Vertilon SIB916 User manual

User Guide
Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
SIB916
4 x 4 SiPM Sensor Interface Board
Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163

User Guide
Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.vertilon.com
Disclaimer
Vertilon Corporation has made every attempt to ensure that the information in this document is accurate and complete.
Vertilon assumes no liability for errors or for any incidental, consequential, indirect, or special damages including,
without limitation, loss of use, loss or alteration of data, delays, lost profits or savings, arising from the use of this
document or the product which it accompanies.
Vertilon reserves the right to change this product without prior notice. No responsibility is assumed by Vertilon for any
infringements of patents or other rights of third parties which may result from its use. No license is granted by implication
or otherwise under the patent and proprietary information rights of Vertilon Corporation.
Copyright Information
© 2018 Vertilon Corporation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

SIB916 Sensor Interface Board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.vertilon.com
Table of Contents
General Safety Precautions .....................................................................................................................5
Product Overview .....................................................................................................................................6
Specifications ...........................................................................................................................................8
Typical Dual Sensor Setup.......................................................................................................................9
AFBR-S4N44P163 Detector Mounting.....................................................................................................9
Detector Channels..................................................................................................................................10
Detector Channel Mapping ....................................................................................................................11
High Voltage Interface............................................................................................................................12
Preamplifier.............................................................................................................................................13
Discriminator...........................................................................................................................................14
Coincidence Detector.............................................................................................................................15
Trigger Output.........................................................................................................................................16
LED Indicator ..........................................................................................................................................16
Temperature Sensor...............................................................................................................................16
Top / Bottom Views ................................................................................................................................17
Component Locations and Functions...................................................................................................18
SIB Connector Pinout.............................................................................................................................20
Mechanical Information..........................................................................................................................21

SIB916 Sensor Interface Board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
List of Figures
Figure 1: Functional Block Diagram...........................................................................................................7
Figure 2: Typical Dual Sensor Setup .........................................................................................................9
Figure 3: AFBR-S4N44P163 Detector Mounting .......................................................................................9
Figure 5: Bottom Component Locations and Functions...........................................................................11
Figure 6: SiPM High Voltage Interface Circuit .........................................................................................12
Figure 7: SIB916 Dialog Box ................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 8: Leading Edge Discriminator Timing..........................................................................................14
Figure 9: Coincidence Detector Timing....................................................................................................15
Figure 10: Minimum Pulse Width Condition.............................................................................................16
Figure 11: PCB Top and Bottom Views ...................................................................................................17
Figure 12: Top Component Locations and Functions ..............................................................................18
Figure 13: SIB916 Printed Circuit Board Dimensions ..............................................................................21
List of Tables
Table 1: Specifications...............................................................................................................................8
Table 2: SiPM Array Channel Mapping....................................................................................................11
Table 3: Connectors ................................................................................................................................ 19
Table 4: LEDs and Switches....................................................................................................................19
Table 5: Test Points.................................................................................................................................19
Table 6: Sensor Interface Board (SIB) Connector ...................................................................................20

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.vertilon.com
General Safety Precautions
Use Proper Power Source
The SIB916 is powered with a +5V power source directly from Vertilon’s PhotoniQ multi-channel data acquisition
systems. A separate negative power source from the PhotoniQ is used to generate the high voltage bias signal to the
SiPM array. Use with any other power sources may result in damage to the SIB916 or the SiPM array.
Operate Inputs within Specified Range
To avoid electric shock, fire hazard, or damage to the product, do not apply a voltage to any input outside of its
specified range.
Electrostatic Discharge Sensitive
Electrostatic discharges may result in damage to the SIB916. For this reason, the SIB916 board is intended to be
operated in a user’s conductive instrument enclosure.
Do Not Operate in Wet or Damp Conditions
To avoid electric shock or damage to the product, do not operate in wet or damp conditions.
Do Not Operate in Explosive Atmosphere
To avoid injury or fire hazard, do not operate in an explosive atmosphere.

