dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaLow-Cost Data Acquisition Card for School-Network Cosmic Ray Detectors
| Authors | Sten Hansen, Thomas Jordan, Terry Kiper, Dan Claes, Gregory Snow, Hans Berns, T. H. Burnett, Richard Gran, R. Jeffrey Wilkes |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0311060 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0311060 |
| DOI | 10.1109/TNS.2004.829447 |
| Journal | IEEE Trans.Nucl.Sci. 51 (2004) 926-930 |
Abstract
The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP) at University of Nebraska/Lincoln and the Washington Area Large-scale Time coincidence Array (WALTA) at University of Washington/Seattle are among several outreach projects siting cosmic-ray detectors at local high schools in cities around North America, to study the origins and interactions of high-energy cosmic rays. In a collaboration between QuarkNet, the outreach program based at Fermilab, CROP, and WALTA, a low-cost data acquisition electronics card has been developed to collect and synchronize the data from each detector site. The cost for each card is under US$500 for parts, functionally replacing much more expensive electronics crates and modules at each high school site. The card has 4 analog discriminator inputs for photo-multiplier tube signals, a 4-channel Time-to-Digital converter for local coincidence and time-over-threshold measurements at 0.75 ns resolution, programmable trigger logic via a CPLD and microcontroller, and a built-in low-cost GPS receiver/antenna module (via external cable) to provide event trigger time stamps at better than 100 ns accuracy. Temperature sensors and a barometer are also integrated to record environmental data along with the counter data. The card connects to any PC or laptop via a standard RS-232 serial port for data output and control. The microcontroller and CPLD are field programmable and therefore make the card functionality flexible and easy to upgrade.
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"abstract": "The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP) at University of Nebraska/Lincoln\nand the Washington Area Large-scale Time coincidence Array (WALTA) at\nUniversity of Washington/Seattle are among several outreach projects siting\ncosmic-ray detectors at local high schools in cities around North America, to\nstudy the origins and interactions of high-energy cosmic rays. In a\ncollaboration between QuarkNet, the outreach program based at Fermilab, CROP,\nand WALTA, a low-cost data acquisition electronics card has been developed to\ncollect and synchronize the data from each detector site. The cost for each\ncard is under US$500 for parts, functionally replacing much more expensive\nelectronics crates and modules at each high school site. The card has 4 analog\ndiscriminator inputs for photo-multiplier tube signals, a 4-channel\nTime-to-Digital converter for local coincidence and time-over-threshold\nmeasurements at 0.75 ns resolution, programmable trigger logic via a CPLD and\nmicrocontroller, and a built-in low-cost GPS receiver/antenna module (via\nexternal cable) to provide event trigger time stamps at better than 100 ns\naccuracy. Temperature sensors and a barometer are also integrated to record\nenvironmental data along with the counter data. The card connects to any PC or\nlaptop via a standard RS-232 serial port for data output and control. The\nmicrocontroller and CPLD are field programmable and therefore make the card\nfunctionality flexible and easy to upgrade.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0311060",
"authors": [
"Sten Hansen",
"Thomas Jordan",
"Terry Kiper",
"Dan Claes",
"Gregory Snow",
"Hans Berns",
"T. H. Burnett",
"Richard Gran",
"R. Jeffrey Wilkes"
],
"categories": [
"physics.ins-det"
],
"doi": "10.1109/TNS.2004.829447",
"journal_ref": "IEEE Trans.Nucl.Sci. 51 (2004) 926-930",
"title": "Low-Cost Data Acquisition Card for School-Network Cosmic Ray Detectors",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0311060"
},
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