4.1: Integration plan for detector readout

Neutron detectors are the “eyes of ESS”, “seeing” the neutrons scattered within the instruments. As such, they act as cameras for neutrons converting neutrons into electronic signals for the Data Management and Scientific Computing Centre to process and analyse into scientific results.

The neutron detectors themselves are, at the core, electronic items. They are commonly categorized as consisting of a sensor, often termed just “the detector” and electronics performing digitization, triggering, identification, compression, collection, analysis tasks, termed the “readout electronics”. What is written in this report applies equally to the neutron detectors as parts of instruments and to the neutron beam monitors that monitor neutron flux and characteristics alone the neutron beamlines.

At the European Spallation Source (ESS), due to the step change in the capability and complexity of the neutron instruments that will make up the facility, the electronics will be at least 1-2 orders of magnitude more complicated than for previous neutron facilities. This implies a subsequent step change in the approach to the integration of electronics.

Deliverable 4.1 describes the integration plan for the detector readout and details of the breakdown and strategy for its implementation. A functional decomposition based approach has been adopted for the electronics integration. This treats the detector readout as a modular system. By clearly defining interfaces, and points of integration, it allows a generic readout to support the variety of detector designs that will be needed for the ESS instruments at minimum cost, whilst allowing for a long-term maintainable detector system, with minimal support levels. The implementation of the integration plan is now well underway both in terms of hardware candidates existing for all stages of this readout, as well as the software and firmware implementation. The interfaces to other groups within ESS have been identified and work on their definition is also progressing well. The most important interface is with BrightnESS WP5.1, where work is proceeding in close collaboration.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17199/BRIGHTNESS.D4.1