SIB916 Sensor Interface Board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Product Overview
The SIB916 sensor interface board allows the Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163 4 x 4 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array to
easily interface to a Vertilon PhotoniQ multichannel data acquisition system. The SIPM device is mounted to the bottom
side of the printed circuit board where the 16 cathode output signals are routed directly to the sensor interface board
(SIB) connector. The SIB connector conforms to Vertilon’s standard, low-noise, multi-channel, cable interconnection
system. The connector mates to a micro-coaxial cable assembly that passes the 16 device outputs to the PhotoniQ. Bias
to SiPM array is provided on a high voltage cable by the PhotoniQ where it can be enabled and configured through the
PhotoniQ graphical user interface. A special current-sense output from the bias interface circuitry is routed to the input of
a variable gain preamplifier on the SIB916 to represent the total AC current signal to all 16 SiPM channels. This signal,
which is available to the user on an SMB jack, is fed into a leading edge discriminator with a user-programmable
threshold. The discriminator generates a trigger signal on an SMB jack when an event exceeding a predefined energy
threshold is detected on the AFBR-S4N44P163 device. The trigger output is typically connected to the trigger input of the
PhotoniQ data acquisition system where it is used to initiate the collection of the energy signals from the SiPM array
connected to the DAQ system’s inputs. Alternatively, the discriminator signal can be fed to the on-board coincidence
detector and used with a second SIB916 to generate triggers only when two near-simultaneous events are detected. A
temperature sensor located on the SIB916 provides a continuous readout of the ambient temperature near the
AFBR-S4N44P163 device. The full functionality and operation of the SIB916 is conveniently controlled through the
PhotoniQ’s graphical user interface. Intelligent software in the PhotoniQ constantly monitors the status of its SIB
connectors to determine the type of sensor interface board attached to them. Once recognized, a dialog box specific to
the recognized SIB is made available in the GUI through which the user has complete control over its operation.
The various functions on the SIB916 are described in greater detail on the following pages. When necessary, refer to the
functional block diagram shown in Figure 1 below.
Interface board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163 4 x 4 SiPM array
Supports 16 parallel charge output channels from SiPM array
Leading edge discriminator for event trigger and timing
Adjustable gain and threshold for discriminator
On-board two input coincidence detector
High voltage circuitry to bias the SiPM array
Integrated temperature sensor
100% compatible with Vertilon’s PhotoniQ multichannel DAQs
Simplified control through PhotoniQ graphical user interface

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.vertilon.com
Figure 1: Functional Block Diagram
VERTILON SIB916
AFBR-S4N44P163
SiPM SENSOR INTERFACE BOARD
AMP
THRESHOLD
DSCR
PREAMP
OUT
TRIG
OUT
BROADCOM
AFBR-S4N44P163
4 x 4 SiPM ARRAY
P1
P2
P3
P15
P16
HV
IN
HIGH
VOLTAGE
INTERFACE
GAIN
-HV
CURRENT
TRIGGER
LOGIC
CONTROL/
STATUS
SIB CONNECTOR
CONFIG
TEMPERATURE
SENSOR CONTROLLER SYSTEM CONTROL
D4K
C4K
B4K
B1K
A1K
DSCR
OUT
COINCIDENCE
DETECTOR
INPUT A
INPUT B
INT A
INT B

SIB916 Sensor Interface Board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Specifications
(TA= +25C, unless otherwise noted)
Description Sym Min Typ Max Units Notes
INPUT CHANNELS
Quantity 16 16 direct coupled channels to PhotoniQ channels 1 to 16.
Cathode Bias Voltage VB+0.25 V
Detector
cathode
voltage supplied from PhotoniQ data
acquisition system
Cathode Pulldown Resistance R N/A The cathodes do not have on-board pulldown resistors.
PREAMPLIFIER
Transimpedance (Low Gain) Rin 187 Gain selected through GUI interface.
Transimpedance (Med Gain) Rin 374 
Transimpedance (High Gain) Rin 750 
Nominal Baseline Voltage +2.50 V
Signal Range +1.50 +2.50 V
Maximum
signal amplitude is
1
.0V
below
baseline.
Note:
these levels are halved when the preamplifier SMB output is
terminated into 50 ohms.
LEADING EDGE DISCRIMINATOR
Threshold Adjustment Range Vth +1.50 +2.46 V
Nominal
baseline level at discriminator input
is
2
.5V
.
Threshold (4% to 100%) controlled through GUI interface.
Threshold to Output Delay td13 nsec Tested with a 0.5V rectangular pulse measured at the
preamplifier output. Discriminator threshold set at 8%.
COINCIDENCE DETECTOR
Input Impedance RA, RB50 
Minimum Time Window 2.5 nsec Time window at 1 x Delta.
Time Window Increment Delta 4 nsec
Detection Delay tdd 11.4 nsec From coincidence to Trigger Output active.
Re-Arm Delay trearm 40 nsec Relative to the time the last input returns to zero.
Internal Connection Delay 2 nsec Delay from DSCR OUT to coincidence detector A input.
TRIGGER OUTPUT
Minimum Pulse Width Out tpw,min 40 nsec
Internal Delay 2 nsec From DSCR OUT to Trigger Out
LOGIC OUTPUTS
Output Impedance 50 
Logic High Output Level VOH +4.3 +4.8 V (IOH = -32mA)
Logic Low Output Level VOL +0.2 +0.6 V (IOL = 32mA)
DIMENSIONS
Width W 57.4 mm
Length L 57.4 mm
Thickness T 1.57 mm (printed circuit board only)
Table 1: Specifications

