogue channels and digitizing in the back end. Integrator based PWM systems, also known as charge-to-time converters (QTCs), are especially compact, reducing the front-end electronics to an op-amp integrator with a resistor discharge, and a comparator. QTCs, however, have a long dead-time during which dark count noise is integrated, reducing the output signal-to-noise ratio. This work presents a QTC based PWM circuit with a gated integrator that shows performance improvements over existing QTC based PWM. By opening and closing an analogue switch on the input of the integrator, the circuit can be controlled to integrate only the portions of the signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio. It also allows for multiplexing different detectors into the same PWM circuit while avoiding uncorrelated noise propagation between photodetector channels. Four gated integrator PWM circuits were built to readout the spatial channels of two position sensitive solid-state photomultiplier (PS-SSPM). Results show a 4 × 4 array 0.9 mm × 0.9 mm × 15 mm of LYSO crystals being identified on the 5 mm × 5 mm PS-SSPM at room temperature with no degradation for twofold multiplexing. In principle, much larger multiplexing ratios are possible, limited only by count rate issues.

Readout and DAQ for Pixel Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Platkevic, Michal

2010-01-01

Data readout and acquisition control of pixel detectors demand the transfer of significantly a large amounts of bits between the detector and the computer. For this purpose dedicated interfaces are used which are designed with focus on features like speed, small dimensions or flexibility of use such as digital signal processors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and USB communication ports. This work summarizes the readout and DAQ system built for state-of-the-art pixel detectors of the Medipix family.

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) in the taste buds of adult zebrafish.

PubMed

Viña, E; Parisi, V; Cabo, R; Laurà, R; López-Velasco, S; López-Muñiz, A; García-Suárez, O; Germanà, A; Vega, J A

2013-03-01

In detecting chemical properties of food, different molecules and ion channels are involved including members of the acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) family. Consistently ASICs are present in sensory cells of taste buds of mammals. In the present study the presence of ASICs (ASIC1, ASIC2, ASIC3 and ASIC4) was investigated in the taste buds of adult zebrafish (zASICs) using Western blot and immunohistochemistry. zASIC1 and zASIC3 were regularly absent from taste buds, whereas faint zASIC2 and robust zASIC4 immunoreactivities were detected in sensory cells. Moreover, zASIC2 also immunolabelled nerves supplying taste buds. The present results demonstrate for the first time the presence of zASICs in taste buds of teleosts, with different patterns to that occurring in mammals, probably due to the function of taste buds in aquatic environment and feeding. Nevertheless, the role of zASICs in taste remains to be demonstrated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent X-ray hybrid CMOS detector developments and measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, Samuel V.; Falcone, Abraham D.; Burrows, David N.; Wages, Mitchell; Chattopadhyay, Tanmoy; McQuaide, Maria; Bray, Evan; Kern, Matthew

2017-08-01

The Penn State X-ray detector lab, in collaboration with Teledyne Imaging Sensors (TIS), have progressed their efforts to improve soft X-ray Hybrid CMOS detector (HCD) technology on multiple fronts. Having newly acquired a Teledyne cryogenic SIDECARTM ASIC for use with HxRG devices, measurements were performed with an H2RG HCD and the cooled SIDECARTM. We report new energy resolution and read noise measurements, which show a significant improvement over room temperature SIDECARTM operation. Further, in order to meet the demands of future high-throughput and high spatial resolution X-ray observatories, detectors with fast readout and small pixel sizes are being developed. We report on characteristics of new X-ray HCDs with 12.5 micron pitch that include in-pixel CDS circuitry and crosstalk-eliminating CTIA amplifiers. In addition, PSU and TIS are developing a new large-scale array Speedster-EXD device. The original 64 × 64 pixel Speedster-EXD prototype used comparators in each pixel to enable event driven readout with order of magnitude higher effective readout rates, which will now be implemented in a 550 × 550 pixel device. Finally, the detector lab is involved in a sounding rocket mission that is slated to fly in 2018 with an off-plane reflection grating array and an H2RG X-ray HCD. We report on the planned detector configuration for this mission, which will increase the NASA technology readiness level of X-ray HCDs to TRL 9.

Study of the VMM1 read-out chip in a neutron irradiation environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexopoulos, T.; Fanourakis, G.; Geralis, T.; Kokkoris, M.; Kourkoumeli-Charalampidi, A.; Papageorgiou, K.; Tsipolitis, G.

2016-05-01

Within 2015, the LHC operated close to the design energy of √s = 13-14 TeV delivering instantaneous luminosities up to Script L = 5 × 1033 cm-2s-1. The ATLAS Phase-I upgrade in 2018/19 will introduce the MicroMEGAS detectors in the area of the small wheel at the end caps. Accompanying new electronics are designed and built such as the VMM front end ASIC, which provides energy, timing and triggering information and allows fast data read-out. The first VMM version (VMM1) has been widely produced and tested in various test beams, whilst the second version (VMM2) is currently being tested. This paper focuses on the VMM1 single event upset studies and more specifically on the response of the configuration registers under harsh radiation environments. Similar conditions are expected at Run III with Script L = 2 × 1034 cm-2s-1 and a mean of 55 interactions per bunch crossing. Two VMM1s were exposed in a neutron irradiation environment using the TANDEM Van Der Graaff accelerator at NSCR Demokritos, Athens, Greece. The results showed a rate of SEU occurrences at a measured cross section of (4.1±0.8)×10-14 cm2/bit for each VMM. Consequently, when extrapolating this value to the luminosity expected in Run III, the occurrence is roughly 6 SEUs/min in all the read-out system comprising 40,000 VMMs installed during the Phase-I upgrade.

Readout Electronics for the Central Drift Chamber of the Belle-II Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchida, Tomohisa; Taniguchi, Takashi; Ikeno, Masahiro; Iwasaki, Yoshihito; Saito, Masatoshi; Shimazaki, Shoichi; Tanaka, Manobu M.; Taniguchi, Nanae; Uno, Shoji

2015-08-01

We have developed readout electronics for the central drift chamber (CDC) of the Belle-II detector. The space near the endplate of the CDC for installation of the electronics was limited by the detector structure. Due to the large amounts of data generated by the CDC, a high-speed data link, with a greater than one gigabit transfer rate, was required to transfer the data to a back-end computer. A new readout module was required to satisfy these requirements. This module processes 48 signals from the CDC, converts them to digital data and transfers it directly to the computer. All functions that transfer digital data via the high speed link were implemented on the single module. We have measured its electrical characteristics and confirmed that the results satisfy the requirements of the Belle-II experiment.

Development of a Crosstalk Suppression Algorithm for KID Readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kyungmin; Ishitsuka, H.; Oguri, S.; Suzuki, J.; Tajima, O.; Tomita, N.; Won, Eunil; Yoshida, M.

2018-06-01

The GroundBIRD telescope aims to detect B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation using the kinetic inductance detector array as a polarimeter. For the readout of the signal from detector array, we have developed a frequency division multiplexing readout system based on a digital down converter method. These techniques in general have the leakage problems caused by the crosstalks. The window function was applied in the field programmable gate arrays to mitigate the effect of these problems and tested it in algorithm level.

X-ray characterization of a multichannel smart-pixel array detector.

PubMed

Ross, Steve; Haji-Sheikh, Michael; Huntington, Andrew; Kline, David; Lee, Adam; Li, Yuelin; Rhee, Jehyuk; Tarpley, Mary; Walko, Donald A; Westberg, Gregg; Williams, George; Zou, Haifeng; Landahl, Eric

2016-01-01

The Voxtel VX-798 is a prototype X-ray pixel array detector (PAD) featuring a silicon sensor photodiode array of 48 × 48 pixels, each 130 µm × 130 µm × 520 µm thick, coupled to a CMOS readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The first synchrotron X-ray characterization of this detector is presented, and its ability to selectively count individual X-rays within two independent arrival time windows, a programmable energy range, and localized to a single pixel is demonstrated. During our first trial run at Argonne National Laboratory's Advance Photon Source, the detector achieved a 60 ns gating time and 700 eV full width at half-maximum energy resolution in agreement with design parameters. Each pixel of the PAD holds two independent digital counters, and the discriminator for X-ray energy features both an upper and lower threshold to window the energy of interest discarding unwanted background. This smart-pixel technology allows energy and time resolution to be set and optimized in software. It is found that the detector linearity follows an isolated dead-time model, implying that megahertz count rates should be possible in each pixel. Measurement of the line and point spread functions showed negligible spatial blurring. When combined with the timing structure of the synchrotron storage ring, it is demonstrated that the area detector can perform both picosecond time-resolved X-ray diffraction and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements.

Digital frequency domain multiplexing readout electronics for the next generation of millimeter telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Amy N.; Cliche, Jean-François; de Haan, Tijmen; Dobbs, Matt A.; Gilbert, Adam J.; Montgomery, Joshua; Rowlands, Neil; Smecher, Graeme M.; Smith, Ken; Wilson, Andrew

2014-07-01

Frequency domain multiplexing (fMux) is an established technique for the readout of transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers in millimeter-wavelength astrophysical instrumentation. In fMux, the signals from multiple detectors are read out on a single pair of wires reducing the total cryogenic thermal loading as well as the cold component complexity and cost of a system. The current digital fMux system, in use by POLARBEAR, EBEX, and the South Pole Telescope, is limited to a multiplexing factor of 16 by the dynamic range of the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device pre-amplifier and the total system bandwidth. Increased multiplexing is key for the next generation of large format TES cameras, such as SPT-3G and POLARBEAR2, which plan to have on the of order 15,000 detectors. Here, we present the next generation fMux readout, focusing on the warm electronics. In this system, the multiplexing factor increases to 64 channels per module (2 wires) while maintaining low noise levels and detector stability. This is achieved by increasing the system bandwidth, reducing the dynamic range requirements though active feedback, and digital synthesis of voltage biases with a novel polyphase filter algorithm. In addition, a version of the new fMux readout includes features such as low power consumption and radiation-hard components making it viable for future space-based millimeter telescopes such as the LiteBIRD satellite.

Hardware description languages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, Jerry H.

1994-01-01

Hardware description languages are special purpose programming languages. They are primarily used to specify the behavior of digital systems and are rapidly replacing traditional digital system design techniques. This is because they allow the designer to concentrate on how the system should operate rather than on implementation details. Hardware description languages allow a digital system to be described with a wide range of abstraction, and they support top down design techniques. A key feature of any hardware description language environment is its ability to simulate the modeled system. The two most important hardware description languages are Verilog and VHDL. Verilog has been the dominant language for the design of application specific integrated circuits (ASIC's). However, VHDL is rapidly gaining in popularity.

Development of a novel direct X-ray detector using photoinduced discharge (PID) readout for digital radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, D.; Jeon, S.; Kim, J.-S.; Kim, R. K.; Cha, B. K.; Moon, B. J.; Yoon, J.

2013-02-01

We developed a novel direct X-ray detector using photoinduced discharge (PID) readout for digital radiography. The pixel resolution is 512 × 512 with 200 μm pixel and the overall active dimensions of the X-ray imaging panel is 10.24 cm × 10.24 cm. The detector consists of an X-ray absorption layer of amorphous selenium, a charge accumulation layer of metal, and a PID readout layer of amorphous silicon. In particular, the charge accumulation is pixelated because image charges generated by X-ray should be stored pixel by pixel. Here the image charges, or holes, are recombined with electrons generated by the PID method. We used a 405 nm laser diode and cylindrical lens to make a line beam source with a width of 50 μm for PID readout, which generates charges for each pixel lines during the scan. We obtained spatial frequencies of about 1.0 lp/mm for the X-direction (lateral direction) and 0.9 lp/mm for the Y-direction (scanning direction) at 50% modulation transfer function.

Radiation hard programmable delay line for LHCb calorimeter upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauricio, J.; Gascón, D.; Vilasís, X.; Picatoste, E.; Machefert, F.; Lefrancois, J.; Duarte, O.; Beigbeder, C.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the implementation of a SPI-programmable clock delay chip based on a Delay Locked Loop (DLL) in order to shift the phase of the LHC clock (25 ns) in steps of 1ns, with less than 5 ps jitter and 23 ps of DNL. The delay lines will be integrated into ICECAL, the LHCb calorimeter front-end analog signal processing ASIC in the near future. The stringent noise requirements on the ASIC imply minimizing the noise contribution of digital components. This is accomplished by implementing the DLL in differential mode. To achieve the required radiation tolerance several techniques are applied: double guard rings between PMOS and NMOS transistors as well as glitch suppressors and TMR Registers. This 5.7 mm2 chip has been implemented in CMOS 0.35 μm technology.

8 x 120 Gb/s unrepeatered transmission over 444 km (76.6 dB) using distributed Raman amplification and ROPA without discrete amplification.

PubMed

Chang, Do Il; Pelouch, Wayne; Patki, Pallavi; McLaughlin, John

2011-12-12

Unrepeatered transmission of 8 x 120 Gb/s over 444.2 km (76.6 dB) and multi-rate transmission of 8 x 120 Gb/s and 9 x 10.7 Gb/s over a 75.4 dB span have been demonstrated with off-line digital processing for the coherent 120 Gb/s channels. Transmission of 2 x 120 Gb/s with 7 x 12.5 Gb/s over 78 dB is also demonstrated with a real-time ASIC processor. All transmission results have been achieved using standard effective-area pure-silica-core fiber using forward and backward distributed Raman amplification and remotely-pumped erbium fiber. ASIC real-time processed results match well with off-line processing. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Programmable Differential Delay Circuit With Fine Delay Adjustment

DOEpatents

DeRyckere, John F.; Jenkins, Philip Nord; Cornett, Frank Nolan

2002-07-09

Circuitry that provides additional delay to early arriving signals such that all data signals arrive at a receiving latch with same path delay. The delay of a forwarded clock reference is also controlled such that the capturing clock edge will be optimally positioned near quadrature (depending on latch setup/hold requirements). The circuitry continuously adapts to data and clock path delay changes and digital filtering of phase measurements reduce errors brought on by jittering data edges. The circuitry utilizes only the minimum amount of delay necessary to achieve objective thereby limiting any unintended jitter. Particularly, this programmable differential delay circuit with fine delay adjustment is designed to allow the skew between ASICS to be minimized. This includes skew between data bits, between data bits and clocks as well as minimizing the overall skew in a channel between ASICS.

DIODE STEERED MANGETIC-CORE MEMORY

DOEpatents

Melmed, A.S.; Shevlin, R.T.; Laupheimer, R.

1962-09-18

A word-arranged magnetic-core memory is designed for use in a digital computer utilizing the reverse or back current property of the semi-conductor diodes to restore the information in the memory after read-out. In order to ob tain a read-out signal from a magnetic core storage unit, it is necessary to change the states of some of the magnetic cores. In order to retain the information in the memory after read-out it is then necessary to provide a means to return the switched cores to their states before read-out. A rewrite driver passes a pulse back through each row of cores in which some switching has taken place. This pulse combines with the reverse current pulses of diodes for each column in which a core is switched during read-out to cause the particular cores to be switched back into their states prior to read-out. (AEC)

Acid-Sensing Ion Channels Expression, Identity and Role in the Excitability of the Cochlear Afferent Neurons

PubMed Central

González-Garrido, Antonia; Vega, Rosario; Mercado, Francisco; López, Iván A.; Soto, Enrique

2015-01-01

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are activated by an increase in the extracellular proton concentration. There are four genes (ASIC1-4) that encode six subunits, and they are involved in diverse neuronal functions, such as mechanosensation, learning and memory, nociception, and modulation of retinal function. In this study, we characterize the ASIC currents of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). These ASIC currents are primarily carried by Na+, exhibit fast activation and desensitization, display a pH50 of 6.2 and are blocked by amiloride, indicating that these are ASIC currents. The ASIC currents were further characterized using several pharmacological tools. Gadolinium and acetylsalicylic acid reduced these currents, and FMRFamide, zinc (at high concentrations) and N,N,N’,N’–tetrakis-(2-piridilmetil)-ethylenediamine increased them, indicating that functional ASICs are composed of the subunits ASIC1, ASIC2, and ASIC3. Neomycin and streptomycin reduced the desensitization rate of the ASIC current in SGNs, indicating that ASICs may contribute to the ototoxic action of aminoglycosides. RT-PCR of the spiral ganglion revealed significant expression of all ASIC subunits. By immunohistochemistry the expression of the ASIC1a, ASIC2a, ASIC2b, and ASIC3 subunits was detected in SGNs. Although only a few SGNs exhibited action potential firing in response to an acidic stimulus, protons in the extracellular solution modulated SGN activity during sinusoidal stimulation. Our results show that protons modulate the excitability of SGNs via ASICs. PMID:26733809

The electronics readout and data acquisition system of the KM3NeT neutrino telescope node

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Real, Diego; Collaboration: KM3NeT Collaboration

2014-11-18

The KM3NeT neutrino telescope will be composed by tens of thousands of glass spheres, called Digital Optical Module (DOM), each of them containing 31 PMTs of small photocathode area (3'). The readout and data acquisition system of KM3NeT have to collect, treat and send to shore, in an economic way, the enormous amount of data produced by the photomultipliers and at the same time to provide time synchronization between each DOM at the level of 1 ns. It is described in the present article the Central Logic Board, that integrates the Time to Digital Converters and the White Rabbit protocolmore » used for the DOM synchronization in a transparent way, the Power Board used in the DOM, the PMT base to readout the photomultipliers and the respective collecting boards, the so called Octopus Board.« less

A CMOS Neural Interface for a Multichannel Vestibular Prosthesis

PubMed Central

Hageman, Kristin N.; Kalayjian, Zaven K.; Tejada, Francisco; Chiang, Bryce; Rahman, Mehdi A.; Fridman, Gene Y.; Dai, Chenkai; Pouliquen, Philippe O.; Georgiou, Julio; Della Santina, Charles C.; Andreou, Andreas G.

2015-01-01

We present a high-voltage CMOS neural-interface chip for a multichannel vestibular prosthesis (MVP) that measures head motion and modulates vestibular nerve activity to restore vision- and posture-stabilizing reflexes. This application specific integrated circuit neural interface (ASIC-NI) chip was designed to work with a commercially available microcontroller, which controls the ASIC-NI via a fast parallel interface to deliver biphasic stimulation pulses with 9-bit programmable current amplitude via 16 stimulation channels. The chip was fabricated in the ONSemi C5 0.5 micron, high-voltage CMOS process and can accommodate compliance voltages up to 12 V, stimulating vestibular nerve branches using biphasic current pulses up to 1.45 ± 0.06 mA with durations as short as 10 µs/phase. The ASIC-NI includes a dedicated digital-to-analog converter for each channel, enabling it to perform complex multipolar stimulation. The ASIC-NI replaces discrete components that cover nearly half of the 2nd generation MVP (MVP2) printed circuit board, reducing the MVP system size by 48% and power consumption by 17%. Physiological tests of the ASIC-based MVP system (MVP2A) in a rhesus monkey produced reflexive eye movement responses to prosthetic stimulation similar to those observed when using the MVP2. Sinusoidal modulation of stimulus pulse rate from 68–130 pulses per second at frequencies from 0.1 to 5 Hz elicited appropriately-directed slow phase eye velocities ranging in amplitude from 1.9–16.7°/s for the MVP2 and 2.0–14.2°/s for the MVP2A. The eye velocities evoked by MVP2 and MVP2A showed no significant difference (t-test, p = 0.034), suggesting that the MVP2A achieves performance at least as good as the larger MVP2. PMID:25974945

Cellular telephone-based radiation sensor and wide-area detection network

DOEpatents

Craig, William W [Pittsburg, CA; Labov, Simon E [Berkeley, CA

2006-12-12

A network of radiation detection instruments, each having a small solid state radiation sensor module integrated into a cellular phone for providing radiation detection data and analysis directly to a user. The sensor module includes a solid-state crystal bonded to an ASIC readout providing a low cost, low power, light weight compact instrument to detect and measure radiation energies in the local ambient radiation field. In particular, the photon energy, time of event, and location of the detection instrument at the time of detection is recorded for real time transmission to a central data collection/analysis system. The collected data from the entire network of radiation detection instruments are combined by intelligent correlation/analysis algorithms which map the background radiation and detect, identify and track radiation anomalies in the region.

The KLOE-2 Inner Tracker: Detector commissioning and operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balla, A.; Bencivenni, G.; Branchini, P.; Ciambrone, P.; Czerwinski, E.; De Lucia, E.; Cicco, A.; Di Domenici, D.; Felici, G.; Morello, G.

2017-02-01

The KLOE-2 experiment started its data taking campaign in November 2014 with an upgraded tracking system including an Inner Tracker built with the cylindrical GEM technology, to operate together with the Drift Chamber improving the apparatus tracking performance. The Inner Tracker is composed of four cylindrical triple-GEM, each provided with an X-V strips-pads stereo readout and equipped with the GASTONE ASIC developed inside the KLOE-2 collaboration. Although GEM detectors are already used in high energy physics experiment, this device is considered a frontier detector due to its cylindrical geometry: KLOE-2 is the first experiment to use this novel solution. The results of the detector commissioning, detection efficiency evaluation, calibration studies and alignment, both with dedicated cosmic-ray muon and Bhabha scattering events, will be reported.

Cellular telephone-based radiation detection instrument

DOEpatents

Craig, William W [Pittsburg, CA; Labov, Simon E [Berkeley, CA

2011-06-14

A network of radiation detection instruments, each having a small solid state radiation sensor module integrated into a cellular phone for providing radiation detection data and analysis directly to a user. The sensor module includes a solid-state crystal bonded to an ASIC readout providing a low cost, low power, light weight compact instrument to detect and measure radiation energies in the local ambient radiation field. In particular, the photon energy, time of event, and location of the detection instrument at the time of detection is recorded for real time transmission to a central data collection/analysis system. The collected data from the entire network of radiation detection instruments are combined by intelligent correlation/analysis algorithms which map the background radiation and detect, identify and track radiation anomalies in the region.

Cellular telephone-based wide-area radiation detection network

DOEpatents

Craig, William W [Pittsburg, CA; Labov, Simon E [Berkeley, CA

2009-06-09

A network of radiation detection instruments, each having a small solid state radiation sensor module integrated into a cellular phone for providing radiation detection data and analysis directly to a user. The sensor module includes a solid-state crystal bonded to an ASIC readout providing a low cost, low power, light weight compact instrument to detect and measure radiation energies in the local ambient radiation field. In particular, the photon energy, time of event, and location of the detection instrument at the time of detection is recorded for real time transmission to a central data collection/analysis system. The collected data from the entire network of radiation detection instruments are combined by intelligent correlation/analysis algorithms which map the background radiation and detect, identify and track radiation anomalies in the region.

A front-end read out chip for the OPERA scintillator tracker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucotte, A.; Bondil, S.; Borer, K.; Campagne, J. E.; Cazes, A.; Hess, M.; de La Taille, C.; Martin-Chassard, G.; Raux, L.; Repellin, J. P.

2004-04-01

Multi-anode photomultipliers H7546 are used to readout signal from the OPERA Scintillator Tracker (CERN/SPSC 2000-028, SPSC/P318, LNGSP 25/2000; CERN/SPSC 2001-025, SPSC/M668, LNGS-EXP30/2001). A 32-channel front-end Read Out Chip prototype accommodating the H7546 has been designed at LAL. This device features a low-noise, variable gain preamplifier to correct for multi-anode non-uniformity, an auto-trigger capability 100% efficient at a 0.3 photo-electron, and a charge measurement extending over a large dynamic range [0-100] photo-electrons. In this article we describe the ASIC architecture that is being implemented for the Target Tracker in OPERA, with a special emphasis put on the designs and the measured performance.

Resistor-less charge sensitive amplifier for semiconductor detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelczar, K.; Panas, K.; Zuzel, G.

2016-11-01

A new concept of a Charge Sensitive Amplifier without a high-value resistor in the feedback loop is presented. Basic spectroscopic parameters of the amplifier coupled to a coaxial High Purity Germanium detector (HPGe) are discussed. The amplifier signal input is realized with an n-channel J-FET transistor. The feedback capacitor is discharged continuously by the second, forward biased n-channel J-FET, driven by an RC low-pass filter. Both the analog-with a standard spectroscopy amplifier and a multi-channel analyzer-and the digital-by applying a Flash Analog to Digital Converter-signal readouts were tested. The achieved resolution in the analog and the digital readouts was 0.17% and 0.21%, respectively, at the Full Width at Half Maximum of the registered 60Co 1332.5 keV gamma line.

Studies of prototype DEPFET sensors for the Wide Field Imager of Athena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treberspurg, Wolfgang; Andritschke, Robert; Bähr, Alexander; Behrens, Annika; Hauser, Günter; Lechner, Peter; Meidinger, Norbert; Müller-Seidlitz, Johannes; Treis, Johannes

2017-08-01

The Wide Field Imager (WFI) of ESA's next X-ray observatory Athena will combine a high count rate capability with a large field of view, both with state-of-the-art spectroscopic performance. To meet these demands, specific DEPFET active pixel detectors have been developed and operated. Due to the intrinsic amplification of detected signals they are best suited to achieve a high speed and low noise performance. Different fabrication technologies and transistor geometries have been implemented on a dedicated prototype production in the course of the development of the DEPFET sensors. The main modifications between the sensors concern the shape of the transistor gate - regarding the layout - and the thickness of the gate oxide - regarding the technology. To facilitate the fabrication and testing of the resulting variety of sensors the presented studies were carried out with 64×64 pixel detectors. The detector comprises a control ASIC (Switcher-A), a readout ASIC (VERITAS- 2) and the sensor. In this paper we give an overview on the evaluation of different prototype sensors. The most important results, which have been decisive for the identification of the optimal fabrication technology and transistor layout for subsequent sensor productions are summarized. It will be shown that the developments result in an excellent performance of spectroscopic X-ray DEPFETs with typical noise values below 2.5 ENC at 2.5 μs/row.

Image sensor with high dynamic range linear output

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yadid-Pecht, Orly (Inventor); Fossum, Eric R. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

Designs and operational methods to increase the dynamic range of image sensors and APS devices in particular by achieving more than one integration times for each pixel thereof. An APS system with more than one column-parallel signal chains for readout are described for maintaining a high frame rate in readout. Each active pixel is sampled for multiple times during a single frame readout, thus resulting in multiple integration times. The operation methods can also be used to obtain multiple integration times for each pixel with an APS design having a single column-parallel signal chain for readout. Furthermore, analog-to-digital conversion of high speed and high resolution can be implemented.

Design and Implementation of Readout Circuit with Threshold Voltage Compensation on Glass Substrate for Touch Panel Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yu-Ta; Ker, Ming-Dou; Wang, Tzu-Ming

2011-03-01

A new on-panel readout circuit with threshold voltage compensation for capacitive sensor in low temperature polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin-film transistor (LTPS-TFT) process has been proposed. In order to compensate the threshold voltage variation from LTPS process variation, the proposed readout circuit applies a novel compensation approach with switch capacitor technique. In addition, a 4-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is added to identify different sensed capacitor values and further enhances the overall resolution of touch panel.

Electronic readout system for the Belle II imaging Time-Of-Propagation detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotchetkov, Dmitri

2017-07-01

The imaging Time-Of-Propagation (iTOP) detector, constructed for the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB e+e- collider, is an 8192-channel high precision Cherenkov particle identification detector with timing resolution below 50 ps. To acquire data from the iTOP, a novel front-end electronic readout system was designed, built, and integrated. Switched-capacitor array application-specific integrated circuits are used to sample analog signals. Triggering, digitization, readout, and data transfer are controlled by Xilinx Zynq-7000 system on a chip devices.

Design and Performance Testing of a Linear Array of Position-Sensitive Virtual Frisch-Grid CdZnTe Detectors for Uranium Enrichment Measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ocampo, Luis

Abstract— Arrays of position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe (CZT) detectors with enhanced energy resolution have been proposed for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma-ray sources in different applications. The flexibility of the array design, which can employ CZT crystals with thicknesses up to several centimeters in the direction of electron drift, allows for integration into different kinds of field-portable instruments. These can include small hand-held devices, compact gamma cameras and large field-of-view imaging systems. In this work, we present results for a small linear array of such detectors optimized for the low-energy region, 50-400 keV gamma-rays, which is principally intended for incorporationmore » into hand-held instruments. There are many potential application areas for such instruments, including uranium enrichment measurements, storage monitoring, dosimetry and other safeguards-related tasks that can benefit from compactness and isotope-identification capability. The array described here provides a relatively large area with a minimum number of readout channels, which potentially allows the developers to avoid using an ASIC-based electronic readout by substituting it with hybrid preamplifiers followed by digitizers. The array prototype consists of six (5x5.7x25 mm3) CZT detectors positioned in a line facing the source to achieve a maximum exposure area (~10 cm2). Each detector is furnished with 5 mm-wide charge-sensing pads placed near the anode. The pad signals are converted into X-Y coordinates for each interaction event, which are combined with the cathode signals (for determining the Z coordinates) to give 3D positional information for all interaction points. This information is used to correct the response non-uniformity caused by material inhomogeneity, which therefore allows the usage of standard-grade (unselected) CZT crystals, while achieving high-resolution spectroscopic performance for the instrument. In this presentation we describe the design of the array, the results from detailed laboratory tests, and preliminary results from measurements taken during a field test.« less

A novel CMOS transducer for giant magnetoresistance sensors.

PubMed

Luong, Van Su; Lu, Chih-Cheng; Yang, Jing-Wen; Jeng, Jen-Tzong

2017-02-01

In this work, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuits) transducer circuit for field modulated giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensors was designed and fabricated using a 0.18-μm CMOS process. The transducer circuits consist of a frequency divider, a digital phase shifter, an instrument amplifier, and an analog mixer. These comprise a mix of analog and digital circuit techniques. The compact chip size of 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm for both analog and digital parts was achieved using the TSMC18 1P6M (1-polysilicon 6-metal) process design kit, and the characteristics of the system were simulated using an HSpice simulator. The output of the transducer circuit is the result of the first harmonic detection, which resolves the modulated field using a phase sensitive detection (PSD) technique and is proportional to the measured magnetic field. When the dual-bridge GMR sensor is driven by the transducer circuit with a current of 10 mA at 10 kHz, the observed sensitivity of the field sensor is 10.2 mV/V/Oe and the nonlinearity error was 3% in the linear range of ±1 Oe. The performance of the system was also verified by rotating the sensor system horizontally in earth's magnetic field and recording the sinusoidal output with respect to the azimuth angle, which exhibits an error of less than ±0.04 Oe. These results prove that the ASIC transducer is suitable for driving the AC field modulated GMR sensors applied to geomagnetic measurement.

Acid-sensing ion channels in trigeminal ganglion neurons innervating the orofacial region contribute to orofacial inflammatory pain.

PubMed

Fu, Hui; Fang, Peng; Zhou, Hai-Yun; Zhou, Jun; Yu, Xiao-Wei; Ni, Ming; Zheng, Jie-Yan; Jin, You; Chen, Jian-Guo; Wang, Fang; Hu, Zhuang-Li

2016-02-01

Orofacial pain is a common clinical symptom that is accompanied by tooth pain, migraine and gingivitis. Accumulating evidence suggests that acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), especially ASIC3, can profoundly affect the physiological properties of nociception in peripheral sensory neurons. The aim of this study is to examine the contribution of ASICs in trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons to orofacial inflammatory pain. A Western blot (WB), immunofluorescence assay of labelled trigeminal ganglion neurons, orofacial formalin test, cell preparation and electrophysiological experiments are performed. This study demonstrated that ASIC1, ASIC2a and ASIC3 are highly expressed in TG neurons innervating the orofacial region of rats. The amplitude of ASIC currents in these neurons increased 119.72% (for ASIC1-like current) and 230.59% (for ASIC3-like current) in the formalin-induced orofacial inflammatory pain model. In addition, WB and immunofluorescence assay demonstrated a significantly augmented expression of ASICs in orofacial TG neurons during orofacial inflammation compared with the control group. The relative protein density of ASIC1, ASIC2a and ASIC3 also increased 58.82 ± 8.92%, 45.30 ± 11.42% and 55.32 ± 14.71%, respectively, compared with the control group. Furthermore, pharmacological blockade of ASICs and genetic deletion of ASIC1 attenuated the inflammation response. These findings indicate that peripheral inflammation can induce the upregulation of ASICs in TG neurons, causing orofacial inflammatory pain. Additionally, the specific inhibitor of ASICs may have a significant analgesic effect on orofacial inflammatory pain. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Design and performance of the readout electronics chain of the Delphi Forward Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dam, P.; Nielsen, B.S.; Formenti, F.

1992-10-01

In this paper the Front End Readout electronics chain of the Forward Ring Imaging CHerenkov (FRICH) Detector used at the Delphi experiment of the Large Electron Positron (LEP) collider is presented. The system incorporates a wide band low noise preamplifier, mounted in the proximity of the MultiWire Proportional Chamber, an Amplifying-Discriminating-Multiple-xing FASTBUS unit for further signal amplification, discrimination and channel reduction and a LEP Time Digitizer FASTBUS unit for time digitization. The paper gives a general view of the detector and its electronics with particular emphasis on the novel characteristics and capabilities of the system.

Double-differential recording and AGC using microcontrolled variable gain ASIC.

PubMed

Rieger, Robert; Deng, Shin-Liang

2013-01-01

Low-power wearable recording of biopotentials requires acquisition front-ends with high common-mode rejection for interference suppression and adjustable gain to provide an optimum signal range to a cascading analogue-to-digital stage. A microcontroller operated double-differential (DD) recording setup and automatic gain control circuit (AGC) are discussed which reject common-mode interference and provide tunable gain, thus compensating for imbalance and variation in electrode interface impedance. Custom-designed variable gain amplifiers (ASIC) are used as part of the recording setup. The circuit gain and balance is set by the timing of microcontroller generated clock signals. Measured results are presented which confirm that improved common-mode rejection is achieved compared to a single differential amplifier in the presence of input network imbalance. Practical measured examples further validate gain control suitable for biopotential recording and power-line rejection for wearable ECG and EMG recording. The prototype front-end consumes 318 μW including amplifiers and microcontroller.

ASIC1A in neurons is critical for fear-related behaviors.

