16-bit 125 MS/s

2745 Digitizer Family

Photo of 16-bit 125 MS/s

The 2745 Digitizer Family is a digital signal processing solution for radiation detectors, available in multiple form factors: VME64 (V2745), VME64X (VX2745), Desktop (DT2745) (64 channels) and Desktop Lab (DTL2745) (8 channels).

It offers not only waveform digitization and recording but also Multi-Channel Analysis for nuclear spectroscopy using silicon strip detectors, segmented HPGe, scintillation detectors with PMTs, wire chambers, and others.

The 2745 family can perform pulse height measurements (PHA), constant fraction timing (CFD), charge integration (QDC) and pulse shape discrimination (PSD) independently for each channel, providing a versatile and high-performance solution for a wide range of applications in nuclear and particle physics, spectroscopy and detector development.

Analog input channels, with software selectable input gain up to x100, are provided differential (on 2745 versions) or single-ended (on 2745B versions). Each channel of the module digitizes the analog input, that can be the signal coming from a physics detector, with a 16 bit, 125 MS/s ADC. The sampled data are used to initiate the digital pulse processing sequence, managed in the FPGA at the firmware level. Different firmware types can be selected via software, according to the specific setup and acquisition mode.

  1. Common trigger: all channels acquire simultaneously with a common trigger. The trigger can be fed externally or generated by a combination of individual channel discriminators. This mode is mainly intended for the acquisition of waveforms, like a digital oscilloscope. Options for zero suppression are available to remove not significant data.

  2. Independent trigger: suited for trigger-less applications, where no global trigger is needed but each channel acquires waveforms upon its self-trigger which fires through a digital discriminator, independently of the others.

  3. DPP: real-time processing in the FPGA allows for the extraction of physical parameters from the waveform (e.g. pulse height, charge, timestamp, PSD), well suited for high counting rate applications. It is yet possible to save both raw waves and parameters.

  • High channel density: up to 64-channel, 125MS/s 16-bit ADC programmable input range, individual DC offset adjustment.

  • Digital pulse processing and waveform recording of 64 or 8 independent detectors.

  • High-resolution Nuclear Spectroscopy: multiport MCA operating in PHA, PSD* modes.

  • Open FPGA architecture for pulse analysis algorithm customization.

  • Available in VME64, VME64X and Desktop form factors.

  • Easy synchronization of multiple units.

  • Front panel readout via USB-3.0 type-C or 1/10 Gigabit Ethernet

16-bit 125 MS/s Models

Grid Compare
DT2745

DT2745

  • 16-bit @ 125 MS/s ADC

  • 64 analog inputs, differential or single-ended, on four 2mm 40-pin header connectors

  • Software selectable Analog Gain up to x100
VX2745

VX2745

  • 64 independent input channels, 125 MS/s 14-bit, with individual DC offset adjustment and Software selectable analog gain (VGA)

  • Front panel readout via USB-3.0 or 1/10Gb Ethernet

  • On-board Zynq® UltraScale+™ FPGA with embedded Linux-based ARM® processor
DTL2745
New

DTL2745

  • 8 independent input channels, 125 MS/s 16-bit, with individual DC offset adjustment

  • Front panel readout via USB-3.0 or 1Gb Ethernet

  • Based on Kintex UltraScale+ FPGA
V2745

V2745

  • 16 bit @ 125 MS/s ADC

  • 64 analog inputs, differential or single-ended, on four 2mm 40-pin header connectors

  • Software selectable Analog Gain up to x100
Image
Name
Package
No. of Channels
Max Sampling Rate (MS/s)
Bandwidth (MHz)
Full Scale Range (V)
Resolution (bits)
Board Memory (Samples/ch)
Analog Input Connectors
CAEN firmware
Open FPGA
DT2745

DT2745

Desktop

64

125

20

[0.04 + 4]

16

21 M

2mm 40-pin header male

DPP-PHA, DPP-PSD, D-SCOPE, DPP-ZLEplus(cs)

YES
VX2745

VX2745

VME64X

64

125

20

[0.4 ÷ 4]

16

21 M

2mm 40-pin header male

D-SCOPE, DPP-PHA, DPP-PSD, DPP-ZLEplus(cs)

YES
V2745

V2745

VME

64

125

20

[0.04 + 4]

16

21 M

2mm 40-pin header male

DPP-PHA, DPP-PSD, D-SCOPE, DPP-ZLEplus(cs)

YES

Algorithm customization

A template of the firmware is available for customers who want to personalize the acquisition to implement custom algorithms for pulse processing in the open FPGA. The user can have control of the data output information and customize the trigger logic to get several combinations of self-triggers and I/O signals to validate or discard the events.