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.vertilon.com
Typical Dual Sensor Setup
The Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163 4 x 4 SiPM arrays are mounted to the SIB916s which are positioned in an optical
assembly to detect incoming radiation. The SIB cables from each SIB916 connect to a Vertilon SIB1632 where the 16
outputs from each SiPM array are combined into one SIB cable (SBC090) that connects to a PhotoniQ IQSP480 or
IQSP580 multichannel data acquisition system. The discriminator output from one SIB916 is fed to the coincidence
detector input on the other SIB916 so that a trigger to the PhotoniQ is produced whenever a near-simultaneous radiation
event is detected on both SiPM arrays. The energy level threshold for the radiation event is set by the user through the
PhotoniQ graphical user interface. Charge signals from the 32 cathodes from the two AFBR-S4N44P163 devices are
acquired by the PhotoniQ for each coincidence trigger produced by the SIB916. Digitized output data from the PhotoniQ
is sent through a USB 2.0 connection to a PC for display, logging, or real time processing. In the figure below, the
PhotoniQ GUI is set to display a dual 4 x 4 image of the energy levels for each event captured.
Figure 2: Typical Dual Sensor Setup
AFBR-S4N44P163 Detector Mounting
The SIB916 supports the Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163 4 x 4 silicon photomultiplier array. This particular model of the
device is mounted to the bottom of the sensor interface board. The customer can reflow solder the SiPM array to the
SIB916 or Vertilon can perform this service. The SiPM device attached to a SIB916 is shown below.
Figure 3: AFBR-S4N44P163 Detector Mounting

SIB916 Sensor Interface Board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Detector Channels
The 16 cathode signals from the AFBR-S4N44P163 device are routed directly on the SIB916 to the SIB connector. These
signals connect to channels 1 through 16 of a Vertilon PhotoniQ IQSP480 or IQSP580 charge integrating data acquisition
system. The PhotoniQ utilizes DC-coupled high speed transimpedance amplifiers that maintain a DC bias voltage of
+0.250 volts on each of its inputs. Because the AFBR-S4N44P163 is configured on the SIB916 as a common anode type,
the current polarity to the PhotoniQ preamplifiers is out of the inputs. For this reason, the Input Polarity under the Data
Configuration menu in the PhotoniQ GUI should be set to positive. See the PhotoniQ user’s manual for more details. The
figure below shows a typical dual SIB916 two-dimensional display of random particle signals on the 4 x 4 SiPM arrays.
Figure 4: PhotoniQ IQSP580 Graphical User Interface

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.vertilon.com
Detector Channel Mapping
The 16 SiPM channels from the AFBR-S4N44P163 are labeled in Broadcom’s datasheet as channels A1 through D4.
These channels map to Vertilon’s PhotoniQ data acquisition system channels according to the table below.
Figure 5: Bottom Component Locations and Functions
Broadcom SiPM Array
Channel Number
Vertilon DAQ
Channel Number
A1 16
B1 15
C1 14
D1 13
A2 12
B2 11
C2 10
D2 9
A3 8
B3 7
C3 6
D3 5
A4 4
B4 3
C4 2
D4 1
Table 2: SiPM Array Channel Mapping
A-1B-1C-1D-1
A-2B-2C-2D-2
A-3B-3C-3D-3
A-4B-4C-4D-4

SIB916 Sensor Interface Board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
High Voltage Interface
The SIB916 employs the interface circuit shown below between the high voltage input connector, J8, and the common
anodes of the SiPM array. The monitor output (HVMON) allows the high voltage anode bias to the SiPMs to be indirectly
monitored at a reduced voltage level. Voltage readings at the monitor point should be scaled by a factor of 21. Calibration
of the scale factor may be required for very accurate measurements.
Warning: The high voltage section of the SIB916 contains signals at voltage levels
that can exceed negative 35 volts. Never touch a component or signal in this area.
Figure 6: SiPM High Voltage Interface Circuit

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.vertilon.com
Preamplifier
The anodes from each SiPM device in the array are bussed together and connected to the input of a single current-
sensitive preamplifier on the SIB916. The preamplifier generates a voltage signal in response to the current signal on its
input from any of the 16 SiPMs in the array. This voltage signal is available on an SMB output connector on the SIB916
and is also fed to the input of the discriminator. There are three settings for the preamplifier gain — low, medium, and
high — which are selected through the SIB916 configuration dialog box in the PhotoniQ graphical user interface shown
below.
Figure 7: SIB916 Dialog Box