PubMed

Taugher, R J; Lu, Y; Fan, R; Ghobbeh, A; Kreple, C J; Faraci, F M; Wemmie, J A

2017-11-01

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) have been implicated in fear-, addiction- and depression-related behaviors in mice. While these effects have been attributed to ASIC1A in neurons, it has been reported that ASICs may also function in nonneuronal cells. To determine if ASIC1A in neurons is indeed required, we generated neuron-specific knockout (KO) mice with floxed Asic1a alleles disrupted by Cre recombinase driven by the neuron-specific synapsin I promoter (SynAsic1a KO mice). We confirmed that Cre expression occurred in neurons, but not all neurons, and not in nonneuronal cells including astrocytes. Consequent loss of ASIC1A in some but not all neurons was verified by western blotting, immunohistochemistry and electrophysiology. We found ASIC1A was disrupted in fear circuit neurons, and SynAsic1a KO mice exhibited prominent deficits in multiple fear-related behaviors including Pavlovian fear conditioning to cue and context, predator odor-evoked freezing and freezing responses to carbon dioxide inhalation. In contrast, in the nucleus accumbens ASIC1A expression was relatively normal in SynAsic1a KO mice, and consistent with this observation, cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) was normal. Interestingly, depression-related behavior in the forced swim test, which has been previously linked to ASIC1A in the amygdala, was also normal. Together, these data suggest neurons are an important site of ASIC1A action in fear-related behaviors, whereas other behaviors likely depend on ASIC1A in other neurons or cell types not targeted in SynAsic1a KO mice. These findings highlight the need for further work to discern the roles of ASICs in specific cell types and brain sites. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Digital Signal Processing in Radio Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, D. C.; Kocz, J.; Bailes, M.; Greenhill, L. J.

2016-03-01

Advances in astronomy are intimately linked to advances in digital signal processing (DSP). This special issue is focused upon advances in DSP within radio astronomy. The trend within that community is to use off-the-shelf digital hardware where possible and leverage advances in high performance computing. In particular, graphics processing units (GPUs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are being used in place of application-specific circuits (ASICs); high-speed Ethernet and Infiniband are being used for interconnect in place of custom backplanes. Further, to lower hurdles in digital engineering, communities have designed and released general-purpose FPGA-based DSP systems, such as the CASPER ROACH board, ASTRON Uniboard, and CSIRO Redback board. In this introductory paper, we give a brief historical overview, a summary of recent trends, and provide an outlook on future directions.

Breakup of loosely bound nuclei at intermediate energies for nuclear astrophysics and the development of a position sensitive microstrip detector system and its readout electronics using ASICs technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bertulani, Carlos A.

2016-01-12

The work performed under this grant has led to the development of a detection system that will be used to measure reaction rates for proton or neutron capture reactions at stellar energies on radioactive ions far from stability. The reaction rates are needed to better understand the physics of nucleosynthesis in explosive stellar processes such as supernovae and x-ray burst events. The radioactive ions will be produced at the Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (RIBF) at RIKEN near Tokyo, Japan. During the course of this work, the group involved in this project has expanded by several institutions in Europe and Japanmore » and now involves collaborators from the U.S., Japan, Hungary, Romania, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, and South Korea. As part of the project, a novel design based on large-area silicon detectors has been built and tested. The work has involved mechanical construction of a special purpose vacuum chamber, with a precision mounting system for the silicon detectors, development of a new ASICs readout system that has applications with a wide variety of silicon detector systems, and the development of a data acquisition system that is integrated into the computer system being used at RIBF. The parts noted above that are needed to carry out the research program are completed and ready for installation. Several approved experiments that will use this system will be carried out in the near future. The experimental work has been delayed due to a large increase in the cost and availability of electrical power for RIBF that occurred following the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in the spring of 2011. Another component of the research carried out with this grant involved developing the theoretical tools that are required to extract the information from the experiments that is needed to determine the stellar reaction rates. The tools developed through this part of the work will be made freely available for general use.« less

Radiation Tolerant Electronics and Digital Processing for the Phase-1 Read-out Upgrade of the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milic, A.

The ATLAS Liquid Argon calorimeters are designed and built to study proton-proton collisions produced at the LHC at centre-of-mass energies up to 14 TeV. Liquid argon (LAr) sampling calorimeters are employed for all electromagnetic calorimetry in the pseudorapidity region |η|<3.2, and for hadronic calorimetry in the region from |η|=1.5 to |η|=4.9. Although the nominal LHC experimental programme is still in progress, an upgrade of the read-out electronics is being launched to cope with luminosities of up to 3x10{sup 34} cm{sup -2}s{sup -1}, which are beyond the original design by a factor of 3. An improved spatial granularity of the triggermore » primitives is therefore proposed in order to improve the identification performance for trigger signatures, like electrons, photons, tau leptons, jets, total and missing energy, at high background rejection rates. For the upgrade Phase-1 in 2018, new LAr Trigger Digitizer Boards (LTDB) are being designed to receive higher granularity signals, digitize them on detector and send them via fast optical links to a new LAr digital processing system (LDPS). The LDPS applies a digital filtering and identifies significant energy depositions in each trigger channel. The refined trigger primitives are then transmitted to the first level trigger system to extract improved trigger signatures. The read-out of the trigger signals will process 34000 so-called Super Cells at every LHC bunch-crossing at a frequency of 40 MHz. The new LTDB on-detector electronics is designed to be radiation tolerant in order to be operated for the remaining live-time of the ATLAS detector up to a total luminosity of 3000 fb{sup -1}. For the analog-to-digital conversion (12-bit ADC at 40 MSPS), the data serialization and the fast optical link (5.44 Gb/s) custom components have been developed. They have been qualified for the expected radiation environment of a total ionization dose of 1.3 kGy and a hadron fluence of 6 x 10{sup 13} h/cm{sup 2} with energies above 20 MeV. For the digital components like the ADC, cross-sections for single event effects have been determined. This talk will present R and D results from tests of the radiation tolerant components, the fast data processing electronics and prototypes of the LTDB and LDPS boards. First experience from a Demonstrator setup will be reported, in which about 1/10 of the full Super Cell readout will be equipped with prototype versions of the LTDB and LDPS boards. The Demonstrator will be operated in parallel to the regular ATLAS trigger read-out during the upcoming LHC run. (authors)« less

Evidence for the involvement of ASIC3 in sensory mechanotransduction in proprioceptors

PubMed Central

Lin, Shing-Hong; Cheng, Yuan-Ren; Banks, Robert W.; Min, Ming-Yuan; Bewick, Guy S.; Chen, Chih-Cheng

2016-01-01

Acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) is involved in acid nociception, but its possible role in neurosensory mechanotransduction is disputed. We report here the generation of Asic3-knockout/eGFPf-knockin mice and subsequent characterization of heterogeneous expression of ASIC3 in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). ASIC3 is expressed in parvalbumin (Pv+) proprioceptor axons innervating muscle spindles. We further generate a floxed allele of Asic3 (Asic3f/f) and probe the role of ASIC3 in mechanotransduction in neurite-bearing Pv+ DRG neurons through localized elastic matrix movements and electrophysiology. Targeted knockout of Asic3 disrupts spindle afferent sensitivity to dynamic stimuli and impairs mechanotransduction in Pv+ DRG neurons because of substrate deformation-induced neurite stretching, but not to direct neurite indentation. In behavioural tasks, global knockout (Asic3−/−) and Pv-Cre::Asic3f/f mice produce similar deficits in grid and balance beam walking tasks. We conclude that, at least in mouse, ASIC3 is a molecular determinant contributing to dynamic mechanosensitivity in proprioceptors. PMID:27161260

Proton and non-proton activation of ASIC channels

PubMed Central

Gautschi, Ivan; van Bemmelen, Miguel Xavier; Schild, Laurent

2017-01-01

The Acid-Sensing Ion Channels (ASIC) exhibit a fast desensitizing current when activated by pH values below 7.0. By contrast, non-proton ligands are able to trigger sustained ASIC currents at physiological pHs. To analyze the functional basis of the ASIC desensitizing and sustained currents, we have used ASIC1a and ASIC2a mutants with a cysteine in the pore vestibule for covalent binding of different sulfhydryl reagents. We found that ASIC1a and ASIC2a exhibit two distinct currents, a proton-induced desensitizing current and a sustained current triggered by sulfhydryl reagents. These currents differ in their pH dependency, their sensitivity to the sulfhydryl reagents, their ionic selectivity and their relative magnitude. We propose a model for ASIC1 and ASIC2 activity where the channels can function in two distinct modes, a desensitizing mode and a sustained mode depending on the activating ligands. The pore vestibule of the channel represents a functional site for binding non-proton ligands to activate ASIC1 and ASIC2 at neutral pH and to prevent channel desensitization. PMID:28384246

Two-dimensional ultrahigh-density X-ray optical memory.

PubMed

Bezirganyan, Hakob P; Bezirganyan, Siranush E; Bezirganyan, Hayk H; Bezirganyan, Petros H

2007-01-01

Most important aspect of nanotechnology applications in the information ultrahigh storage is the miniaturization of data carrier elements of the storage media with emphasis on the long-term stability. Proposed two-dimensional ultrahigh-density X-ray optical memory, named X-ROM, with long-term stability is an information carrier basically destined for digital data archiving. X-ROM is a semiconductor wafer, in which the high-reflectivity nanosized X-ray mirrors are embedded. Data are encoded due to certain positions of the mirrors. Ultrahigh-density data recording procedure can e.g., be performed via mask-less zone-plate-array lithography (ZPAL), spatial-phase-locked electron-beam lithography (SPLEBL), or focused ion-beam lithography (FIB). X-ROM manufactured by nanolithography technique is a write-once memory useful for terabit-scale memory applications, if the surface area of the smallest recording pits is less than 100 nm2. In this case the X-ROM surface-storage capacity of a square centimetre becomes by two orders of magnitude higher than the volumetric data density really achieved for three-dimensional optical data storage medium. Digital data read-out procedure from proposed X-ROM can e.g., be performed via glancing-angle incident X-ray micro beam (GIX) using the well-developed X-ray reflectometry technique. In presented theoretical paper the crystal-analyser operating like an image magnifier is added to the set-up of X-ROM data handling system for the purpose analogous to case of application the higher numerical aperture objective in optical data read-out system. We also propose the set-up of the X-ROM readout system based on more the one incident X-ray micro beam. Presented scheme of two-beam data handling system, which operates on two mutually perpendicular well-collimated monochromatic incident X-ray micro beams, essentially increases the reliability of the digital information read-out procedure. According the graphs of characteristic functions presented in paper, one may choose optimally the incident radiation wavelength, as well as the angle of incidence of X-ray micro beams, appropriate for proposed digital data read-out procedure.

SpaceWire Driver Software for Special DSPs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Douglas; Lux, James; Nishimoto, Kouji; Lang, Minh

2003-01-01

A computer program provides a high-level C-language interface to electronics circuitry that controls a SpaceWire interface in a system based on a space qualified version of the ADSP-21020 digital signal processor (DSP). SpaceWire is a spacecraft-oriented standard for packet-switching data-communication networks that comprise nodes connected through bidirectional digital serial links that utilize low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS). The software is tailored to the SMCS-332 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (also available as the TSS901E), which provides three highspeed (150 Mbps) serial point-to-point links compliant with the proposed Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 1355.2 and equivalent European Space Agency (ESA) Standard ECSS-E-50-12. In the specific application of this software, the SpaceWire ASIC was combined with the DSP processor, memory, and control logic in a Multi-Chip Module DSP (MCM-DSP). The software is a collection of low-level driver routines that provide a simple message-passing application programming interface (API) for software running on the DSP. Routines are provided for interrupt-driven access to the two styles of interface provided by the SMCS: (1) the "word at a time" conventional host interface (HOCI); and (2) a higher performance "dual port memory" style interface (COMI).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rahman, Taufiq, E-mail: mtur2@cam.ac.uk; Smith, Ewan St. John

Highlights: • We have made a reasonable model of rat ASIC3 using published structure of chicken ASIC1. • We have docked sea anemone toxin APETx2 on the model. • We have identified two putative sites for toxin binding. • We have argued for plausibility one site over the other. • We have identified the residues that are likely to be critical for APETx2–ASIC3 interaction. - Abstract: Acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated cation channels that are expressed throughout the nervous system and have been implicated in mediating sensory perception of noxious stimuli. Amongst the six ASIC isoforms, ASIC1a, 1b,more » 2a and 3 form proton-gated homomers, which differ in their activation and inactivation kinetics, expression profiles and pharmacological modulation; protons do not gate ASIC2b and ASIC4. As with many other ion channels, structure-function studies of ASICs have been greatly aided by the discovery of some toxins that act in isoform-specific ways. ASIC3 is predominantly expressed by sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system where it acts to detect acid as a noxious stimulus and thus plays an important role in nociception. ASIC3 is the only ASIC subunit that is inhibited by the sea anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima)-derived toxin APETx2. However, the molecular mechanism by which APETx2 interacts with ASIC3 remains largely unknown. In this study, we made a homology model of ASIC3 and used extensive protein–protein docking to predict for the first time, the probable sites of APETx2 interaction on ASIC3. Additionally, using computational alanine scanning, we also suggest the ‘hot-spots’ that are likely to be critical for ASIC3–APETx2 interaction.« less

Performance of a Micro-Strip Gas Chamber for event wise, high rate thermal neutron detection with accurate 2D position determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mindur, B.; Alimov, S.; Fiutowski, T.; Schulz, C.; Wilpert, T.

2014-12-01

A two-dimensional (2D) position sensitive detector for neutron scattering applications based on low-pressure gas amplification and micro-strip technology was built and tested with an innovative readout electronics and data acquisition system. This detector contains a thin solid neutron converter and was developed for time- and thus wavelength-resolved neutron detection in single-event counting mode, which improves the image contrast in comparison with integrating detectors. The prototype detector of a Micro-Strip Gas Chamber (MSGC) was built with a solid natGd/CsI thermal neutron converter for spatial resolutions of about 100 μm and counting rates up to 107 neutrons/s. For attaining very high spatial resolutions and counting rates via micro-strip readout with centre-of-gravity evaluation of the signal amplitude distributions, a fast, channel-wise, self-triggering ASIC was developed. The front-end chips (MSGCROCs), which are very first signal processing components, are read out into powerful ADC-FPGA boards for on-line data processing and thereafter via Gigabit Ethernet link into the data receiving PC. The workstation PC is controlled by a modular, high performance dedicated software suite. Such a fast and accurate system is crucial for efficient radiography/tomography, diffraction or imaging applications based on high flux thermal neutron beam. In this paper a brief description of the detector concept with its operation principles, readout electronics requirements and design together with the signals processing stages performed in hardware and software are presented. In more detail the neutron test beam conditions and measurement results are reported. The focus of this paper is on the system integration, two dimensional spatial resolution, the time resolution of the readout system and the imaging capabilities of the overall setup. The detection efficiency of the detector prototype is estimated as well.

Study report on laser storage and retrieval of image data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becker, C. H.

1976-01-01

The theoretical foundation is presented for a system of real-time nonphotographic and nonmagnetic digital laser storage and retrieval of image data. The system utilizes diffraction-limited laser focusing upon thin metal films, melting elementary holes in the metal films in laser focus. The metal films are encapsulated in rotating flexible mylar discs which act as the permanent storage carries. Equal sized holes encompass two dimensional digital ensembles of information bits which are time-sequentially (bit by bit) stored and retrieved. The bits possess the smallest possible size, defined by the Rayleigh criterion of coherent physical optics. Space and time invariant reflective read-out of laser discs with a small laser, provides access to the stored digital information. By eliminating photographic and magnetic data processing, which characterize the previous state of the art, photographic grain, diffusion, and gamma-distortion do not exist. Similarly, magnetic domain structures, magnetic gaps, and magnetic read-out are absent with a digital laser disc system.

Radiation Hardening of Digital Color CMOS Camera-on-a-Chip Building Blocks for Multi-MGy Total Ionizing Dose Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goiffon, Vincent; Rolando, Sébastien; Corbière, Franck; Rizzolo, Serena; Chabane, Aziouz; Girard, Sylvain; Baer, Jérémy; Estribeau, Magali; Magnan, Pierre; Paillet, Philippe; Van Uffelen, Marco; Mont Casellas, Laura; Scott, Robin; Gaillardin, Marc; Marcandella, Claude; Marcelot, Olivier; Allanche, Timothé

2017-01-01

The Total Ionizing Dose (TID) hardness of digital color Camera-on-a-Chip (CoC) building blocks is explored in the Multi-MGy range using 60Co gamma-ray irradiations. The performances of the following CoC subcomponents are studied: radiation hardened (RH) pixel and photodiode designs, RH readout chain, Color Filter Arrays (CFA) and column RH Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC). Several radiation hardness improvements are reported (on the readout chain and on dark current). CFAs and ADCs degradations appear to be very weak at the maximum TID of 6 MGy(SiO2), 600 Mrad. In the end, this study demonstrates the feasibility of a MGy rad-hard CMOS color digital camera-on-a-chip, illustrated by a color image captured after 6 MGy(SiO2) with no obvious degradation. An original dark current reduction mechanism in irradiated CMOS Image Sensors is also reported and discussed.

Charge-sensitive front-end electronics with operational amplifiers for CdZnTe detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Födisch, P.; Berthel, M.; Lange, B.; Kirschke, T.; Enghardt, W.; Kaever, P.

2016-09-01

Cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe, CZT) radiation detectors are suitable for a variety of applications, due to their high spatial resolution and spectroscopic energy performance at room temperature. However, state-of-the-art detector systems require high-performance readout electronics. Though an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is an adequate solution for the readout, requirements of high dynamic range and high throughput are not available in any commercial circuit. Consequently, the present study develops the analog front-end electronics with operational amplifiers for an 8×8 pixelated CZT detector. For this purpose, we modeled an electrical equivalent circuit of the CZT detector with the associated charge-sensitive amplifier (CSA). Based on a detailed network analysis, the circuit design is completed by numerical values for various features such as ballistic deficit, charge-to-voltage gain, rise time, and noise level. A verification of the performance is carried out by synthetic detector signals and a pixel detector. The experimental results with the pixel detector assembly and a 22Na radioactive source emphasize the depth dependence of the measured energy. After pulse processing with depth correction based on the fit of the weighting potential, the energy resolution is 2.2% (FWHM) for the 511 keV photopeak.

An FPGA-based data acquisition system for directional dark matter detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chen; Nicoloff, Catherine; Sanaullah, Ahmed; Sridhar, Arvind; Herbordt, Martin; Battat, James; Battat Lab at Wellesley College Team; CAAD Lab at Boston University Team

2017-01-01

Directional dark matter detection is a powerful tool in the search for dark matter. Low-pressure gas TPCs are commonly used for directional detection, and dark-matter-induced recoils are mm long. These tracks can be reconstructed by micropatterned readouts. Because large detector volumes are needed, a cost-effective data acquisition system capable of scaling to large channel counts (105 or 106) is required. The Directional Recoil Identification From Tracks (DRIFT) collaboration has pioneered the use of TPCs for directional detection. We employ a negative ion gas with drift speed comparable to the electron drift speed in liquid argon (LAr). We aim to use electronics developed for million-channel readouts in large LAr neutrino detectors. We have built a prototype Micromegas-based directional detector with 103 channels. A FPGA-based back-end system (BE) receives a 12 Gbps data stream from eight ASIC-based front-end boards (FE), each with 128 detector channels. The BE buffers 3 μs of pretrigger data for all channels in DRAM, and streams triggered data to a host PC. We will describe the system architecture and present preliminary measurements from the DAQ. We acknowledge the support of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the NSF and the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium.

Development and test of the DAQ system for a Micromegas prototype to be installed in the ATLAS experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianco, M.; Martoiu, S.; Sidiropoulou, O.; Zibell, A.

2015-12-01

A Micromegas (MM) quadruplet prototype with an active area of 0.5 m2 that adopts the general design foreseen for the upgrade of the innermost forward muon tracking systems (Small Wheels) of the ATLAS detector in 2018-2019, has been built at CERN and is going to be tested in the ATLAS cavern environment during the LHC RUN-II period 2015-2017. The integration of this prototype detector into the ATLAS data acquisition system using custom ATCA equipment is presented. An ATLAS compatible Read Out Driver (ROD) based on the Scalable Readout System (SRS), the Scalable Readout Unit (SRU), will be used in order to transmit the data after generating valid event fragments to the high-level Read Out System (ROS). The SRU will be synchronized with the LHC bunch crossing clock (40.08 MHz) and will receive the Level-1 trigger signals from the Central Trigger Processor (CTP) through the TTCrx receiver ASIC. The configuration of the system will be driven directly from the ATLAS Run Control System. By using the ATLAS TDAQ Software, a dedicated Micromegas segment has been implemented, in order to include the detector inside the main ATLAS DAQ partition. A full set of tests, on the hardware and software aspects, is presented.

Energy dispersive CdTe and CdZnTe detectors for spectral clinical CT and NDT applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barber, W. C.; Wessel, J. C.; Nygard, E.; Iwanczyk, J. S.

2015-06-01

We are developing room temperature compound semiconductor detectors for applications in energy-resolved high-flux single x-ray photon-counting spectral computed tomography (CT), including functional imaging with nanoparticle contrast agents for medical applications and non-destructive testing (NDT) for security applications. Energy-resolved photon-counting can provide reduced patient dose through optimal energy weighting for a particular imaging task in CT, functional contrast enhancement through spectroscopic imaging of metal nanoparticles in CT, and compositional analysis through multiple basis function material decomposition in CT and NDT. These applications produce high input count rates from an x-ray generator delivered to the detector. Therefore, in order to achieve energy-resolved single photon counting in these applications, a high output count rate (OCR) for an energy-dispersive detector must be achieved at the required spatial resolution and across the required dynamic range for the application. The required performance in terms of the OCR, spatial resolution, and dynamic range must be obtained with sufficient field of view (FOV) for the application thus requiring the tiling of pixel arrays and scanning techniques. Room temperature cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) compound semiconductors, operating as direct conversion x-ray sensors, can provide the required speed when connected to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) operating at fast peaking times with multiple fixed thresholds per pixel provided the sensors are designed for rapid signal formation across the x-ray energy ranges of the application at the required energy and spatial resolutions, and at a sufficiently high detective quantum efficiency (DQE). We have developed high-flux energy-resolved photon-counting x-ray imaging array sensors using pixellated CdTe and CdZnTe semiconductors optimized for clinical CT and security NDT. We have also fabricated high-flux ASICs with a two dimensional (2D) array of inputs for readout from the sensors. The sensors are guard ring free and have a 2D array of pixels and can be tiled in 2D while preserving pixel pitch. The 2D ASICs have four energy bins with a linear energy response across sufficient dynamic range for clinical CT and some NDT applications. The ASICs can also be tiled in 2D and are designed to fit within the active area of the sensors. We have measured several important performance parameters including: the output count rate (OCR) in excess of 20 million counts per second per square mm with a minimum loss of counts due to pulse pile-up, an energy resolution of 7 keV full width at half-maximum (FWHM) across the entire dynamic range, and a noise floor about 20 keV. This is achieved by directly interconnecting the ASIC inputs to the pixels of the CdZnTe sensors incurring very little input capacitance to the ASICs. We present measurements of the performance of the CdTe and CdZnTe sensors including the OCR, FWHM energy resolution, noise floor, as well as the temporal stability and uniformity under the rapidly varying high flux expected in CT and NDT applications.

Energy dispersive CdTe and CdZnTe detectors for spectral clinical CT and NDT applications

PubMed Central

Barber, W. C.; Wessel, J. C.; Nygard, E.; Iwanczyk, J. S.

2014-01-01

We are developing room temperature compound semiconductor detectors for applications in energy-resolved high-flux single x-ray photon-counting spectral computed tomography (CT), including functional imaging with nanoparticle contrast agents for medical applications and non destructive testing (NDT) for security applications. Energy-resolved photon-counting can provide reduced patient dose through optimal energy weighting for a particular imaging task in CT, functional contrast enhancement through spectroscopic imaging of metal nanoparticles in CT, and compositional analysis through multiple basis function material decomposition in CT and NDT. These applications produce high input count rates from an x-ray generator delivered to the detector. Therefore, in order to achieve energy-resolved single photon counting in these applications, a high output count rate (OCR) for an energy-dispersive detector must be achieved at the required spatial resolution and across the required dynamic range for the application. The required performance in terms of the OCR, spatial resolution, and dynamic range must be obtained with sufficient field of view (FOV) for the application thus requiring the tiling of pixel arrays and scanning techniques. Room temperature cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) compound semiconductors, operating as direct conversion x-ray sensors, can provide the required speed when connected to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) operating at fast peaking times with multiple fixed thresholds per pixel provided the sensors are designed for rapid signal formation across the x-ray energy ranges of the application at the required energy and spatial resolutions, and at a sufficiently high detective quantum efficiency (DQE). We have developed high-flux energy-resolved photon-counting x-ray imaging array sensors using pixellated CdTe and CdZnTe semiconductors optimized for clinical CT and security NDT. We have also fabricated high-flux ASICs with a two dimensional (2D) array of inputs for readout from the sensors. The sensors are guard ring free and have a 2D array of pixels and can be tiled in 2D while preserving pixel pitch. The 2D ASICs have four energy bins with a linear energy response across sufficient dynamic range for clinical CT and some NDT applications. The ASICs can also be tiled in 2D and are designed to fit within the active area of the sensors. We have measured several important performance parameters including; the output count rate (OCR) in excess of 20 million counts per second per square mm with a minimum loss of counts due to pulse pile-up, an energy resolution of 7 keV full width at half maximum (FWHM) across the entire dynamic range, and a noise floor about 20keV. This is achieved by directly interconnecting the ASIC inputs to the pixels of the CdZnTe sensors incurring very little input capacitance to the ASICs. We present measurements of the performance of the CdTe and CdZnTe sensors including the OCR, FWHM energy resolution, noise floor, as well as the temporal stability and uniformity under the rapidly varying high flux expected in CT and NDT applications. PMID:25937684

Energy dispersive CdTe and CdZnTe detectors for spectral clinical CT and NDT applications.

PubMed

Barber, W C; Wessel, J C; Nygard, E; Iwanczyk, J S

2015-06-01

We are developing room temperature compound semiconductor detectors for applications in energy-resolved high-flux single x-ray photon-counting spectral computed tomography (CT), including functional imaging with nanoparticle contrast agents for medical applications and non destructive testing (NDT) for security applications. Energy-resolved photon-counting can provide reduced patient dose through optimal energy weighting for a particular imaging task in CT, functional contrast enhancement through spectroscopic imaging of metal nanoparticles in CT, and compositional analysis through multiple basis function material decomposition in CT and NDT. These applications produce high input count rates from an x-ray generator delivered to the detector. Therefore, in order to achieve energy-resolved single photon counting in these applications, a high output count rate (OCR) for an energy-dispersive detector must be achieved at the required spatial resolution and across the required dynamic range for the application. The required performance in terms of the OCR, spatial resolution, and dynamic range must be obtained with sufficient field of view (FOV) for the application thus requiring the tiling of pixel arrays and scanning techniques. Room temperature cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) compound semiconductors, operating as direct conversion x-ray sensors, can provide the required speed when connected to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) operating at fast peaking times with multiple fixed thresholds per pixel provided the sensors are designed for rapid signal formation across the x-ray energy ranges of the application at the required energy and spatial resolutions, and at a sufficiently high detective quantum efficiency (DQE). We have developed high-flux energy-resolved photon-counting x-ray imaging array sensors using pixellated CdTe and CdZnTe semiconductors optimized for clinical CT and security NDT. We have also fabricated high-flux ASICs with a two dimensional (2D) array of inputs for readout from the sensors. The sensors are guard ring free and have a 2D array of pixels and can be tiled in 2D while preserving pixel pitch. The 2D ASICs have four energy bins with a linear energy response across sufficient dynamic range for clinical CT and some NDT applications. The ASICs can also be tiled in 2D and are designed to fit within the active area of the sensors. We have measured several important performance parameters including; the output count rate (OCR) in excess of 20 million counts per second per square mm with a minimum loss of counts due to pulse pile-up, an energy resolution of 7 keV full width at half maximum (FWHM) across the entire dynamic range, and a noise floor about 20keV. This is achieved by directly interconnecting the ASIC inputs to the pixels of the CdZnTe sensors incurring very little input capacitance to the ASICs. We present measurements of the performance of the CdTe and CdZnTe sensors including the OCR, FWHM energy resolution, noise floor, as well as the temporal stability and uniformity under the rapidly varying high flux expected in CT and NDT applications.

Rad-Hard Structured ASIC Body of Knowledge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heidecker, Jason

2013-01-01

Structured Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) technology is a platform between traditional ASICs and Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). The motivation behind structured ASICs is to combine the low nonrecurring engineering costs (NRE) costs of FPGAs with the high performance of ASICs. This report provides an overview of the structured ASIC platforms that are radiation-hardened and intended for space application

A rack-mounted precision waveguide-below-cutoff attenuator with an absolute electronic readout

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, C. C.

1974-01-01

A coaxial precision waveguide-below-cutoff attenuator is described which uses an absolute (unambiguous) electronic digital readout of displacement in inches in addition to the usual gear driven mechanical counter-dial readout in decibels. The attenuator is rack-mountable and has the input and output RF connectors in a fixed position. The attenuation rate for 55, 50, and 30 MHz operation is given along with a discussion of sources of errors. In addition, information is included to aid the user in making adjustments on the attenuator should it be damaged or disassembled for any reason.

Event-related potential indices of workload in a single task paradigm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horst, R. L.; Munson, R. C.; Ruchkin, D. S.

1984-01-01

Many previous studies of both behavioral and physiological correlates of cognitive workload have burdened subjects with a contrived secondary task in order to assess the workload of a primary task. The present study investigated event-related potential (ERP) indices of workload in a single task paradigm. Subjects monitored changing digital readouts for values that went 'out-of-bounds'. The amplitude of a long-latency positivity in the ERPs elicited by readout changes increased with the number of readouts being monitored. This effect of workload on ERPs is reported, along with plans for additional analyses to address theoretical implications.

Human ASIC3 channel dynamically adapts its activity to sense the extracellular pH in both acidic and alkaline directions.

PubMed

Delaunay, Anne; Gasull, Xavier; Salinas, Miguel; Noël, Jacques; Friend, Valérie; Lingueglia, Eric; Deval, Emmanuel

2012-08-07

In rodent sensory neurons, acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) has recently emerged as a particularly important sensor of nonadaptive pain associated with tissue acidosis. However, little is known about the human ASIC3 channel, which includes three splice variants differing in their C-terminal domain (hASIC3a, hASIC3b, and hASIC3c). hASIC3a transcripts represent the main mRNAs expressed in both peripheral and central neuronal tissues (dorsal root ganglia [DRG], spinal cord, and brain), where a small proportion of hASIC3c transcripts is also detected. We show that hASIC3 channels (hASIC3a, hASIC3b, or hASIC3c) are able to directly sense extracellular pH changes not only during acidification (up to pH 5.0), but also during alkalization (up to pH 8.0), an original and inducible property yet unknown. When the external pH decreases, hASIC3 display a transient acid mode with brief activation that is relevant to the classical ASIC currents, as previously described. On the other hand, an external pH increase activates a sustained alkaline mode leading to a constitutive activity at resting pH. Both modes are inhibited by the APETx2 toxin, an ASIC3-type channel inhibitor. The alkaline sensitivity of hASIC3 is an intrinsic property of the channel, which is supported by the extracellular loop and involves two arginines (R68 and R83) only present in the human clone. hASIC3 is thus able to sense the extracellular pH in both directions and therefore to dynamically adapt its activity between pH 5.0 and 8.0, a property likely to participate in the fine tuning of neuronal membrane potential and to neuron sensitization in various pH environments.

In situ hybridization evidence for the coexistence of ASIC and TRPV1 within rat single sensory neurons.

PubMed

Ugawa, Shinya; Ueda, Takashi; Yamamura, Hisao; Shimada, Shoichi

2005-05-20

The activation of nociceptors by protons plays a crucial role in the initiation and maintenance of acidosis-linked pain. Acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) and transient receptor potential/vanilloid receptor subtype-1 (TRPV1) encode proton-activated cation channels expressed by nociceptors and the opening of these channels results in nociceptor excitation. Histological relations among ASIC clones and the colocalization of each ASIC subunit and TRPV1 within single sensory neurons were examined on serial sections of rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) using in situ hybridization histochemistry. ASIC1a transcripts were expressed in 20-25% of the DRG neurons, and most of the neurons had small (<30 microm)-diameter cell bodies. ASIC1b transcripts and ASIC3 transcripts were expressed in approximately 10% and 30-35% of the DRG neurons, respectively, and the greater part of each population was located in small-to-medium (30-50 microm)-diameter cells. The ASIC1a transcripts and ASIC1b transcripts were basically localized in the distinct populations of the DRG neurons, while approximately 20% of the ASIC1a-positive neurons and approximately 10% of the ASIC1b-positive neurons expressed ASIC3 transcripts. TRPV1 transcripts were expressed in 35-40% of the DRG neurons, and most of the TRPV1-positive neurons had small-diameter cell bodies. Intense expression signals for ASIC1a transcripts were detected in 40-45% of the TRPV1-positive neurons. Neurons expressing both ASIC1b and TRPV1 transcripts were barely detected in the DRG. Approximately 30% of the TRPV1-positive neurons expressed ASIC3 transcripts, and the double-labeled neurons were comprised of both small-diameter and medium-diameter cells. Approximately 13% of the TRPV1-positive neurons expressed both ASIC1a and ASIC3 transcripts.

Fast Magnetoresistive Random-Access Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Jiin-Chuan; Stadler, Henry L.; Katti, Romney R.

1991-01-01

Magnetoresistive binary digital memories of proposed new type expected to feature high speed, nonvolatility, ability to withstand ionizing radiation, high density, and low power. In memory cell, magnetoresistive effect exploited more efficiently by use of ferromagnetic material to store datum and adjacent magnetoresistive material to sense datum for readout. Because relative change in sensed resistance between "zero" and "one" states greater, shorter sampling and readout access times achievable.

The Endcap Disc DIRC of PANDA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Düren, M.; Etzelmüller, E.; Föhl, K.; Hayrapetyan, A.; Kröck, B.; Merle, O.; Rieke, J.; Schmidt, M.; Wasem, T.; Britting, A.; Eyrich, W.; Lehmann, A.; Pfaffinger, M.; Uhlig, F.; Belias, A.; Dzhygadlo, R.; Gerhardt, A.; Götzen, K.; Kalicy, G.; Krebs, M.; Lehmann, D.; Nerling, F.; Patsyuk, M.; Peters, K.; Schepers, G.; Schmitt, L.; Schwarz, C.; Schwiening, J.; Traxler, M.; Zühlsdorf, M.; Cowie, E.; Keri, T.; Achenbach, P.; Cardinali, M.; Hoek, M.; Lauth, W.; Schlimme, S.; Sfienti, C.; Thiel, M.

