A lightweight, user-configurable detector ASIC digital architecture with on-chip data compression for MHz X-ray coherent diffraction imaging

Abstract

Today, most X-ray pixel detectors used at light sources transmit raw pixel data off the detector ASIC. With the availability of more advanced ASIC technology nodes for scientific application, more digital functionalities from the computing domains (e.g., compression) can be integrated directly into a detector ASIC to increase data velocity. In this paper, we describe a lightweight, user-configurable detector ASIC digital architecture with on-chip compression which can be implemented in 130 nm technologies in a reasonable area on the ASIC periphery. In addition, we present a design to efficiently handle the variable data from the stream of parallel compressors. The architecture includes user-selectable lossy and lossless compression blocks. The impact of lossy compression algorithms is evaluated on simulated and experimental X-ray ptychography datasets. This architecture is a practical approach to increase pixel detector frame rates towards the continuous 1 MHz regime for not only coherent imaging techniques such as ptychography, but also for other diffraction techniques at X-ray light sources.

Neural network methods for radiation detectors and imaging

“…Furthermore, as advancements in ASIC technology have enabled greater integration of digital functionalities for scientific applications, there has been growing interest in incorporating compression capabilities directly within ASIC detectors to enhance data processing speed. ASIC architectures capable of frame rates approaching 1 MHz have been designed, providing a viable solution for enhancing the speed of various diffraction techniques employed at X-ray light sources, including those relying on coherent imaging methodologies like ptychography [161]. Developing ASIC compression strategies that exploit the structure in detector data enables high compression performance while requiring lower computational complexity than commonly used lossless compression methods like LZ4 [161].…”

“…ASIC architectures capable of frame rates approaching 1 MHz have been designed, providing a viable solution for enhancing the speed of various diffraction techniques employed at X-ray light sources, including those relying on coherent imaging methodologies like ptychography [161]. Developing ASIC compression strategies that exploit the structure in detector data enables high compression performance while requiring lower computational complexity than commonly used lossless compression methods like LZ4 [161].…”