A high-speed event-driven active pixel sensor readout for photon-counting microchannel plate detectors

Randy A. Kimble; Bedabrata Pain; Monico Ortiz; Julie B. Heynssens; Timothy J. Norton; J. Patrick Haas

doi:10.1117/12.459826

24 February 2003 A high-speed event-driven active pixel sensor readout for photon-counting microchannel plate detectors

Randy A. Kimble, Bedabrata Pain, Monico Ortiz, Julie B. Heynssens, Timothy J. Norton, J. Patrick Haas

Proceedings Volume 4854, Future EUV/UV and Visible Space Astrophysics Missions and Instrumentation; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459826
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

We describe a novel readout system for photon-counting microchannel plate detectors, based on a custom-designed event-driven CMOS Active Pixel Sensor (APS). The event-driven APS device is fiber-optically coupled to the microchannel plate intensifier in a configuration analogous to that employed in intensified CCDs (ICCDs). APS technology permits the incorporation of comparator circuitry within each pixel. When coupled with suitable CMOS logic outside the array area, the comparators can be used to trigger the readout of small sub-array windows only when and where intensified photon events have been detected. The event-driven APS readout thus completely eliminates the local dynamic range limitation of ICCDs, while achieving a high global count rate capability and delivering high (MCP-limited) spatial resolution (through sub-pixel centroiding of the event splashes, performed off-chip). We elaborate on this concept and the design of the event-driven APS below.

Citation Download Citation

Randy A. Kimble, Bedabrata Pain, Monico Ortiz, Julie B. Heynssens, Timothy J. Norton, and J. Patrick Haas "A high-speed event-driven active pixel sensor readout for photon-counting microchannel plate detectors", Proc. SPIE 4854, Future EUV/UV and Visible Space Astrophysics Missions and Instrumentation, (24 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459826

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