2017-12-01

The Endcap Disc DIRC (EDD) for PANDA has been designed to identify traversing pions, kaons and protons in the future PANDA experiment. Its central part is a 2 cm thick fused silica plate. Focussing optics are attached to the outer rim of the plate, outside of the acceptance of the experiment. Fast, high-resolution MCP-PMTs, designed to register single Cherenkov photons, have been tested in magnetic field. Filters limit the spectral acceptance of the sensors to reduce dispersion effects and to extend their lifetime. A compact and fast readout is realized with ASICs. Analytical reconstruction algorithms allow for fast particle identification. The angular resolution of a DIRC prototype has been simulated in Monte Carlo and confirmed in a test beam. The final detector will be able to provide a 4 σπ / K separation up to a momentum of 4 GeV / c .

Musett: A segmented Si array for Recoil-Decay-Tagging studies at VAMOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theisen, Ch.; Jeanneau, F.; Sulignano, B.; Druillole, F.; Ljungvall, J.; Paul, B.; Virique, E.; Baron, P.; Bervas, H.; Clément, E.; Delagnes, E.; Dijon, A.; Dossat, E.; Drouart, A.; Farget, F.; Flouzat, Ch.; De France, G.; Görgen, A.; Houarner, Ch.; Jacquot, B.; Korten, W.; Lebertre, G.; Lecornu, B.; Legeard, L.; Lermitage, A.; Lhenoret, S.; Marry, C.; Maugeais, C.; Menager, L.; Meunier, O.; Navin, A.; Nizery, F.; Obertelli, A.; Rauly, E.; Raine, B.; Rejmund, M.; Ropert, J.; Saillant, F.; Savajols, H.; Schmitt, Ch.; Tripon, M.; Wanlin, E.; Wittwer, G.

2014-05-01

A new segmented silicon-array called MUSETT has been built for the study of heavy elements using the Recoil-Decay-Tagging technique. MUSETT is located at the focal plane of the VAMOS spectrometer at GANIL and is used in conjunction with a γ-ray array at the target position. This paper describes the device, which consists of four 10×10 cm2 Si detectors and its associated front-end electronics based on highly integrated ASICs electronics. The triggerless readout electronics, the data acquisition and the analysis tools developed for its characterization are presented. This device was commissioned at GANIL with the EXOGAM γ-ray spectrometer using the fusion-evaporation reaction 197Au(22Ne,5n)214Ac. Additionally, the performance of the VAMOS Wien filter used during the in-beam commissioning is also reported.

Large Scale Beam-Tests of the Silicon and Scintillator-SiPM Modules for the CMS High Granularity Calorimeter at the HL-LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Shilpi

The High Granularity Calorimeter (HGCAL) will replace the existing CMS endcap calorimeters during the High Luminosity run of the LHC (HL-LHC) era. The electromagnetic part, as well as the first layers of the hadronic part, foresees around 600 square metres of silicon sensors as the active material. The remainder of the HGCAL, in the lower radiation environment, will use plastic scintillators with on-tile silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) readout. Prototype hexagonal silicon modules, featuring a new ASIC (Skiroc2-CMS), together with a modified version of the scintillator-SiPM CALICE AHCAL, have been tested in beams at CERN. This setup represents a full slice through HGCAL. Results from MIP calibration, energy resolution, electromagnetic and hadronic shower-shapes are presented using electrons, pions and muons.

An acid-sensing ion channel from shark (Squalus acanthias) mediates transient and sustained responses to protons.

PubMed

Springauf, Andreas; Gründer, Stefan

2010-03-01

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated Na(+) channels. They are implicated in synaptic transmission, detection of painful acidosis, and possibly sour taste. The typical ASIC current is a transient, completely desensitizing current that can be blocked by the diuretic amiloride. ASICs are present in chordates but are absent in other animals. They have been cloned from urochordates, jawless vertebrates, cartilaginous shark and bony fish, from chicken and different mammals. Strikingly, all ASICs that have so far been characterized from urochordates, jawless vertebrates and shark are not gated by protons, suggesting that proton gating evolved relatively late in bony fish and that primitive ASICs had a different and unknown gating mechanism. Recently, amino acids that are crucial for the proton gating of rat ASIC1a have been identified. These residues are completely conserved in shark ASIC1b (sASIC1b), prompting us to re-evaluate the proton sensitivity of sASIC1b. Here we show that, contrary to previous findings, sASIC1b is indeed gated by protons with half-maximal activation at pH 6.0. sASIC1b desensitizes quickly but incompletely, efficiently encoding transient as well as sustained proton signals. Our results show that the conservation of the amino acids crucial for proton gating can predict proton sensitivity of an ASIC and increase our understanding of the evolution of ASICs.

EndoTOFPET-US - A Miniaturised Calorimeter for Endoscopic Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zvolský, Milan; EndoTOFPET-US Collaboration

2015-02-01

In the scope of the EndoTOFPET-US project, a novel multimodal device for Ultrasound (US) Endoscopy and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is being developed. The project aims at detecting and quantifying morphologic and functional markers and developing new biomarkers for pancreas and prostate oncology. Exploiting the Time-of-Flight (TOF) information of the gamma rays allows for a more sensitive, more precise and lower radiation- dose imaging and intervention on small internal structures. The detection of the gamma rays is realised with the help of scintillator crystals with Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) read-out, aiming at a coincidence time resolution of 200 ps and a spatial resolution of ≈ 1 mm. For the endoscopic detector, digital SiPMs are utilised for the first time in an instrument planned for clinical applications. The functionality of the instrument as well as the challenges that accompany the high miniaturisation of the endoscopic detector and the asymmetric and variable geometry of the system, are presented. The demands on the system involve the fields of scintillating crystallography, ultra-fast photon detection, highly integrated electronics, system integration as well as image reconstruction. The single detector components have been fully characterised and are performing up to specifications. Two dedicated ASIC chips have been developed for the project. The first PET images have been acquired with a test setup that consists solely of hardware and software developed within the collaboration and demonstrate that the data acquisition and reconstruction chain is operational. In this talk, the characterisation of the single components and the status of the detector integration and comissioning is presented.

Spectroscopic CZT detectors development for x- and gamma-ray imaging instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quadrini, Egidio M.; Uslenghi, Michela; Alderighi, Monica; Casini, Fabio; D'Angelo, Sergio; Fiorini, Mauro; La Palombara, Nicola; Mancini, Marcello; Monti, Serena; Bazzano, Angela; Di Cosimo, Sergio; Frutti, Massimo; Natalucci, Lorenzo; Ubertini, Pietro; Guadalupi, Giuseppe M.; Sassi, Matteo; Negri, Barbara

2007-09-01

In the context of R&D studies financed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), a feasibility study to evaluate the Italian Industry interest in medium-large scale production of enhanced CZT detectors has been performed by an Italian Consortium. The R&D investment aims at providing in-house source of high quality solid state spectrometers for Space Astrophysics applications. As a possible spin-off industrial applications to Gamma-ray devices for non-destructive inspections in medical, commercial and security fields have been considered by ASI. The short term programme mainly consists of developing proprietary procedures for 2-3" CZT crystals growth, including bonding and contact philosophy, and a newly designed low-power electronics readout chain. The prototype design and breadboarding is based on a fast signal AD conversion with the target in order to perform a new run for an already existing low-power (<0.7 mW/pixel) ASIC. The prototype also provides digital photon energy reconstruction with particular care for multiple events and polarimetry evaluations. Scientific requirement evaluations for Space Astrophysics Satellite applications have been carried out in parallel, targeted to contribute to the ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Announcement of Opportunity. Detailed accommodation studies are undergoing, as part of this programme, to size a "Large area arcsecond angular resolution Imager" for the Gamma Ray Imager satellite (Knödlseder et al., this conference).and a new Gamma-ray Wide Field Camera for the "EDGE" proposal (Piro et al., this conference). Finally, an extended market study for cost analysis evaluation in view of the foreseen massive detector production has been performed.

Modulation of Acid-sensing Ion Channel 1a by Intracellular pH and Its Role in Ischemic Stroke.

PubMed

Li, Ming-Hua; Leng, Tian-Dong; Feng, Xue-Chao; Yang, Tao; Simon, Roger P; Xiong, Zhi-Gang

2016-08-26

An important contributor to brain ischemia is known to be extracellular acidosis, which activates acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), a family of proton-gated sodium channels. Lines of evidence suggest that targeting ASICs may lead to novel therapeutic strategies for stroke. Investigations of the role of ASICs in ischemic brain injury have naturally focused on the role of extracellular pH in ASIC activation. By contrast, intracellular pH (pHi) has received little attention. This is a significant gap in our understanding because the ASIC response to extracellular pH is modulated by pHi, and activation of ASICs by extracellular protons is paradoxically enhanced by intracellular alkalosis. Our previous studies show that acidosis-induced cell injury in in vitro models is attenuated by intracellular acidification. However, whether pHi affects ischemic brain injury in vivo is completely unknown. Furthermore, whereas ASICs in native neurons are composed of different subunits characterized by distinct electrophysiological/pharmacological properties, the subunit-dependent modulation of ASIC activity by pHi has not been investigated. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo ischemic brain injury models, electrophysiological, biochemical, and molecular biological approaches, we show that the intracellular alkalizing agent quinine potentiates, whereas the intracellular acidifying agent propionate inhibits, oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced cell injury in vitro and brain ischemia-induced infarct volume in vivo Moreover, we find that the potentiation of ASICs by quinine depends on the presence of the ASIC1a, ASIC2a subunits, but not ASIC1b, ASIC3 subunits. Furthermore, we have determined the amino acids in ASIC1a that are involved in the modulation of ASICs by pHi. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Developments of FPGA-based digital back-ends for low frequency antenna arrays at Medicina radio telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naldi, G.; Bartolini, M.; Mattana, A.; Pupillo, G.; Hickish, J.; Foster, G.; Bianchi, G.; Lingua, A.; Monari, J.; Montebugnoli, S.; Perini, F.; Rusticelli, S.; Schiaffino, M.; Virone, G.; Zarb Adami, K.

In radio astronomy Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology is largely used for the implementation of digital signal processing techniques applied to antenna arrays. This is mainly due to the good trade-off among computing resources, power consumption and cost offered by FPGA chip compared to other technologies like ASIC, GPU and CPU. In the last years several digital backend systems based on such devices have been developed at the Medicina radio astronomical station (INAF-IRA, Bologna, Italy). Instruments like FX correlator, direct imager, beamformer, multi-beam system have been successfully designed and realized on CASPER (Collaboration for Astronomy Signal Processing and Electronics Research, https://casper.berkeley.edu) processing boards. In this paper we present the gained experience in this kind of applications.

A low-power small-area ADC array for IRFPA readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Shengyou; Yao, Libin

2013-09-01

The readout integrated circuit (ROIC) is a bridge between the infrared focal plane array (IRFPA) and image processing circuit in an infrared imaging system. The ROIC is the first part of signal processing circuit and connected to detectors directly, so its performance will greatly affect the detector or even the whole imaging system performance. With the development of CMOS technologies, it's possible to digitalize the signal inside the ROIC and develop the digital ROIC. Digital ROIC can reduce complexity of the whole system and improve the system reliability. More importantly, it can accommodate variety of digital signal processing techniques which the traditional analog ROIC cannot achieve. The analog to digital converter (ADC) is the most important building block in the digital ROIC. The requirements for ADCs inside the ROIC are low power, high dynamic range and small area. In this paper we propose an RC hybrid Successive Approximation Register (SAR) ADC as the column ADC for digital ROIC. In our proposed ADC structure, a resistor ladder is used to generate several voltages. The proposed RC hybrid structure not only reduces the area of capacitor array but also releases requirement for capacitor array matching. Theory analysis and simulation show RC hybrid SAR ADC is suitable for ADC array applications

Network device interface for digitally interfacing data channels to a controller via a network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellerbrock, Philip J. (Inventor); Winkelmann, Joseph P. (Inventor); Grant, Robert L. (Inventor); Konz, Daniel W. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

The present invention provides a network device interface and method for digitally connecting a plurality of data channels, such as sensors, actuators, and subsystems, to a controller using a network bus. The network device interface interprets commands and data received from the controller and polls the data channels in accordance with these commands. Specifically, the network device interface receives digital commands and data from the controller, and based on these commands and data, communicates with the data channels to either retrieve data in the case of a sensor or send data to activate an actuator. Data retrieved from the sensor is then converted by the network device interface into digital signals and transmitted back to the controller. In one advantageous embodiment, the network device interface is a state machine, such as an ASIC, that operates independent of a processor in communicating with the bus controller and data channels.

Design of a CMOS readout circuit on ultra-thin flexible silicon chip for printed strain gauges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsobky, Mourad; Mahsereci, Yigit; Keck, Jürgen; Richter, Harald; Burghartz, Joachim N.

2017-09-01

Flexible electronics represents an emerging technology with features enabling several new applications such as wearable electronics and bendable displays. Precise and high-performance sensors readout chips are crucial for high quality flexible electronic products. In this work, the design of a CMOS readout circuit for an array of printed strain gauges is presented. The ultra-thin readout chip and the printed sensors are combined on a thin Benzocyclobutene/Polyimide (BCB/PI) substrate to form a Hybrid System-in-Foil (HySiF), which is used as an electronic skin for robotic applications. Each strain gauge utilizes a Wheatstone bridge circuit, where four Aerosol Jet® printed meander-shaped resistors form a full-bridge topology. The readout chip amplifies the output voltage difference (about 5 mV full-scale swing) of the strain gauge. One challenge during the sensor interface circuit design is to compensate for the relatively large dc offset (about 30 mV at 1 mA) in the bridge output voltage so that the amplified signal span matches the input range of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The circuit design uses the 0. 5 µm mixed-signal GATEFORESTTM technology. In order to achieve the mechanical flexibility, the chip fabrication is based on either back thinned wafers or the ChipFilmTM technology, which enables the manufacturing of silicon chips with a thickness of about 20 µm. The implemented readout chip uses a supply of 5 V and includes a 5-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a differential difference amplifier (DDA), and a 10-bit successive approximation register (SAR) ADC. The circuit is simulated across process, supply and temperature corners and the simulation results indicate excellent performance in terms of circuit stability and linearity.

Communication-Driven Codesign for Multiprocessor Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

processors, FPGA or ASIC subsystems, mi- croprocessors, and microcontrollers. When a processor is embedded within a SLOT architecture, one or more...Broderson, Low-power CMOS digital design, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 27 (1992), no. 4, 473–484. [25] L. Chao and E. Sha , Scheduling data-flow...1997), 239– 256 . [82] P. K. Murthy, E. G. Cohen, and S. Rowland, System Canvas: A new design en- vironment for embedded DSP and telecommunications

An acid-sensing ion channel from shark (Squalus acanthias) mediates transient and sustained responses to protons

PubMed Central

Springauf, Andreas; Gründer, Stefan

2010-01-01

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated Na+ channels. They are implicated in synaptic transmission, detection of painful acidosis, and possibly sour taste. The typical ASIC current is a transient, completely desensitizing current that can be blocked by the diuretic amiloride. ASICs are present in chordates but are absent in other animals. They have been cloned from urochordates, jawless vertebrates, cartilaginous shark and bony fish, from chicken and different mammals. Strikingly, all ASICs that have so far been characterized from urochordates, jawless vertebrates and shark are not gated by protons, suggesting that proton gating evolved relatively late in bony fish and that primitive ASICs had a different and unknown gating mechanism. Recently, amino acids that are crucial for the proton gating of rat ASIC1a have been identified. These residues are completely conserved in shark ASIC1b (sASIC1b), prompting us to re-evaluate the proton sensitivity of sASIC1b. Here we show that, contrary to previous findings, sASIC1b is indeed gated by protons with half-maximal activation at pH 6.0. sASIC1b desensitizes quickly but incompletely, efficiently encoding transient as well as sustained proton signals. Our results show that the conservation of the amino acids crucial for proton gating can predict proton sensitivity of an ASIC and increase our understanding of the evolution of ASICs. PMID:20064854

Recent Results with CVD Diamond Trackers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, W.; Bauer, C.; Berdermann, E.; Bergonzo, P.; Bogani, F.; Borchi, E.; Brambilla, A.; Bruzzi, M.; Colledani, C.; Conway, J.; Dabrowski, W.; Delpierre, P.; Deneuville, A.; Dulinski, W.; van Eijk, B.; Fallou, A.; Fizzotti, F.; Foulon, F.; Friedl, M.; Gan, K. K.; Gheeraert, E.; Grigoriev, E.; Hallewell, G.; Hall-Wilton, R.; Han, S.; Hartjes, F.; Hrubec, J.; Husson, D.; Kagan, H.; Kania, D.; Kaplon, J.; Karl, C.; Kass, R.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Krammer, M.; Logiudice, A.; Lu, R.; Manfredi, P. F.; Manfredotti, C.; Marshall, R. D.; Meier, D.; Mishina, M.; Oh, A.; Pan, L. S.; Palmieri, V. G.; Pernicka, M.; Peitz, A.; Pirollo, S.; Polesello, P.; Pretzl, K.; Procario, M.; Re, V.; Riester, J. L.; Roe, S.; Roff, D.; Rudge, A.; Runolfsson, O.; Russ, J.; Schnetzer, S.; Sciortino, S.; Speziali, V.; Stelzer, H.; Stone, R.; Suter, B.; Tapper, R. J.; Tesarek, R.; Trawick, M.; Trischuk, W.; Vittone, E.; Walsh, A. M.; Wedenig, R.; Weilhammer, P.; White, C.; Ziock, H.; Zoeller, M.; RD42 Collaboration

1999-08-01

We present recent results on the use of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond microstrip detectors for charged particle tracking. A series of detectors was fabricated using 1 x 1 cm 2 diamonds. Good signal-to-noise ratios were observed using both slow and fast readout electronics. For slow readout electronics, 2 μs shaping time, the most probable signal-to-noise ratio was 50 to 1. For fast readout electronics, 25 ns peaking time, the most probable signal-to-noise ratio was 7 to 1. Using the first 2 x 4 cm 2 diamond from a production CVD reactor with slow readout electronics, the most probable signal-to-noise ratio was 23 to 1. The spatial resolution achieved for the detectors was consistent with the digital resolution expected from the detector pitch.

Characteristics of Various Photodiode Structures in CMOS Technology with Monolithic Signal Processing Electronics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukhopadhyay, Sourav; Chandratre, V. B.; Sukhwani, Menka

2011-10-20

Monolithic optical sensor with readout electronics are needed in optical communication, medical imaging and scintillator based gamma spectroscopy system. This paper presents the design of three different CMOS photodiode test structures and two readout channels in a commercial CMOS technology catering to the need of nuclear instrumentation. The three photodiode structures each of 1 mm{sup 2} with readout electronics are fabricated in 0.35 um, 4 metal, double poly, N-well CMOS process. These photodiode structures are based on available P-N junction of standard CMOS process i.e. N-well/P-substrate, P+/N-well/P-substrate and inter-digitized P+/N-well/P-substrate. The comparisons of typical characteristics among three fabricated photo sensorsmore » are reported in terms of spectral sensitivity, dark current and junction capacitance. Among the three photodiode structures N-well/P-substrate photodiode shows higher spectral sensitivity compared to the other two photodiode structures. The inter-digitized P+/N-well/P-substrate structure has enhanced blue response compared to N-well/P-substrate and P+/N-well/P-substrate photodiode. Design and test results of monolithic readout electronics, for three different CMOS photodiode structures for application related to nuclear instrumentation, are also reported.« less

Inhibition of Acid Sensing Ion Channel Currents by Lidocaine in Cultured Mouse Cortical Neurons

PubMed Central

Lin, Jun; Chu, Xiangping; Maysami, Samaneh; Li, Minghua; Si, Hongfang; Cottrell, James E.; Simon, Roger P.; Xiong, Zhigang

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that has multiple pharmacological effects including antiarrhythmia, antinociception, and neuroprotection. Acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated cation channels that belong to the epithelial sodium channel/degenerin superfamily. Activation of ASICs by protons results in sodium and calcium influx. ASICs have been implicated in various physiological processes including learning/memory, nociception, and in acidosis-mediated neuron injury. In this study, we examined the effect of lidocaine on ASICs in cultured mouse cortical neurons. METHODS ASIC currents were activated and recorded using a whole-cell patch-clamp technique in cultured mouse cortical neurons. The effects of lidocaine at different concentrations were examined. To determine whether the inhibition of lidocaine on ASIC currents is subunit specific, we examined the effect of lidocaine on homomeric ASIC1a and ASIC2a currents expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. RESULTS Lidocaine significantly inhibits the ASIC currents in mouse cortical neurons. The inhibition was reversible and dose dependent. A detectable effect was noticed at a concentration of 0.3 mM lidocaine. At 30 mM, ASIC current was inhibited by approximately 90%. Analysis of the complete dose-response relationship yielded a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 11.79 ± 1.74 mM and a Hill coefficient of 2.7 ± 0.5 (n = 10). The effect is rapid and does not depend on pH. In Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing different ASIC subunits, lidocaine inhibits the ASIC1a current without affecting the ASIC2a current. CONCLUSION ASIC currents are significantly inhibited by lidocaine. Our finding reveals a new pharmacological effect of lidocaine in neurons. PMID:21385979

Test set up description and performances for HAWAII-2RG detector characterization at ESTEC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crouzet, P.-E.; ter Haar, J.; de Wit, F.; Beaufort, T.; Butler, B.; Smit, H.; van der Luijt, C.; Martin, D.

2012-07-01

In the frame work of the European Space Agency's Cosmic Vision program, the Euclid mission has the objective to map the geometry of the Dark Universe. Galaxies and clusters of galaxies will be observed in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths by an imaging and spectroscopic channel. For the Near Infrared Spectrometer instrument (NISP), the state-of-the-art HAWAII-2RG detectors will be used, associated with the SIDECAR ASIC readout electronic which will perform the image frame acquisitions. To characterize and validate the performance of these detectors, a test bench has been designed, tested and validated. This publication describes the pre-tests performed to build the set up dedicated to dark current measurements and tests requiring reasonably uniform light levels (such as for conversion gain measurements). Successful cryogenic and vacuum tests on commercial LEDs and photodiodes are shown. An optimized feed through in stainless steel with a V-groove to pot the flex cable connecting the SIDECAR ASIC to the room temperature board (JADE2) has been designed and tested. The test set up for quantum efficiency measurements consisting of a lamp, a monochromator, an integrating sphere and set of cold filters, and which is currently under construction will ensure a uniform illumination across the detector with variations lower than 2%. A dedicated spot projector for intra-pixel measurements has been designed and built to reach a spot diameter of 5 μm at 920nm with 2nm of bandwidth [1].

ASIC3 channels in multimodal sensory perception.

PubMed

Li, Wei-Guang; Xu, Tian-Le

2011-01-19

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), which are members of the sodium-selective cation channels belonging to the epithelial sodium channel/degenerin (ENaC/DEG) family, act as membrane-bound receptors for extracellular protons as well as nonproton ligands. At least five ASIC subunits have been identified in mammalian neurons, which form both homotrimeric and heterotrimeric channels. The highly proton sensitive ASIC3 channels are predominantly distributed in peripheral sensory neurons, correlating with their roles in multimodal sensory perception, including nociception, mechanosensation, and chemosensation. Different from other ASIC subunit composing ion channels, ASIC3 channels can mediate a sustained window current in response to mild extracellular acidosis (pH 7.3-6.7), which often occurs accompanied by many sensory stimuli. Furthermore, recent evidence indicates that the sustained component of ASIC3 currents can be enhanced by nonproton ligands including the endogenous metabolite agmatine. In this review, we first summarize the growing body of evidence for the involvement of ASIC3 channels in multimodal sensory perception and then discuss the potential mechanisms underlying ASIC3 activation and mediation of sensory perception, with a special emphasis on its role in nociception. We conclude that ASIC3 activation and modulation by diverse sensory stimuli represent a new avenue for understanding the role of ASIC3 channels in sensory perception. Furthermore, the emerging implications of ASIC3 channels in multiple sensory dysfunctions including nociception allow the development of new pharmacotherapy.

Seizure Termination by Acidosis Depends on ASIC1a

PubMed Central

Ziemann, Adam E.; Schnizler, Mikael K.; Albert, Gregory W.; Severson, Meryl A.; Howard, Matthew A.; Welsh, Michael J.; Wemmie, John A.

2008-01-01

SUMMARY Most seizures stop spontaneously. However, the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Earlier observations that seizures reduce brain pH and that acidosis inhibits seizures indicated that acidosis halts epileptic activity. Because acid–sensing ion channel–1a (ASIC1a) shows exquisite sensitivity to extracellular pH and regulates neuron excitability, we hypothesized that acidosis might activate ASIC1a to terminate seizures. Disrupting mouse ASIC1a increased the severity of chemoconvulsant–induced seizures, whereas overexpressing ASIC1a had the opposite effect. ASIC1a did not affect seizure threshold or onset, but shortened seizure duration and prevented progression. CO2 inhalation, long known to lower brain pH and inhibit seizures, also required ASIC1a to interrupt tonic–clonic seizures. Acidosis activated inhibitory interneurons through ASIC1a, suggesting that ASIC1a might limit seizures by increasing inhibitory tone. These findings identify ASIC1a as a key element in seizure termination when brain pH falls. The results suggest a molecular mechanism for how the brain stops seizures and suggest new therapeutic strategies. PMID:18536711

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shinde, Subhash L.; Teifel, John; Flores, Richard S.

A 3D stacked sASIC is provided that includes a plurality of 2D reconfigurable structured structured ASIC (sASIC) levels interconnected through hard-wired arrays of 3D vias. The 2D sASIC levels may contain logic, memory, analog functions, and device input/output pad circuitry. During fabrication, these 2D sASIC levels are stacked on top of each other and fused together with 3D metal vias. Such 3D vias may be fabricated as through-silicon vias (TSVs). They may connect to the back-side of the 2D sASIC level, or they may be connected to top metal pads on the front-side of the 2D sASIC level.

ASIC3 Channels Integrate Agmatine and Multiple Inflammatory Signals through the Nonproton Ligand Sensing Domain

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) have long been known to sense extracellular protons and contribute to sensory perception. Peripheral ASIC3 channels represent natural sensors of acidic and inflammatory pain. We recently reported the use of a synthetic compound, 2-guanidine-4-methylquinazoline (GMQ), to identify a novel nonproton sensing domain in the ASIC3 channel, and proposed that, based on its structural similarity with GMQ, the arginine metabolite agmatine (AGM) may be an endogenous nonproton ligand for ASIC3 channels. Results Here, we present further evidence for the physiological correlation between AGM and ASIC3. Among arginine metabolites, only AGM and its analog arcaine (ARC) activated ASIC3 channels at neutral pH in a sustained manner similar to GMQ. In addition to the homomeric ASIC3 channels, AGM also activated heteromeric ASIC3 plus ASIC1b channels, extending its potential physiological relevance. Importantly, the process of activation by AGM was highly sensitive to mild acidosis, hyperosmolarity, arachidonic acid (AA), lactic acid and reduced extracellular Ca2+. AGM-induced ASIC3 channel activation was not through the chelation of extracellular Ca2+ as occurs with increased lactate, but rather through a direct interaction with the newly identified nonproton ligand sensing domain. Finally, AGM cooperated with the multiple inflammatory signals to cause pain-related behaviors in an ASIC3-dependent manner. Conclusions Nonproton ligand sensing domain might represent a novel mechanism for activation or sensitization of ASIC3 channels underlying inflammatory pain-sensing under in vivo conditions. PMID:21143836

Readout Electronics for the ATLAS LAr Calorimeter at HL-LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hucheng; ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter Group

The ATLAS Liquid Argon (LAr) calorimeters are high precision, high sensitivity and high granularity detectors designed to provide precision measurements of electrons, photons, jets and missing transverse energy. ATLAS and its LAr calorimeters have been operating and collecting proton-proton collisions at LHC since 2009. The current front-end electronics of the LAr calorimeters need to be upgraded to sustain the higher radiation levels and data rates expected at the upgraded high luminosity LHC machine (HL-LHC), which will have 5 times more luminosity than the LHC in its ultimate configuration. The complexity of the present electronics and the obsolescence of some of components of which it is made, will not allow a partial replacement of the system. A completely new readout architecture scheme is under study and many components are being developed in various R&D programs of the LAr Calorimeter Group.The new front-end readout electronics will send data continuously at each bunch crossing through high speed radiation resistant optical links. The data will be processed real-time with the possibility of implementing trigger algorithms for clusters and electron/photon identification at a higher granularity than that which is currently implemented. The new architecture will eliminate the intrinsic limitation presently existing on Level-1 trigger acceptance. This article is an overview of the R&D activities which covers architectural design aspects of the new electronics as well as some detailed progress on the development of several ASICs needed, and preliminary studies with FPGAs to cover the backend functions including part of the Level-1 trigger requirements. A recently proposed staged upgrade with hybrid Tower Builder Board (TBB) is also described.

Abnormal cardiac autonomic regulation in mice lacking ASIC3.

PubMed

Cheng, Ching-Feng; Kuo, Terry B J; Chen, Wei-Nan; Lin, Chao-Chieh; Chen, Chih-Cheng

2014-01-01

Integration of sympathetic and parasympathetic outflow is essential in maintaining normal cardiac autonomic function. Recent studies demonstrate that acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) is a sensitive acid sensor for cardiac ischemia and prolonged mild acidification can open ASIC3 and evoke a sustained inward current that fires action potentials in cardiac sensory neurons. However, the physiological role of ASIC3 in cardiac autonomic regulation is not known. In this study, we elucidate the role of ASIC3 in cardiac autonomic function using Asic3(-/-) mice. Asic3(-/-) mice showed normal baseline heart rate and lower blood pressure as compared with their wild-type littermates. Heart rate variability analyses revealed imbalanced autonomic regulation, with decreased sympathetic function. Furthermore, Asic3(-/-) mice demonstrated a blunted response to isoproterenol-induced cardiac tachycardia and prolonged duration to recover to baseline heart rate. Moreover, quantitative RT-PCR analysis of gene expression in sensory ganglia and heart revealed that no gene compensation for muscarinic acetylcholines receptors and beta-adrenalin receptors were found in Asic3(-/-) mice. In summary, we unraveled an important role of ASIC3 in regulating cardiac autonomic function, whereby loss of ASIC3 alters the normal physiological response to ischemic stimuli, which reveals new implications for therapy in autonomic nervous system-related cardiovascular diseases.

Comparison of two optimized readout chains for low light CIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boukhayma, A.; Peizerat, A.; Dupret, A.; Enz, C.

2014-03-01

We compare the noise performance of two optimized readout chains that are based on 4T pixels and featuring the same bandwidth of 265kHz (enough to read 1Megapixel with 50frame/s). Both chains contain a 4T pixel, a column amplifier and a single slope analog-to-digital converter operating a CDS. In one case, the pixel operates in source follower configuration, and in common source configuration in the other case. Based on analytical noise calculation of both readout chains, an optimization methodology is presented. Analytical results are confirmed by transient simulations using 130nm process. A total input referred noise bellow 0.4 electrons RMS is reached for a simulated conversion gain of 160μV/e-. Both optimized readout chains show the same input referred 1/f noise. The common source based readout chain shows better performance for thermal noise and requires smaller silicon area. We discuss the possible drawbacks of the common source configuration and provide the reader with a comparative table between the two readout chains. The table contains several variants (column amplifier gain, in-pixel transistor sizes and type).

ASIC-dependent LTP at multiple glutamatergic synapses in amygdala network is required for fear memory

PubMed Central

Chiang, Po-Han; Chien, Ta-Chun; Chen, Chih-Cheng; Yanagawa, Yuchio; Lien, Cheng-Chang

2015-01-01

Genetic variants in the human ortholog of acid-sensing ion channel-1a subunit (ASIC1a) gene are associated with panic disorder and amygdala dysfunction. Both fear learning and activity-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) of cortico-basolateral amygdala (BLA) synapses are impaired in ASIC1a-null mice, suggesting a critical role of ASICs in fear memory formation. In this study, we found that ASICs were differentially expressed within the amygdala neuronal population, and the extent of LTP at various glutamatergic synapses correlated with the level of ASIC expression in postsynaptic neurons. Importantly, selective deletion of ASIC1a in GABAergic cells, including amygdala output neurons, eliminated LTP in these cells and reduced fear learning to the same extent as that found when ASIC1a was selectively abolished in BLA glutamatergic neurons. Thus, fear learning requires ASIC-dependent LTP at multiple amygdala synapses, including both cortico-BLA input synapses and intra-amygdala synapses on output neurons. PMID:25988357

Design of a laser scanner for a digital mammography system.

PubMed

Rowlands, J A; Taylor, J E

1996-05-01

We have developed a digital readout system for radiographic images using a scanning laser beam. In this system, electrostatic charge images on amorphous selenium (alpha-Se) plates are read out using photo-induced discharge (PID). We discuss the design requirements of a laser scanner for the PID system and describe its construction from commercially available components. The principles demonstrated can be adapted to a variety of digital imaging systems.

Architecture of a general purpose embedded Slow-Control Adapter ASIC for future high-energy physics experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabrielli, Alessandro; Loddo, Flavio; Ranieri, Antonio; De Robertis, Giuseppe

2008-10-01

This work is aimed at defining the architecture of a new digital ASIC, namely Slow-Control Adapter (SCA), which will be designed in a commercial 130-nm CMOS technology. This chip will be embedded within a high-speed data acquisition optical link (GBT) to control and monitor the front-end electronics in future high-energy physics experiments. The GBT link provides a transparent transport layer between the SCA and control electronics in the counting room. The proposed SCA supports a variety of common bus protocols to interface with end-user general-purpose electronics. Between the GBT and the SCA a standard 100 Mb/s IEEE-802.3 compatible protocol will be implemented. This standard protocol allows off-line tests of the prototypes using commercial components that support the same standard. The project is justified because embedded applications in modern large HEP experiments require particular care to assure the lowest possible power consumption, still offering the highest reliability demanded by very large particle detectors.

Geiger-Mode Avalanche Photodiode Arrays Integrated to All-Digital CMOS Circuits.

PubMed

Aull, Brian

2016-04-08

This article reviews MIT Lincoln Laboratory's work over the past 20 years to develop photon-sensitive image sensors based on arrays of silicon Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes. Integration of these detectors to all-digital CMOS readout circuits enable exquisitely sensitive solid-state imagers for lidar, wavefront sensing, and passive imaging.

Spacecraft optical disk recorder memory buffer control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodson, Robert F.

