Evolution of the Design of a Second Generation FireWire Based Data Acquisition System

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Instrumentation
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Previous work established FireWire-based data acquisition for depth-of-interaction detectors.
• Modern advancements necessitate an updated system architecture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the design of an upgraded data acquisition system for depth-of-interaction detectors.
• To leverage field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for integrated system functions.

Main Methods:

• The system centers on an acquisition node board (ANB) with 64 serial ADC channels and one high-speed parallel ADC.
• FPGA implementation includes FireWire, embedded processor, and pulse timing/integration.
• Adapter boards convert detector signals for ANB compatibility and include coincidence window logic.

Main Results:

• The updated system integrates most functions within the FPGA, including FireWire elements and signal processing.
• The ANB design supports 64 serial ADC channels, a high-speed parallel ADC, and FireWire 1394b.
• Design considerations focused on minimizing PCB layers and preserving signal integrity.

Conclusions:

• The new FPGA-centric design offers a robust and efficient data acquisition solution.
• The system is optimized for depth-of-interaction detector applications.
• Careful design choices ensure high-fidelity signal transmission and processing.