Electronics,TriggerandDataAcquisition SummerStudentProgramme2013,CERN

W.Vandelli CERN/PH-ADT
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Introduction
Dataacquisitionisnotanexactscience.Itisanalchemyofelectronics, computerscience,networking,physics

,resourcesandmanpowermatteraswell,

IwillmostlyrefertoDAQinHighEnergyPhysics TopicsareprettymuchcorrelatedYouwillexperiencethisthroughthe lecturenonlinearities

Material and ideas from my predecessors (N.Neufeld and C.Gaspar), the Physics data acquisition and analysis lessons given by R.Ferrari at the University of Parma, Italy, Analog and Digital ElectronicsforDetectorsofH.SpielerandalllecturesofISOTDAQschools,inparticularM.Joosand C.Schwick

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

General Overview
Trigger and DAQ
trigger signals Trigger System Data Acquisition System decisions raw data Mass Storage

Detector & Trigger Simulation

Reconstruction & Analysis

Physics Results

OverallthemainroleofElectronicsTrigger&DAQistoprocessthesignals generatedinadetector,storingtheinterestinginformationonapermanent storage

July 2013 Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 3

Electronics

What is needed for?

Collectelectricalsignalsfromthedetector.Typicallyashortcurrentpulse Adaptthesignaltooptimizedifferent,incompatible,characteristicsCompromise

minimumdetectablesignal energymeasurement signalrate timing insensitivitytopulseshape

Digitizethesignal

allowforsubsequentprocessing,transmission,storageusingdigitalelectronics Computers,Networks,

July 2013

Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

Read-out chain
Detector Amplifier Filter Shaper Range compression Sampling
clock

Frontendelectronicsveryspecialized

custombuildtomatchdetector characteristics

Cannotdiscussalldesignand architecturedetails

ifyouareintoelectronicdesignyou alreadyknowmorethanme

Digital filter Zero suppression Buffer Feature extraction Buffer Format & Readout
July 2013

Findyourselfdealingorchoosing commercialelectronics

provideyouwithbaseguidelines

Selectedfunctionsandprinciples

Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

Read-out chain
Detector Amplifier Filter Shaper Range compression Sampling
clock

Digital filter Zero suppression Buffer Feature extraction Buffer Format & Readout
July 2013 Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 7

What is a signal?
Detectorelectricallyrepresentedbyacapacitor Cd

morerealisticschemewillincludeother contributions

Theinteractionwithapassingparticlegenerates asmallcurrentpulseisduetothereleaseof energyE

Currentpulsedurationcanrangefrom100psto O(10)s

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

Amplification
Signalsarepossiblyverysmall

improvesignalresolution,adaptitto nextstages improvesignaltonoiseratio

Using Using a a simple simple voltage voltage amplifier, amplifier, the the sensed sensed input input voltage voltage V Vii depends depends on on the the detector detector capacitance. capacitance. Detector Detector capacitance capacitance could could be be a a function function of of the the operation operation point point (e.g. (e.g. high high voltage) voltage) and/or and/or detector detector dimension. dimension.

QS Vi C d Ci

Additional Additional calibration calibration efforts efforts

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

Charge-Sensitive Amplification

Charge Charge amplification amplification only only depends depends on on a a well-controlled well-controlled component component

Large Large input input capacitance capacitance to to improve improve charge charge sharing sharing

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Signal-to-Noise ratio
Improvingsignaltonoiseratioimprovestheminimumdetectablesignal Electronicnoisedoesnotnecessarilydominateineverymeasurements

E E

fluc

noise

Fluctuations Fluctuations due due to to physical physical detection detection process process (e.g. (e.g. energy energy deposition) deposition) or or detector detector readout readout (e.g. (e.g. photomultiplier) photomultiplier)

Electronic Electronic noise noise Thermal Thermal noise: noise: velocity velocity fluctuations fluctuations in in charge charge carriers carriers Shot Shot noise: noise: fluctuations fluctuations in in carrier carrier number number (e.g. (e.g. diode diode barrier barrier crossing) crossing)
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July 2013

Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

Signal-to-Noise ratio
Improvingsignaltonoiseratioimprovestheminimumdetectablesignal Electronicnoisedoesnotnecessarilydominateineverymeasurements

E E

fluc

noise

S/N needs optimization

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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SNR and capacitance

GivenasignalchargeQs
Vn

AssuminganinputnoiseVn

SNR SNR inversely inversely proportional proportional to to input input capacitance capacitance

Thick Thick detectors detectors normally normally provide provide larger larger signals signals and and noise noise
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July 2013

Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

Read-out chain
Detector Amplifier Filter Shaper Range compression Sampling
clock

Digital filter Zero suppression Buffer Feature extraction Buffer Format & Readout
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Pulse shaping
ReducesignalbandwidthimproveSNR

fastrisingsignalshavelargebandwidth shaperbroadenssignals

Limitpulsewidthavoidoverlapofsuccessivepulses

increasemaximumsignalrateatthecostofmorenoise

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Pulse shaping
ReducesignalbandwidthimproveSNR

fastrisingsignalshavelargebandwidth shaperbroadenssignals

Limitpulsewidthavoidoverlapofsuccessivepulses

increasemaximumsignalrateatthecostofmorenoise

Shaping Shaping is is often often a a compromise compromise

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Read-out chain
Detector Amplifier Filter Shaper Range compression Sampling
clock

Digital filter Zero suppression Buffer Feature extraction Buffer Format & Readout
July 2013 Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 17

Analog to digital conversion: introduction

DigitizationEncodeaanalogvalueintoabinaryrepresentation
Entitytobemeasured Rulerunit

Compareentitywitharuler

Allow Allow further further processing processing and and storage storage in in digital digital electronics electronics and and eventually eventually computers computers

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Analog to digital conversion: Flash ADC

DigitizationEncodeaanalogvalueintoabinaryrepresentation
Entitytobemeasured Rulerunit

Compareentitywitharuler
Flash Flash ADC ADC

Vin

Vref R/2 R R R R/2

#M

start

busy

FlashADCsimplestandfastest implementation PerformsMcomparisonsinparallel

Encoder N=Log2(M+1)
#1

inputvoltageiscomparedwithMfractionsof areferencevoltage:Vref//(2M)(M1/2)Vref/M

Resultisencodedintoacompactbinaryform ofNbits

Differentialcomparator
Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 19

July 2013

Analog to digital conversion: Flash ADC

DigitizationEncodeaanalogvalueintoabinaryrepresentation
Entitytobemeasured Rulerunit

Compareentitywitharuler
Flash Flash ADC ADC

Vin

Vref R/2 R R R R/2

#M

ExampleM=3N=2
busy Vin/Vref <1/6 Comparison results 000 001 011 111 Encoded form 00 01 10 11

start

Encoder N=Log2(M+1)
#1

1/6 <3/6 3/6 <5/6 5/6

Differentialcomparator
Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 20

July 2013

ADC Characteristics
DigitizationEncodeaanalogvalueintoabinaryrepresentation
Entitytobemeasured Rulerunit

Compareentitywitharuler

Resolution(LSB),therulerunit:Vmax/2N

8bit,1VLSB=3.9mV

Quantizationerror,becauseoffinitesizeoftherulerunit: LSB/2 Dynamicrange:Vmax/LSB

NforlinearADC >NfornonlinearADC

constantrelativeresolutiononthevalidinputrange
Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 21

July 2013

ADC phase-space
Many Many different different ADC ADC technique technique exists, exists, mostly mostly because because of of the the trade-off trade-off between between speed, speed, resolution resolution and and power power consumption consumption (and (and cost) cost)
Speed (sampling rate) Power GHz
bipolar

>W

Flash CMOS Sub-Ranging Pipeline Successive Approximation

Hz 6

Sigma-Delta Ramp

Discrete

<mW

22 #Bits

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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ADC (In)Accuracies
ADC ADC Transfer Transfer function function Integral Integral & & Differential Differential Non-Linearity Non-Linearity