1992-01-01

The goal of this project is to develop an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for use in the control electronics of the Spacecraft Optical Disk Recorder (SODR). Specifically, this project is to design an extendable memory buffer controller ASIC for rate matching between a system Input/Output port and the SODR's device interface. The aforementioned goal can be partitioned into the following sub-goals: (1) completion of ASIC design and simulation (on-going via ASEE fellowship); (2) ASIC Fabrication (at ASIC manufacturer); and (3) ASIC Testing (NASA/LaRC, Christopher Newport University).

A discrete component low-noise preamplifier readout for a linear (1×16) SiC photodiode array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahle, Duncan; Aslam, Shahid; Herrero, Federico A.; Waczynski, Augustyn

2016-09-01

A compact, low-noise and inexpensive preamplifier circuit has been designed and fabricated to optimally readout a common cathode (1×16) channel 4H-SiC Schottky photodiode array for use in ultraviolet experiments. The readout uses an operational amplifier with 10 pF capacitor in the feedback loop in parallel with a low leakage switch for each of the channels. This circuit configuration allows for reiterative sample, integrate and reset. A sampling technique is given to remove Johnson noise, enabling a femtoampere level readout noise performance. Commercial-off-the-shelf acquisition electronics are used to digitize the preamplifier analog signals. The data logging acquisition electronics has a different integration circuit, which allows the bandwidth and gain to be independently adjusted. Using this readout, photoresponse measurements across the array between spectral wavelengths 200 nm and 370 nm are made to establish the array pixels external quantum efficiency, current responsivity and noise equivalent power.

A Discrete Component Low-Noise Preamplifier Readout for a Linear (1x16) SiC Photodiode Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahle, Duncan; Aslam, Shahid; Herrero, Frederico A.; Waczynski, Augustyn

2016-01-01

A compact, low-noise and inexpensive preamplifier circuit has been designed and fabricated to optimally readout a common cathode (1x16) channel 4H-SiC Schottky photodiode array for use in ultraviolet experiments. The readout uses an operational amplifier with 10 pF capacitor in the feedback loop in parallel with a low leakage switch for each of the channels. This circuit configuration allows for reiterative sample, integrate and reset. A sampling technique is given to remove Johnson noise, enabling a femtoampere level readout noise performance. Commercial-off-the-shelf acquisition electronics are used to digitize the preamplifier analogue signals. The data logging acquisition electronics has a different integration circuit, which allows the bandwidth and gain to be independently adjusted. Using this readout, photoresponse measurements across the array between spectral wavelengths 200 nm and 370 nm are made to establish the array pixels external quantum efficiency, current responsivity and noise equivalent power.

Knockdown of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) suppresses disease phenotype in SCA1 mouse model.

PubMed

Vig, Parminder J S; Hearst, Scoty M; Shao, Qingmei; Lopez, Maripar E

2014-08-01

The mutated ataxin-1 protein in spinocerebellar ataxia 1 (SCA1) targets Purkinje cells (PCs) of the cerebellum and causes progressive ataxia due to loss of PCs and neurons of the brainstem. The exact mechanism of this cellular loss is still not clear. Currently, there are no treatments for SCA1; however, understanding of the mechanisms that regulate SCA1 pathology is essential for devising new therapies for SCA1 patients. We previously established a connection between the loss of intracellular calcium-buffering and calcium-signalling proteins with initiation of neurodegeneration in SCA1 transgenic (Tg) mice. Recently, acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) have been implicated in calcium-mediated toxicity in many brain disorders. Here, we report generating SCA1 Tg mice in the ASIC1a knockout (KO) background and demonstrate that the deletion of ASIC1a gene expression causes suppression of the SCA1 disease phenotype. Loss of the ASIC1a channel in SCA1/ASIC1a KO mice resulted in the improvement of motor deficit and decreased PC degeneration. Interestingly, the expression of the ASIC1 variant, ASIC1b, was upregulated in the cerebellum of both SCA1/ASIC1a KO and ASIC1a KO animals as compared to the wild-type (WT) and SCA1 Tg mice. Further, these SCA1/ASIC1a KO mice exhibited translocation of PC calcium-binding protein calbindin-D28k from the nucleus to the cytosol in young animals, which otherwise have both cytosolic and nuclear localization. Furthermore, in addition to higher expression of calcium-buffering protein parvalbumin, PCs of the older SCA1/ASIC1a KO mice showed a decrease in morphologic abnormalities as compared to the age-matched SCA1 animals. Our data suggest that ASIC1a may be a mediator of SCA1 pathogenesis and targeting ASIC1a could be a novel approach to treat SCA1.

Microchannel plate detector technology potential for LUVOIR and HabEx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegmund, O. H. W.; Ertley, C.; Vallerga, J. V.; Schindhelm, E. R.; Harwit, A.; Fleming, B. T.; France, K. C.; Green, J. C.; McCandliss, S. R.; Harris, W. M.

2017-08-01

Microchannel plate (MCP) detectors have been the detector of choice for ultraviolet (UV) instruments onboard many NASA missions. These detectors have many advantages, including high spatial resolution (<20 μm), photon counting, radiation hardness, large formats (up to 20 cm), and ability for curved focal plane matching. Novel borosilicate glass MCPs with atomic layer deposition combine extremely low backgrounds, high strength, and tunable secondary electron yield. GaN and combinations of bialkali/alkali halide photocathodes show promise for broadband, higher quantum efficiency. Cross-strip anodes combined with compact ASIC readout electronics enable high spatial resolution over large formats with high dynamic range. The technology readiness levels of these technologies are each being advanced through research grants for laboratory testing and rocket flights. Combining these capabilities would be ideal for UV instruments onboard the Large UV/Optical/IR Surveyor (LUVOIR) and the Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HABEX) concepts currently under study for NASA's Astrophysics Decadal Survey.

Measurements of 55Fe activity in activated steel samples with GEMPix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curioni, A.; Dinar, N.; La Torre, F. P.; Leidner, J.; Murtas, F.; Puddu, S.; Silari, M.

2017-03-01

In this paper we present a novel method, based on the recently developed GEMPix detector, to measure the 55Fe content in samples of metallic material activated during operation of CERN accelerators and experimental facilities. The GEMPix, a gas detector with highly pixelated read-out, has been obtained by coupling a triple Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) to a quad Timepix ASIC. Sample preparation, measurements performed on 45 samples and data analysis are described. The calibration factor (counts per second per unit specific activity) has been obtained via measurements of the 55Fe activity determined by radiochemical analysis of the same samples. Detection limit and sensitivity to the current Swiss exemption limit are calculated. Comparison with radiochemical analysis shows inconsistency for the sensitivity for only two samples, most likely due to underestimated uncertainties of the GEMPix analysis. An operative test phase of this technique is already planned at CERN.

Acid-Sensing Ion Channels Activated by Evoked Released Protons Modulate Synaptic Transmission at the Mouse Calyx of Held Synapse.

PubMed

González-Inchauspe, Carlota; Urbano, Francisco J; Di Guilmi, Mariano N; Uchitel, Osvaldo D

2017-03-08

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) regulate synaptic activities and play important roles in neurodegenerative diseases. We found that these channels can be activated in neurons of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) of the auditory system in the CNS. A drop in extracellular pH induces transient inward ASIC currents (I ASIC s) in postsynaptic MNTB neurons from wild-type mice. The inhibition of I ASIC s by psalmotoxin-1 (PcTx1) and the absence of these currents in knock-out mice for ASIC-1a subunit (ASIC1a -/- ) suggest that homomeric ASIC-1as are mediating these currents in MNTB neurons. Furthermore, we detect ASIC1a-dependent currents during synaptic transmission, suggesting an acidification of the synaptic cleft due to the corelease of neurotransmitter and H + from synaptic vesicles. These currents are capable of eliciting action potentials in the absence of glutamatergic currents. A significant characteristic of these homomeric ASIC-1as is their permeability to Ca 2+ Activation of ASIC-1a in MNTB neurons by exogenous H + induces an increase in intracellular Ca 2+ Furthermore, the activation of postsynaptic ASIC-1as during high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the presynaptic nerve terminal leads to a PcTx1-sensitive increase in intracellular Ca 2+ in MNTB neurons, which is independent of glutamate receptors and is absent in neurons from ASIC1a -/- mice. During HFS, the lack of functional ASICs in synaptic transmission results in an enhanced short-term depression of glutamatergic EPSCs. These results strongly support the hypothesis of protons as neurotransmitters and demonstrate that presynaptic released protons modulate synaptic transmission by activating ASIC-1as at the calyx of Held-MNTB synapse. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The manuscript demonstrates that postsynaptic neurons of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body at the mouse calyx of Held synapse express functional homomeric Acid-sensing ion channel-1a (ASIC-1as) that can be activated by protons (coreleased with neurotransmitter from acidified synaptic vesicles). These ASIC-1as contribute to the generation of postsynaptic currents and, more relevant, to calcium influx, which could be involved in the modulation of presynaptic transmitter release. Inhibition or deletion of ASIC-1a leads to enhanced short-term depression, demonstrating that they are concerned with short-term plasticity of the synapse. ASICs represent a widespread communication system with unique properties. We expect that our experiments will have an impact in the neurobiology field and will spread in areas related to neuronal plasticity. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/372589-11$15.00/0.

The development of the miniaturized waveform receiver with the function measuring Antenna Impedance in space plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, H.; Kojima, H.; Fukuhara, H.; Okada, S.; Yamakawa, H.

2012-04-01

Plasma wave is one of the most essential physical quantities in the solar terrestrial physics. The role of plasma wave receiver onboard satellites is to detect plasma waves in space with a good signal to noise ratio. There are two types of plasma wave receivers, the sweep frequency analyzer and the waveform capture. While the sweep frequency analyzer provides plasma wave spectra, the waveform capture obtains waveforms with phase information that is significant in studying nonlinear phenomena. Antenna sensors to observe electric fields of the plasma waves show different features in plasmas from in vacuum. The antenna impedances have specific characteristics in the frequency domain because of the dispersion of plasmas. These antenna impedances are expressed with complex number. We need to know not only the antenna impedances but also the transfer functions of plasma wave receiver's circuits in order to calibrate observed waveforms precisely. The impedances of the electric field antennas are affected by a state of surrounding plasmas. Since satellites run through various regions with different plasma parameters, we precisely should measure the antenna impedances onboard spacecraft. On the contrary, we can obtain the plasma density and by measuring the antenna impedances. Several formulas of the antenna impedance measurement system were proposed. A synchronous detection method is used on the BepiColombo Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), which will be launched in 2014. The digital data are stored in the onboard memory. They are read out and converted to the analog waveforms by D/A converter. They are fed into the input of the preamplifiers of antenna sensors through a resistor. We can calculate a transfer function of the circuit by applying the synchronous detection method to the output waveform from waveform receivers and digital data as a signal source. The size of this system is same as an A5 board. In recent years, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) is in attention which is a technique to integrate large scale and complicated circuits. Lots of ASICs have been applied to high energy astrophysics. In this paper, we show our attempt to miniaturize the antennas impedances measurement system and Waveform Capture using the analogue ASIC. We design 8bits segment D/A converter that is implemented inside the waveform receiver ASIC chip. We improve input logic of the D/A converter to generate very weak signals accurately. The designed chip realizes the measurement of the antenna impedance as well as the waveform observation in the board size of business cards.

Skeletal status and soft tissue composition in astronauts. Tissue and fluid changes by radionuclide absorptiometry in vivo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cameron, J. R.; Mazess, R. B.; Wilson, C. R.

1973-01-01

A device has been constructed and tested which provides immediate readout of bone mineral content and bone width from absorptiometric scans with low energy radionuclides. The basis of this analog system is a logarithmic converter-integrator coupled with a precision linear ratemeter. The system provided accurate and reliable results on standards and ashed bone sections. Clinical measurements were made on about 100 patients with the direct readout system, and these were highly correlated with the results from digital scan data on the same patients. The direct readout system has been used successfully in field studies and surveys as well as for clinical observations.

Single Photon Counting Large Format Imaging Sensors with High Spatial and Temporal Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegmund, O. H. W.; Ertley, C.; Vallerga, J. V.; Cremer, T.; Craven, C. A.; Lyashenko, A.; Minot, M. J.

High time resolution astronomical and remote sensing applications have been addressed with microchannel plate based imaging, photon time tagging detector sealed tube schemes. These are being realized with the advent of cross strip readout techniques with high performance encoding electronics and atomic layer deposited (ALD) microchannel plate technologies. Sealed tube devices up to 20 cm square have now been successfully implemented with sub nanosecond timing and imaging. The objective is to provide sensors with large areas (25 cm2 to 400 cm2) with spatial resolutions of <20 μm FWHM and timing resolutions of <100 ps for dynamic imaging. New high efficiency photocathodes for the visible regime are discussed, which also allow response down below 150nm for UV sensing. Borosilicate MCPs are providing high performance, and when processed with ALD techniques are providing order of magnitude lifetime improvements and enhanced photocathode stability. New developments include UV/visible photocathodes, ALD MCPs, and high resolution cross strip anodes for 100 mm detectors. Tests with 50 mm format cross strip readouts suitable for Planacon devices show spatial resolutions better than 20 μm FWHM, with good image linearity while using low gain ( 106). Current cross strip encoding electronics can accommodate event rates of >5 MHz and event timing accuracy of 100 ps. High-performance ASIC versions of these electronics are in development with better event rate, power and mass suitable for spaceflight instruments.

Characterization of Pixelated Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride Detectors for Astrophysical Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaskin, Jessica; Sharma, Dharma; Ramsey, Brian; Seller, Paul

2003-01-01

Comparisons of charge sharing and charge loss measurements between two pixelated Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CdZnTe) detectors are discussed. These properties along with the detector geometry help to define the limiting energy resolution and spatial resolution of the detector in question. The first detector consists of a 1-mm-thick piece of CdZnTe sputtered with a 4x4 array of pixels with pixel pitch of 750 microns (inter-pixel gap is 100 microns). Signal readout is via discrete ultra-low-noise preamplifiers, one for each of the 16 pixels. The second detector consists of a 2-mm-thick piece of CdZnTe sputtered with a 16x16 array of pixels with a pixel pitch of 300 microns (inter-pixel gap is 50 microns). This crystal is bonded to a custom-built readout chip (ASIC) providing all front-end electronics to each of the 256 independent pixels. These detectors act as precursors to that which will be used at the focal plane of the High Energy Replicated Optics (HERO) telescope currently being developed at Marshall Space Flight Center. With a telescope focal length of 6 meters, the detector needs to have a spatial resolution of around 200 microns in order to take full advantage of the HERO angular resolution. We discuss to what degree charge sharing will degrade energy resolution but will improve our spatial resolution through position interpolation.

Characterization of silicon micro-strip sensors with a pulsed infra-red laser system for the CBM experiment at FAIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, P.

2015-03-01

The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR is composed of 8 tracking stations consisting of 1292 double sided silicon micro-strip sensors. For the quality assurance of produced prototype sensors a laser test system (LTS) has been developed. The aim of the LTS is to scan sensors with a pulsed infra-red laser driven by step motor to determine the charge sharing in-between strips and to measure qualitative uniformity of the sensor response over the whole active area. The prototype sensors which are tested with the LTS so far have 256 strips with a pitch of 50 μm on each side. They are read-out using a self-triggering prototype read-out electronic ASIC called n-XYTER. The LTS is designed to measure sensor response in an automatized procedure at several thousand positions across the sensor with focused infra-red laser light (spot size ≈ 12 μm , wavelength = 1060 nm). The pulse with duration (≈ 10 ns) and power (≈ 5 mW) of the laser pulses is selected such, that the absorption of the laser light in the 300 μm thick silicon sensors produces a number of about 24000 electrons, which is similar to the charge created by minimum ionizing particles (MIP) in these sensors. Laser scans different prototype sensors is reported.

Extracellular Spermine Exacerbates Ischemic Neuronal Injury through Sensitization of ASIC1a Channels to Extracellular Acidosis

PubMed Central

Duan, Bo; Wang, Yi-Zhi; Yang, Tao; Chu, Xiang-Ping; Yu, Ye; Huang, Yu; Cao, Hui; Hansen, Jillian; Simon, Roger P.; Zhu, Michael X.; Xiong, Zhi-Gang; Xu, Tian-Le

2011-01-01

Ischemic brain injury is a major problem associated with stroke. It has been increasingly recognized that acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) contribute significantly to ischemic neuronal damage, but the underlying mechanism has remained elusive. Here, we show that extracellular spermine, one of the endogenous polyamines, exacerbates ischemic neuronal injury through sensitization of ASIC1a channels to extracellular acidosis. Pharmacological blockade of ASIC1a or deletion of the ASIC1 gene greatly reduces the enhancing effect of spermine in ischemic neuronal damage both in cultures of dissociated neurons and in a mouse model of focal ischemia. Mechanistically, spermine profoundly reduces desensitization of ASIC1a by slowing down desensitization in the open state, shifting steady-state desensitization to more acidic pH, and accelerating recovery between repeated periods of acid stimulation. Spermine-mediated potentiation of ASIC1a activity is occluded by PcTX1 (psalmotoxin 1), a specific ASIC1a inhibitor binding to its extracellular domain. Functionally, the enhanced channel activity is accompanied by increased acid-induced neuronal membrane depolarization and cytoplasmic Ca2+ overload, which may partially explain the exacerbated neuronal damage caused by spermine. More importantly, blocking endogenous spermine synthesis significantly attenuates ischemic brain injury mediated by ASIC1a but not that by NMDA receptors. Thus, extracellular spermine contributes significantly to ischemic neuronal injury through enhancing ASIC1a activity. Our data suggest new neuroprotective strategies for stroke patients via inhibition of polyamine synthesis and subsequent spermine–ASIC interaction. PMID:21307247

Low-power priority Address-Encoder and Reset-Decoder data-driven readout for Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors for tracker system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, P.; Aglieri, G.; Cavicchioli, C.; Chalmet, P. L.; Chanlek, N.; Collu, A.; Gao, C.; Hillemanns, H.; Junique, A.; Kofarago, M.; Keil, M.; Kugathasan, T.; Kim, D.; Kim, J.; Lattuca, A.; Marin Tobon, C. A.; Marras, D.; Mager, M.; Martinengo, P.; Mazza, G.; Mugnier, H.; Musa, L.; Puggioni, C.; Rousset, J.; Reidt, F.; Riedler, P.; Snoeys, W.; Siddhanta, S.; Usai, G.; van Hoorne, J. W.; Yi, J.

2015-06-01

Active Pixel Sensors used in High Energy Particle Physics require low power consumption to reduce the detector material budget, low integration time to reduce the possibilities of pile-up and fast readout to improve the detector data capability. To satisfy these requirements, a novel Address-Encoder and Reset-Decoder (AERD) asynchronous circuit for a fast readout of a pixel matrix has been developed. The AERD data-driven readout architecture operates the address encoding and reset decoding based on an arbitration tree, and allows us to readout only the hit pixels. Compared to the traditional readout structure of the rolling shutter scheme in Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS), AERD can achieve a low readout time and a low power consumption especially for low hit occupancies. The readout is controlled at the chip periphery with a signal synchronous with the clock, allows a good digital and analogue signal separation in the matrix and a reduction of the power consumption. The AERD circuit has been implemented in the TowerJazz 180 nm CMOS Imaging Sensor (CIS) process with full complementary CMOS logic in the pixel. It works at 10 MHz with a matrix height of 15 mm. The energy consumed to read out one pixel is around 72 pJ. A scheme to boost the readout speed to 40 MHz is also discussed. The sensor chip equipped with AERD has been produced and characterised. Test results including electrical beam measurement are presented.

Expression of acid-sensing ion channels and selection of reference genes in mouse and naked mole rat.

PubMed

Schuhmacher, Laura-Nadine; Smith, Ewan St John

2016-12-13

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are a family of ion channels comprised of six subunits encoded by four genes and they are expressed throughout the peripheral and central nervous systems. ASICs have been implicated in a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological processes: pain, breathing, synaptic plasticity and excitotoxicity. Unlike mice and humans, naked mole-rats do not perceive acid as a noxious stimulus, even though their sensory neurons express functional ASICs, likely an adaptation to living in a hypercapnic subterranean environment. Previous studies of ASIC expression in the mammalian nervous system have often not examined all subunits, or have failed to adequately quantify expression between tissues; to date there has been no attempt to determine ASIC expression in the central nervous system of the naked mole-rat. Here we perform a geNorm study to identify reliable housekeeping genes in both mouse and naked mole-rat and then use quantitative real-time PCR to estimate the relative amounts of ASIC transcripts in different tissues of both species. We identify RPL13A (ribosomal protein L13A) and CANX (calnexin), and β-ACTIN and EIF4A (eukaryotic initiation factor 4a) as being the most stably expressed housekeeping genes in mouse and naked mole-rat, respectively. In both species, ASIC3 was most highly expressed in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and ASIC1a, ASIC2b and ASIC3 were more highly expressed across all brain regions compared to the other subunits. We also show that ASIC4, a proton-insensitive subunit of relatively unknown function, was highly expressed in all mouse tissues apart from DRG and hippocampus, but was by contrast the lowliest expressed ASIC in all naked mole-rat tissues.

A direct reading exposure monitor for radiation processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kantz, A. D.; Humpherys, K. C.

Various plastic films have been utilized to measure radiation fields. In general such films are rugged, easily handled, small enough to cause neligible perturbation on the radiation fields, and relatively inexpensive. The radiachromic materials have been shown to have advantages over other plastic fabrications in stability, reproducibility, equivalent response to electron and gamma ray processing fields, dose rate independence, and ready availability of calibration standards. Using a nylon matrix radiachromic detector, a system of direct read-out of absorbed dose has been developed to facilitate monitoring in the megarad region. When an exposed detector is inserted into the reader, the optical transmission signal is processed through an analog to digital converter. The digitized signal addresses a memory bank where the standard response curve is stored. The corresponding absorbed dose is displayed on a digital panel meter. The variation of relative sensitivity of detectors, the background of unirradiated detectors, environmental parameters, and the capacity of the memory bank are contributing factors to the total precision of the read-out system.

MODIFICATIONS OF THE RAND REAC,

DTIC Science & Technology

The major items of the modification program were the installation of a removable plugboard of the type used on the International Business Machines punched card tabulators, and a digital readout device.

A versatile localization system for microscopic multiparametric analysis of cells.

PubMed

Thaw, H H; Rundquist, I; Johansson, U; Svensson, I; Collins, V P

1983-03-01

A new, simple and relatively inexpensive electronic digital position readout (DPRO) system which can be applied to the rapid localization and recovery of microscopic material is described. It is based upon a commercially available digital position readout system which is routinely utilized by industry for small machine tools and measuring equipment. This has been mounted onto the stage of various microscopic instrumentation to provide X and Y coordinates relative to an arbitrary reference point. The integration of small computers interfaced to scanning interferometric, microdensitometric and fluorescence microscopes were used to demonstrate the reliability, versatility and ease of application of this system to problems of multiparametric measurements and analysis of cultured cells. The system may be expanded and applied to clinical material to obtain automatized, multiparametric measurements of cells in haematology and clinical cytology.

Identification of a unique Ca2+-binding site in rat acid-sensing ion channel 3.

PubMed

Zuo, Zhicheng; Smith, Rachel N; Chen, Zhenglan; Agharkar, Amruta S; Snell, Heather D; Huang, Renqi; Liu, Jin; Gonzales, Eric B

2018-05-25

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) evolved to sense changes in extracellular acidity with the divalent cation calcium (Ca 2+ ) as an allosteric modulator and channel blocker. The channel-blocking activity is most apparent in ASIC3, as removing Ca 2+ results in channel opening, with the site's location remaining unresolved. Here we show that a ring of rat ASIC3 (rASIC3) glutamates (Glu435), located above the channel gate, modulates proton sensitivity and contributes to the formation of the elusive Ca 2+ block site. Mutation of this residue to glycine, the equivalent residue in chicken ASIC1, diminished the rASIC3 Ca 2+ block effect. Atomistic molecular dynamic simulations corroborate the involvement of this acidic residue in forming a high-affinity Ca 2+ site atop the channel pore. Furthermore, the reported observations provide clarity for past controversies regarding ASIC channel gating. Our findings enhance understanding of ASIC gating mechanisms and provide structural and energetic insights into this unique calcium-binding site.

Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a Contributes to Airway Hyperreactivity in Mice

PubMed Central

Reznikov, Leah R.; Meyerholz, David K.; Adam, Ryan J.; Abou Alaiwa, Mahmoud; Jaffer, Omar; Michalski, Andrew S.; Powers, Linda S.; Price, Margaret P.; Stoltz, David A.; Welsh, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Neurons innervating the airways contribute to airway hyperreactivity (AHR), a hallmark feature of asthma. Several observations suggested that acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), neuronal cation channels activated by protons, might contribute to AHR. For example, ASICs are found in vagal sensory neurons that innervate airways, and asthmatic airways can become acidic. Moreover, airway acidification activates ASIC currents and depolarizes neurons innervating airways. We found ASIC1a protein in vagal ganglia neurons, but not airway epithelium or smooth muscle. We induced AHR by sensitizing mice to ovalbumin and found that ASIC1a-/- mice failed to exhibit AHR despite a robust inflammatory response. Loss of ASIC1a also decreased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid levels of substance P, a sensory neuropeptide secreted from vagal sensory neurons that contributes to AHR. These findings suggest that ASIC1a is an important mediator of AHR and raise the possibility that inhibiting ASIC channels might be beneficial in asthma. PMID:27820848

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leyva, A.; Cabal, A.; Pinera, I.

The present paper synthesizes the results obtained in the evaluation of a 64 microstrips crystalline silicon detector coupled to RX64 ASIC, designed for high-energy physics experiments, as a useful X-ray detector in advanced medical radiography, specifically in digital mammography. Research includes the acquisition of two-dimensional radiography of a mammography phantom using the scanning method, and the comparison of experimental profile with mathematically simulated one. The paper also shows the experimental images of three biological samples taken from breast biopsies, where it is possible to identify the presence of possible pathological tissues.

Breakup of loosely bound nuclei at intermediate energies for nuclear astrophysics and the development of a position sensitive microstrip detector system and its readout electronics using ASICs technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tribble, Robert E.; Sobotka, Lee G.; Blackmon, Jeff C.

2015-12-29

The work performed under this grant has led to the development of a detection system that will be used to measure reaction rates for proton or neutron capture reactions at stellar energies on radioactive ions far from stability. The reaction rates are needed to better understand the physics of nucleosynthesis in explosive stellar processes such as supernovae and x-ray burst events. The radioactive ions will be produced at the Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (RIBF) at RIKEN near Tokyo, Japan. During the course of this work, the group involved in this project has expanded by several institutions in Europe and Japanmore » and now involves collaborators from the U.S., Japan, Hungary, Romania, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, and South Korea. As part of the project, a novel design based on large-area silicon detectors has been built and tested and the performance characterized in a series of tests using particle beams with a variety of atomic numbers at the Cyclotron Institute of Texas A&M University and the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba facility (HIMAC) in Chiba, Japan. The work has involved mechanical construction of a special purpose vacuum chamber, with a precision mounting system for the silicon detectors, development of a new ASICs readout system that has applications with a wide variety of silicon detector systems, and the development of a data acquisition system that is integrated into the computer system being used at RIBF. The parts noted above that are needed to carry out the research program are completed and ready for installation. Several approved experiments that will use this system will be carried out in the near future. The experimental work has been delayed due to a large increase in the cost and availability of electrical power for RIBF that occurred following the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in the spring of 2011. Another component of the research carried out with this grant involved developing the theoretical tools that are required to extract the information from the experiments that is needed to determine the stellar reaction rates. The tools developed through this part of the work will be made freely available for general use.« less

Photographic and photometric enhancement of Lunar Orbiter products, projects A, B and C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

A detailed discussion is presented of the framelet joining, photometric data improvement, and statistical error analysis. The Lunar Orbiter film handling system, readout system, and the digitization are described, along with the technique of joining adjacent framelets by a using a digital computer. Time and cost estimates are given. The problems and techniques involved in improving the digitized data are discussed. It was found that spectacular improvements are possible. Program documentations are included.

A 41 ps ASIC time-to-digital converter for physics experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, Stefano; Petra, Nicola; De Caro, Davide; Barbarino, Giancarlo; Strollo, Antonio G. M.

2011-12-01

We present a novel Time-to-Digital (TDC) converter for physics experiments. Proposed TDC is based on a synchronous counter and an asynchronous fine interpolator. The fine part of the measurement is obtained using NORA inverters that provide improved resolution. A prototype IC was fabricated in 180 nm CMOS technology. Experimental measurements show that proposed TDC features 41 ps resolution associated with 0.35LSB differential non-linearity, 0.77LSB integral non-linearity and a negligible single shot precision. The whole dynamic range is equal to 18 μs. The proposed TDC is designed using a flash architecture that reduces dead time. Data reported in the paper show that our design is well suited for present and future particle physics experiments.

Experimental Evaluation of a SiPM-Based Scintillation Detector for MR-Compatible SPECT Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busca, Paolo; Occhipinti, Michele; Trigilio, Paolo; Cozzi, Giulia; Fiorini, Carlo; Piemonte, Claudio; Ferri, Alessandro; Gola, Alberto; Nagy, Kálmán; Bükki, Tamás; Rieger, Jan

2015-10-01

In the present work we briefly describe the architecture of a photo-detection module, designed in the framework of the INSERT (INtegrated SPECT/MRI for Enhanced Stratification in Radio-chemoTherapy) project, supported by the European Community. We focus on two main elements of the module: the SiPM photo-detector unit and the multi-channel ASIC. These two components have been investigated with dedicated and independent setups to assess preliminary performance of INSERT architecture. In details, we designed a 25.30 mm ×25.85 mm tile, comprising 9 pixels, each one with an 8 mm ×8 mm active area. We developed an Anger camera to characterize the tile coupled to a CsI:Tl scintillator (6 mm thick). We measured an average spatial resolution (FWHM) of 2 mm in the central region of the Field of View and a 15.3% energy resolution using a 57Co source (122 keV), when the tile is cooled down to 0 ° C to reduce the impact of the dark count rate. Furthermore, we developed ANGUS, a 36-channels 0.35 μm CMOS technology ASIC designed to cope with input capacitance up to 5 nF, typical of large area SiPM pixels. The spectroscopic capability of single readout channels were evaluated by coupling an 8 mm ×8 mm pixel with a cylindrical CsI:Tl scintillator (8 mm diameter, 10 mm thickness). Energy resolution at room temperature provided values between 13% and 13.5% (FWHM) at the 122 keV line for the nine pixels.

Acid-sensing ion channels in mouse olfactory bulb M/T neurons

PubMed Central

Li, Ming-Hua; Liu, Selina Qiuying; Inoue, Koichi; Lan, Jinquan; Simon, Roger P.

2014-01-01

The olfactory bulb contains the first synaptic relay in the olfactory pathway, the sensory system in which odorants are detected enabling these chemical stimuli to be transformed into electrical signals and, ultimately, the perception of odor. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), a family of proton-gated cation channels, are widely expressed in neurons of the central nervous system. However, no direct electrophysiological and pharmacological characterizations of ASICs in olfactory bulb neurons have been described. Using a combination of whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and biochemical and molecular biological analyses, we demonstrated that functional ASICs exist in mouse olfactory bulb mitral/tufted (M/T) neurons and mainly consist of homomeric ASIC1a and heteromeric ASIC1a/2a channels. ASIC activation depolarized cultured M/T neurons and increased their intracellular calcium concentration. Thus, ASIC activation may play an important role in normal olfactory function. PMID:24821964

Acid-sensing ion channels: trafficking and synaptic function.

PubMed

Zha, Xiang-ming

2013-01-02

Extracellular acidification occurs in the brain with elevated neural activity, increased metabolism, and neuronal injury. This reduction in pH can have profound effects on brain function because pH regulates essentially every single biochemical reaction. Therefore, it is not surprising to see that Nature evolves a family of proteins, the acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), to sense extracellular pH reduction. ASICs are proton-gated cation channels that are mainly expressed in the nervous system. In recent years, a growing body of literature has shown that acidosis, through activating ASICs, contributes to multiple diseases, including ischemia, multiple sclerosis, and seizures. In addition, ASICs play a key role in fear and anxiety related psychiatric disorders. Several recent reviews have summarized the importance and therapeutic potential of ASICs in neurological diseases, as well as the structure-function relationship of ASICs. However, there is little focused coverage on either the basic biology of ASICs or their contribution to neural plasticity. This review will center on these topics, with an emphasis on the synaptic role of ASICs and molecular mechanisms regulating the spatial distribution and function of these ion channels.

Fast Readout Architectures for Large Arrays of Digital Pixels: Examples and Applications

PubMed Central

Gabrielli, A.

2014-01-01

Modern pixel detectors, particularly those designed and constructed for applications and experiments for high-energy physics, are commonly built implementing general readout architectures, not specifically optimized in terms of speed. High-energy physics experiments use bidimensional matrices of sensitive elements located on a silicon die. Sensors are read out via other integrated circuits bump bonded over the sensor dies. The speed of the readout electronics can significantly increase the overall performance of the system, and so here novel forms of readout architectures are studied and described. These circuits have been investigated in terms of speed and are particularly suited for large monolithic, low-pitch pixel detectors. The idea is to have a small simple structure that may be expanded to fit large matrices without affecting the layout complexity of the chip, while maintaining a reasonably high readout speed. The solutions might be applied to devices for applications not only in physics but also to general-purpose pixel detectors whenever online fast data sparsification is required. The paper presents also simulations on the efficiencies of the systems as proof of concept for the proposed ideas. PMID:24778588

The Phase-2 electronics upgrade of the ATLAS liquid argon calorimeter system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vachon, B.

2018-03-01

The LHC high-luminosity upgrade in 2024-2026 requires the associated detectors to operate at luminosities about 5-7 times larger than assumed in their original design. The pile-up is expected to increase to up to 200 events per proton bunch-crossing. The current readout of the ATLAS liquid argon calorimeters does not provide sufficient buffering and bandwidth capabilities to accommodate the hardware triggers requirements imposed by these harsh conditions. Furthermore, the expected total radiation doses are beyond the qualification range of the current front-end electronics. For these reasons an almost complete replacement of the front-end and off-detector readout system is foreseen for the 182,468 readout channels. The new readout system will be based on a free-running architecture, where calorimeter signals are amplified, shaped and digitized by on-detector electronics, then sent at 40 MHz to the off-detector electronics for further processing. Results from the design studies on the performance of the components of the readout system are presented, as well as the results of the tests of the first prototypes.

Role of ASIC1a in Aβ-induced synaptic alterations in the hippocampus.

