An integrated CMOS time interval measurement system with subnanosecond resolution for the WA-98 calorimeter
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
The time interval measurement system of the WA-98 calorimeter is presented. This system consists of a constant fraction discriminator (CFD), a variable delay circuit, a time-to-amplitude converter (TAC), and a Wilkinson analog-to-digital converter (ADC) all realized in a 1.2-{micro}m N-well CMOS process. These circuits measured the time interval between a reference logic signal and a photomultiplier tube (PMT) signal that had amplitude variations of 100:1 and 10-ns rise and fall times. The system operated over the interval range from 2 ns to 200 ns with a resolution of {approximately}{+-}300 ps including all walk and jitter components. The variable delay circuit allowed the CFD output to be delayed /by up to 1 {micro}s with a jitter component of {approximately}0.04% of the delay setting. These circuits operated with a 5-V power supply. Although this application was in nuclear physics instrumentation, these circuits could also be useful in other scientific measurements, medical imaging, automatic test equipment, ranging systems, and industrial electronics.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 471084
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Journal Name: IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 32; ISSN IJSCBC; ISSN 0018-9200
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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