[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Flash ADC Timing



On Fri, 16 Nov 2007, Matthew Shepherd wrote:

Fernando and Matt,

i think we all agree test are needed we can do what was suggested in the
report. Currently we have 5 250MHz FADCs. I suggest that on Wednesday in
the weekly Hall D meeting we find out how many FADCs pleople might need
for test stands and than see we have to produce more.

bye elke



> Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:46:11 -0500
> From: Matthew Shepherd <mashephe@indiana.edu>
> To: Fernando J. Barbosa <barbosa@jlab.org>
> Cc: halld-cal@jlab.org
> Subject: Re: Flash ADC Timing
>
>
> Hi Fernando,
>
> I understand the claims in the document are rather optimistic;
> however, the fact of the matter is that we probably just need timing
> resolution roughly on the scale of sampling rate to suppress beam-
> related out of time noise.
>
> If you have a real fADC that is ready for use we're happy to take it
> and get it setup and running here.  This would serve many purposes --
> probably most important at this point is that we could use the real
> PMT, light guide, base, and fADC that we plan for the actual
> experiment to readout just one bar and probe the low energy threshold
> of the calorimeter using cosmic rays (and guidance from simulation).
>
> -Matt
>
>
> On Nov 16, 2007, at 3:01 PM, Fernando J. Barbosa wrote:
>
> > Hi Matt,
> >
> >    I am familiar with those documents and I recall that at the time
> > we started developing the fADC (~2 years?), I suggested that
> > someone needed to take some real data with Paul's single-channel
> > prototype and try doing the prescribed fittings, etc. To the best
> > of my knowledge, no one in the collaboration has done that.
> >
> >    Referring to the document, the algorithm relies on finding the
> > exact pulse peak and getting the two preceding samples to determine
> > the 50% time, for instance. The exact peak was determined from
> > sampling at 2.5 GHz (400 ps intervals) and fitting the data with a
> > 9th degree polynomial. The data was then "degraded" to provide the
> > equivalent of 8 or 10-bit, 250 MHz (4 ns intervals) sampling. Note
> > that the exact peak is critical for the algorithm to provide the
> > quoted resolution, although these details are missing from the
> > document.
> >
> >    The real fADC, and sampling at 250 MHz, will not provide a
> > sample of the true pulse peak. I believe that such "fluctuation"
> > will degrade the effective resolution considerably. So, I suggest
> > that this needs to be checked with a real fADC, perform the
> > algorithm on real raw fADC data (offline) and determined the
> > effective resolution that can be achieved by this method. Obtaining
> > 400 ps resolution from 4 ns data points and from 10 ns pulse rise
> > times seems difficult to me. We actually may have to shape (i.e.
> > slow) the pulse to get more samples on the leading edge of the
> > pulse. Once the algorithm is well understood, it will need to be
> > implemented in a relatively simple/compact manner to fit within the
> > resources of the FPGAs or board memory. Eventually, any data that
> > is passed up the chain must be balanced with the backplane bandwidth.
> >
> >    Let me suggest you set up a test with the real PMTs/bases/
> > scintillator/fiber/laser and get data with a real fADC, a TDC and
> > CFD. We could lend you one fADC-250 to get the raw data. Let me
> > know what you decide and how I can help.
> >
> > Best regards,
> > Fernando
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Matthew Shepherd wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >> The study I was referring to has been linked to the FCAL page here:
> >>
> >> http://www.jlab.org/Hall-D/software/wiki/index.php/FCAL
> >>
> >> This work was done about 3 years ago and claims a resolution of
> >> about ~160 ps can be achieved.  This is far better than is
> >> actually needed to push down backgrounds.  I think Scott had in
> >> mind another application:  using the FCAL to determine the event
> >> start time.  The algorithm does a transformation of the leading
> >> edge of the pulse to determine the start time and depends on
> >> having the two samples before the peak on the leading edge.
> >>
> >> I believe Paul had planned to implement this in a simple lookup
> >> table which would require about 65K of memory on the chip.
> >> Perhaps that could be optimized even more.  It was never
> >> investigated in detail mainly because it seemed like something
> >> relatively easy to implement.  All of these buffers will need some
> >> processing -- the drift chambers will also depend on the timing
> >> algorithms that are built into the flash ADCs.
> >>
> >> -Matt
> >>
> >>
> >> <barbosa.vcf>
>
>

 ( `,_' )+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=
  )    `\                                                  -
 /    '. |                                                  +
 |       `,              Elke-Caroline Aschenauer            =
  \,_  `-/                                                    -
  ,&&&&&V         Jefferson Lab                                +
 ,&&&&&&&&:       HALL-D 12C / F381       121-A Atlantic Avenue =
,&&&&&&&&&&;      Mailstop: 12H5          Hampton, VA 23664      -
|  |&&&&&&&;\     12000 Jefferson Ave                             +
|  |       :_) _  Newport News, VA 23606  Tel.:  001-757-224-1216  =
|  |       ;--' | Mail:  elke@jlab.org    Mobil: 001-757-256-5224   -
'--'   `-.--.   |                                                    +
   \_    |  |---' Tel.:  001-757-269-5352                             =
     `-._\__/     Fax.:  001-757-269-6248                              -
            +=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+