Architecture and Implementation of OpenPET Firmware and Embedded Software

Area of Science:

• Instrumentation
• Data Acquisition Systems
• Radiation Detection

Background:

• Radiation detector signals share common characteristics: energy-proportional pulses and timing information from leading edges.
• Existing systems may lack flexibility for diverse detector modules and applications.
• A need exists for a high-performance, modular platform for multi-channel data acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce OpenPET, an open-source, high-performance platform for multi-channel data acquisition and analysis.
• To demonstrate the platform's adaptability for various detector modules and applications, including medical imaging and homeland security.
• To detail the generic design methodology applied to OpenPET's hardware, firmware, and software.

Main Methods:

• Developed a modular and extendible hardware, firmware, and software architecture.
• Implemented a generic design approach for analog signal processing.
• Utilized Detector Boards for independent channel processing and Support Boards for data aggregation and correlation.

Main Results:

• The OpenPET platform supports multi-channel data acquisition and analysis with a flexible architecture.
• The system can interface with diverse detector modules for medical imaging and homeland security.
• Configurable system sizes accommodate up to 1,024 channels (Standard) or 16,384 channels (Large).

Conclusions:

• OpenPET provides a high-performance, adaptable solution for multi-channel radiation detection data.
• The platform's modularity and generic design facilitate integration with various detector types and applications.
• OpenPET is suitable for both medical imaging and homeland security applications requiring extensive channel processing.