TARGET: A multi-channel digitizer chip for very-high-energy gamma-ray telescopes

Bechtol K, Funk S, Okumura A, Ruckman LL, Simons A, Tajima H, Vandenbroucke J, Varner GS (2012)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2012

Journal

Astroparticle Physics Elsevier

Book Volume: 36

Pages Range: 156-165

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2012.05.016

Abstract

The next-generation very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray observatory, the Cherenkov Telescope Array, will feature dozens of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), each with thousands of pixels of photo-sensors. To be affordable and reliable, reading out such an array of up to a million channels requires event recording technology that is highly integrated and modular, with a low cost per channel. We present the design and performance of a chip targeted to this application: the TeV Array Readout with GSa/s sampling and Event Trigger (TARGET). This application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) has 16 parallel input channels, a 4096-sample buffer for each channel, adjustable input termination, self-trigger functionality, and tight window-selected readout. We report the performance of the first-generation version of this chip (TARGET 1) in terms of sampling frequency, power consumption, dynamic range, current-mode gain, analog bandwidth, and cross talk. The large number of channels per chip allows a low cost per channel ($10 to $20 including front-end and back-end electronics but not including photosensors) to be achieved with a TARGET-based IACT readout system. In addition to basic performance parameters of the TARGET 1 chip, we present a camera module prototype as well as a second-generation chip (TARGET 2), both of which have now been produced. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V-. All rights reserved.

Authors with CRIS profile

Stefan Funk

Involved external institutions

Stanford University US United States (USA) (US) University of Hawaii (U.H.) US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Bechtol, K., Funk, S., Okumura, A., Ruckman, L.L., Simons, A., Tajima, H.,... Varner, G.S. (2012). TARGET: A multi-channel digitizer chip for very-high-energy gamma-ray telescopes. Astroparticle Physics, 36(1), 156-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2012.05.016

MLA:

Bechtol, K., et al. "TARGET: A multi-channel digitizer chip for very-high-energy gamma-ray telescopes." Astroparticle Physics 36.1 (2012): 156-165.

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