Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Design and Construction of a Multi-Channel Analyzer (MCA) with Communication Capability Through USB

Document Type : Scientific Note

Authors

P Horriyat Pajooh
Y Vosoughi
S. R Hadian Amraei
Abstract
A PC-Based gamma-ray spectrometer has been developed with communication capability through the USB port. A 12-bit pipelined Analog-To-Digital Converter (ADC) associated with a FPGA operating at 12MHz is employed for pulse height analysis from a built-in pulse amplifier. Data Acquisition via USB port is programmed in the FPGA. The USB transfer rate was 921600 bits per second. The software implemented in the Lab-View software environment for saving, analyzing and displaying data on PC in the energy range of 4096 channels was used. The overall system performance was tested using a Na(Tl) crystal coupled PMT scintillation detector, and gamma standard radioactive sources of Cs-137 and Co-60. The integral nonlinearity of ±0.45% was obtained by an experiment. Both low cost and compact size of the system as a result of design specification were also verified. A 7.6% energy resolution was adopted for Cs-137 out of 662keV. During the same experiment, values of 6.64% and 6.16% were determined with Co-60 source (in 1.17MeV and 1.32MeV energies).

Highlights

  1. Development of a fast 12-bit ADC for a nuclear spectroscopy system DinhSyHien*, Toshihiko Senzaki Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, A 457 (2001) 356-360.

 2.   Design of Data Acquisition and Storage System Based on the FPGA YonghaiNing, ZongqiangGuo, SenShen, Bo Peng Procedia Engineering, 29 (2012) 2927-2931.

 3.   Pocket PC-based portable gamma-ray spectrometer Kamontip Ploykrachang, Decho Thong-Aram*, SuvitPunnachaiya and Somchai Baotong Department of Nuclear Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand (2011) Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol, 33 (2), (Mar- Apr 2011) 215-219.

 4.   Model 8701 ADC User's Manual, CANBERRA Industries Inc, Meridan, CT, U.S.A. (2007).

 5.   Nuclear Electronics book P.W. Nicholson.

 6.   The manual of the operational characteristics of a NaI(Tl) Scintillation Detector used this experiment.

 7.   Multi Channel Analyser, Prepared by Dusan Ponikvar University of Ljubljana, Slovenia A Technical Document Issued by The IAEA Vienna (2001).

 8.   Datasheet of ADC1202012-Bit, 20 MSPS, 185 mW A/D Converter with Internal Sample-and-Hold.

 9.   Spectroscopy of high rate events during active interrogation, H. Yang, D.K. Wehe, D.M. Bartels, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, 598, Issue 3 (January 2009) 779-787.

Keywords

Multi Channel Analyzer (MCA)
USB Port
FPGA
Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
  1. Development of a fast 12-bit ADC for a nuclear spectroscopy system DinhSyHien*, Toshihiko Senzaki Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, A 457 (2001) 356-360.

 2.   Design of Data Acquisition and Storage System Based on the FPGA YonghaiNing, ZongqiangGuo, SenShen, Bo Peng Procedia Engineering, 29 (2012) 2927-2931.

 3.   Pocket PC-based portable gamma-ray spectrometer Kamontip Ploykrachang, Decho Thong-Aram*, SuvitPunnachaiya and Somchai Baotong Department of Nuclear Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand (2011) Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol, 33 (2), (Mar- Apr 2011) 215-219.

 4.   Model 8701 ADC User's Manual, CANBERRA Industries Inc, Meridan, CT, U.S.A. (2007).

 5.   Nuclear Electronics book P.W. Nicholson.

 6.   The manual of the operational characteristics of a NaI(Tl) Scintillation Detector used this experiment.

 7.   Multi Channel Analyser, Prepared by Dusan Ponikvar University of Ljubljana, Slovenia A Technical Document Issued by The IAEA Vienna (2001).

 8.   Datasheet of ADC1202012-Bit, 20 MSPS, 185 mW A/D Converter with Internal Sample-and-Hold.

 9.   Spectroscopy of high rate events during active interrogation, H. Yang, D.K. Wehe, D.M. Bartels, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, 598, Issue 3 (January 2009) 779-787.

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