Katherine: Ethernet Embedded Readout Interface for Timepix3

Abstract

The Timepix3—the latest generation of hybrid particle pixel detectors of Medipix family—yields a lot of new possibilities, i.e. a high hit-rate, a time resolution of 1.56 ns, event data-driven readout mode, and the capability of measuring the Time-over-Threshold (ToT - energy) and the Time-of-Arrival (ToA) simultaneously. This paper introduces a newly developed readout device for the Timepix3, called "Katherine", featuring a Gigabit Ethernet interface. The primary benefit of the Katherine is the operation of Timepix3 at long distance (up to 100 m) from computer or server, which is advantageous for the installation at beam lines, where the access is difficult or where radiation levels are too high for human interventions. The maximal hit-rate is limited by the bandwidth of the Ethernet connection (peer-to-peer connection; up to 16 Mhit/s). Since the Katherine interface is equipped with a processor of high computational power (ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core processor), it permits the use as a stand-alone (autonomous) radiation detector. The key features of the device are described in detail. These are the implemented high voltage power supply offering both polarities of bias voltage (up to ± 300 V), the automatic data sending to a sever via SSH, the automatic compensation of ToA values from columns with shifted matrix clock, etc. A dedicated control software was developed, which can be used for the detector preparation (sensor equalization, the DACs dependency scan, and the THL scan) and measurement control. Measured energy spectra from photon fields are shown.

A USB 3.0 readout system for Timepix3 detectors with on-board processing capabilities

“…Furthermore, we demonstrated a way to improve the detector's resolution utilising the simultaneous energy and time information in combination with high-Z detector materials. 10.1088/1748-0221/13/11/C11017…”

“…Commercially available readout systems for T 3 are SPIDR (LynX 1800) [7,8], AdvaDAQ [9], and Katherine [10]. However, these systems did not grant firmware access, thus preventing the implementation of on-board processing.…”

“…The mezzanine card is designed to connect a CERN T 3 chipboard via a VHDCI connector and on the other side to the FPGA card with 2 SAMTEC connectors. Furthermore, it contains SLVS-to-LVDS level converters, a multi-channel analogue-to-digital converter (ADC), JTAG (an 10.1088/1748-0221/13/11/C11017 industry standard named after the Joint Test Action Group) for debugging and power supply to the T 3 chipboard.…”

Timepix3 as solid-state time-projection chamber in particle and nuclear physics

“…The ToA is measured with a precision of 1.56 ns. The necessary energy calibration and time-walk correction methodology is described in [6] and [1,2], respectively.…”

Characterisation of Timepix3 with 3D sensor

“…The readout interface, Katherine [5], has a bandwidth of 16 Mhit/s or 16 Mpix/s with a Gigabit Ethernet interface. Timepix3 has the capability to work in self-trigger mode with a set threshold low (THL) value.…”