P. Branchini

High-precision time-to-digital converter in a FPGA device

The construction and design process of a high-resolution time-interval measuring system implemented in a SRAM-based FPGA device is discussed in this paper. The TDC can increase the precision on the measurement by interpolating time within the system clock cycle. A two step phase interpolation has been performed, one based on the phase information delivered by the VIRTEX-5 DCM and thus providing a fine time, a second level phase interpolation was based on carry lines thus delivering an iper fine time measurement. We have designed and built a PCB hosting a Virtex-5 Xilinx FPGA. In this paper we show the main characteristics of the board and the performance achieved in terms of resolution.

The Argo YBJ Daq System and the GRID Based Data Transfer

The Argo-YBJ experiment has now reached its final design configuration. The detector system consists of a full coverage array (about 5800 square meters) of resistive plate chambers (RPCs). The throughput depends on the trigger rate and threshold. The DAQ system must be able to sustain a maximum transfer rate of the order of 15 MB/s and a high peak data flow. Data are read out using a typical front-end acquisition chain built around a custom bus. Specialized electronics have been designed and dedicated software has been written to perform this task. Data are sent to the online farm through a switch exploiting a gigabit ethernet protocol. A solution to transfer data from the YBJ laboratory to the laboratories belonging to the Argo-YBJ collaboration exploiting the GRID middleware has also been implemented. In this paper we describe the daq and the data mover main characteristics and performance.

Logic gates and memory elements design and simulation using PMOS organic transistor

Multi-flngered OTFTs, with staggered top-gate configuration have been fabricated on flexible polyethylene-naphtalate (PEN) substrates (100 μm thick). Inkjet printing technique has been used to setup the silver contacts, while the organic layers and the dielectric fluoropolymer have been deposited by spin-coating. The p-type polymeric semiconductor is a solution processed 6,13-bis(triisopropyl-silyletynyl) pentacene. The semiconductor layer thickness is about 30 nm, while the dielectric fluoropolymer is 400 nm thick. These transistors have been characterized and a DC, and a transient accurate models have been developed and imported in CADENCE. Finally, SPECTRE has been used to simulate model circuits based on such a device. In this work we describe the design of high frequency logic gates and preliminary flip-flops design, exploiting PMOS organic transistor and its expected performances.

Monitoring complex detectors: the uSOP approach in the Belle II experiment

uSOP is a general purpose single board computer designed for deep embedded applications in control and monitoring of detectors, sensors and complex laboratory equipments. It is based on the AM3358 (1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor), equipped with USB and Ethernet interfaces. On-board RAM and solid state storage allows hosting a full LINUX distribution. In this paper we discuss the main aspects of the hardware and software design and the expandable peripheral architecture built around field busses. We report on several applications of uSOP system in the Belle II experiment, presently under construction at KEK (Tsukuba, Japan). In particular we will report the deployment of uSOP in the monitoring system framework of the endcap electromagnetic calorimeter.

A Service-Oriented Platform for Embedded Monitoring Systems in Belle II Experiment

uSOP is a general purpose single board computer designed for deep embedded applications in control and monitoring of detectors, sensors, and complex laboratory equipment. In this paper, we present its deployment in the monitoring system framework of the ECL endcap calorimeter of the Belle2 experiment, presently under construction at the KEK Laboratory (Tsukuba, Japan). We discuss the main aspects of the hardware and software architectures tailored on the needs of a detector designed around CsI scintillators.