Electronics
The NPG has many years experience in the design of Nuclear Physics experimental systems for a wide range of detector types and sizes.
The group’s expertise is founded on whole-system design from detector through front-end electronics and mechanics to data acquisition and control. Our close links with experienced physicists, software and mechanical engineers in the NPG are the key to our system design capability.
We are experienced in project management and in cost estimation for funding application. Specific electronics capabilities include complex high speed data acquisition systems based on FPGAs (including the use of embedded Linux within FPGAs), trigger systems and triggerless hardware using time stamping, fast digitisers for pulse shape analysis, PCB design and routing, system commissioning and a good understanding of the physics of the detectors which we instrument.
Current and recent projects include:
- AGATA (a new European 4pi gamma ray array) - where we collaborate in the design of the digitisers and pre-processing electronics for gamma-ray tracking
- GREAT - a Si/Ge/Gas detector where we pioneered the use of Total Data Readout (TDR) based on triggerless hardware which timestamps all channels, feeding all data to processors running software triggers using the full data with no dead time losses
- FAIR/NUSTAR - where we are involved in general high level EDAQ discussions and working parties as well as specific projects:
- Design of a front end electronics for the AIDA Si recoil decay detector (part of DeSpec)
- Design of the Si recoil detector in R3B
- Instrumentation of the Si detectors in LYCCA (part of HiSpec)
- PORGAMRAYS - a portable gamma-ray spectrometer with imaging capability
Hardware has been produced for use in a variety of modular bus systems including VME, VXI, CAMAC and NIM as well as standalone units in custom enclosures. The NPG has extensive experience in the use of large density programmable electronic logic devices (Altera and Xilinx.)
If you would like to discuss your electronics system design requirements, please contact us.
Contact