Extreme Extreme Differential Differential Non-Linearity Non-Linearity

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Real ADC at work

Realdatafromabeamtest@CERN PbWO4(scintillating)crystalequippedwithtwoPMTsandexposedtoe, and beams QDCchargeintegratorfollowedbyADC

ADC

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Real QDCs at work

Realdatafromabeamtest@CERN PbWO4(scintillating)crystalequippedwithtwoPMTsandexposedtoe,and beams
dN/dQ

Nice Nice pion-beam pion-beam chargechargedistribution distribution for for one one PMT PMT

QDC count
July 2013 Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 25

Real QDCs at work

Realdatafromabeamtest@CERN PbWO4(scintillating)crystalequippedwithtwoPMTsandexposedtoe,and beams
dN/dQ

Nice Nice pion-beam pion-beam chargechargedistribution distribution for for one one PMT PMT But, But, what what are are all all those those little little peaks? peaks? Just Just statistical statistical fluctuations? fluctuations? Let's Let's zoom zoom in! in!

QDC count
July 2013 Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 26

Real QDCs at work

dN/dQ

Bin with N entries shall fluctuate with =N

360~19(540 360)/19~10

Spikesareregularly distributed

Somesystematiceffectmust betakingplace

QDC count

Zoominabitmore!

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Real QDCs at work

415 & 416 0x19f & 0x1a0 431 & 432 0x1af & 0x1b0 447 & 448 0x1bf & 0x1c0

dN/dQ

Can Can you you see see the the effect? effect? The The QDC QDC prefers prefers output output configurations configurations of of type type xxx xxx0 0 in in respect respect of of those those like like xxxf xxxf Typical Typical differential differential nonnonlinearity linearity of of successive successive approximation approximation ADCs ADCs

QDC count

Homework: which is the simplest way to fix this problem in the data? At which cost?
July 2013 Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 28

Time measurement TDC

delay
clock f Clear Set

Nbit counter
reset

TDC

TimetoDigitalConverter Resolution:1/f Dynamicrange:N SinglehitTDC

e.g.anoisespikescomesjustbeforethe signalmeasureislost

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Multi-hit TDC
clock f gate

Nbit counter
reset

Memor y

hit

Gateresetsandstartsthecounter.Italsoprovidesthemeasurementperiod. Itmustbesmallerthan2N/f Eachhit(i.e.signal)forcesamemory(FIFO)toloadthecurrentvalueof thecounter,thatisthedelayafterthegatestart

inordertodistinguishbetweenhitsbelongingtodifferentgates,someadditional logicisneedtotagthedata

Commonstartconfiguration

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Real TDCs
Common-stop Common-stop TDC TDC

RealTDCsprovideadvancedfunctionalitiesforfinetuningthehittrigger matching

internalprogrammabledelays internalgenerationofprogrammablegates programmablerejectionframes

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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Calibration

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Calibration
Oftenourexperimentsproviderelativemeasurements.Thevaluesobtained viaoursystemareinsome(known)relationwiththeinterestingquantity

duetophysicaldetectionmechanism duetosignalprocessing

Detectorsneedtobecalibratedinordertogiveustheanswerwearelookingfor

determinetheparametersthattransformtherawdataintoaphysicsquantities normallydependontheexperimentalsetup(e.g.cablelength,delaysettings,HV settings,) parametersmightchangewithaging(radiation)andbeamconditions

ThedesignofourdetectorandDAQhavetoforeseencalibration mechanisms/procedures

injectionofknownsignals dedicatedcalibrationtriggersanddatastreams
Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli 33

July 2013

ATLAS Tile Calorimeter Calibration

PMT PMT non-linearities non-linearities Laser Laser System System ADC ADC count count to to charge charge Charge Charge Injection Injection System System Detector Detector non-uniformities non-uniformities Cesium Cesium System System

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Electronics, Trigger and Data Acquisition - W.Vandelli

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