PubMed

Mango, D; Nisticò, R

2018-05-01

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are widely expressed in the mammalian central nervous system where they play a key role in synaptic transmission and in specific forms of memory. On the other hand, ASICs can be persistently active under pathological conditions contributing to neuronal damage in ischemic stroke, brain trauma, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. However, to date no experimental evidence has linked ASICs to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aim of the present work was to investigate, in CA1 pyramidal neurons, the possible involvement of ASIC1a in the Aβ-mediated effect on metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor dependent transmission. We found that, in slices pretreated with Aβ, the pharmacological blockade of ASIC1a restored the increased intrinsic excitability following group I mGlu receptor activation. This suggests that, under certain conditions, ASIC1a might further contribute to the Aβ-related depolarizing response. We have recently demonstrated that ASIC1a is also involved long-term depression (LTD) induced either by low-frequency stimulation or by application of the group I mGlu receptor agonist DHPG. Here, we have shown that psalmotoxin-1, a selective blocker of ASIC1a, rescued the DHPG-LTD facilitation associated with genetic and non-genetic models of AD. Overall, these results suggest that a functional coupling between ASIC1a and mGlu receptors occurs and might contribute to the synaptic alterations associated with AD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of periodontal ASIC3 in orofacial pain induced by experimental tooth movement in rats.

PubMed

Gao, Meiya; Long, Hu; Ma, Wenqiang; Liao, Lina; Yang, Xin; Zhou, Yang; Shan, Di; Huang, Renhuan; Jian, Fan; Wang, Yan; Lai, Wenli

2016-12-01

This study aimed to clarify the roles of Acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) in orofacial pain following experimental tooth movement. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the experimental group (40g, n = 30) and the sham group (0g, n = 30). Closed coil springs were ligated between maxillary incisor and molars to achieve experimental tooth movement. Rat grimace scale (RGS) scores were assessed at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after the placement of the springs. ASIC3 immunostaining was performed and the expression levels of ASIC3 were measured through integrated optical density/area in Image-Pro Plus 6.0. Moreover, 18 rats were divided into APETx2 group (n = 6), amiloride group (n = 6), and vehicle group (n = 6), and RGS scores were obtained compared among them to verify the roles of ASIC3 in orofacial pain following tooth movement. ASIC3 expression levels became significantly higher in the experimental group than in sham group on 1, 3, and 5 days and became similar on 7 and 14 days. Pain levels (RGS scores) increased in both groups and were significantly higher in the experimental group on 1, 3, 5, and 7 days and were similar on 14 days. Periodontal ASIC3 expression levels were correlated with orofacial pain levels following experimental tooth movement. Periodontal administrations of ASIC3 antagonists (APETx2 and amiloride) could alleviate pain. This study needs to be better evidenced by RNA interference of ASIC3 in periodontal tissues in rats following experimental tooth movement. Moreover, we hope further studies would concentrate on the pain perception of ASIC3 knockout (ASIC3 -/- ) mice. Our results suggest that periodontal ASIC3 plays an important role in orofacial pain induced by experimental tooth movement. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Energy and Timing Measurement with Time-Based Detector Readout for PET Applications: Principle and Validation with Discrete Circuit Components

PubMed Central

Sun, Xishan; Lan, Allan K.; Bircher, Chad; Deng, Zhi; Liu, Yinong; Shao, Yiping

2011-01-01

A new signal processing method for PET application has been developed, with discrete circuit components to measure energy and timing of a gamma interaction based solely on digital timing processing without using an amplitude-to-digital convertor (ADC) or a constant fraction discriminator (CFD). A single channel discrete component time-based readout (TBR) circuit was implemented in a PC board. Initial circuit functionality and performance evaluations have been conducted. Accuracy and linearity of signal amplitude measurement were excellent, as measured with test pulses. The measured timing accuracy from test pulses reached to less than 300 ps, a value limited mainly by the timing jitter of the prototype electronics circuit. Both suitable energy and coincidence timing resolutions (~18% and ~1.0 ns) have been achieved with 3 × 3 × 20 mm3 LYSO scintillator and photomultiplier tube-based detectors. With its relatively simple circuit and low cost, TBR is expected to be a suitable front-end signal readout electronics for compact PET or other radiation detectors requiring the reading of a large number of detector channels and demanding high performance for energy and timing measurement. PMID:21743761

Holographic memory system based on projection recording of computer-generated 1D Fourier holograms.

PubMed

Betin, A Yu; Bobrinev, V I; Donchenko, S S; Odinokov, S B; Evtikhiev, N N; Starikov, R S; Starikov, S N; Zlokazov, E Yu

2014-10-01

Utilization of computer generation of holographic structures significantly simplifies the optical scheme that is used to record the microholograms in a holographic memory record system. Also digital holographic synthesis allows to account the nonlinear errors of the record system to improve the microholograms quality. The multiplexed record of holograms is a widespread technique to increase the data record density. In this article we represent the holographic memory system based on digital synthesis of amplitude one-dimensional (1D) Fourier transform holograms and the multiplexed record of these holograms onto the holographic carrier using optical projection scheme. 1D Fourier transform holograms are very sensitive to orientation of the anamorphic optical element (cylindrical lens) that is required for encoded data object reconstruction. The multiplex record of several holograms with different orientation in an optical projection scheme allowed reconstruction of the data object from each hologram by rotating the cylindrical lens on the corresponding angle. Also, we discuss two optical schemes for the recorded holograms readout: a full-page readout system and line-by-line readout system. We consider the benefits of both systems and present the results of experimental modeling of 1D Fourier holograms nonmultiplex and multiplex record and reconstruction.

A UVM simulation environment for the study, optimization and verification of HL-LHC digital pixel readout chips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marconi, S.; Conti, E.; Christiansen, J.; Placidi, P.

2018-05-01

The operating conditions of the High Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider are very demanding for the design of next generation hybrid pixel readout chips in terms of particle rate, radiation level and data bandwidth. To this purpose, the RD53 Collaboration has developed for the ATLAS and CMS experiments a dedicated simulation and verification environment using industry-consolidated tools and methodologies, such as SystemVerilog and the Universal Verification Methodology (UVM). This paper presents how the so-called VEPIX53 environment has first guided the design of digital architectures, optimized for processing and buffering very high particle rates, and secondly how it has been reused for the functional verification of the first large scale demonstrator chip designed by the collaboration, which has recently been submitted.

Digital readout for image converter cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honour, Joseph

1991-04-01

There is an increasing need for fast and reliable analysis of recorded sequences from image converter cameras so that experimental information can be readily evaluated without recourse to more time consuming photographic procedures. A digital readout system has been developed using a randomly triggerable high resolution CCD camera, the output of which is suitable for use with IBM AT compatible PC. Within half a second from receipt of trigger pulse, the frame reformatter displays the image and transfer to storage media can be readily achieved via the PC and dedicated software. Two software programmes offer different levels of image manipulation which includes enhancement routines and parameter calculations with accuracy down to pixel levels. Hard copy prints can be acquired using a specially adapted Polaroid printer, outputs for laser and video printer extend the overall versatility of the system.

Active pixel sensor having intra-pixel charge transfer with analog-to-digital converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fossum, Eric R. (Inventor); Mendis, Sunetra K. (Inventor); Pain, Bedabrata (Inventor); Nixon, Robert H. (Inventor); Zhou, Zhimin (Inventor)

2003-01-01

An imaging device formed as a monolithic complementary metal oxide semiconductor integrated circuit in an industry standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor process, the integrated circuit including a focal plane array of pixel cells, each one of the cells including a photogate overlying the substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in an underlying portion of the substrate, a readout circuit including at least an output field effect transistor formed in the substrate, and a charge coupled device section formed on the substrate adjacent the photogate having a sensing node connected to the output transistor and at least one charge coupled device stage for transferring charge from the underlying portion of the substrate to the sensing node and an analog-to-digital converter formed in the substrate connected to the output of the readout circuit.

Active pixel sensor having intra-pixel charge transfer with analog-to-digital converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fossum, Eric R. (Inventor); Mendis, Sunetra K. (Inventor); Pain, Bedabrata (Inventor); Nixon, Robert H. (Inventor); Zhou, Zhimin (Inventor)

2000-01-01

An imaging device formed as a monolithic complementary metal oxide semiconductor Integrated circuit in an industry standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor process, the integrated circuit including a focal plane array of pixel cells, each one of the cells including a photogate overlying the substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in an underlying portion of the substrate, a readout circuit including at least an output field effect transistor formed in the substrate, and a charge coupled device section formed on the substrate adjacent the photogate having a sensing node connected to the output transistor and at least one charge coupled device stage for transferring charge from the underlying portion of the substrate to the sensing node and an analog-to-digital converter formed in the substrate connected to the output of the readout circuit.

Cryogenic readout techniques for germanium detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benato, G.; Cattadori, C.; Di Vacri, A.

High Purity Germanium detectors are used in many applications, from nuclear and astro-particle physics, to homeland security or environment protection. Although quite standard configurations are often used, with cryostats, charge sensitive amplifiers and analog or digital acquisition systems all commercially available, it might be the case that a few specific applications, e.g. satellites, portable devices, cryogenic physics experiments, etc. also require the development of a few additional or complementary techniques. An interesting case is for sure GERDA, the Germanium Detector Array experiment, searching for neutrino-less double beta decay of {sup 76}Ge at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of INFN -more » Italy. In GERDA the entire detector array, composed of semi-coaxial and BEGe naked crystals, is operated suspended inside a cryostat filled with liquid argon, that acts not only as cooling medium and but also as an active shield, thanks to its scintillation properties. These peculiar circumstances, together with the additional requirement of a very low radioactive background from all the materials adjacent to the detectors, clearly introduce significant constraints on the design of the Ge front-end readout electronics. All the Ge readout solutions developed within the framework of the GERDA collaboration, for both Phase I and Phase II, will be briefly reviewed, with their relative strength and weakness compared together and with respect to ideal Ge readout. Finally, the digital processing techniques developed by the GERDA collaboration for energy estimation of Ge detector signals will be recalled. (authors)« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeggle, Pia; Smith, Ewan St. J.; Stewart, Andrew P.

ASIC and ENaC are co-expressed in various cell types, and there is evidence for a close association between them. Here, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine whether ASIC1a and ENaC subunits are able to form cross-clade hybrid ion channels. ASIC1a and ENaC could be co-isolated from detergent extracts of tsA 201 cells co-expressing the two subunits. Isolated proteins were incubated with antibodies against ENaC and Fab fragments against ASIC1a. AFM imaging revealed proteins that were decorated by both an antibody and a Fab fragment with an angle of ∼120° between them, indicating the formation of ASIC1a/ENaC heterotrimers. -more » Highlights: • There is evidence for a close association between ASIC and ENaC. • We used AFM to test whether ASIC1a and ENaC subunits form cross-clade ion channels. • Isolated proteins were incubated with subunit-specific antibodies and Fab fragments. • Some proteins were doubly decorated at ∼120° by an antibody and a Fab fragment. • Our results indicate the formation of ASIC1a/ENaC heterotrimers.« less

Activation of acid-sensing ion channels by localized proton transient reveals their role in proton signaling.

PubMed

Zeng, Wei-Zheng; Liu, Di-Shi; Liu, Lu; She, Liang; Wu, Long-Jun; Xu, Tian-Le

2015-09-15

Extracellular transients of pH alterations likely mediate signal transduction in the nervous system. Neuronal acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) act as sensors for extracellular protons, but the mechanism underlying ASIC activation remains largely unknown. Here, we show that, following activation of a light-activated proton pump, Archaerhodopsin-3 (Arch), proton transients induced ASIC currents in both neurons and HEK293T cells co-expressing ASIC1a channels. Using chimera proteins that bridge Arch and ASIC1a by a glycine/serine linker, we found that successful coupling occurred within 15 nm distance. Furthermore, two-cell sniffer patch recording revealed that regulated release of protons through either Arch or voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 activated neighbouring cells expressing ASIC1a channels. Finally, computational modelling predicted the peak proton concentration at the intercellular interface to be at pH 6.7, which is acidic enough to activate ASICs in vivo. Our results highlight the pathophysiological role of proton signalling in the nervous system.

Evidence that activation of ASIC1a by acidosis increases osteoclast migration and adhesion by modulating integrin/Pyk2/Src signaling pathway.

PubMed

Li, X; Ye, J-X; Xu, M-H; Zhao, M-D; Yuan, F-L

2017-07-01

Activated acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) is involved in acid-induced osteoclastogenesis by regulating activation of the transcription factor NFATc1. These results indicated that ASIC1a activation by extracellular acid may cause osteoclast migration and adhesion through Ca 2+ -dependent integrin/Pyk2/Src signaling pathway. Osteoclast adhesion and migration are responsible for osteoporotic bone loss. Acidic conditions promote osteoclastogenesis. ASIC1a in osteoclasts is associated with acid-induced osteoclastogenesis through modulating transcription factor NFATc1 activation. However, the influence and the detailed mechanism of ASIC1a in regulating osteoclast adhesion and migration, in response to extracellular acid, are not well characterized. In this study, knockdown of ASIC1a was achieved in bone marrow macrophage cells using small interfering RNA (siRNA). The adhesion and migration abilities of osteoclast precursors and osteoclasts were determined by adhesion and migration assays, in vitro. Bone resorption was performed to measure osteoclast function. Cytoskeletal changes were assessed by F-actin ring formation. αvβ3 integrin expression in osteoclasts was measured by flow cytometry. Western blotting and co-immunoprecipitation were performed to measure alterations in integrin/Pyk2/Src signaling pathway. Our results showed that blockade of ASIC1a using ASIC1a-siRNA inhibited acid-induced osteoclast precursor migration and adhesion, as well as osteoclast adhesion and bone resorption; we also demonstrated that inhibition of ASIC1a decreased the cell surface αvβ3 integrin and β3 protein expression. Moreover, blocking of ASIC1a inhibited acidosis-induced actin ring formation and reduced Pyk2 and Src phosphorylation in osteoclasts and also inhibited the acid-induced association of the αvβ3 integrin/Src/Pyk2. Together, these results highlight a key functional role of ASIC1a/αvβ3 integrin/Pyk2/Src signaling pathway in migration and adhesion of osteoclasts.

Towards fully analog hardware reservoir computing for speech recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smerieri, Anteo; Duport, François; Paquot, Yvan; Haelterman, Marc; Schrauwen, Benjamin; Massar, Serge

2012-09-01

Reservoir computing is a very recent, neural network inspired unconventional computation technique, where a recurrent nonlinear system is used in conjunction with a linear readout to perform complex calculations, leveraging its inherent internal dynamics. In this paper we show the operation of an optoelectronic reservoir computer in which both the nonlinear recurrent part and the readout layer are implemented in hardware for a speech recognition application. The performance obtained is close to the one of to state-of-the-art digital reservoirs, while the analog architecture opens the way to ultrafast computation.

Sensor readout detector circuit

DOEpatents

Chu, Dahlon D.; Thelen, Jr., Donald C.

1998-01-01

A sensor readout detector circuit is disclosed that is capable of detecting sensor signals down to a few nanoamperes or less in a high (microampere) background noise level. The circuit operates at a very low standby power level and is triggerable by a sensor event signal that is above a predetermined threshold level. A plurality of sensor readout detector circuits can be formed on a substrate as an integrated circuit (IC). These circuits can operate to process data from an array of sensors in parallel, with only data from active sensors being processed for digitization and analysis. This allows the IC to operate at a low power level with a high data throughput for the active sensors. The circuit may be used with many different types of sensors, including photodetectors, capacitance sensors, chemically-sensitive sensors or combinations thereof to provide a capability for recording transient events or for recording data for a predetermined period of time following an event trigger. The sensor readout detector circuit has applications for portable or satellite-based sensor systems.

Sensor readout detector circuit

DOEpatents

Chu, D.D.; Thelen, D.C. Jr.

1998-08-11

A sensor readout detector circuit is disclosed that is capable of detecting sensor signals down to a few nanoamperes or less in a high (microampere) background noise level. The circuit operates at a very low standby power level and is triggerable by a sensor event signal that is above a predetermined threshold level. A plurality of sensor readout detector circuits can be formed on a substrate as an integrated circuit (IC). These circuits can operate to process data from an array of sensors in parallel, with only data from active sensors being processed for digitization and analysis. This allows the IC to operate at a low power level with a high data throughput for the active sensors. The circuit may be used with many different types of sensors, including photodetectors, capacitance sensors, chemically-sensitive sensors or combinations thereof to provide a capability for recording transient events or for recording data for a predetermined period of time following an event trigger. The sensor readout detector circuit has applications for portable or satellite-based sensor systems. 6 figs.

Enhancements to a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) Multiplexer Readout and Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forgione, J.; Benford, D. J.; Buchanan, E. D.; Moseley, S. H.; Rebar, J.; Shafer, R. A.

2004-01-01

Far-infrared detector arrays such as the 16x32 superconducting bolometer array for the SAFIRE instrument (flying on the SOFIA airborne observatory) require systems of readout and control electronics to provide translation between a user-driven, digital PC and the cold, analog world of the cryogenic detector. In 2001, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed their Mark III electronics for purposes of control and readout of their 1x32 SQUID Multiplexer chips. We at NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center acquired a Mark 111 system and subsequently designed upgrades to suit our and our collaborators purposes. We developed an arbitrary, programmable multiplexing system that allows the user to cycle through rows in a SQUID array in an infinite number of combinations. We provided hooks in the Mark III system to allow readout of signals from outside the Mark 111 system, such as telescope status information. Finally, we augmented the heart of the system with a new feedback algorithm implementation, flexible diagnostic tools, and informative telemetry.

Enhancements to a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) multiplexer readout and control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forgione, Joshua B.; Benford, Dominic J.; Buchanan, Ernest D.; Moseley, S. H., Jr.; Rebar, Joyce; Shafer, Richard A.

2004-10-01

Far-infrared detector arrays such as the 16x32 superconducting bolometer array for the SAFIRE instrument (flying on the SOFIA airborne observatory) require systems of readout and control electronics to provide translation between a user-driven, digital PC and the cold, analog world of the cryogenic detector. In 2001, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed their Mark III electronics for purposes of control and readout of their 1x32 SQUID Multiplexer chips. We at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center acquired a Mark III system and subsequently designed upgrades to suit our and our collaborators' purposes. We developed an arbitrary, programmable multiplexing system that allows the user to cycle through rows in a SQUID array in an infinite number of combinations. We provided 'hooks' in the Mark III system to allow readout of signals from outside the Mark III system, such as telescope status information. Finally, we augmented the heart of the system with a new feedback algorithm implementation, flexible diagnostic tools, and informative telemetry.

Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a Regulates Fate of Rat Nucleus Pulposus Cells in Acid Stimulus Through Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

PubMed

Xie, Zhi-Yang; Chen, Lu; Zhang, Cong; Liu, Lei; Wang, Feng; Cai, Feng; Wang, Xiao-Hu; Shi, Rui; Sinkemani, Arjun; Yu, Hao-Min; Hong, Xin; Wu, Xiao-Tao

2018-01-01

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) participates in human intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and regulates the destiny of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) in acid stimulus. However, the mechanism of ASIC1a activation and its downstream pathway remain unclear. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress also participates in the acid-induced apoptosis of NPCs. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is any connection between ASIC1a and ER stress in an acid-induced nucleus pulposus degeneration model. The IVDs of Sprague-Dawley rats were stained by immunohistochemical staining to evaluate the expression of ASIC1a in normal and degenerated rat nucleus pulposus. ASIC1a expression was also quantified by quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis. NPCs were exposed to the culture media with acidity at pH 7.2 and 6.5 for 24 h, with or without 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA, a blocker of the ER stress pathway). Cell apoptosis was examined by Annexin V/Propidium Iodide (PI) staining and was quantified using flow cytometry analysis. ASIC1a-mediated intracellular calcium was determined by Ca 2+ imaging using Fura-2-AM. Acidity-induced changes in ER stress markers were studied using Western blotting analysis. In vivo , ASIC1a expression was upregulated in natural degeneration. In vitro , acid stimulus increased intracellular calcium levels, but this effect was blocked by knockdown of ASIC1a, and this reversal was partly inhibited by 4-PBA. In addition, blockade of ASIC1a reduced expression of ER stress markers, especially the proapoptotic markers. ASIC1a partly regulates ER stress and promotes apoptosis of NPCs under acid stimulus and may be a novel therapeutic target in IVDD.

Software solution for autonomous observations with H2RG detectors and SIDECAR ASICs for the RATIR camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Christopher R.; Kubánek, Petr; Butler, Nathaniel R.; Fox, Ori D.; Kutyrev, Alexander S.; Rapchun, David A.; Bloom, Joshua S.; Farah, Alejandro; Gehrels, Neil; Georgiev, Leonid; González, J. Jesús; Lee, William H.; Lotkin, Gennadiy N.; Moseley, Samuel H.; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; Richer, Michael G.; Robinson, Frederick D.; Román-Zúñiga, Carlos; Samuel, Mathew V.; Sparr, Leroy M.; Tucker, Corey; Watson, Alan M.

2012-07-01

The Reionization And Transients InfraRed (RATIR) camera has been built for rapid Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) followup and will provide quasi-simultaneous imaging in ugriZY JH. The optical component uses two 2048 × 2048 pixel Finger Lakes Imaging ProLine detectors, one optimized for the SDSS u, g, and r bands and one optimized for the SDSS i band. The infrared portion incorporates two 2048 × 2048 pixel Teledyne HgCdTe HAWAII-2RG detectors, one with a 1.7-micron cutoff and one with a 2.5-micron cutoff. The infrared detectors are controlled by Teledyne's SIDECAR (System for Image Digitization Enhancement Control And Retrieval) ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). While other ground-based systems have used the SIDECAR before, this system also utilizes Teledyne's JADE2 (JWST ASIC Drive Electronics) interface card and IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Here we present a summary of the software developed to interface the RATIR detectors with Remote Telescope System, 2nd Version (RTS2) software. RTS2 is an integrated open source package for remote observatory control under the Linux operating system and will autonomously coordinate observatory dome, telescope pointing, detector, filter wheel, focus stage, and dewar vacuum compressor operations. Where necessary we have developed custom interfaces between RTS2 and RATIR hardware, most notably for cryogenic focus stage motor drivers and temperature controllers. All detector and hardware interface software developed for RATIR is freely available and open source as part of the RTS2 distribution.

Caliste 64: detection unit of a spectro imager array for a hard x-ray space telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limousin, O.; Meuris, A.; Lugiez, F.; Gevin, Olivier; Pinsard, F.; Blondel, C.; Le Mer, I.; Delagnes, E.; Vassal, M. C.; Soufflet, F.; Bocage, R.; Penquer, A.; Billot, M.

2017-11-01

In the frame of the hard X-ray Simbol-X observatory, a joint CNES-ASI space mission to be flown in 2014, a prototype of miniature Cd(Zn)Te camera equipped with 64 pixels has been designed. The device, called Caliste 64, is a spectro-imager with high resolution event timetagging capability. Caliste 64 integrates a Cd(Zn)Te semiconductor detector with segmented electrode and its front-end electronics made of 64 independent analog readout channels. This 1 × 1 × 2 cm3 camera, able to detect photons in the range from 2 keV up to 250 keV, is an elementary detection unit juxtaposable on its four sides. Consequently, large detector array can be made assembling a mosaic of Caliste 64 units. Electronics readout module is achieved by stacking four IDeF-X V1.1 ASICs, perpendicular to the detection plane. We achieved good noise performances, with a mean Equivalent Noise Charge of 65 electrons rms over the 64 channels. For the first prototypes, we chose Pt//CdTe//Al/Ti/Au Schottky detectors because of their very low dark current and excellent spectroscopic performances. Recently a Caliste 64 prototype has been also equipped with a 2 mm thick Au//CdZnTe//Au detector. This paper presents the performances of these four prototypes and demonstrates spectral performances better than 1 keV fwhm at 59.54 keV when the samples are moderately cooled down to -10°C.

First results of a highly granulated 3D CdTe detector module for PET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chmeissani, Mokhtar; Kolstein, Machiel; Macias-Montero, José Gabriel; Puigdengoles, Carles; García, Jorge; Prats, Xavier; Martínez, Ricardo

2018-01-01

We present the performance of a highly granulated 3D detector module for PET, consisting of a stack of pixelated CdTe detectors. Each detector module has 2 cm  ×  2 cm  ×  2 cm of CdTe material, subdivided into 4000 voxels, where each voxel has size 1 mm  ×  1 mm  ×  2 mm and is connected to its own read-out electronics via a BiSn solder ball. Each read-out channel consists of a preamp, a discriminator, a shaper, a peak-and-hold circuit and a 10 bits SAR ADC. The preamp has variable gain where at the maximum gain the ADC resolution is equivalent to 0.7 keV. Each ASIC chip reads 100 CdTe pixel channels and has one TDC to measure the time stamp of the triggered events, with a time resolution of less than 1 ns. With the bias voltage set at  -250 V mm-1 and for 17838 working channels out of a total of 20 000, we have obtained an average energy resolution of 2.2% FWHM for 511 keV photons. For 511 keV photons that have undergone Compton scattering, we measured an energy resolution of 3.2% FWHM. A timing resolution for PET coincidence events of 60 ns FWHM was found.

Acute stress enhances learning and memory by activating acid-sensing ion channels in rats.

PubMed

Ye, Shunjie; Yang, Rong; Xiong, Qiuju; Yang, Youhua; Zhou, Lianying; Gong, Yeli; Li, Changlei; Ding, Zhenhan; Ye, Guohai; Xiong, Zhe

2018-04-15

Acute stress has been shown to enhance learning and memory ability, predominantly through the action of corticosteroid stress hormones. However, the valuable targets for promoting learning and memory induced by acute stress and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) play an important role in central neuronal systems and involves in depression, synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. In the current study, we used a combination of electrophysiological and behavioral approaches in an effort to explore the effects of acute stress on ASICs. We found that corticosterone (CORT) induced by acute stress caused a potentiation of ASICs current via glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) not mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs). Meanwhile, CORT did not produce an increase of ASICs current by pretreated with GF109203X, an antagonist of protein kinase C (PKC), whereas CORT did result in a markedly enhancement of ASICs current by bryostatin 1, an agonist of PKC, suggesting that potentiation of ASICs function may be depended on PKC activating. More importantly, an antagonist of ASICs, amiloride (10 μM) reduced the performance of learning and memory induced by acute stress, which is further suggesting that ASICs as the key components involves in cognitive processes induced by acute stress. These results indicate that acute stress causes the enhancement of ASICs function by activating PKC signaling pathway, which leads to potentiated learning and memory. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Upgraded Readout Electronics for the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeters at the High Luminosity LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andeen, Timothy R.; ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter Group

2012-12-01

The ATLAS liquid-argon calorimeters produce a total of 182,486 signals which are digitized and processed by the front-end and back-end electronics at every triggered event. In addition, the front-end electronics sum analog signals to provide coarsely grained energy sums, called trigger towers, to the first-level trigger system, which is optimized for nominal LHC luminosities. However, the pile-up background expected during the high luminosity phases of the LHC will be increased by factors of 3 to 7. An improved spatial granularity of the trigger primitives is therefore proposed in order to improve the identification performance for trigger signatures, like electrons or photons, at high background rejection rates. For the first upgrade phase in 2018, new Liquid Argon Trigger Digitizer Boards are being designed to receive higher granularity signals, digitize them on detector and send them via fast optical links to a new, off-detector digital processing system. The digital processing system applies digital filtering and identifies significant energy depositions. The refined trigger primitives are then transmitted to the first level trigger system to extract improved trigger signatures. The general concept of the upgraded liquid-argon calorimeter readout together with the various electronics components to be developed for such a complex system is presented. The research activities and architectural studies undertaken by the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter Group are described, particularly details of the on-going design of mixed-signal front-end electronics, of radiation tolerant optical-links, and of the high-speed off-detector digital processing system.

An Energy efficient application specific integrated circuit for electrocardiogram feature detection and its potential for ambulatory cardiovascular disease detection

PubMed Central

Bhaumik, Basabi

2016-01-01

A novel algorithm based on forward search is developed for real-time electrocardiogram (ECG) signal processing and implemented in application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for QRS complex related cardiovascular disease diagnosis. The authors have evaluated their algorithm using MIT-BIH database and achieve sensitivity of 99.86% and specificity of 99.93% for QRS complex peak detection. In this Letter, Physionet PTB diagnostic ECG database is used for QRS complex related disease detection. An ASIC for cardiovascular disease detection is fabricated using 130-nm CMOS high-speed process technology. The area of the ASIC is 0.5 mm2. The power dissipation is 1.73 μW at the operating frequency of 1 kHz with a supply voltage of 0.6 V. The output from the ASIC is fed to their Android application that generates diagnostic report and can be sent to a cardiologist through email. Their ASIC result shows average failed detection rate of 0.16% for six leads data of 290 patients in PTB diagnostic ECG database. They also have implemented a low-leakage version of their ASIC. The ASIC dissipates only 45 pJ with a supply voltage of 0.9 V. Their proposed ASIC is most suitable for energy efficient telemetry cardiovascular disease detection system. PMID:27284458

An Energy efficient application specific integrated circuit for electrocardiogram feature detection and its potential for ambulatory cardiovascular disease detection.

PubMed

Jain, Sanjeev Kumar; Bhaumik, Basabi

2016-03-01

A novel algorithm based on forward search is developed for real-time electrocardiogram (ECG) signal processing and implemented in application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for QRS complex related cardiovascular disease diagnosis. The authors have evaluated their algorithm using MIT-BIH database and achieve sensitivity of 99.86% and specificity of 99.93% for QRS complex peak detection. In this Letter, Physionet PTB diagnostic ECG database is used for QRS complex related disease detection. An ASIC for cardiovascular disease detection is fabricated using 130-nm CMOS high-speed process technology. The area of the ASIC is 0.5 mm(2). The power dissipation is 1.73 μW at the operating frequency of 1 kHz with a supply voltage of 0.6 V. The output from the ASIC is fed to their Android application that generates diagnostic report and can be sent to a cardiologist through email. Their ASIC result shows average failed detection rate of 0.16% for six leads data of 290 patients in PTB diagnostic ECG database. They also have implemented a low-leakage version of their ASIC. The ASIC dissipates only 45 pJ with a supply voltage of 0.9 V. Their proposed ASIC is most suitable for energy efficient telemetry cardiovascular disease detection system.

Remote balance weighs accurately amid high radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eggenberger, D. N.; Shuck, A. B.

1969-01-01

Commercial beam-type balance, modified and outfitted with electronic controls and digital readout, can be remotely controlled for use in high radiation environments. This allows accurate weighing of breeder-reactor fuel pieces when they are radioactively hot.

Construction of the DHCAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francis, Kurt; CALICE Collaboration

Particle Flow Algorithms (PFAs) have been proposed as a method of improving the jet energy resolution of future colliding beam detectors. PFAs require calorimeters with high granularity to enable three-dimensional imaging of events. The Calorimeter for the Linear Collider Collaboration (CALICE) is developing and testing prototypes of such highly segmented calorimeters. In this context, a large prototype of a Digital Hadron Calorimeter (DHCAL) was developed and constructed by a group led by Argonne National Laboratory. The DHCAL consists of 52 layers, instrumented with Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) and interleaved with steel absorber plates. The RPCs are read out by 1 x 1 cm2 pads with a 1-bit resolution (digital readout). The DHCAL prototype has approximately 480,000 readout channels. This talk reports on the design, construction and commissioning of the DHCAL. The DHCAL was installed at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility in fall 2010 and data was collected through the summer 2011.

Digital diffraction analysis enables low-cost molecular diagnostics on a smartphone

PubMed Central

Im, Hyungsoon; Castro, Cesar M.; Shao, Huilin; Liong, Monty; Song, Jun; Pathania, Divya; Fexon, Lioubov; Min, Changwook; Avila-Wallace, Maria; Zurkiya, Omar; Rho, Junsung; Magaoay, Brady; Tambouret, Rosemary H.; Pivovarov, Misha; Weissleder, Ralph; Lee, Hakho

2015-01-01

The widespread distribution of smartphones, with their integrated sensors and communication capabilities, makes them an ideal platform for point-of-care (POC) diagnosis, especially in resource-limited settings. Molecular diagnostics, however, have been difficult to implement in smartphones. We herein report a diffraction-based approach that enables molecular and cellular diagnostics. The D3 (digital diffraction diagnosis) system uses microbeads to generate unique diffraction patterns which can be acquired by smartphones and processed by a remote server. We applied the D3 platform to screen for precancerous or cancerous cells in cervical specimens and to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. The D3 assay generated readouts within 45 min and showed excellent agreement with gold-standard pathology or HPV testing, respectively. This approach could have favorable global health applications where medical access is limited or when pathology bottlenecks challenge prompt diagnostic readouts. PMID:25870273

Digital diffraction analysis enables low-cost molecular diagnostics on a smartphone.

PubMed

Im, Hyungsoon; Castro, Cesar M; Shao, Huilin; Liong, Monty; Song, Jun; Pathania, Divya; Fexon, Lioubov; Min, Changwook; Avila-Wallace, Maria; Zurkiya, Omar; Rho, Junsung; Magaoay, Brady; Tambouret, Rosemary H; Pivovarov, Misha; Weissleder, Ralph; Lee, Hakho

2015-05-05

The widespread distribution of smartphones, with their integrated sensors and communication capabilities, makes them an ideal platform for point-of-care (POC) diagnosis, especially in resource-limited settings. Molecular diagnostics, however, have been difficult to implement in smartphones. We herein report a diffraction-based approach that enables molecular and cellular diagnostics. The D3 (digital diffraction diagnosis) system uses microbeads to generate unique diffraction patterns which can be acquired by smartphones and processed by a remote server. We applied the D3 platform to screen for precancerous or cancerous cells in cervical specimens and to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. The D3 assay generated readouts within 45 min and showed excellent agreement with gold-standard pathology or HPV testing, respectively. This approach could have favorable global health applications where medical access is limited or when pathology bottlenecks challenge prompt diagnostic readouts.

A Three-Step Resolution-Reconfigurable Hazardous Multi-Gas Sensor Interface for Wireless Air-Quality Monitoring Applications.

PubMed

Choi, Subin; Park, Kyeonghwan; Lee, Seungwook; Lim, Yeongjin; Oh, Byungjoo; Chae, Hee Young; Park, Chan Sam; Shin, Heugjoo; Kim, Jae Joon

2018-03-02

This paper presents a resolution-reconfigurable wide-range resistive sensor readout interface for wireless multi-gas monitoring applications that displays results on a smartphone. Three types of sensing resolutions were selected to minimize processing power consumption, and a dual-mode front-end structure was proposed to support the detection of a variety of hazardous gases with wide range of characteristic resistance. The readout integrated circuit (ROIC) was fabricated in a 0.18 μm CMOS process to provide three reconfigurable data conversions that correspond to a low-power resistance-to-digital converter (RDC), a 12-bit successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a 16-bit delta-sigma modulator. For functional feasibility, a wireless sensor system prototype that included in-house microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensing devices and commercial device products was manufactured and experimentally verified to detect a variety of hazardous gases.

