High-Resolution Imager Based on Time-to-Space Conversion

Abstract

We present an high-resolution 3D (X,Y,t) imager for time-resolved experiments based on time-to-space conversion. The system uses Cross Delay-Line detectors (CDL) for particle identification and a fully-configurable digital processor based on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) for the 3D image reconstruction. The instrument reaches a spatial resolution of 45 μm FWHM (i.e.,18 μm r.m.s.) and a temporal precision of 15 ps r.m.s.. The detection rate achieved is 10 Mcps, with a dead-time below 7 ns, leading to a global throughput up to 6 Gb/s. In addition to the state-of-the-art performance, the innovative aspect of the presented contribution resides in the complete reconfigurability of the instrument: it is, in fact, the first time that the Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) used for the time-to-space conversion, has been fully implemented in programmable logic, without the use of dedicated Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) components. This advancement allows to adapt the instrument to the experimental setup without undergoing impractical hardware modifications.