SIB916 Sensor Interface Board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Discriminator
The discriminator generates a logic signal when a pulse from the preamplifier exceeds a user-defined threshold. The
SIB916 PhotoniQ GUI dialog box allows the user to enable and disable the discriminator and set its threshold. The
threshold range is between a lower limit and 100% of the maximum possible signal amplitude in the preamplifier signal
path. When the discriminator is enabled and a pulse is detected that exceeds the threshold, the discriminator output from
the board goes to a logic high.
Figure 8 shows the operation of the leading edge discriminator. A positive-going current pulse into the preamplifier results
in a negative-going pulse on its output. This pulse is compared to the user-defined threshold (Vth) where a logic high is
generated after a small delay (td) from when the pulse first crosses the threshold. The discriminator switches back to a
logic low when the pulse crosses the threshold from the opposite direction as the preamplifier output returns back to the
baseline level. Under noisy conditions and when pulse amplitudes are very low, the discriminator output can exhibit
multiple transitions near the leading and trailing edges of the preamp pulse. For this reason it is best to use the trigger
output for timing applications since this signal has been processed to minimize these effects. However, the discriminator
output may be more appropriate in applications that require the lowest delay possible.
Figure 8: Leading Edge Discriminator Timing
Vth
td
DISCRIMINATOR
OUTPUT
INPUT
CURRENT
PREAMP
OUTPUT

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.vertilon.com
Coincidence Detector
The SIB916 includes a two input configurable coincidence detector that can be used with the on-board discriminator or in
a stand-alone mode. In a typical setup using two SIB916 (referred to here as the master and slave units), both boards are
configured identically except that the master employs its coincidence detector and the slave unit’s coincidence detector is
unused. The discriminator output from the slave is connected by a coaxial cable to the “B” input of the coincidence
detector on the master. In most applications the master is configured to internally route its discriminator output to the “A”
input of its coincidence detector. However, under conditions where a more precise coincidence window is required, the
discriminator output from the master can be externally routed through a coaxial cable to its own “A” input. This has the
effect of exactly matching the cable delays between the master and slave discriminators to the inputs of the coincidence
detector. In an alternate configuration, the coincidence detector can be used in stand-alone mode whereby two
completely external timing signals can be fed to its inputs. In this mode, the discriminator output is ignored by the
coincidence detector, although it is still available on the SIB916 for external use.
Figure 9: Coincidence Detector Timing
Coincidence Time
Window
tdd
INPUT A
INPUT B
OUTPUT
Coincidence Time
Window
trearm

SIB916 Sensor Interface Board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Trigger Output
The trigger output produces a well-behaved logic signal from either the discriminator or the coincidence detector. When
the discriminator is enabled and the coincidence detector is off, the discriminator is internally connected to the trigger
output. In this mode, the trigger output becomes active when the discriminator goes high and remains active until the
discriminator goes low. However, for very short duration discriminator pulses, the trigger output will remain active for a
minimum period of time (tpw,min). This is shown in the figure below. If the discriminator is enabled and the coincidence
detector is on, the trigger output is directly connected to the coincidence detector output with no further signal processing.
The trigger output polarity for the active state can be set to either positive or negative logic for either operating mode.
Figure 10: Minimum Pulse Width Condition
LED Indicator
The multi-color LED indicates the triggering status of the SIB916. When the coincidence detector is not used, the LED
blinks green when an event is detected and is off when no event is detected. The LED blinks red if the user sets the
discriminator threshold to a value near the discriminator baseline level creating an error condition. This is most likely near
the point where the minimum trigger output condition occurs. The LED has slightly different behavior when the
coincidence detector is used. Here the LED blinks green when a coincidence event is detected, yellow when there is an
event on either input but no coincidence, and off when there is no event. The LED can be selectively enabled and
disabled in the SIB916 GUI dialog box.
Temperature Sensor
An on-board temperature sensor is located on the bottom side of the SIB916 near the SiPM array. The sensor reports the
temperature of the circuit board in degrees Celsius to the PhotoniQ graphical user interface. This information is useful for
determining the proper bias to the SiPM array. Temperature data is not logged to a file by the PhotoniQ data acquisition
system.
Vth
td
TRIGGER
OUTPUT
INPUT
CURRENT
PREAMP
OUTPUT
tpw, min

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.vertilon.com
Top / Bottom Views
Figure 11: PCB Top and Bottom Views
1. AFBR-S4N44P163 Mounting Location 8. Coincidence Input A (J1)
2. SIB Connector, Channels 1 to 16 (J5) 9. Coincidence Input B (J2)
3. Discriminator Output (J6) 10. Trigger Output (J4)
4. Configuration Switches 11. Test Input Jack (Factory Use Only)
5. SiPM Negative Bias Input (J8) 12. Temperature Sensor
6. Trigger Status LED 13. Mounting Nuts
7. Preamplifier Output (J7)
10
6
2
7
12
8
5 311 1
9
4
13

SIB916 Sensor Interface Board for Broadcom AFBR-S4N44P163
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Component Locations and Functions
Figure 12: Top Component Locations and Functions
J4
J7
J1 J2
J6
LD1
J3
TJ1
P2
P10
P11
P9
P8
P13
SW1
1
ON
2 3 4
J8
39
40
1
2
J5