Digitized molecular diagnostics: reading disk-based bioassays with standard computer drives.

PubMed

Li, Yunchao; Ou, Lily M L; Yu, Hua-Zhong

2008-11-01

We report herein a digital signal readout protocol for screening disk-based bioassays with standard optical drives of ordinary desktop/notebook computers. Three different types of biochemical recognition reactions (biotin-streptavidin binding, DNA hybridization, and protein-protein interaction) were performed directly on a compact disk in a line array format with the help of microfluidic channel plates. Being well-correlated with the optical darkness of the binding sites (after signal enhancement by gold nanoparticle-promoted autometallography), the reading error levels of prerecorded audio files can serve as a quantitative measure of biochemical interaction. This novel readout protocol is about 1 order of magnitude more sensitive than fluorescence labeling/scanning and has the capability of examining multiplex microassays on the same disk. Because no modification to either hardware or software is needed, it promises a platform technology for rapid, low-cost, and high-throughput point-of-care biomedical diagnostics.

PANDORA, a large volume low-energy neutron detector with real-time neutron-gamma discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuhl, L.; Sasano, M.; Yako, K.; Yasuda, J.; Baba, H.; Ota, S.; Uesaka, T.

2017-09-01

The PANDORA (Particle Analyzer Neutron Detector Of Real-time Acquisition) system, which was developed for use in inverse kinematics experiments with unstable isotope beams, is a neutron detector based on a plastic scintillator coupled to a digital readout. PANDORA can be used for any reaction study involving the emission of low energy neutrons (100 keV-10 MeV) where background suppression and an increased signal-to-noise ratio are crucial. The digital readout system provides an opportunity for pulse shape discrimination (PSD) of the detected particles as well as intelligent triggering based on PSD. The figure of merit results of PANDORA are compared to the data in literature. Using PANDORA, 91 ± 1% of all detected neutrons can be separated, while 91 ± 1% of the detected gamma rays can be excluded, reducing the gamma ray background by one order of magnitude.

The latency validation of the optical link for the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter Phase-I trigger upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, B.; Xiao, L.; Zhao, X.; Baker, E.; Gong, D.; Guo, D.; He, H.; Hou, S.; Liu, C.; Liu, T.; Sun, Q.; Thomas, J.; Wang, J.; Xiang, A. C.; Yang, D.; Ye, J.; Zhou, W.

2018-05-01

Two optical data link data transmission Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), the baseline and its backup, have been designed for the ATLAS Liquid Argon (LAr) Calorimeter Phase-I trigger upgrade. The latency of each ASIC and that of its corresponding receiver implemented in a back-end Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) are critical specifications. In this paper, we present the latency measurements and simulation of two ASICs. The measurement results indicate that both ASICs achieve their design goals and meet the latency specifications. The consistency between the simulation and measurements validates the ASIC latency characterization.

An Energy Efficient ECG Signal Processor Detecting Cardiovascular Diseases on Smartphone.

PubMed

Jain, Sanjeev Kumar; Bhaumik, Basabi

2017-04-01

A novel disease diagnostic algorithm for ECG signal processing based on forward search is implemented in Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for cardiovascular disease diagnosis on smartphone. An ASIC is fabricated using 130-nm CMOS low leakage process technology. The area of our PQRST ASIC is 1.21 mm 2 . The energy dissipation of PQRST ASIC is 96 pJ with a supply voltage of 0.9 V. The outputs from the ASIC are fed to an Android application that generates diagnostic report and can be sent to a cardiologist via email. The ASIC and Android application are verified for the detection of bundle branch block, hypertrophy, arrhythmia and myocardial infarction using Physionet PTB diagnostic ECG database. The failed detection rate is 0.69%, 0.69%, 0.34% and 1.72% for bundle branch block, hypertrophy, arrhythmia and myocardial infarction respectively. The AV block is detected in all the three patients in the Physionet St. Petersburg arrhythmia database. Our proposed ASIC together with our Android application is the most suitable for an energy efficient wearable cardiovascular disease detection system.

Activation of acid-sensing ion channels by localized proton transient reveals their role in proton signaling

PubMed Central

Zeng, Wei-Zheng; Liu, Di-Shi; Liu, Lu; She, Liang; Wu, Long-Jun; Xu, Tian-Le

2015-01-01

Extracellular transients of pH alterations likely mediate signal transduction in the nervous system. Neuronal acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) act as sensors for extracellular protons, but the mechanism underlying ASIC activation remains largely unknown. Here, we show that, following activation of a light-activated proton pump, Archaerhodopsin-3 (Arch), proton transients induced ASIC currents in both neurons and HEK293T cells co-expressing ASIC1a channels. Using chimera proteins that bridge Arch and ASIC1a by a glycine/serine linker, we found that successful coupling occurred within 15 nm distance. Furthermore, two-cell sniffer patch recording revealed that regulated release of protons through either Arch or voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 activated neighbouring cells expressing ASIC1a channels. Finally, computational modelling predicted the peak proton concentration at the intercellular interface to be at pH 6.7, which is acidic enough to activate ASICs in vivo. Our results highlight the pathophysiological role of proton signalling in the nervous system. PMID:26370138

Direct reading of charge multipliers with a self-triggering CMOS analog chip with 105 k pixels at 50 μm pitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellazzini, R.; Spandre, G.; Minuti, M.; Baldini, L.; Brez, A.; Cavalca, F.; Latronico, L.; Omodei, N.; Massai, M. M.; Sgro', C.; Costa, E.; Soffitta, P.; Krummenacher, F.; de Oliveira, R.

2006-10-01

We report on a large area (15×15 mm2), high channel density (470 pixel/mm2), self-triggering CMOS analog chip that we have developed as a pixelized charge collecting electrode of a Micropattern Gas Detector. This device represents a big step forward both in terms of size and performance, and is in fact the last version of three generations of custom ASICs of increasing complexity. The top metal layer of the CMOS pixel array is patterned in a matrix of 105,600 hexagonal pixels with a 50 μm pitch. Each pixel is directly connected to the underlying full electronics chain which has been realized in the remaining five metal and single poly-silicon layers of a 0.18 μm VLSI technology. The chip, which has customizable self-triggering capabilities, also includes a signal pre-processing function for the automatic localization of the event coordinates. Thanks to these advances it is possible to significantly reduce the read-out time and the data volume by limiting the signal output only to those pixels belonging to the region of interest. In addition to the reduced read-out time and data volume, the very small pixel area and the use of a deep sub-micron CMOS technology has allowed bringing the noise down to 50 electrons ENC. Results from in depth tests of this device when coupled to a fine pitch (50 μm on a triangular pattern) Gas Electron Multiplier are presented. It was found that matching the read-out and gas amplification pitch allows getting optimal results. The experimental detector response to polarized and unpolarized X-ray radiation when working with two gas mixtures and two different photon energies is shown and the application of this detector for Astronomical X-ray Polarimetry is discussed. Results from a full Monte-Carlo simulation for several galactic and extragalactic astronomical sources are also reported.

Results from the NA62 Gigatracker Prototype: A Low-Mass and sub-ns Time Resolution Silicon Pixel Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiorini, M.; Rinella, G. Aglieri; Carassiti, V.; Ceccucci, A.; Gil, E. Cortina; Ramusino, A. Cotta; Dellacasa, G.; Garbolino, S.; Jarron, P.; Kaplon, J.; Kluge, A.; Marchetto, F.; Mapelli, A.; Martin, E.; Mazza, G.; Morel, M.; Noy, M.; Nuessle, G.; Petagna, P.; Petrucci, F.; Perktold, L.; Riedler, P.; Rivetti, A.; Statera, M.; Velghe, B.

The Gigatracker (GTK) is a hybrid silicon pixel detector developed for NA62, the experiment aimed at studying ultra-rare kaon decays at the CERN SPS. Three GTK stations will provide precise momentum and angular measurements on every track of the high intensity NA62 hadron beam with a time-tagging resolution of 150 ps. Multiple scattering and hadronic interactions of beam particles in the GTK have to be minimized to keep background events at acceptable levels, hence the total material budget is fixed to 0.5% X0 per station. In addition the calculated fluence for 100 days of running is 2×1014 1 MeV neq/cm2, comparable to the one expected for the inner trackers of LHC detectors in 10 years of operation. These requirements pose challenges for the development of an efficient and low-mass cooling system, to be operated in vacuum, and on the thinning of read-out chips to 100 μm or less. The most challenging requirement is represented by the time resolution, which can be achieved by carefully compensating for the discriminator time-walk. For this purpose, two complementary read-out architectures have been designed and produced as small-scale prototypes: the first is based on the use of a Time-over-Threshold circuit followed by a TDC shared by a group of pixels, while the other uses a constant-fraction discriminator followed by an on-pixel TDC. The readout pixel ASICs are produced in 130 nm IBM CMOS technology and bump-bonded to 200 μm thick silicon sensors. The Gigatracker detector system is described with particular emphasis on recent experimental results obtained from laboratory and beam tests of prototype bump-bonded assemblies, which show a time resolution of less than 200 ps for single hits.

A frequency-sensing readout using piezoelectric sensors for sensing of physiological signals.

PubMed

Buxi, Dilpreet; Redouté, Jean-Michel; Yuce, Mehmet Rasit

2014-01-01

Together with a charge or voltage amplifier, piezoelectric sensors are commonly used to pick up physiological vibrations from the body. As an alternative to chopper or auto-zero amplifiers, frequency sensing is known in literature to provide advantages of noise immunity, interfacing to digital readout systems as well as tunable range of sensing. A frequency-sensing readout circuit for sensing low voltage signals from piezoelectric sensors is successfully developed and tested in this work. The output voltage of a piezoelectric sensor is fed to a varactor, which is part of an Colpitts LC oscillator. The oscillation frequency is converted into a voltage using a phase locked loop. The circuit is compared to a reference design in terms of linearity, noise and transfer function. The readout has a input-referred noise voltage of 2.24μV/√Hz and consumes 15 mA at 5V supply. Arterial pulse wave signals and the cardiac vibrations from the chest are measured from one subject to show the proof of concept of the proposed readout. The results of this work are intended to contribute towards alternative low noise analog front end designs for piezoelectric sensors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shanks, Katherine S.; Philipp, Hugh T.; Weiss, Joel T.

Experiments at storage ring light sources as well as at next-generation light sources increasingly require detectors capable of high dynamic range operation, combining low-noise detection of single photons with large pixel well depth. XFEL sources in particular provide pulse intensities sufficiently high that a purely photon-counting approach is impractical. The High Dynamic Range Pixel Array Detector (HDR-PAD) project aims to provide a dynamic range extending from single-photon sensitivity to 10{sup 6} photons/pixel in a single XFEL pulse while maintaining the ability to tolerate a sustained flux of 10{sup 11} ph/s/pixel at a storage ring source. Achieving these goals involves themore » development of fast pixel front-end electronics as well as, in the XFEL case, leveraging the delayed charge collection due to plasma effects in the sensor. A first prototype of essential electronic components of the HDR-PAD readout ASIC, exploring different options for the pixel front-end, has been fabricated. Here, the HDR-PAD concept and preliminary design will be described.« less

Capacitively coupled hybrid pixel assemblies for the CLIC vertex detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tehrani, N. Alipour; Arfaoui, S.; Benoit, M.; Dannheim, D.; Dette, K.; Hynds, D.; Kulis, S.; Perić, I.; Petrič, M.; Redford, S.; Sicking, E.; Valerio, P.

2016-07-01

The vertex detector at the proposed CLIC multi-TeV linear e+e- collider must have minimal material content and high spatial resolution, combined with accurate time-stamping to cope with the expected high rate of beam-induced backgrounds. One of the options being considered is the use of active sensors implemented in a commercial high-voltage CMOS process, capacitively coupled to hybrid pixel ASICs. A prototype of such an assembly, using two custom designed chips (CCPDv3 as active sensor glued to a CLICpix readout chip), has been characterised both in the lab and in beam tests at the CERN SPS using 120 GeV/c positively charged hadrons. Results of these characterisation studies are presented both for single and dual amplification stages in the active sensor, where efficiencies of greater than 99% have been achieved at -60 V substrate bias, with a single hit resolution of 6.1 μm . Pixel cross-coupling results are also presented, showing the sensitivity to placement precision and planarity of the glue layer.

DEPFET detectors for future electron-positron colliders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinas, C.

2015-11-01

The DEPFET Collaboration develops highly granular, ultra-thin pixel detectors for outstanding vertex reconstruction at future electron-positron collider experiments. A DEPFET sensor, by the integration of a field effect transistor on a fully depleted silicon bulk, provides simultaneous position sensitive detector capabilities and in pixel amplification. The characterization of the latest DEPFET prototypes has proven that a adequate signal-to-noise ratio and excellent single point resolution can be achieved for a sensor thickness of 50 micrometers. The close to final auxiliary ASICs have been produced and found to operate a DEPFET pixel detector of the latest generation with the required read-out speed. A complete detector concept is being developed for the Belle II experiment at the new Japanese super flavor factory. DEPFET is not only the technology of choice for the Belle II vertex detector, but also a prime candidate for the ILC. Therefore, in this contribution, the status of DEPFET R&D project is reviewed in the light of the requirements of the vertex detector at a future electron-positron collider.

Side readout of long scintillation crystal elements with digital SiPM for TOF-DOI PET.

PubMed

Yeom, Jung Yeol; Vinke, Ruud; Levin, Craig S

2014-12-01

Side readout of scintillation light from crystal elements in positron emission tomography (PET) is an alternative to conventional end-readout configurations, with the benefit of being able to provide accurate depth-of-interaction (DOI) information and good energy resolution while achieving excellent timing resolution required for time-of-flight PET. This paper explores different readout geometries of scintillation crystal elements with the goal of achieving a detector that simultaneously achieves excellent timing resolution, energy resolution, spatial resolution, and photon sensitivity. The performance of discrete LYSO scintillation elements of different lengths read out from the end/side with digital silicon photomultipliers (dSiPMs) has been assessed. Compared to 3 × 3 × 20 mm(3) LYSO crystals read out from their ends with a coincidence resolving time (CRT) of 162 ± 6 ps FWHM and saturated energy spectra, a side-readout configuration achieved an excellent CRT of 144 ± 2 ps FWHM after correcting for timing skews within the dSiPM and an energy resolution of 11.8% ± 0.2% without requiring energy saturation correction. Using a maximum likelihood estimation method on individual dSiPM pixel response that corresponds to different 511 keV photon interaction positions, the DOI resolution of this 3 × 3 × 20 mm(3) crystal side-readout configuration was computed to be 0.8 mm FWHM with negligible artifacts at the crystal ends. On the other hand, with smaller 3 × 3 × 5 mm(3) LYSO crystals that can also be tiled/stacked to provide DOI information, a timing resolution of 134 ± 6 ps was attained but produced highly saturated energy spectra. The energy, timing, and DOI resolution information extracted from the side of long scintillation crystal elements coupled to dSiPM have been acquired for the first time. The authors conclude in this proof of concept study that such detector configuration has the potential to enable outstanding detector performance in terms of timing, energy, and DOI resolution.

Side readout of long scintillation crystal elements with digital SiPM for TOF-DOI PET

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yeom, Jung Yeol, E-mail: yeomjy@kumoh.ac.kr, E-mail: cslevin@stanford.edu; Vinke, Ruud; Levin, Craig S., E-mail: yeomjy@kumoh.ac.kr, E-mail: cslevin@stanford.edu

Purpose: Side readout of scintillation light from crystal elements in positron emission tomography (PET) is an alternative to conventional end-readout configurations, with the benefit of being able to provide accurate depth-of-interaction (DOI) information and good energy resolution while achieving excellent timing resolution required for time-of-flight PET. This paper explores different readout geometries of scintillation crystal elements with the goal of achieving a detector that simultaneously achieves excellent timing resolution, energy resolution, spatial resolution, and photon sensitivity. Methods: The performance of discrete LYSO scintillation elements of different lengths read out from the end/side with digital silicon photomultipliers (dSiPMs) has been assessed.more » Results: Compared to 3 × 3 × 20 mm{sup 3} LYSO crystals read out from their ends with a coincidence resolving time (CRT) of 162 ± 6 ps FWHM and saturated energy spectra, a side-readout configuration achieved an excellent CRT of 144 ± 2 ps FWHM after correcting for timing skews within the dSiPM and an energy resolution of 11.8% ± 0.2% without requiring energy saturation correction. Using a maximum likelihood estimation method on individual dSiPM pixel response that corresponds to different 511 keV photon interaction positions, the DOI resolution of this 3 × 3 × 20 mm{sup 3} crystal side-readout configuration was computed to be 0.8 mm FWHM with negligible artifacts at the crystal ends. On the other hand, with smaller 3 × 3 × 5 mm{sup 3} LYSO crystals that can also be tiled/stacked to provide DOI information, a timing resolution of 134 ± 6 ps was attained but produced highly saturated energy spectra. Conclusions: The energy, timing, and DOI resolution information extracted from the side of long scintillation crystal elements coupled to dSiPM have been acquired for the first time. The authors conclude in this proof of concept study that such detector configuration has the potential to enable outstanding detector performance in terms of timing, energy, and DOI resolution.« less

Clock distribution for BaF2 readout electronics at CSNS-WNS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Bing; Cao, Ping; Zhang, De-Liang; Wang, Qi; Zhang, Ya-Xi; Qi, Xin-Cheng; An, Qi

2017-01-01

A BaF2 (Barium Fluoride) detector array is designed to precisely measure the (n, γ) cross section at the CSNS-WNS (white neutron source at China Spallation Neutron Source). It is a 4π solid angle-shaped detector array consisting of 92 BaF2 crystal elements. To discriminate signals from the BaF2 detector, a pulse shape discrimination method is used, supported by a waveform digitization technique. There are 92 channels for digitizing. The precision and synchronization of clock distribution restricts the performance of waveform digitizing. In this paper, a clock prototype for the BaF2 readout electronics at CSNS-WNS is introduced. It is based on the PXIe platform and has a twin-stage tree topology. In the first stage, clock is synchronously distributed from the tree root to each PXIe crate through a coaxial cable over a long distance, while in the second stage, the clock is further distributed to each electronic module through a PXIe dedicated differential star bus. With the help of this topology, each tree node can fan out up to 20 clocks with 3U size. Test results show the clock jitter is less than 20 ps, which meets the requirements of the BaF2 readout electronics. Besides, this clock system has the advantages of high density, simplicity, scalability and cost saving, so it can be useful for other clock distribution applications. Supported by National Research and Development plan (2016 YFA0401602) NSAF (U1530111) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (11005107)

Gamma ray spectroscopy employing divalent europium-doped alkaline earth halides and digital readout for accurate histogramming

DOEpatents

Cherepy, Nerine Jane; Payne, Stephen Anthony; Drury, Owen B.; Sturm, Benjamin W.

2016-02-09

According to one embodiment, a scintillator radiation detector system includes a scintillator, and a processing device for processing pulse traces corresponding to light pulses from the scintillator, where the processing device is configured to: process each pulse trace over at least two temporal windows and to use pulse digitization to improve energy resolution of the system. According to another embodiment, a scintillator radiation detector system includes a processing device configured to: fit digitized scintillation waveforms to an algorithm, perform a direct integration of fit parameters, process multiple integration windows for each digitized scintillation waveform to determine a correction factor, and apply the correction factor to each digitized scintillation waveform.

The function and regulation of acid‐sensing ion channels (ASICs) and the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC): IUPHAR Review 19

PubMed Central

Boscardin, Emilie; Alijevic, Omar; Hummler, Edith

2016-01-01

Acid‐sensing ion channels (ASICs) and the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) are both members of the ENaC/degenerin family of amiloride‐sensitive Na+ channels. ASICs act as proton sensors in the nervous system where they contribute, besides other roles, to fear behaviour, learning and pain sensation. ENaC mediates Na+ reabsorption across epithelia of the distal kidney and colon and of the airways. ENaC is a clinically used drug target in the context of hypertension and cystic fibrosis, while ASIC is an interesting potential target. Following a brief introduction, here we will review selected aspects of ASIC and ENaC function. We discuss the origin and nature of pH changes in the brain and the involvement of ASICs in synaptic signalling. We expose how in the peripheral nervous system, ASICs cover together with other ion channels a wide pH range as proton sensors. We introduce the mechanisms of aldosterone‐dependent ENaC regulation and the evidence for an aldosterone‐independent control of ENaC activity, such as regulation by dietary K+. We then provide an overview of the regulation of ENaC by proteases, a topic of increasing interest over the past few years. In spite of the profound differences in the physiological and pathological roles of ASICs and ENaC, these channels share many basic functional and structural properties. It is likely that further research will identify physiological contexts in which ASICs and ENaC have similar or overlapping roles. PMID:27278329

Radiation Tolerant Electronics and Digital Processing for the Phase-I Trigger Readout Upgrade of the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milic, A.

The high luminosities of L > 10{sup 34} cm{sup -2}s{sup -1} at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN produce an intense radiation environment that the detectors and their electronics must withstand. The ATLAS detector is a multi-purpose apparatus constructed to explore the new particle physics regime opened by the LHC. Of the many decay particles observed by the ATLAS detector, the energy of the created electrons and photons is measured by a sampling calorimeter technique that uses Liquid Argon (LAr) as its active medium. The front end (FE) electronic readout of the ATLAS LAr calorimeter located on the detectormore » itself consists of a combined analog and digital processing system. In order to exploit the higher luminosity while keeping the same trigger bandwidth of 100 kHz, higher transverse granularity, higher resolution and longitudinal shower shape information will be provided from the LAr calorimeter to the Level-l trigger processors. New trigger readout electronics have been designed for this purpose, which will withstand the radiation dose levels expected for an integrated luminosity of 3000 fb{sup -1} during the high luminosity LHC (HL-LHC), which is well above the original LHC design qualifications. (authors)« less

A positron emission tomograph based on LSO-APD modules with a sampling ADC read-out system for a students' advanced laboratory course.

PubMed

Schneider, Florian R; Mann, Alexander B; Konorov, Igor; Delso, Gaspar; Paul, Stephan; Ziegler, Sibylle I

2012-06-01

A one-day laboratory course on positron emission tomography (PET) for the education of physics students and PhD students in medical physics has been set up. In the course, the physical background and the principles of a PET scanner are introduced. Course attendees set the system in operation, calibrate it using a (22)Na point source and reconstruct different source geometries filled with (18)F. The PET scanner features an individual channel read-out of 96 lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) scintillator crystals coupled to avalanche photodiodes (APD). The analog data of each APD are digitized by fast sampling analog to digital converters (SADC) and processed within field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) to extract amplitudes and time stamps. All SADCs are continuously sampling with a precise rate of 80MHz, which is synchronous for the whole system. The data is transmitted via USB to a Linux PC, where further processing and the image reconstruction are performed. The course attendees get an insight into detector techniques, modern read-out electronics, data acquisition and PET image reconstruction. In addition, a short introduction to some common software applications used in particle and high energy physics is part of the course. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Protons are a neurotransmitter that regulates synaptic plasticity in the lateral amygdala.

PubMed

Du, Jianyang; Reznikov, Leah R; Price, Margaret P; Zha, Xiang-ming; Lu, Yuan; Moninger, Thomas O; Wemmie, John A; Welsh, Michael J

2014-06-17

Stimulating presynaptic terminals can increase the proton concentration in synapses. Potential receptors for protons are acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), Na(+)- and Ca(2+)-permeable channels that are activated by extracellular acidosis. Those observations suggest that protons might be a neurotransmitter. We found that presynaptic stimulation transiently reduced extracellular pH in the amygdala. The protons activated ASICs in lateral amygdala pyramidal neurons, generating excitatory postsynaptic currents. Moreover, both protons and ASICs were required for synaptic plasticity in lateral amygdala neurons. The results identify protons as a neurotransmitter, and they establish ASICs as the postsynaptic receptor. They also indicate that protons and ASICs are a neurotransmitter/receptor pair critical for amygdala-dependent learning and memory.

A Prototype PZT Matrix Transducer With Low-Power Integrated Receive ASIC for 3-D Transesophageal Echocardiography.

PubMed

Chen, Chao; Raghunathan, Shreyas B; Yu, Zili; Shabanimotlagh, Maysam; Chen, Zhao; Chang, Zu-yao; Blaak, Sandra; Prins, Christian; Ponte, Jacco; Noothout, Emile; Vos, Hendrik J; Bosch, Johan G; Verweij, Martin D; de Jong, Nico; Pertijs, Michiel A P

2016-01-01

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation of a prototype lead zirconium titanate (PZT) matrix transducer with an integrated receive ASIC, as a proof of concept for a miniature three-dimensional (3-D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe. It consists of an array of 9 ×12 piezoelectric elements mounted on the ASIC via an integration scheme that involves direct electrical connections between a bond-pad array on the ASIC and the transducer elements. The ASIC addresses the critical challenge of reducing cable count, and includes front-end amplifiers with adjustable gains and micro-beamformer circuits that locally process and combine echo signals received by the elements of each 3 ×3 subarray. Thus, an order-of-magnitude reduction in the number of receive channels is achieved. Dedicated circuit techniques are employed to meet the strict space and power constraints of TEE probes. The ASIC has been fabricated in a standard 0.18-μm CMOS process and consumes only 0.44 mW/channel. The prototype has been acoustically characterized in a water tank. The ASIC allows the array to be presteered across ±37° while achieving an overall dynamic range of 77 dB. Both the measured characteristics of the individual transducer elements and the performance of the ASIC are in good agreement with expectations, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed techniques.

Hyper Suprime-Cam: development of the CCD readout electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakaya, Hidehiko; Uchida, Tomohisa; Miyatake, Hironao; Fujimori, Hiroki; Mineo, Sogo; Aihara, Hiroaki; Furusawa, Hisanori; Kamata, Yukiko; Karoji, Hiroshi; Kawanomoto, Satoshi; Komiyama, Yutaka; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Morokuma, Tomoki; Obuchi, Yoshiyuki; Okura, Yuki; Tanaka, Manobu; Tanaka, Yoko; Uraguchi, Fumihiro; Utsumi, Yosuke

2010-07-01

Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) employs 116 of 2k×4k CCDs with 464 signal outputs in total. The image size exceeds 2 GBytes, and the data can be readout every 10 seconds which results in the data rate of 210 Mbytes / sec. The data is digitized to 16-bit. The readout noise of the electronics at the readout time of 20 seconds is ~0.9 ADU, and the one with CCD is ~1.5 ADU which corresponds to ~4.5 e. The linearity error fits within +/- 0.5 % up to 150,000 e. The CCD readout electronics for HSC was newly developed based on the electronics for Suprime-Cam. The frontend electronics (FEE) is placed in the vacuum dewar, and the backend electronics (BEE) is mounted on the outside of the dewar on the prime focus unit. The FEE boards were designed to minimize the outgas and to maximize the heat transfer efficiency to keep the vacuum of the dewar. The BEE boards were designed to be simple and small as long as to achieve the readout time within 10 seconds. The production of the system has been finished, and the full set of the boards are being tested with several CCDs installed in the HSC dewar. We will show the system design, performance, and the current status of the development.

Advanced technology satellite demodulator development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ames, Stephen A.

1989-01-01

Ford Aerospace has developed a proof-of-concept satellite 8 phase shift keying (PSK) modulation and coding system operating in the Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) mode at a data range of 200 Mbps using rate 5/6 forward error correction coding. The 80 Msps 8 PSK modem was developed in a mostly digital form and is amenable to an ASIC realization in the next phase of development. The codec was developed as a paper design only. The power efficiency goal was to be within 2 dB of theoretical at a bit error rate (BER) of 5x10(exp 7) while the measured implementation loss was 4.5 dB. The bandwidth efficiency goal was 2 bits/sec/Hz while the realized bandwidth efficiency was 1.8 bits/sec/Hz. The burst format used a preamble of only 40 8 PSK symbol times including 32 symbols of all zeros and an eight symbol unique word. The modem and associated special test equipment (STE) were fabricated mostly on a specially designed stitch-weld board although a few of the highest rate circuits were built on printed circuit cards. All the digital circuits were ECL to support the clock rates of from 80 MHz to 360 MHz. The transmitter and receiver matched filters were square-root Nyquist bandpass filters realized at the 3.37 GHz i.f. The modem operated as a coherent system although no analog phase locked (PLL) loop was employed. Within the budgetary constraints of the program, the approach to the demodulator has been proven and is eligible to proceed to the next phase of development of a satellite demodulator engineering model. This would entail the development of an ASIC version of the digital portion of the demodulator, and MMIC version of the quadrature detector, and SAW Nyquist filters to realize the bandwidth efficiency.

Digital Radar-Signal Processors Implemented in FPGAs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berkun, Andrew; Andraka, Ray

2004-01-01

High-performance digital electronic circuits for onboard processing of return signals in an airborne precipitation- measuring radar system have been implemented in commercially available field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Previously, it was standard practice to downlink the radar-return data to a ground station for postprocessing a costly practice that prevents the nearly-real-time use of the data for automated targeting. In principle, the onboard processing could be performed by a system of about 20 personal- computer-type microprocessors; relative to such a system, the present FPGA-based processor is much smaller and consumes much less power. Alternatively, the onboard processing could be performed by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), but in comparison with an ASIC implementation, the present FPGA implementation offers the advantages of (1) greater flexibility for research applications like the present one and (2) lower cost in the small production volumes typical of research applications. The generation and processing of signals in the airborne precipitation measuring radar system in question involves the following especially notable steps: The system utilizes a total of four channels two carrier frequencies and two polarizations at each frequency. The system uses pulse compression: that is, the transmitted pulse is spread out in time and the received echo of the pulse is processed with a matched filter to despread it. The return signal is band-limited and digitally demodulated to a complex baseband signal that, for each pulse, comprises a large number of samples. Each complex pair of samples (denoted a range gate in radar terminology) is associated with a numerical index that corresponds to a specific time offset from the beginning of the radar pulse, so that each such pair represents the energy reflected from a specific range. This energy and the average echo power are computed. The phase of each range bin is compared to the previous echo by complex conjugate multiplication to obtain the mean Doppler shift (and hence the mean and variance of the velocity of precipitation) of the echo at that range.

Osthole, a herbal compound, alleviates nucleus pulposus-evoked nociceptive responses through the suppression of overexpression of acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) in rat dorsal root ganglion

PubMed Central

He, Qiu-Lan; Chen, Yuling; Qin, Jian; Mo, Sui-Lin; Wei, Ming; Zhang, Jin-Jun; Li, Mei-Na; Zou, Xue-Nong; Zhou, Shu-Feng; Chen, Xiao-Wu; Sun, Lai-Bao

2012-01-01

Summary Background Osthole (Ost), a natural coumarin derivative, has been shown to inhibit many pro-inflammatory mediators and block voltage-gated Na+ channels. During inflammation, acidosis is an important pain inducer which activates nociceptors by gating depolarizing cationic channels, such as acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of Ost on nucleus pulposus-evoked nociceptive responses and ASIC3 over-expression in the rat dorsal root ganglion, and to investigate the possible mechanism. Material/Methods Radicular pain was generated with application of nucleus pulposus (NP) to nerve root. Mechanical allodynia was evaluated using von Frey filaments with logarithmically incremental rigidity to calculate the 50% probability thresholds for mechanical paw withdrawal. ASIC3 protein expression in dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) was assessed with Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Membrane potential (MP) shift of DRG neurons induced by ASIC3-sensitive acid (pH6.5) was determined by DiBAC4 (3) fluorescence intensity (F.I.). Results The NP-evoked mechanical hyperalgesia model showed allodynia for 3 weeks, and ASIC3 expression was up-regulated in DRG neurons, reaching peak on Day 7. Epidural administration of Ost induced a remarkable and prolonged antinociceptive effect, accompanied by an inhibition of over-expressed ASIC3 protein and of abnormal shift of MP. Amiloride (Ami), an antagonist of ASIC3, strengthened the antinociceptive effect of Ost. Conclusions Up-regulation of ASIC3 expression may be associated with NP-evoked mechanical hyperalgesia. A single epidural injection of Ost decreased ASIC3 expression in DGR neurons and the pain in the NP-evoked mechanical hyperalgesia model. Osthole may be of great benefit for preventing chronic pain status often seen in lumbar disc herniation (LDH). PMID:22648244

ASIC1a Deficient Mice Show Unaltered Neurodegeneration in the Subacute MPTP Model of Parkinson Disease.

PubMed

Komnig, Daniel; Imgrund, Silke; Reich, Arno; Gründer, Stefan; Falkenburger, Björn H

2016-01-01

Inflammation contributes to the death of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson disease and can be accompanied by acidification of extracellular pH, which may activate acid-sensing ion channels (ASIC). Accordingly, amiloride, a non-selective inhibitor of ASIC, was protective in an acute 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of Parkinson disease. To complement these findings we determined MPTP toxicity in mice deficient for ASIC1a, the most common ASIC isoform in neurons. MPTP was applied i.p. in doses of 30 mg per kg on five consecutive days. We determined the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, assayed by stereological counting 14 days after the last MPTP injection, the number of Nissl positive neurons in the substantia nigra, and the concentration of catecholamines in the striatum. There was no difference between ASIC1a-deficient mice and wildtype controls. We are therefore not able to confirm that ASIC1a are involved in MPTP toxicity. The difference might relate to the subacute MPTP model we used, which more closely resembles the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease, or to further targets of amiloride.

Delay grid multiplexing: simple time-based multiplexing and readout method for silicon photomultipliers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Won, Jun Yeon; Ko, Guen Bae; Lee, Jae Sung

2016-10-01

In this paper, we propose a fully time-based multiplexing and readout method that uses the principle of the global positioning system. Time-based multiplexing allows simplifying the multiplexing circuits where the only innate traces that connect the signal pins of the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) channels to the readout channels are used as the multiplexing circuit. Every SiPM channel is connected to the delay grid that consists of the traces on a printed circuit board, and the inherent transit times from each SiPM channel to the readout channels encode the position information uniquely. Thus, the position of each SiPM can be identified using the time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements. The proposed multiplexing can also allow simplification of the readout circuit using the time-to-digital converter (TDC) implemented in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), where the time-over-threshold (ToT) is used to extract the energy information after multiplexing. In order to verify the proposed multiplexing method, we built a positron emission tomography (PET) detector that consisted of an array of 4  ×  4 LGSO crystals, each with a dimension of 3  ×  3  ×  20 mm3, and one- to-one coupled SiPM channels. We first employed the waveform sampler as an initial study, and then replaced the waveform sampler with an FPGA-TDC to further simplify the readout circuits. The 16 crystals were clearly resolved using only the time information obtained from the four readout channels. The coincidence resolving times (CRTs) were 382 and 406 ps FWHM when using the waveform sampler and the FPGA-TDC, respectively. The proposed simple multiplexing and readout methods can be useful for time-of-flight (TOF) PET scanners.

