Optimization of the readout electronics for microchannel plate delay line anodes

John V. Vallerga; Jason B. McPhate

doi:10.1117/12.410543

18 December 2000 Optimization of the readout electronics for microchannel plate delay line anodes

John V. Vallerga, Jason B. McPhate

Proceedings Volume 4139, Instrumentation for UV/EUV Astronomy and Solar Missions; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.410543
Event: International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, 2000, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Many current and future space missions use microchannel plate (MCP) detectors with delay line anode readouts (e.g. FUSE, GALEX and the FUV detector on the upcoming Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope). Delay line anodes are used to measure the position of the centroid of the charge clouds that exit MCP detectors. This is accomplished by measuring the time difference between the arrival of the pulse at both ends of the delay line. The spatial resolution of this position determination is dependent on the accuracy of the temporal measurement. These high frequency pulses (approximately 100 MHz) are usually amplified and directed to constant fraction discriminators (CFDs) whose output pulses start and stop a time to amplitude converter (TAC). This paper reviews the optimization of these circuit elements. It includes the characteristics of various delay line types (serpentine and helical) and their effect on pulse shape. The choice of amplifier filter bandpass and optimum fraction and delay for the CFDs is also presented. Examples are taken from the MCP detectors on the missions mentioned above.

Citation Download Citation

John V. Vallerga and Jason B. McPhate "Optimization of the readout electronics for microchannel plate delay line anodes", Proc. SPIE 4139, Instrumentation for UV/EUV Astronomy and Solar Missions, (18 December 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.410543

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