UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE - HO CHI MINH CITY FACULTY OF PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING PHYSICS DEPARTMENT OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS

UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

DEVELOPMENT OF MCA (FLASH-ADC/FPGA

BASED) FOR GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
STUDENT : BI TUN KHI ADVISOR : MSc. NGUYN QUC HNG REVIEWER: MSc. L CNG HO

Introduction and Motivation

MCA (Flash-ADC/FPGA) LabVIEWTM interface

OUTLINE
Evaluation of MCA NaI(Tl) gamma spectroscopy

Conclusions and Proposals

INTRODUCTION & MOTIVATION

Flash-ADC and FPGA technology have been applied in nuclear experiments and aimed some better results in comparison to traditional analog chain (CAEN, Nomachis group, etc.). Module Flash-ADC/FPGA has been developed since 2010 by BSc. Nguyn Thnh Trc, MSc. L Thnh Nhim and MSc. Nguyn Quc Hng for cosmic ray spectroscopy and HPGe spectroscopy. For development of MCA (Flash-ADC/FPGA based) for higher dose rate gamma spectroscopy using NaI(Tl) 3inch x 3inch, MCA is sped

up by using a Histogram Memory.

1

RADIATION SPECTROSCOPY
Detector Pre-Amp Amp MCA (Pulse Height Analyzer PHA) Display

MCA (Pulse Charge Integration Analyzer - PCIA)

Control Logic
U (miliVolt)

ADC

Memory

Pulse height

Ui

N CI = i=1 Ui

t (microsec)

The Gaussian shape pulse from amplifier is the input of multichannel analyzer (MCA).
In commercial MCA (or a PHA), a pulse height is the only concerned information to build up a histogram.

With modern developed techniques (of ADC), shape of pulse is recorded to calculate
charge integration of pulse.

MCA USING Flash-ADC/FPGA

Multichannel Analyzer Detector Pre-Amp Amp FlashADC FPGA RS-232
Computer LabVIEW interface

MCA (Flash-ADC/FPGA)

LabVIEWTM inteface

The development of MCA based on Flash-ADC/FPGA board is to write a VHDL code for embedded FPGA chip. Development of computer LabVIEWTM interface for triggering and data taking.

MCA (FlashADC/FPGA)

Multichannel Analyzer

Detector

Pre-Amp

Amp

Flash-ADC

FPGA

RS-232

LabVIEW interface

Flash-ADC: Digitize analog signals Speed: 250MHz Resolution: 8-bit Voltage dynamic range: 1000mV Flash-ADC FPGA: Figure pulse height Figure pulse charge integration Build up Histogram Memory Transmit Histogram Memory to computer

RS-232
FPGA chip

FPGA VHDL code developed in 2010 by MSc. Nguyn Quc Hng makes FPGA computes
precise tasks of MCA (trigger, pedestal, height of pulse, integration of pulse). In this thesis, VHDL code is modified to build up a Histogram by charge integration of pulse right inside FPGA chip and separately transmits Histograms information to computer

Embedded VHDL code to write data into Histogram Memory

Embedded VHDL code to read data from Histogram Memory

LabVIEWTM interface

Multichannel Analyzer Detector Pre-Amp Amp Flash-ADC FPGA RS-232 LabVIEW interface

Interact directly with FPGA. Control trigger, size of buffer, time to measure.
1 5 9 10 11 14 12 2 6 3 7 4 8 13

Presents number of events, spectrums, pulses (as digital oscilloscope).

15 Save data into file.

LabVIEWTM interface Saved data can be used to analyze or present spectrum by familiar software (Genie 2K, Origin) Channels

Counts

Evaluation of MCA and gamma spectroscopy using NaI(Tl) 3inch x 3inch

Evaluation of MCA (Flash-ADC/FPGA) by using pulse generator Time response (dead-time) Linearity of MCA (Flash-ADC/FPGA) Evaluation of gamma spectroscopy using NaI(Tl) 3inch x 3inch

Energy calibration (linearity of gamma spectroscopy)

Energy resolution
8

Evaluation of MCA by using pulse generator

Pulse Generator Amplifier MCA (Flash-ADC/ FPGA) RS-232 Computer LabVIEW interface

Digital Oscilloscope for monitoring

Fig.3.1. Diagram of experiment layout with pulse generator Pulse generator generates square pulses with different widths and frequencies, controlled by users. Square pulses are shaped by amplifier and become Gaussian shape. Shaped pulses are fed into (Flash-ADC/FPGA) with stable amplitudes and frequencies. For time response, frequency: 12Hz to 12207Hz. Pulse generator For linearity of MCA, amplitude: 51mV to 1000mV Time of measurement is 100 seconds.

TIME RESPONSE
Table 3.1. DAQ speed of MCA Frequency (Hz) Events/sec (sec-1) 3052 events/sec

12
24 48

12.05
24.09 48.17 547 events/sec

95
191 381

96.33
192.65 385.29

763
1526 3052

770.57
1541.12 3082.24 Fig.3.2. Graph of DAQ of MCA 5.6 times faster than previous VHDL code: 3052 events/sec compared with 547 events/sec. The MCA detects pulses in frequency of 3kHz without dead-time.