Miniature Housings for Electronics With Standard Interfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, David E.; Smith, Dennis A.; Alhorn, Dean C.

2006-01-01

A family of general-purpose miniature housings has been designed to contain diverse sensors, actuators, and drive circuits plus associated digital electronic readout and control circuits. The circuits contained in the housings communicate with the external world via standard RS-485 interfaces.

Method and apparatus for optical encoding with compressible imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leviton, Douglas B. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

The present invention presents an optical encoder with increased conversion rates. Improvement in the conversion rate is a result of combining changes in the pattern recognition encoder's scale pattern with an image sensor readout technique which takes full advantage of those changes, and lends itself to operation by modern, high-speed, ultra-compact microprocessors and digital signal processors (DSP) or field programmable gate array (FPGA) logic elements which can process encoder scale images at the highest speeds. Through these improvements, all three components of conversion time (reciprocal conversion rate)--namely exposure time, image readout time, and image processing time--are minimized.

Protons are a neurotransmitter that regulates synaptic plasticity in the lateral amygdala

PubMed Central

Du, Jianyang; Reznikov, Leah R.; Price, Margaret P.; Zha, Xiang-ming; Lu, Yuan; Moninger, Thomas O.; Wemmie, John A.; Welsh, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Stimulating presynaptic terminals can increase the proton concentration in synapses. Potential receptors for protons are acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), Na+- and Ca2+-permeable channels that are activated by extracellular acidosis. Those observations suggest that protons might be a neurotransmitter. We found that presynaptic stimulation transiently reduced extracellular pH in the amygdala. The protons activated ASICs in lateral amygdala pyramidal neurons, generating excitatory postsynaptic currents. Moreover, both protons and ASICs were required for synaptic plasticity in lateral amygdala neurons. The results identify protons as a neurotransmitter, and they establish ASICs as the postsynaptic receptor. They also indicate that protons and ASICs are a neurotransmitter/receptor pair critical for amygdala-dependent learning and memory. PMID:24889629

A PFM-based MWIR DROIC employing off-pixel fine conversion of photocharge to digital using integrated column ADCs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, S.; Galioglu, A.; Shafique, A.; Ceylan, O.; Yazici, M.; Gurbuz, Y.

2017-02-01

A 32x32 prototype of a digital readout IC (DROIC) for medium-wave infrared focal plane arrays (MWIR IR-FPAs) is presented. The DROIC employs in-pixel photocurrent to digital conversion based on a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) loop and boasts a novel feature of off-pixel residue conversion using 10-bit column SAR ADCs. The remaining charge at the end of integration in typical PFM based digital pixel sensors is usually wasted. Previous works employing in-pixel extended counting methods make use of extra memory and counters to convert this left-over charge to digital, thereby performing fine conversion of the incident photocurrent. This results in a low quantization noise and hence keeps the readout noise low. However, focal plane arrays (FPAs) with small pixel pitch are constrained in pixel area, which makes it difficult to benefit from in-pixel extended counting circuitry. Thus, in this work, a novel approach to measure the residue outside the pixel using column -parallel SAR ADCs has been proposed. Moreover, a modified version of the conventional PFM based pixel has been designed to help hold the residue charge and buffer it to the column ADC. In addition to the 2D array of pixels, the prototype consists of 32 SAR ADCs, a timing controller block and a memory block to buffer the residue data coming out of the ADCs. The prototype has been designed and fabricated in 90nm CMOS.

A High-Performance Deformable Mirror with Integrated Driver ASIC for Space Based Active Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelton, Chris

Direct imaging of exoplanets is key to fully understanding these systems through spectroscopy and astrometry. The primary impediment to direct imaging of exoplanets is the extremely high brightness ratio between the planet and its parent star. Direct imaging requires a technique for contrast suppression, which include coronagraphs, and nulling interferometers. Deformable mirrors (DMs) are essential to both of these techniques. With space missions in mind, Microscale is developing a novel DM with direct integration of DM and its electronic control functions in a single small envelope. The Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) is key to the shrinking of the electronic control functions to a size compatible with direct integration with the DM. Through a NASA SBIR project, Microscale, with JPL oversight, has successfully demonstrated a unique deformable mirror (DM) driver ASIC prototype based on an ultra-low power switch architecture. Microscale calls this the Switch-Mode ASIC, or SM-ASIC, and has characterized it for a key set of performance parameters, and has tested its operation with a variety of actuator loads, such as piezo stack and unimorph, and over a wide temperature range. These tests show the SM-ASIC's capability of supporting active optics in correcting aberrations of a telescope in space. Microscale has also developed DMs to go with the SM-ASIC driver. The latest DM version produced uses small piezo stack elements in an 8x8 array, bonded to a novel silicon facesheet structure fabricated monolithically into a polished mirror on one side and mechanical linkage posts that connect to the piezoelectric stack actuators on the other. In this Supporting Technology proposal we propose to further develop the ASIC-DM and have assembled a very capable team to do so. It will be led by JPL, which has considerable expertise with DMs used in Adaptive Optics systems, with high-contrast imaging systems for exoplanet missions, and with designing DM driver electronics. On its part Microscale will continue its design and fabrication of the ASIC-DM combination. Both the SM-ASIC and the DM are currently at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3; the major goal of the proposed effort is to raise the TRL of the combined system to 4 by scaling up the array formats and by testing, characterizing, and operating multiple generations of the integrated DM-ASIC systems in a laboratory environment. We propose a three year effort, with these tasks: Year 1: Optimize the influence function of an 8x8 DM for active / adaptive optics, by modeling and fabricating different geometric parameters of the facesheet, with its mechanical linkage posts. Fabricate an SM-ASIC and an 8x8 piezo stack DM, and evaluate their performance. Characterize and optimize the integration processes to achieve a driver/DM combination that can support high contrast imaging of exoplanets. Test the control resolution of the ASIC in driving actuators using a commercial interferometer, to ensure the ASIC can command the piezo stack actuator to nanometer levels. The goal, by year three, is control to a small number of picometers; 10-20 pm (surface) may be a practical goal, while 5 pm is the ultimate goal. Year 2: Fabricate 16x16 piezo stack DMs and matching driver ASICS, and repeat Year 1 tasks with the larger format devices. Year 3: Fabricate 32x32 DMs and SM-ASICs, and repeat Year 1 tasks with the larger format devices. Fabricate versions of the 32x32 devices that can be formed into a 2x2 array, to make a composite 64x64 DM/driver. Fabricate such a composite 64x64 DM/ASIC and evaluate its performance.

The GANDALF 128-Channel Time-to-Digital Converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Büchele, M.; Fischer, H.; Herrmann, F.; Königsmann, K.; Schill, C.; Schopferer, S.

The GANDALF 6U-VME64x/VXS module has been designed to cope with a variety of readout tasks in high energy and nuclear physics experiments, in particular the COMPASS experiment at CERN. The exchangeable mezzanine cards allow for an employment of the system in very different applications such as analog-to-digital or time-to-digital conversions, coincidence matrix formation, fast pattern recognition or fast trigger generation. Based on this platform, we present a 128-channel TDC which is implemented in a single Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA using a shifted clock sampling method. In this concept each input signal is continuously sampled by 16 flip-flops using equidistant phase-shifted clocks. Compared to previous FPGA designs, usually based on delay lines and comprising few TDC channels with resolutions in the order of 10 ps, our design permits the implementation of a large number of TDC channels with a resolution of 64 ps in a single FPGA. Predictable placement of logic components and uniform routing inside the FPGA fabric is a particular challenge of this design. We present measurement results for the time resolution and the nonlinearity of the TDC readout system.

Simulation and Digitization of a Gas Electron Multiplier Detector Using Geant4 and an Object-Oriented Digitization Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMullen, Timothy; Liyanage, Nilanga; Xiong, Weizhi; Zhao, Zhiwen

2017-01-01

Our research has focused on simulating the response of a Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector using computational methods. GEM detectors provide a cost effective solution for radiation detection in high rate environments. A detailed simulation of GEM detector response to radiation is essential for the successful adaption of these detectors to different applications. Using Geant4 Monte Carlo (GEMC), a wrapper around Geant4 which has been successfully used to simulate the Solenoidal Large Intensity Device (SoLID) at Jefferson Lab, we are developing a simulation of a GEM chamber similar to the detectors currently used in our lab. We are also refining an object-oriented digitization program, which translates energy deposition information from GEMC into electronic readout which resembles the readout from our physical detectors. We have run the simulation with beta particles produced by the simulated decay of a 90Sr source, as well as with a simulated bremsstrahlung spectrum. Comparing the simulation data with real GEM data taken under similar conditions is used to refine the simulation parameters. Comparisons between results from the simulations and results from detector tests will be presented.

A flexible FPGA based QDC and TDC for the HADES and the CBM calorimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rost, A.; Galatyuk, T.; Koenig, W.; Michel, J.; Pietraszko, J.; Skott, P.; Traxler, M.

2017-02-01

A Charge-to-Digital-Converter (QDC) and Time-to-Digital-Converter (TDC) based on a commercial FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) was developed to read out PMT signals of the planned HADES electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH (Darmstadt, Germany). The main idea is to convert the charge measurement of a detector signal into a time measurement, where the charge is encoded in the width of a digital pulse, while the arrival time information is encoded in the leading edge time of the pulse. The PaDiWa-AMPS prototype front-end board for the TRB3 (General Purpose Trigger and Readout Board—version 3) which implements this conversion method was developed and qualified. The already well established TRB3 platform provides the needed precise time measurements and serves as a data acquisition system. We present the read-out concept and the performance of the prototype boards in laboratory and also under beam conditions. First steps have been completed in order to adapt this concept to SiPM signals of the hadron calorimeter in the CBM experiment at the planned FAIR facility (Darmstadt).

Enhanced maximal exercise capacity, vasodilation to electrical muscle contraction, and hind limb vascular density in ASIC1a null mice.

PubMed

Drummond, Heather A; Xiang, Lusha; Chade, Alejandro R; Hester, Robert

2017-08-01

Acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) proteins form extracellular proton-gated, cation-selective channels in neurons and vascular smooth muscle cells and are proposed to act as extracellular proton sensors. However, their importance to vascular responses under conditions associated with extracellular acidosis, such as strenuous exercise, is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if one ASIC protein, ASIC1a, contributes to extracellular proton-gated vascular responses and exercise tolerance. To determine if ASIC1a contributes to exercise tolerance, we determined peak oxygen (O 2 ) uptake in conscious ASIC1a -/- mice during exhaustive treadmill running. Loss of ASIC1a was associated with a greater peak running speed (60 ± 2 vs. 53 ± 3 m·min -1 , P  = 0.049) and peak oxygen (O 2 ) uptake during exhaustive treadmill running (9563 ± 120 vs. 8836 ± 276 mL·kg -1 ·h -1 , n  = 6-7, P  = 0.0082). There were no differences in absolute or relative lean body mass, as determined by EchoMRI. To determine if ASIC1a contributes to vascular responses during muscle contraction, we measured femoral vascular conductance (FVC) during a stepwise electrical stimulation (0.5-5.0 Hz at 3 V for 60 sec) of the left major hind limb muscles. FVC increased to a greater extent in ASIC1a -/- versus ASIC1a +/+ mice (0.44 ± 0.03 vs. 0.30 ± 0.04 mL·min -1 ·100 g hind limb mass -1 · mmHg -1 , n  = 5 each, P  = 0.0009). Vasodilation following local application of external protons in the spinotrapezius muscle increased the duration, but not the magnitude, of the vasodilatory response in ASIC1a -/- mice. Finally, we examined hind limb vascular density using micro-CT and found increased density of 0-80  μ m vessels ( P  <   0.05). Our findings suggest an increased vascular density and an enhanced vasodilatory response to local protons, to a lesser degree, may contribute to the enhanced vascular conductance and increased peak exercise capacity in ASIC1a -/- mice. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

Ultra-Reliable Digital Avionics (URDA) processor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branstetter, Reagan; Ruszczyk, William; Miville, Frank

1994-10-01

Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) developed the URDA processor design under contract with the U.S. Air Force Wright Laboratory and the U.S. Army Night Vision and Electro-Sensors Directorate. TI's approach couples advanced packaging solutions with advanced integrated circuit (IC) technology to provide a high-performance (200 MIPS/800 MFLOPS) modular avionics processor module for a wide range of avionics applications. TI's processor design integrates two Ada-programmable, URDA basic processor modules (BPM's) with a JIAWG-compatible PiBus and TMBus on a single F-22 common integrated processor-compatible form-factor SEM-E avionics card. A separate, high-speed (25-MWord/second 32-bit word) input/output bus is provided for sensor data. Each BPM provides a peak throughput of 100 MIPS scalar concurrent with 400-MFLOPS vector processing in a removable multichip module (MCM) mounted to a liquid-flowthrough (LFT) core and interfacing to a processor interface module printed wiring board (PWB). Commercial RISC technology coupled with TI's advanced bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and silicon-on-silicon packaging technologies are used to achieve the high performance in a miniaturized package. A Mips R4000-family reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processor and a TI 100-MHz BiCMOS vector coprocessor (VCP) ASIC provide, respectively, the 100 MIPS of a scalar processor throughput and 400 MFLOPS of vector processing throughput for each BPM. The TI Aladdim ASIC chipset was developed on the TI Aladdin Program under contract with the U.S. Army Communications and Electronics Command and was sponsored by the Advanced Research Projects Agency with technical direction from the U.S. Army Night Vision and Electro-Sensors Directorate.

A high-throughput, multi-channel photon-counting detector with picosecond timing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapington, J. S.; Fraser, G. W.; Miller, G. M.; Ashton, T. J. R.; Jarron, P.; Despeisse, M.; Powolny, F.; Howorth, J.; Milnes, J.

2009-06-01

High-throughput photon counting with high time resolution is a niche application area where vacuum tubes can still outperform solid-state devices. Applications in the life sciences utilizing time-resolved spectroscopies, particularly in the growing field of proteomics, will benefit greatly from performance enhancements in event timing and detector throughput. The HiContent project is a collaboration between the University of Leicester Space Research Centre, the Microelectronics Group at CERN, Photek Ltd., and end-users at the Gray Cancer Institute and the University of Manchester. The goal is to develop a detector system specifically designed for optical proteomics, capable of high content (multi-parametric) analysis at high throughput. The HiContent detector system is being developed to exploit this niche market. It combines multi-channel, high time resolution photon counting in a single miniaturized detector system with integrated electronics. The combination of enabling technologies; small pore microchannel plate devices with very high time resolution, and high-speed multi-channel ASIC electronics developed for the LHC at CERN, provides the necessary building blocks for a high-throughput detector system with up to 1024 parallel counting channels and 20 ps time resolution. We describe the detector and electronic design, discuss the current status of the HiContent project and present the results from a 64-channel prototype system. In the absence of an operational detector, we present measurements of the electronics performance using a pulse generator to simulate detector events. Event timing results from the NINO high-speed front-end ASIC captured using a fast digital oscilloscope are compared with data taken with the proposed electronic configuration which uses the multi-channel HPTDC timing ASIC.

Scene-based nonuniformity correction technique that exploits knowledge of the focal-plane array readout architecture.

PubMed

Narayanan, Balaji; Hardie, Russell C; Muse, Robert A

2005-06-10

Spatial fixed-pattern noise is a common and major problem in modern infrared imagers owing to the nonuniform response of the photodiodes in the focal plane array of the imaging system. In addition, the nonuniform response of the readout and digitization electronics, which are involved in multiplexing the signals from the photodiodes, causes further nonuniformity. We describe a novel scene based on a nonuniformity correction algorithm that treats the aggregate nonuniformity in separate stages. First, the nonuniformity from the readout amplifiers is corrected by use of knowledge of the readout architecture of the imaging system. Second, the nonuniformity resulting from the individual detectors is corrected with a nonlinear filter-based method. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm by applying it to simulated imagery and real infrared data. Quantitative results in terms of the mean absolute error and the signal-to-noise ratio are also presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm. One advantage of the proposed algorithm is that it requires only a few frames to obtain high-quality corrections.

Temporary formation of highly conducting domain walls for non-destructive read-out of ferroelectric domain-wall resistance switching memories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Jun; Bai, Zi Long; Chen, Zhi Hui; He, Long; Zhang, David Wei; Zhang, Qing Hua; Shi, Jin An; Park, Min Hyuk; Scott, James F.; Hwang, Cheol Seong; Jiang, An Quan

2018-01-01

Erasable conductive domain walls in insulating ferroelectric thin films can be used for non-destructive electrical read-out of the polarization states in ferroelectric memories. Still, the domain-wall currents extracted by these devices have not yet reached the intensity and stability required to drive read-out circuits operating at high speeds. This study demonstrated non-destructive read-out of digital data stored using specific domain-wall configurations in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films formed in mesa-geometry structures. Partially switched domains, which enable the formation of conductive walls during the read operation, spontaneously retract when the read voltage is removed, reducing the accumulation of mobile defects at the domain walls and potentially improving the device stability. Three-terminal memory devices produced 14 nA read currents at an operating voltage of 5 V, and operated up to T = 85 °C. The gap length can also be smaller than the film thickness, allowing the realization of ferroelectric memories with device dimensions far below 100 nm.

Noise Reduction Effect of Multiple-Sampling-Based Signal-Readout Circuits for Ultra-Low Noise CMOS Image Sensors.

PubMed

Kawahito, Shoji; Seo, Min-Woong

2016-11-06

This paper discusses the noise reduction effect of multiple-sampling-based signal readout circuits for implementing ultra-low-noise image sensors. The correlated multiple sampling (CMS) technique has recently become an important technology for high-gain column readout circuits in low-noise CMOS image sensors (CISs). This paper reveals how the column CMS circuits, together with a pixel having a high-conversion-gain charge detector and low-noise transistor, realizes deep sub-electron read noise levels based on the analysis of noise components in the signal readout chain from a pixel to the column analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The noise measurement results of experimental CISs are compared with the noise analysis and the effect of noise reduction to the sampling number is discussed at the deep sub-electron level. Images taken with three CMS gains of two, 16, and 128 show distinct advantage of image contrast for the gain of 128 (noise(median): 0.29 e - rms ) when compared with the CMS gain of two (2.4 e - rms ), or 16 (1.1 e - rms ).

Noise Reduction Effect of Multiple-Sampling-Based Signal-Readout Circuits for Ultra-Low Noise CMOS Image Sensors

PubMed Central

Kawahito, Shoji; Seo, Min-Woong

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the noise reduction effect of multiple-sampling-based signal readout circuits for implementing ultra-low-noise image sensors. The correlated multiple sampling (CMS) technique has recently become an important technology for high-gain column readout circuits in low-noise CMOS image sensors (CISs). This paper reveals how the column CMS circuits, together with a pixel having a high-conversion-gain charge detector and low-noise transistor, realizes deep sub-electron read noise levels based on the analysis of noise components in the signal readout chain from a pixel to the column analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The noise measurement results of experimental CISs are compared with the noise analysis and the effect of noise reduction to the sampling number is discussed at the deep sub-electron level. Images taken with three CMS gains of two, 16, and 128 show distinct advantage of image contrast for the gain of 128 (noise(median): 0.29 e−rms) when compared with the CMS gain of two (2.4 e−rms), or 16 (1.1 e−rms). PMID:27827972

Circuit design and simulation of a transmit beamforming ASIC for high-frequency ultrasonic imaging systems.

PubMed

Athanasopoulos, Georgios I; Carey, Stephen J; Hatfield, John V

2011-07-01

This paper describes the design of a programmable transmit beamformer application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with 8 channels for ultrasound imaging systems. The system uses a 20-MHz reference clock. A digital delay-locked loop (DLL) was designed with 50 variable delay elements, each of which provides a clock with different phase from a single reference. Two phase detectors compare the phase difference of the reference clock with the feedback clock, adjusting the delay of the delay elements to bring the feedback clock signal in phase with the reference clock signal. Two independent control voltages for the delay elements ensure that the mark space ratio of the pulses remain at 50%. By combining a 10- bit asynchronous counter with the delays from the DLL, each channel can be programmed to give a maximum time delay of 51 μs with 1 ns resolution. It can also give bursts of up to 64 pulses. Finally, for a single pulse, it can adjust the pulse width between 9 ns and 100 ns by controlling the current flowing through a capacitor in a one-shot circuit, for use with 40-MHz and 5-MHz transducers, respectively.

Using Spare Logic Resources To Create Dynamic Test Points

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, Richard; Kleyner, Igor

2011-01-01

A technique has been devised to enable creation of a dynamic set of test points in an embedded digital electronic system. As a result, electronics contained in an application specific circuit [e.g., gate array, field programmable gate array (FPGA)] can be internally probed, even when contained in a closed housing during all phases of test. In the present technique, the test points are not fixed and limited to a small number; the number of test points can vastly exceed the number of buffers or pins, resulting in a compact footprint. Test points are selected by means of spare logic resources within the ASIC(s) and/or FPGA(s). A register is programmed with a command, which is used to select the signals that are sent off-chip and out of the housing for monitoring by test engineers and external test equipment. The register can be commanded by any suitable means: for example, it could be commanded through a command port that would normally be used in the operation of the system. In the original application of the technique, commanding of the register is performed via a MIL-STD-1553B communication subsystem.

Architecture design of the multi-functional wavelet-based ECG microprocessor for realtime detection of abnormal cardiac events.

PubMed

Cheng, Li-Fang; Chen, Tung-Chien; Chen, Liang-Gee

2012-01-01

Most of the abnormal cardiac events such as myocardial ischemia, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and fatal arrhythmia can be diagnosed through continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis. According to recent clinical research, early detection and alarming of such cardiac events can reduce the time delay to the hospital, and the clinical outcomes of these individuals can be greatly improved. Therefore, it would be helpful if there is a long-term ECG monitoring system with the ability to identify abnormal cardiac events and provide realtime warning for the users. The combination of the wireless body area sensor network (BASN) and the on-sensor ECG processor is a possible solution for this application. In this paper, we aim to design and implement a digital signal processor that is suitable for continuous ECG monitoring and alarming based on the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) through the proposed architectures--using both programmable RISC processor and application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) for performance optimization. According to the implementation results, the power consumption of the proposed processor integrated with an ASIC for CWT computation is only 79.4 mW. Compared with the single-RISC processor, about 91.6% of the power reduction is achieved.

Equipment and New Products

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poitras, Adrian W., Ed.

1973-01-01

The following items are discussed: Digital Counters and Readout Devices, Automatic Burette Outfits, Noise Exposure System, Helium-Cadmium Laser, New pH Buffers and Flip-Top Dispenser, Voltage Calibrator Transfer Standard, Photomicrographic Stereo Zoom Microscope, Portable pH Meter, Micromanipulators, The Snuffer, Electronic Top-Loading Balances,…

Readout electronics for CBM-TOF super module quality evaluation based on 10 Gbps ethernet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, D.; Cao, P.; Huang, X.; Zheng, J.; Wang, Q.; Li, B.; Li, J.; Liu, S.; An, Q.

2017-07-01

The Compressed Baryonic Matter-Time of Flight (CBM-TOF) wall uses high performance of Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC) assembled in super modules to identify charged particles with high channel density and high measurement precision at high event rate. Electronics meet the challenge for reading data out from a super module at high speed of about 6 Gbps in real time. In this paper, the readout electronics for CBM-TOF super module quality evaluation is proposed based on 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The digitized TOF data from one super module will be concentrated at the front-end electronics residing on the side of the super module and transmitted to an extreme speed readout module (XSRM) housed in the backend crate through the PCI Express (PCIe) protocol via optic channels. Eventually, the XSRM transmits data to the data acquisition (DAQ) system through four 10 Gbps Ethernet ports in real time. This readout structure has advantages of high performance and expansibility. Furthermore, it is easy to operate. Test results on the prototype show that the overall data readout performance for each XSRM can reach up to 28.8 Gbps, which means XSRM can meet the requirement of reading data out from 4 super modules with 1280 channels in real time.

Online readout and control unit for high-speed/high resolution readout of silicon tracking detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bürger, J.; Hansen, K.; Lange, W.; Nowak, T.; Prell, S.; Zimmermann, W.

1997-02-01

We are describing a high speed VME readout and control module developed and presently working at the H1 experiment at DESY in Hamburg. It has the capability to read out 4 × 2048 analogue data channels at sampling rates up to 10 MHz with a dynamic input range of 1 V. The nominal resolution of the A/D converters can be adjusted between 8 and 12 bit. At the latter resolution we obtain signal-to-noise ratio better than 61.4 dB at a conversion rate of 5 MSps. At this data rate all 8192 detector channels can be read out to the internal raw data memory and VME interface within about 410 μs and 510 μs, respectively. The pedestal subtracted signals can be analyzed on-line. At a raw data hit occupation of 10%, the VME readout time is 50 μs per module. Each module provides four complementary CMOS signals to control the front-end electronics and four independent sets of power supplies for analogue and digital voltages (10 V, 100 mA) to drive the front-end electronics and for the bias voltage (100 V, 1.2 mA) to assure the full functionality of the detectors and the readout.

Integrated circuit cell library

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, Sterling R. (Inventor); Miles, Lowell H. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

According to the invention, an ASIC cell library for use in creation of custom integrated circuits is disclosed. The ASIC cell library includes some first cells and some second cells. Each of the second cells includes two or more kernel cells. The ASIC cell library is at least 5% comprised of second cells. In various embodiments, the ASIC cell library could be 10% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, or 95% or more comprised of second cells.

Epithelial Sodium and Acid-Sensing Ion Channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellenberger, Stephan

The epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) and acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are non-voltage-gated Na+ channels that form their own subfamilies within the ENaC/degenerin ion channel family. ASICs are sensors of extracellular pH, and ENaC, whose main function is trans-epithelial Na+ transport, can sense extra- and intra-cellular Na+. In aldosterone-responsive epithelial cells of the kidney, ENaC plays a critical role in the control of sodium balance, blood volume and blood pressure. In airway epithelia, ENaC has a distinct role in controlling fluid reabsorption at the air-liquid interface, thereby determining the rate of mucociliary transport. In taste receptor cells of the tongue, ENaC is involved in salt taste sensation. ASICs have emerged as key sensors for extracellular protons in central and peripheral neurons. Although not all of their physiological and pathological functions are firmly established yet, there is good evidence for a role of ASICs in the brain in learning, expression of fear, and in neurodegeneration after ischaemic stroke. In sensory neurons, ASICs are involved in nociception and mechanosensation. ENaC and ASIC subunits share substantial sequence homology and the conservation of several functional domains. This chapter summarises our current understanding of the physiological functions and of the mechanisms of ion permeation, gating and regulation of ENaC and ASICs.

Fast wire per wire X-ray data acquisition system for time-resolved small angle scattering experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Epstein, A.; Briquet-Laugier, F.; Sheldon, S.; Boulin, C.

2000-04-01

Most of the X-ray multi-wire gas detectors used at the EMBL Hamburg outstation for time-resolved studies of biological samples are readout, using the delay line method. The main disadvantage of such readout systems is their event rate limitation introduced by the delay line and the required time to digital conversion step. They also lack the possibility to deal with multiple events. To overcome these limitations, a new approach for the complete readout system was introduced. The new linear detection system is based on the wire per wire approach where each individual wire is associated to preamplifier/discriminator/counter electronics channel. High-density, front-end electronics were designed around a fast current sensitive preamplifier. An eight-channel board was designed to include the preamplifiers-discriminators and the differential ECL drivers output stages. The detector front-end consists of 25 boards directly mounted inside the detector assembly. To achieve a time framing resolution as short as 10 /spl mu/s, very fast histogramming is required. The only way to implement this for a high number of channels (200 in our case) is by using a distributed system. The digital part of the system consists of a crate controller, up to 16 acquisition boards (capable of handling fast histogramming for up to 32-channels each) and an optical-link board (based on the Cypress "Hot-Link" chip set). Both the crate controller and the acquisition boards are based on a standard RISC microcontroller (IDT R3081) plug-in board. At present, a dedicated CAMAC module which we developed is used to interface the digital front-end acquisition crate to the host via the optical link.

A Synthetic Teammate for UAV Applications: A Prospective Look

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

was facilitated by the use of digital readouts for the flight instruments (other than the horizon line and reticle) in the STE, such that the model ...ACT-R returns a digital value for pitch and bank to the model (as reflected in the orientation of the horizon line with respect to the reticle), even...the development of a Situation Model (Zwann & Radvansky , 1998) to ground the n Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) research contract

A front-end readout Detector Board for the OpenPET electronics system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choong, W.-S.; Abu-Nimeh, F.; Moses, W. W.; Peng, Q.; Vu, C. Q.; Wu, J.-Y.

2015-08-01

We present a 16-channel front-end readout board for the OpenPET electronics system. A major task in developing a nuclear medical imaging system, such as a positron emission computed tomograph (PET) or a single-photon emission computed tomograph (SPECT), is the electronics system. While there are a wide variety of detector and camera design concepts, the relatively simple nature of the acquired data allows for a common set of electronics requirements that can be met by a flexible, scalable, and high-performance OpenPET electronics system. The analog signals from the different types of detectors used in medical imaging share similar characteristics, which allows for a common analog signal processing. The OpenPET electronics processes the analog signals with Detector Boards. Here we report on the development of a 16-channel Detector Board. Each signal is digitized by a continuously sampled analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which is processed by a field programmable gate array (FPGA) to extract pulse height information. A leading edge discriminator creates a timing edge that is ``time stamped'' by a time-to-digital converter (TDC) implemented inside the FPGA . This digital information from each channel is sent to an FPGA that services 16 analog channels, and then information from multiple channels is processed by this FPGA to perform logic for crystal lookup, DOI calculation, calibration, etc.

A front-end readout Detector Board for the OpenPET electronics system

DOE PAGES

Choong, W. -S.; Abu-Nimeh, F.; Moses, W. W.; ...

2015-08-12

Here, we present a 16-channel front-end readout board for the OpenPET electronics system. A major task in developing a nuclear medical imaging system, such as a positron emission computed tomograph (PET) or a single-photon emission computed tomograph (SPECT), is the electronics system. While there are a wide variety of detector and camera design concepts, the relatively simple nature of the acquired data allows for a common set of electronics requirements that can be met by a flexible, scalable, and high-performance OpenPET electronics system. The analog signals from the different types of detectors used in medical imaging share similar characteristics, whichmore » allows for a common analog signal processing. The OpenPET electronics processes the analog signals with Detector Boards. Here we report on the development of a 16-channel Detector Board. Each signal is digitized by a continuously sampled analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which is processed by a field programmable gate array (FPGA) to extract pulse height information. A leading edge discriminator creates a timing edge that is "time stamped" by a time-to-digital converter (TDC) implemented inside the FPGA. In conclusion, this digital information from each channel is sent to an FPGA that services 16 analog channels, and then information from multiple channels is processed by this FPGA to perform logic for crystal lookup, DOI calculation, calibration, etc.« less

A Reconfigurable Readout Integrated Circuit for Heterogeneous Display-Based Multi-Sensor Systems

PubMed Central

Park, Kyeonghwan; Kim, Seung Mok; Eom, Won-Jin; Kim, Jae Joon

2017-01-01

This paper presents a reconfigurable multi-sensor interface and its readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for display-based multi-sensor systems, which builds up multi-sensor functions by utilizing touch screen panels. In addition to inherent touch detection, physiological and environmental sensor interfaces are incorporated. The reconfigurable feature is effectively implemented by proposing two basis readout topologies of amplifier-based and oscillator-based circuits. For noise-immune design against various noises from inherent human-touch operations, an alternate-sampling error-correction scheme is proposed and integrated inside the ROIC, achieving a 12-bit resolution of successive approximation register (SAR) of analog-to-digital conversion without additional calibrations. A ROIC prototype that includes the whole proposed functions and data converters was fabricated in a 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process, and its feasibility was experimentally verified to support multiple heterogeneous sensing functions of touch, electrocardiogram, body impedance, and environmental sensors. PMID:28368355

A Reconfigurable Readout Integrated Circuit for Heterogeneous Display-Based Multi-Sensor Systems.

PubMed

Park, Kyeonghwan; Kim, Seung Mok; Eom, Won-Jin; Kim, Jae Joon

2017-04-03

This paper presents a reconfigurable multi-sensor interface and its readout integrated circuit (ROIC) for display-based multi-sensor systems, which builds up multi-sensor functions by utilizing touch screen panels. In addition to inherent touch detection, physiological and environmental sensor interfaces are incorporated. The reconfigurable feature is effectively implemented by proposing two basis readout topologies of amplifier-based and oscillator-based circuits. For noise-immune design against various noises from inherent human-touch operations, an alternate-sampling error-correction scheme is proposed and integrated inside the ROIC, achieving a 12-bit resolution of successive approximation register (SAR) of analog-to-digital conversion without additional calibrations. A ROIC prototype that includes the whole proposed functions and data converters was fabricated in a 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process, and its feasibility was experimentally verified to support multiple heterogeneous sensing functions of touch, electrocardiogram, body impedance, and environmental sensors.

Central Drift Chamber for Belle-II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taniguchi, N.

2017-06-01

The Central Drift Chamber (CDC) is the main device for tracking and identification of charged particles for Belle-II experiment. The Belle-II CDC is cylindrical wire chamber with 14336 sense wires, 2.3 m-length and 2.2 m-diameter. The wire chamber and readout electronics have been completely replaced from the Belle CDC. The new readout electronics system must handle higher trigger rate of 30 kHz with less dead time at the design luminosity of 8 × 1035 cm-2s-1. The front-end electronics are located close to detector and send digitized signal through optical fibers. The Amp-Shaper-Discriminator chips, FADC and FPGA are assembled on a single board. Belle-II CDC with readout electronics has been installed successfully in Belle structure in October 2016. We will present overview of the Belle-II CDC and status of commissioning with cosmic ray.