Custom software can run on the onboard CPU for data reduction and analysis.

Interfaces & I/O

USB An USB-3.0 (tested up to 280 MB/s) type C links are provided in all form factors for an easy data readout.

Ethernet or Optical Link An SFP+ receptacle for 1/10 GbE (tested up to 110 MB/s @1G) or Optical links (50/125μm OM2 or OM3 fiber) is available in any form factor for high performance data readout. It is possible to connect up to 8 ADC modules to a single Optical Link Controller (Mod. A4818) through CAEN proprietary daisy-chainable CONET2 communication protocol.

Digital I/O Digital I/Os are provided for individual trigger propagation to external trigger logic. This feature allow to scale up the acquisition channels where a global trigger generation is mandatory.

Data Acquisition

The 2745 Digitizer can manage the entire acquisition chain, from the input signal sampling in the ADC to the processing of the signal and readout. Thanks to the open FPGA, it is possible to customize the firmware for pulse processing, while the Arm hosted onboard permits writing custom software. These features allow obtaining a highly compact and flexible readout module that can be tailored to different types of applications: nuclear spectroscopy with segmented germanium detectors, readout of Silicon strips, waveform capture for gamma-ray tracking, sub-ns timing measurements are among the possibilities. For those users who do not need to customize the digital pulse processing, we provide standard firmware and software for:

  • Waveform recording using common-trigger

  • Energy Spectrum recording using PHA (QDC, PSD, etc.) mode

  • Pulse Shape Discrimination

  • Sub-ns timing measurements using digital CFD

  • Advanced Waveform readout using ZLE (Zero Length Encoding) or DAW (Dynamic Acquisition Window)

CAEN provides two ready-to-use user-friendly readout software: WaveDump2 for waveform recording using common-trigger firmware and CoMPASS, a multiparametric DAQ software to manage the other Digital Pulse Processing algorithms. Multiple boards can even be managed providing a simultaneous plot of waveforms and other quantities of interest.

CoMPASS multiparametric software

CAEN Multi-Parameter Spectroscopy Software (CoMPASS) is the DAQ software from CAEN able to implement a Multiparametric Data Acquisition for Physics Applications: the detectors can be connected directly to the digitizers/MCAs inputs and the software acquires energy, timing, and PSD spectra at the same time.

  • Simultaneous plot of waveforms, Time, Energy, PSD, and TOF spectra
  • Online filtering (Time, Energy, PSD)
  • Multi-board management
  • Advanced data saving

More info

WaveDump 2 software

Wavedump2 software specifically supports the Scope firmware of the 274x Open FPGA Digitizers for waveform recording applications. Data acquisition from multiple boards and multi-board synchronized systems are managed through a dedicated toolbar.

  • Multi-board management
  • Simultaneous plot of waveforms from up to 8 input channels
  • Flexible and easy configuration of channel and trigger settings
  • FFT analysis

More info

Sci-Compiler

The 2745 digitizer family can be programmed through the Sci-Compiler software for easy-FPGA programming. It is a block-diagram-based graphic tool, thought to help non-expert VHDL coders in building their own firmware. Each block defines an operational function (like a logic port, a trigger, a discriminator, a counter …) and more blocks can be wired together to build a complex FPGA code, so that it is possible to speed up the programming effort and get quickly to the testing and using phase.

More info

CAEN FELib Library

CAEN FELib is a software library for controlling and operating CAEN Digitizers 2.0, available in C/C++ and Pythonfor Windows and Linux systems. It is distributed as open-source software under the GNU LGPL v3 and supports multithreaded operation for improved performance. Compatibility with CAEN Digitizer 1.0 devices is also provided.

With the x27xx waveform digitizers, CAEN introduces a new method for accessing firmware parameters through high-level library abstractions, replacing direct register manipulation. This approach simplifies the development of custom DAQ software by making configuration and control more intuitive.

The library is compatible with Windows® and Linux® platforms, supporting both x86 and Arm architectures.

Form Factor Interchange

x2745 digitizers introduce a form factor interchange additional feature, useful for efficiently commuting from laboratory experience to the experimental setup and vice versa.
The DT2745 Desktop digitizer can optionally be transformed in a 19″ rack mount board in few steps (rack mount kit included!).
The V/VX2745 VME digitizer may be turned into Desktop just plugging it into the single-slot VME64X u-crate.