6104
12207

3082.24
4109.96

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LINEARITY OF MCA (FLASH-ADC/FPGA)

R-square = 0.99994

Fig.3.3. Spectrum of amplitudes

peaks

with

varied

Fig.3.4. Linear fit of located channels

amplitudes

and

We investigate amplitude in voltage dynamic range of Flash-ADC: 51mV to1000mV Linearity of MCA is good with R-square = 0.99994

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Gamma spectroscopy using MCA and NaI(Tl) 3 x 3

Detector NaI(Tl) Pre-Amp Amp

Computer MCA RS-232 LabVIEW (Flash-ADC/ interface FPGA)

Fig.3.5. Diagram of Experiment layout with gamma spectroscopy To figure to responses of gamma spectroscopy using MCA (Flash-ADC/FPGA)

and NaI(Tl) 3inch x 3inch.

METHODE: RI sources: 133Ba (0.1Ci) and 152Eu (1.05Ci) Time of measurement: 1000 seconds. Set up experiments to get spectrums. Estimate energy calibration, energy resolution.

15

Gamma spectroscopy using MCA and NaI(Tl) 3 x 3

791342 events

726745 events

Fig.3.6. Spectrum of 152Eu Spectrums of 152Eu and 133Ba contains energy peaks varied from 36.6 keV to 1.4 MeV.

Fig.3.7. Spectrum of 133Ba

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ENERGY CALIBRATION
Table 3.9. Detected energies Energy (keV) 80.10 121.78 244.70 302.90 344.28 356.00 778.90 964.08 1085.90 1408.00 Channel 143 220 462 572 653 677 1503 1830 2096 2650 Fig.3.8. Graph of energy calibration

E(keV) = (1.958 4.738) + (0.524 0.003) Ch, Rsquare = 0.99982

Measured energy is in range of 2.1 MeV 17

ENERGY RESOLUTION
FWHM x100 Mean Table 3.11. Obtained results of Gaussian fit Resolution(%) = Radioisotopes Energy (keV) 121.78 244.70 Channel 220 462 FWHM 27.9 43.3 R (%) 12.6 9.4 R-square 0.972 0.971

344.28
152Eu

654
1503 1830

54.8
85.3 91.0

8.4
5.7 4.9

0.990
0.905 0.890

778.90 964.08

1085.90
1408.00 80.10
133Ba

2096
2650 143

126.1
133.3 25.6

6.0
5.0 17.9

0.964
0.954 0.98

302.90
356.00

572
677

43.2
57.1

7.6
8.4

0.976
0.996

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ENERGY RESOLUTION

Resolution at energy of

1MeV is about 5%-6%.

964.08 keV: 4.9% 1085.90 keV: 6.0%

Fig.3.9. Graph of energy resolution

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SUMMARY
Using Histogram Memory in VHDL code achieved some goals in experiments with pulse generator and gamma spectroscopy using NaI(Tl). Experiments with pulse generator: o 5-6 times faster than the old VHDL code (3052 events/s compared with 547 events/s) In comparison with commercial MCAs, speed of MCA (Flash-ADC/FPGA) is too slow and can be used for low dose-rate experiments. o Good linearity o Suitable parameters to reduce the loss of events. Experiments with gamma spectroscopy:

o E(keV) = (1.958 4.738) + (0.524 0.003) Ch, Rsquare = 0.99982

o Measured energies are in range of 2.1 MeV. o Resolution is quite good.

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PROPOSALS
Other transmission cables with higher speed should be concerned. USB cable with speed of 480MBytes/sec should considered (speed of RS-232 cable is 115200 bits/sec). Other experiments (efficiency, dead-time, etc.) should be carried out to

find all responses of a gamma spectroscopy using MCA (FlashADC/FPGA).

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Amplitude Channels

Single datum

Time bin
Digitized pulse signal 2
Amplitude (V)

Trigger level

Amplitude Channels

Time bin
Trigger rising edge

Elements (Time bin)

Storing in buffer

pointer = 0 max = 0

datum(pointer) > max TRUE max = datum(pointer) posi_max = pointer

FALSE

pointer = pointer + 1

FALSE

pointer = [size of buffer] TRUE Integration process

pointer = 0 sum = 0 Height of Pulse Right Peak posi_max - L < pointer < posi_max + R Left Peak TRUE Integration of Pulse Elements in Buffer (Time bin) sum = sum + datum(pointer) pointer = pointer +1

Amplitude Channels

FALSE

FALSE

pointer = [size of buffer] TRUE Storing in HM

Reading process

FALSE Update latest data

stop = 0

TRUE Update data continuously

Reset HM

25

Apparatus

Parameters Coarse gain

Value 20 5-1.0

Canberra 2026 amplifier

6sec 15

Fine gain Shaping time Time to stop Left Peak

100sec

LabVIEW spectrum interface Number Data Out Delay Time bin 150 60 94

Right Peak

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Table A. Variable freq and frequency generated by pulse generator

freq 0

Frequency
(Hz) 12500000

freq 11

Frequency
(Hz) 6104

25 . 106 Frequency (Hz) = (freq +1) 2

1
2 3

6250000
3125000 1562500

12
13 14

3052
1526 763

4
5 6

781250
390625 195313

15
16 17

381
191 95

7
8 9

97656
48828 24414

18
19 20

48
24 12

10

12207