Digital barcodes of suspension array using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

PubMed Central

He, Qinghua; Liu, Yixi; He, Yonghong; Zhu, Liang; Zhang, Yilong; Shen, Zhiyuan

2016-01-01

We show a coding method of suspension array based on the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), which promotes the barcodes from analog to digital. As the foundation of digital optical barcodes, nanocrystals encoded microspheres are prepared with self-assembly encapsulation method. We confirm that digital multiplexing of LIBS-based coding method becomes feasible since the microsphere can be coded with direct read-out data of wavelengths, and the method can avoid fluorescence signal crosstalk between barcodes and analyte tags, which lead to overall advantages in accuracy and stability to current fluorescent multicolor coding method. This demonstration increases the capability of multiplexed detection and accurate filtrating, expanding more extensive applications of suspension array in life science. PMID:27808270

Differential regulation of ASICs and TRPV1 by zinc in rat bronchopulmonary sensory neurons.

PubMed

Vysotskaya, Zhanna V; Moss, Charles R; Gu, Qihai

2014-12-01

Zinc has been known to act as a signaling molecule that regulates a variety of neuronal functions. In this study, we aimed to study the effect of zinc on two populations of acid-sensitive ion channels, acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), and transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor-1 (TRPV1), in vagal bronchopulmonary sensory neurons. Rat vagal sensory neurons innervating lungs and airways were retrogradely labeled with a fluorescent tracer. Whole-cell perforated patch-clamp recordings were carried out in primarily cultured bronchopulmonary sensory neurons. The acid-evoked ASIC and TRPV1 currents were measured and compared between before and after the zinc pretreatment. ASIC currents were induced by a pH drop from 7.4 to 6.8 or 6.5 in the presence of capsazepine (10 µM), a specific TRPV1 antagonist. Pretreatment with zinc (50 or 300 µM, 2 min) displayed different effects on the two distinct phenotypes of ASIC currents: a marked potentiation on ASIC channels with fast kinetics of activation and inactivation or no significant effect on ASIC currents with slow activation and inactivation. On the other hand, pretreatment with zinc significantly inhibited the acid (pH 5.5 or 5.3)-induced TRPV1 currents. The inhibition was abolished by intracellular chelation of zinc by TPEN (25 µM), indicating that intracellular accumulation of zinc was likely required for its inhibitory effect on TRPV1 channels. Our study showed that zinc differentially regulates the activities of ASICs and TRPV1 channels in rat vagal bronchopulmonary sensory neurons.

CdTe focal plane detector for hard x-ray focusing optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seller, Paul; Wilson, Matthew D.; Veale, Matthew C.; Schneider, Andreas; Gaskin, Jessica; Wilson-Hodge, Colleen; Christe, Steven; Shih, Albert Y.; Gregory, Kyle; Inglis, Andrew; Panessa, Marco

2015-08-01

The demand for higher resolution x-ray optics (a few arcseconds or better) in the areas of astrophysics and solar science has, in turn, driven the development of complementary detectors. These detectors should have fine pixels, necessary to appropriately oversample the optics at a given focal length, and an energy response also matched to that of the optics. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have developed a 3-side buttable, 20 mm x 20 mm CdTe-based detector with 250 μm square pixels (80x80 pixels) which achieves 1 keV FWHM @ 60 keV and gives full spectroscopy between 5 keV and 200 keV. An added advantage of these detectors is that they have a full-frame readout rate of 10 kHz. Working with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, 4 of these 1mm-thick CdTe detectors are tiled into a 2x2 array for use at the focal plane of a balloon-borne hard-x-ray telescope, and a similar configuration could be suitable for astrophysics and solar space-based missions. This effort encompasses the fabrication and testing of flightsuitable front-end electronics and calibration of the assembled detector arrays. We explain the operation of the pixelated ASIC readout and measurements, front-end electronics development, preliminary X-ray imaging and spectral performance, and plans for full calibration of the detector assemblies. Work done in conjunction with the NASA Centers is funded through the NASA Science Mission Directorate Astrophysics Research and Analysis Program.

A noiseless, kHz frame rate imaging detector for AO wavefront sensors based on MCPs read out with the Medipix2 CMOS pixel chip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallerga, J. V.; McPhate, J. B.; Tremsin, A. S.; Siegmund, O. H. W.; Mikulec, B.; Clark, A. G.

2004-12-01

Future wavefront sensors in adaptive optics (AO) systems for the next generation of large telescopes (> 30 m diameter) will require large formats (512x512) , kHz frame rates, low readout noise (<3 electrons) and high optical QE. The current generation of CCDs cannot achieve the first three of these specifications simultaneously. We present a detector scheme that can meet the first three requirements with an optical QE > 40%. This detector consists of a vacuum tube with a proximity focused GaAs photocathode whose photoelectrons are amplified by microchannel plates and the resulting output charge cloud counted by a pixelated CMOS application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) called the Medipix2 (http://medipix.web.cern.ch/MEDIPIX/). Each 55 micron square pixel of the Medipix2 chip has an amplifier, discriminator and 14 bit counter and the 256x256 array can be read out in 287 microseconds. The chip is 3 side abuttable so a 512x512 array is feasible in one vacuum tube. We will present the first results with an open-faced, demountable version of the detector where we have mounted a pair of MCPs 500 microns above a Medipix2 readout inside a vacuum chamber and illuminated it with UV light. The results include: flat field response, spatial resolution, spatial linearity on the sub-pixel level and global event counting rate. We will also discuss the vacuum tube design and the fabrication issues associated with the Medipix2 surviving the tube making process.

CdTe Focal Plane Detector for Hard X-Ray Focusing Optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seller, Paul; Wilson, Matthew D.; Veale, Matthew C.; Schneider, Andreas; Gaskin, Jessica; Wilson-Hodge, Colleen; Christe, Steven; Shih, Albert Y.; Inglis, Andrew; Panessa, Marco

2015-01-01

The demand for higher resolution x-ray optics (a few arcseconds or better) in the areas of astrophysics and solar science has, in turn, driven the development of complementary detectors. These detectors should have fine pixels, necessary to appropriately oversample the optics at a given focal length, and an energy response also matched to that of the optics. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have developed a 3-side buttable, 20 millimeter x 20 millimeter CdTe-based detector with 250 micrometer square pixels (80 x 80 pixels) which achieves 1 kiloelectronvolt FWHM (Full-Width Half-Maximum) @ 60 kiloelectronvolts and gives full spectroscopy between 5 kiloelectronvolts and 200 kiloelectronvolts. An added advantage of these detectors is that they have a full-frame readout rate of 10 kilohertz. Working with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, 4 of these 1 millimeter-thick CdTe detectors are tiled into a 2 x 2 array for use at the focal plane of a balloon-borne hard-x-ray telescope, and a similar configuration could be suitable for astrophysics and solar space-based missions. This effort encompasses the fabrication and testing of flight-suitable front-end electronics and calibration of the assembled detector arrays. We explain the operation of the pixelated ASIC readout and measurements, front-end electronics development, preliminary X-ray imaging and spectral performance, and plans for full calibration of the detector assemblies. Work done in conjunction with the NASA Centers is funded through the NASA Science Mission Directorate Astrophysics Research and Analysis Program.

The ATLAS SemiConductor Tracker operation and performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pater, J. R.

2012-04-01

The ATLAS SemiConductor Tracker (SCT) is a key precision tracking detector in the ATLAS experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The SCT is composed of 4088 planar p-in-n silicon micro-strip detectors. The signals from the strips are processed in the front-end ABCD3TA ASICs, which operate in binary readout mode; data are transferred to the off-detector readout electronics via optical fibres. The SCT was completed in 2007. An extensive commissioning phase followed, during which calibration data were collected and analysed to determine the noise performance of the system, and further performance parameters of the detector were determined using cosmic ray data, both with and without magnetic field. After the commissioning phase, the SCT was ready for the first LHC proton-proton collisions in December 2009. From the beginning of data taking, the completed SCT has been in very good shape with more than 99% of its 6.3 million strips operational; the detector is well timed-in and the operational channels are 99.9% efficient in data acquisition. The noise occupancy and hit efficiency are better than the design specifications. The detector geometry is monitored continuously with a laser-based alignment system and is stable to the few-micron level; the alignment accuracy as determined by tracks is near specification and improving as statistics increase. The sensor behaviour in the 2T solenoidal magnetic field has been studied by measuring the Lorentz angle. Radiation damage in the silicon is monitored by periodic measurements of the leakage current; these measurements are in reasonable agreement with predictions.

Readout characteristics of a minute aperture-mounted optical head slider flying above a submicron wide metal patterned medium track

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohkubo, Toshifumi; Hirota, Terunao; Oumi, Manabu; Hirata, Masakazu; Nakajima, Kunio

2004-10-01

Advances in a digital network society require both higher densities and higher transfer rates in all sorts of storage devices. In optical recording, the trend toward higher recording density and larger storage capacity requires novel surface recording technologies that would drastically improve recording density. To satisfy these severe requirements, we have already proposed a compact integrated optical head slider assembly for proximity optical recording based on the "near field principle". Using the optical head slider, we have successfully demonstrated readout signals from 200 to 150-nm-long bit patterns at frequency bands up to approximately 10 MHz. However, from the practical point of view, it is quite necessary to evaluate readout signals from patterns of smaller (sub-micron to sub-sub-micron) track width in order to prove high-density recording potential. In this paper, we have investigated tracking accuracy characteristics utilizing sub-micron sized alternate patterns of 1-mm length formed in a straight line in the circumferential direction of the medium. Arranging precisely the head's relative position to these recorded patterns, we have successfully obtained readout signals just crossing the sub-micron line-and-space pattern's boundaries. Assuming that an aperture runs along an accurate trajectory of the arc of a circle, readout signal amplitude variations when crossing the pattern edge at a right angle have precisely predicted. Also, the influences of track width on maximum readout signal intensity and tracking sensitivity are discussed in detail.

Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) mediates trafficking of acid sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) via PSD-95.

PubMed

Excoffon, Katherine J D A; Kolawole, Abimbola O; Kusama, Nobuyoshi; Gansemer, Nicholas D; Sharma, Priyanka; Hruska-Hageman, Alesia M; Petroff, Elena; Benson, Christopher J

2012-08-17

We have previously shown that the Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) can interact with post-synaptic density 95 (PSD-95) and localize PSD-95 to cell-cell junctions. We have also shown that activity of the acid sensing ion channel (ASIC3), a H(+)-gated cation channel that plays a role in mechanosensation and pain signaling, is negatively modulated by PSD-95 through a PDZ-based interaction. We asked whether CAR and ASIC3 simultaneously interact with PSD-95, and if so, whether co-expression of these proteins alters their cellular distribution and localization. Results indicate that CAR and ASIC3 co-immunoprecipitate only when co-expressed with PSD-95. CAR also brings both PSD-95 and ASIC3 to the junctions of heterologous cells. Moreover, CAR rescues PSD-95-mediated inhibition of ASIC3 currents. These data suggest that, in addition to activity as a viral receptor and adhesion molecule, CAR can play a role in trafficking proteins, including ion channels, in a PDZ-based scaffolding complex. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Readout Strategy of an Electro-optical Coupled PET Detector for Time-of-Flight PET/MRI

PubMed Central

Bieniosek, M F; Olcott, P D; Levin, C S

2013-01-01

Combining PET with MRI in a single system provides clinicians with complementary molecular and anatomical information. However, existing integrated PET/MRI systems do not have time-of-flight PET capabilities. This work describes an MRI-compatible front-end electronic system with ToF capabilities. The approach employs a fast arrival-time pickoff comparator to digitize the timing information, and a laser diode to drive a 10m fiber-optic cable to optically transmit asynchronous timing information to a photodiode receiver readout system. The comparator and this electo-optical link show a combined 11.5ps fwhm jitter in response to a fast digital pulse. When configured with LYSO scintillation crystals and Hamamatsu MPPC silicon photo-multipliers the comparator and electro-optical link achieved a 511keV coincidence time resolution of 254.7ps +/− 8.0ps fwhm with 3×3×20mm crystals and 166.5 +/− 2.5ps fwhm with 3×3×5mm crystals. PMID:24061218

Front-end multiplexing—applied to SQUID multiplexing: Athena X-IFU and QUBIC experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prele, D.

2015-08-01

As we have seen for digital camera market and a sensor resolution increasing to "megapixels", all the scientific and high-tech imagers (whatever the wave length - from radio to X-ray range) tends also to always increases the pixels number. So the constraints on front-end signals transmission increase too. An almost unavoidable solution to simplify integration of large arrays of pixels is front-end multiplexing. Moreover, "simple" and "efficient" techniques allow integration of read-out multiplexers in the focal plane itself. For instance, CCD (Charge Coupled Device) technology has boost number of pixels in digital camera. Indeed, this is exactly a planar technology which integrates both the sensors and a front-end multiplexed readout. In this context, front-end multiplexing techniques will be discussed for a better understanding of their advantages and their limits. Finally, the cases of astronomical instruments in the millimeter and in the X-ray ranges using SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) will be described.

A low-noise CMOS pixel direct charge sensor, Topmetal-II-

DOE PAGES

An, Mangmang; Chen, Chufeng; Gao, Chaosong; ...

2015-12-12

In this paper, we report the design and characterization of a CMOS pixel direct charge sensor, Topmetal-II-, fabricated in a standard 0.35 μm CMOS Integrated Circuit process. The sensor utilizes exposed metal patches on top of each pixel to directly collect charge. Each pixel contains a low-noise charge-sensitive preamplifier to establish the analog signal and a discriminator with tunable threshold to generate hits. The analog signal from each pixel is accessible through time-shared multiplexing over the entire array. Hits are read out digitally through a column-based priority logic structure. Tests show that the sensor achieved a <15e - analog noisemore » and a 200e - minimum threshold for digital readout per pixel. The sensor is capable of detecting both electrons and ions drifting in gas. Lastly, these characteristics enable its use as the charge readout device in future Time Projection Chambers without gaseous gain mechanism, which has unique advantages in low background and low rate-density experiments.« less

Low-Latency Digital Signal Processing for Feedback and Feedforward in Quantum Computing and Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salathé, Yves; Kurpiers, Philipp; Karg, Thomas; Lang, Christian; Andersen, Christian Kraglund; Akin, Abdulkadir; Krinner, Sebastian; Eichler, Christopher; Wallraff, Andreas

2018-03-01

Quantum computing architectures rely on classical electronics for control and readout. Employing classical electronics in a feedback loop with the quantum system allows us to stabilize states, correct errors, and realize specific feedforward-based quantum computing and communication schemes such as deterministic quantum teleportation. These feedback and feedforward operations are required to be fast compared to the coherence time of the quantum system to minimize the probability of errors. We present a field-programmable-gate-array-based digital signal processing system capable of real-time quadrature demodulation, a determination of the qubit state, and a generation of state-dependent feedback trigger signals. The feedback trigger is generated with a latency of 110 ns with respect to the timing of the analog input signal. We characterize the performance of the system for an active qubit initialization protocol based on the dispersive readout of a superconducting qubit and discuss potential applications in feedback and feedforward algorithms.

Development of a high-resolution automatic digital (urine/electrolytes) flow volume and rate measurement system of miniature size

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, F. F.

1975-01-01

To aid in the quantitative analysis of man's physiological rhythms, a flowmeter to measure circadian patterns of electrolyte excretion during various environmental stresses was developed. One initial flowmeter was designed and fabricated, the sensor of which is the approximate size of a wristwatch. The detector section includes a special type of dielectric integrating type sensor which automatically controls, activates, and deactivates the flow sensor data output by determining the presence or absence of fluid flow in the system, including operation under zero-G conditions. The detector also provides qualitative data on the composition of the fluid. A compact electronic system was developed to indicate flow rate as well as total volume per release or the cumulative volume of several releases in digital/analog forms suitable for readout or telemetry. A suitable data readout instrument is also provided. Calibration and statistical analyses of the performance functions required of the flowmeter were also conducted.

Recording and reading of information on optical disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouwhuis, G.; Braat, J. J. M.

In the storage of information, related to video programs, in a spiral track on a disk, difficulties arise because the bandwidth for video is much greater than for audio signals. An attractive solution was found in optical storage. The optical noncontact method is free of wear, and allows for fast random access. Initial problems regarding a suitable light source could be overcome with the aid of appropriate laser devices. The basic concepts of optical storage on disks are treated insofar as they are relevant for the optical arrangement. A general description is provided of a video, a digital audio, and a data storage system. Scanning spot microscopy for recording and reading of optical disks is discussed, giving attention to recording of the signal, the readout of optical disks, the readout of digitally encoded signals, and cross talk. Tracking systems are also considered, taking into account the generation of error signals for radial tracking and the generation of focus error signals.

A low-noise CMOS pixel direct charge sensor, Topmetal-II-

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

An, Mangmang; Chen, Chufeng; Gao, Chaosong

In this paper, we report the design and characterization of a CMOS pixel direct charge sensor, Topmetal-II-, fabricated in a standard 0.35 μm CMOS Integrated Circuit process. The sensor utilizes exposed metal patches on top of each pixel to directly collect charge. Each pixel contains a low-noise charge-sensitive preamplifier to establish the analog signal and a discriminator with tunable threshold to generate hits. The analog signal from each pixel is accessible through time-shared multiplexing over the entire array. Hits are read out digitally through a column-based priority logic structure. Tests show that the sensor achieved a <15e - analog noisemore » and a 200e - minimum threshold for digital readout per pixel. The sensor is capable of detecting both electrons and ions drifting in gas. Lastly, these characteristics enable its use as the charge readout device in future Time Projection Chambers without gaseous gain mechanism, which has unique advantages in low background and low rate-density experiments.« less

Applications of Digitized 3-D Position-Sensitive CdZnTe Spectrometers for National Security and Nuclear Nonproliferation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Streicher, Michael W.

A nuclear weapon detonation remains one of the gravest threats to the global community. Although the likelihood of a nuclear event remains small, the economic and political ramifications of an event are vast. The surest way to reduce the probability of an incident is to account for the special nuclear materials (SNM) which can be used to produce a nuclear weapon. Materials which can be used to manufacture a radiological dispersion device ("dirty bomb") must also be monitored. Rapidly-deployable, commercially-available, room-temperature imaging gamma-ray spectrometers are improving the ability of authorities to intelligently and quickly respond to threats. New electronics which digitally-sample the radiation-induced signals in CdZnTe detectors have expanded the capabilities of these sensors. This thesis explores national security applications where digital readout of CdZnTe detectors significantly enhances capabilities. Radioactive sources can be detected more quickly using digitally-sampled CdZnTe detector due to the improved energy resolution. The excellent energy resolution also improves the accuracy of measurements of uranium enrichment and allows users to measure plutonium grade. Small differences in the recorded gamma-ray energy spectrum can be used to estimate the effective atomic number and mass thickness of materials shielding SNM sources. Improved position resolution of gamma-ray interactions through digital readout allows high resolution gamma-ray images of SNM revealing information about the source configuration. CdZnTe sensors can detect the presence of neutrons, indirectly, through measurement of gamma rays released during capture of thermal neutrons by Cd-113 or inelastic scattering with any constituent nuclei. Fast neutrons, such as those released following fission, can be directly detected through elastic scattering interactions in the detector. Neutrons are a strong indicator of fissile material, and the background neutron rate is much lower than the gamma-ray background rate. Neutrons can more easily penetrate shielding materials as well which can greatly aid in the detection of shielded SNM. Digital CdZnTe readout enables the sensors to maintain excellent energy resolution at high count rates. Pulse pile-up and preamplifier decay can be monitored and corrected for on an event-by-event basis limiting energy resolution degradation in dose rates higher than 100 mR/hr. Finally, new iterations of the digital electronics have enhanced gamma-ray detection capabilities at high photon energies. Currently, gamma rays with energy up to 4.4 MeV have been detected. High-energy photon detection is critical for many proposed active interrogation systems.

An ultra low power ECG signal processor design for cardiovascular disease detection.

PubMed

Jain, Sanjeev Kumar; Bhaumik, Basabi

2015-08-01

This paper presents an ultra low power ASIC design based on a new cardiovascular disease diagnostic algorithm. This new algorithm based on forward search is designed for real time ECG signal processing. The algorithm is evaluated for Physionet PTB database from the point of view of cardiovascular disease diagnosis. The failed detection rate of QRS complex peak detection of our algorithm ranges from 0.07% to 0.26% for multi lead ECG signal. The ASIC is designed using 130-nm CMOS low leakage process technology. The area of ASIC is 1.21 mm(2). This ASIC consumes only 96 nW at an operating frequency of 1 kHz with a supply voltage of 0.9 V. Due to ultra low power consumption, our proposed ASIC design is most suitable for energy efficient wearable ECG monitoring devices.

Resveratrol attenuates bone cancer pain through regulating the expression levels of ASIC3 and activating cell autophagy.

PubMed

Zhu, Haili; Ding, Jieqiong; Wu, Ji; Liu, Tingting; Liang, Jing; Tang, Qiong; Jiao, Ming

2017-11-01

Bone cancer pain (BCP) is one of the most common pains in patients with malignant cancers. The mechanism underlying BCP is largely unknown. Our previous studies and the increasing evidence both have shown that acid-sensing ion channels 3 (ASIC3) is an important protein in the pathological pain state in some pain models. We hypothesized that the expression change of ASIC3 might be one of the factors related to BCP. In this study, we established the BCP model through intrathecally injecting rat mammary gland carcinoma cells (MRMT-1) into the left tibia of Sprague-Dawley female rats, and found that the BCP rats showed bone destruction, increased mechanical pain sensitivities and up-regulated ASIC3 protein expression levels in L4-L6 dorsal root ganglion. Then, resveratrol, which was intraperitoneally injected into the BCP rats on post-operative Day 21, dose-dependently increased the paw withdrawal threshold of BCP rats, reversed the pain behavior, and had an antinociceptive effect on BCP rats. In ASIC3-transfected SH-SY5Y cells, the ASIC3 protein expression levels were regulated by resveratrol in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Meanwhile, resveratrol also had an antinociceptive effect in ASIC3-mediated pain rat model. Furthermore, resveratrol also enhanced the phosphorylation of AMPK, SIRT1, and LC3-II levels in ASIC3-transfected SH-SY5Y cells, indicating that resveratrol could activate the AMPK-SIRT1-autophagy signal pathway in ASIC3-transfected SH-SY5Y cells. In BCP rats, SIRT1 and LC3-II were also down-regulated. These findings provide new evidence for the use of resveratrol as a therapeutic treatment during BCP states. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Intelligent subsystem interface for modular hardware system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caffrey, Robert T. (Inventor); Krening, Douglas N. (Inventor); Lannan, Gregory B. (Inventor); Schneiderwind, Michael J. (Inventor); Schneiderwind, Robert A. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A single chip application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which provides a flexible, modular interface between a subsystem and a standard system bus. The ASIC includes a microcontroller/microprocessor, a serial interface for connection to the bus, and a variety of communications interface devices available for coupling to the subsystem. A three-bus architecture, utilizing arbitration, provides connectivity within the ASIC and between the ASIC and the subsystem. The communication interface devices include UART (serial), parallel, analog, and external device interface utilizing bus connections paired with device select signals. A low power (sleep) mode is provided as is a processor disable option.

The Mid-Infrared Instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope, VIII: The MIRI Focal Plane System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ressler, M. E.; Sukhatme, K. G.; Franklin, B. R.; Mahoney, J. C.; Thelen, M. P.; Bouchet, P.; Colbert, J. W.; Cracraft, Misty; Dicken, D.; Gastaud, R.; Goodson, G. B.; Eccleston, Paul; Moreau, V.; Rieke, G. H.; Schneider, Analyn

2015-07-01

We describe the layout and unique features of the focal plane system for MIRI. We begin with the detector array and its readout integrated circuit (combining the amplifier unit cells and the multiplexer), the electronics, and the steps by which the data collection is controlled and the output signals are digitized and delivered to the JWST spacecraft electronics system. We then discuss the operation of this MIRI data system, including detector readout patterns, operation of subarrays, and data formats. Finally, we summarize the performance of the system, including remaining anomalies that need to be corrected in the data pipeline.

An infrastructure for accurate characterization of single-event transients in digital circuits.

PubMed

Savulimedu Veeravalli, Varadan; Polzer, Thomas; Schmid, Ulrich; Steininger, Andreas; Hofbauer, Michael; Schweiger, Kurt; Dietrich, Horst; Schneider-Hornstein, Kerstin; Zimmermann, Horst; Voss, Kay-Obbe; Merk, Bruno; Hajek, Michael

2013-11-01

We present the architecture and a detailed pre-fabrication analysis of a digital measurement ASIC facilitating long-term irradiation experiments of basic asynchronous circuits, which also demonstrates the suitability of the general approach for obtaining accurate radiation failure models developed in our FATAL project. Our ASIC design combines radiation targets like Muller C-elements and elastic pipelines as well as standard combinational gates and flip-flops with an elaborate on-chip measurement infrastructure. Major architectural challenges result from the fact that the latter must operate reliably under the same radiation conditions the target circuits are exposed to, without wasting precious die area for a rad-hard design. A measurement architecture based on multiple non-rad-hard counters is used, which we show to be resilient against double faults, as well as many triple and even higher-multiplicity faults. The design evaluation is done by means of comprehensive fault injection experiments, which are based on detailed Spice models of the target circuits in conjunction with a standard double-exponential current injection model for single-event transients (SET). To be as accurate as possible, the parameters of this current model have been aligned with results obtained from 3D device simulation models, which have in turn been validated and calibrated using micro-beam radiation experiments at the GSI in Darmstadt, Germany. For the latter, target circuits instrumented with high-speed sense amplifiers have been used for analog SET recording. Together with a probabilistic analysis of the sustainable particle flow rates, based on a detailed area analysis and experimental cross-section data, we can conclude that the proposed architecture will indeed sustain significant target hit rates, without exceeding the resilience bound of the measurement infrastructure.

An infrastructure for accurate characterization of single-event transients in digital circuits☆

PubMed Central

Savulimedu Veeravalli, Varadan; Polzer, Thomas; Schmid, Ulrich; Steininger, Andreas; Hofbauer, Michael; Schweiger, Kurt; Dietrich, Horst; Schneider-Hornstein, Kerstin; Zimmermann, Horst; Voss, Kay-Obbe; Merk, Bruno; Hajek, Michael

2013-01-01

We present the architecture and a detailed pre-fabrication analysis of a digital measurement ASIC facilitating long-term irradiation experiments of basic asynchronous circuits, which also demonstrates the suitability of the general approach for obtaining accurate radiation failure models developed in our FATAL project. Our ASIC design combines radiation targets like Muller C-elements and elastic pipelines as well as standard combinational gates and flip-flops with an elaborate on-chip measurement infrastructure. Major architectural challenges result from the fact that the latter must operate reliably under the same radiation conditions the target circuits are exposed to, without wasting precious die area for a rad-hard design. A measurement architecture based on multiple non-rad-hard counters is used, which we show to be resilient against double faults, as well as many triple and even higher-multiplicity faults. The design evaluation is done by means of comprehensive fault injection experiments, which are based on detailed Spice models of the target circuits in conjunction with a standard double-exponential current injection model for single-event transients (SET). To be as accurate as possible, the parameters of this current model have been aligned with results obtained from 3D device simulation models, which have in turn been validated and calibrated using micro-beam radiation experiments at the GSI in Darmstadt, Germany. For the latter, target circuits instrumented with high-speed sense amplifiers have been used for analog SET recording. Together with a probabilistic analysis of the sustainable particle flow rates, based on a detailed area analysis and experimental cross-section data, we can conclude that the proposed architecture will indeed sustain significant target hit rates, without exceeding the resilience bound of the measurement infrastructure. PMID:24748694

Simulation of the High Performance Time to Digital Converter for the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer trigger upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, X. T.; Levin, D. S.; Chapman, J. W.; Zhou, B.

2016-09-01

The ATLAS Muon Spectrometer endcap thin-Resistive Plate Chamber trigger project compliments the New Small Wheel endcap Phase-1 upgrade for higher luminosity LHC operation. These new trigger chambers, located in a high rate region of ATLAS, will improve overall trigger acceptance and reduce the fake muon trigger incidence. These chambers must generate a low level muon trigger to be delivered to a remote high level processor within a stringent latency requirement of 43 bunch crossings (1075 ns). To help meet this requirement the High Performance Time to Digital Converter (HPTDC), a multi-channel ASIC designed by CERN Microelectronics group, has been proposed for the digitization of the fast front end detector signals. This paper investigates the HPTDC performance in the context of the overall muon trigger latency, employing detailed behavioral Verilog simulations in which the latency in triggerless mode is measured for a range of configurations and under realistic hit rate conditions. The simulation results show that various HPTDC operational configurations, including leading edge and pair measurement modes can provide high efficiency (>98%) to capture and digitize hits within a time interval satisfying the Phase-1 latency tolerance.

Digital Intermediate Frequency Receiver Module For Use In Airborne Sar Applications

DOEpatents

Tise, Bertice L.; Dubbert, Dale F.

2005-03-08

A digital IF receiver (DRX) module directly compatible with advanced radar systems such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. The DRX can combine a 1 G-Sample/sec 8-bit ADC with high-speed digital signal processor, such as high gate-count FPGA technology or ASICs to realize a wideband IF receiver. DSP operations implemented in the DRX can include quadrature demodulation and multi-rate, variable-bandwidth IF filtering. Pulse-to-pulse (Doppler domain) filtering can also be implemented in the form of a presummer (accumulator) and an azimuth prefilter. An out of band noise source can be employed to provide a dither signal to the ADC, and later be removed by digital signal processing. Both the range and Doppler domain filtering operations can be implemented using a unique pane architecture which allows on-the-fly selection of the filter decimation factor, and hence, the filter bandwidth. The DRX module can include a standard VME-64 interface for control, status, and programming. An interface can provide phase history data to the real-time image formation processors. A third front-panel data port (FPDP) interface can send wide bandwidth, raw phase histories to a real-time phase history recorder for ground processing.

A new MicroTCA-based waveform digitizer for the Muon g-2 experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sweigart, David A.

We present the design of a newmore » $$\\mu$$TCA-based waveform digitizer, which will be deployed in the Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab and will allow our pileup identification requirement to be met. This digitizer features five independent channels, each with 12-bit, 800-MSPS digitization and a 1-Gbit memory buffer. The data storage and readout along with configuration are handled by six Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGAs. In addition, the digitizer is equipped with a mezzanine card for analog signal conditioning prior to digitization, further widening its range of possible applications. The performance results of this design are also presented, highlighting its $$0.51 \\pm 0.13$$ mV intrinsic noise level and $< 22$ ps intrinsic timing resolution between channels. We believe that its performance, together with its flexible design, could be of interest to future experiments in search of a cost-effective waveform digitizer.« less

A low power, area efficient fpga based beamforming technique for 1-D CMUT arrays.

PubMed

Joseph, Bastin; Joseph, Jose; Vanjari, Siva Rama Krishna

2015-08-01

A low power area efficient digital beamformer targeting low frequency (2MHz) 1-D linear Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) array is developed. While designing the beamforming logic, the symmetry of the CMUT array is well exploited to reduce the area and power consumption. The proposed method is verified in Matlab by clocking an Arbitrary Waveform Generator(AWG). The architecture is successfully implemented in Xilinx Spartan 3E FPGA kit to check its functionality. The beamforming logic is implemented for 8, 16, 32, and 64 element CMUTs targeting Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) platform at Vdd 1.62V for UMC 90nm technology. It is observed that the proposed architecture consumes significantly lesser power and area (1.2895 mW power and 47134.4 μm(2) area for a 64 element digital beamforming circuit) compared to the conventional square root based algorithm.

On-chip enzymatic microbiofuel cell-powered integrated circuits.

PubMed

Mark, Andrew G; Suraniti, Emmanuel; Roche, Jérôme; Richter, Harald; Kuhn, Alexander; Mano, Nicolas; Fischer, Peer

2017-05-16

A variety of diagnostic and therapeutic medical technologies rely on long term implantation of an electronic device to monitor or regulate a patient's condition. One proposed approach to powering these devices is to use a biofuel cell to convert the chemical energy from blood nutrients into electrical current to supply the electronics. We present here an enzymatic microbiofuel cell whose electrodes are directly integrated into a digital electronic circuit. Glucose oxidizing and oxygen reducing enzymes are immobilized on microelectrodes of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) using redox hydrogels to produce an enzymatic biofuel cell, capable of harvesting electrical power from just a single droplet of 5 mM glucose solution. Optimisation of the fuel cell voltage and power to match the requirements of the electronics allow self-powered operation of the on-board digital circuitry. This study represents a step towards implantable self-powered electronic devices that gather their energy from physiological fluids.

Phase-locked tracking loops for LORAN-C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burhans, R. W.

1978-01-01

Portable battery operated LORAN-C receivers were fabricated to evaluate simple envelope detector methods with hybrid analog to digital phase locked loop sensor processors. The receivers are used to evaluate LORAN-C in general aviation applications. Complete circuit details are given for the experimental sensor and readout system.

PAR-2 activation enhances weak acid-induced ATP release through TRPV1 and ASIC sensitization in human esophageal epithelial cells.

PubMed

Wu, Liping; Oshima, Tadayuki; Shan, Jing; Sei, Hiroo; Tomita, Toshihiko; Ohda, Yoshio; Fukui, Hirokazu; Watari, Jiro; Miwa, Hiroto

2015-10-15

Esophageal visceral hypersensitivity has been proposed to be the pathogenesis of heartburn sensation in nonerosive reflux disease. Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) is expressed in human esophageal epithelial cells and is believed to play a role in inflammation and sensation. PAR-2 activation may modulate these responses through adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release, which is involved in transduction of sensation and pain. The transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) and acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are both acid-sensitive nociceptors. However, the interaction among these molecules and the mechanisms of heartburn sensation are still not clear. We therefore examined whether ATP release in human esophageal epithelial cells in response to acid is modulated by TRPV1 and ASICs and whether PAR-2 activation influences the sensitivity of TRPV1 and ASICs. Weak acid (pH 5) stimulated the release of ATP from primary human esophageal epithelial cells (HEECs). This effect was significantly reduced after pretreatment with 5-iodoresiniferatoxin (IRTX), a TRPV1-specific antagonist, or with amiloride, a nonselective ASIC blocker. TRPV1 and ASIC3 small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection also decreased weak acid-induced ATP release. Pretreatment of HEECs with trypsin, tryptase, or a PAR-2 agonist enhanced weak acid-induced ATP release. Trypsin treatment led to the phosphorylation of TRPV1. Acid-induced ATP release enhancement by trypsin was partially blocked by IRTX, amiloride, or a PAR-2 antagonist. Conversely, acid-induced ATP release was augmented by PAR-2 activation through TRPV1 and ASICs. These findings suggested that the pathophysiology of heartburn sensation or esophageal hypersensitivity may be associated with the activation of PAR-2, TRPV1, and ASICs. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.