Vertilon SIB164B User manual

User Guide
Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
SIB164B
64 Channel PMT Interface Board
Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series

User Guide
Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /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

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com

SIB164B PMT Sensor Interface Board for Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series
- 4 -
Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Table of Contents
General Safety Precautions .....................................................................................................................6
Product Overview .....................................................................................................................................7
Specifications ...........................................................................................................................................9
Typical Setup ..........................................................................................................................................11
High Voltage Interface............................................................................................................................11
Photomultiplier Tube Anode Circuits ...................................................................................................12
Last Dynode Preamplifier ...................................................................................................................... 12
Leading Edge Discriminator .................................................................................................................. 14
Zero Slope Discriminator.......................................................................................................................15
Top and Bottom Views...........................................................................................................................16
Component Locations and Functions .................................................................................................. 17
SIB Connector Pinout.............................................................................................................................19
Mechanical Information.......................................................................................................................... 20

User Guide
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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...........................................................................................................8
Figure 2: Typical Setup............................................................................................................................11
Figure 3: PMT High Voltage Interface Circuit...........................................................................................11
Figure 4: Anode Circuit ............................................................................................................................12
Figure 5: SIB164B Dialog Box .................................................................................................................13
Figure 6: Leading Edge Discriminator Timing..........................................................................................14
Figure 7: Zero Slope Discriminator Timing...............................................................................................15
Figure 8: Top and Bottom Views..............................................................................................................16
Figure 9: Component Locations and Functions .......................................................................................17
Figure 10: SIB164B Printed Circuit Board Dimensions............................................................................20
List of Tables
Table 1: Specifications.............................................................................................................................10
Table 2: Connectors ................................................................................................................................18
Table 3: Switches and LEDs....................................................................................................................18
Table 4: Test Points.................................................................................................................................18
Table 5: Sensor Interface Board (SIB) Connectors..................................................................................19

SIB164B PMT Sensor Interface Board for Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
General Safety Precautions
Use Proper Power Source
The SIB164B is powered with a +5V power source directly from Vertilon’s PhotoniQ multi-channel data acquisition
systems. Use with any other power source may result in damage to the product.
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 SIB164B. For these reasons, the SIB164B 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.

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Product Overview
The SIB164B multianode photomultiplier tube interface board provides the mechanical and electrical connectivity
between the Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 64 anode PMTs and external signal processing electronics such as Vertilon’s
PhotoniQ multichannel data acquisition systems. The PMT is mounted to the bottom side of the SIB164B through 76
socket pins that connect the device’s 64 anode signals, high voltage input, and last dynode output to the board. The
anode signals are routed to two connectors located on the top of the board that each connect to a specialized high
density coaxial cable assembly. This arrangement allows the SIB164B to be conveniently mounted directly into the user’s
optical setup with the PMT facing outward from the bottom of the board and the sensor interface board (SIB) cables
exiting from the top. The SIB cables carry the 64 anodes from the PMT to the PhotoniQ where the charge from each is
separately integrated, digitized, and sent to a PC for display or further signal processing. The negative high voltage bias
to the PMT’s cathode is supplied directly from the PhotoniQ on a high voltage cable to a dedicated connector on the
SIB164B. For applications utilizing the last dynode output of the PMT, the SIB164B includes a two stage high speed
preamplifier whose output is available on an SMB connector. When specialized timing and triggering are required, this
output can be connected to a separate external discriminator and triggering electronics. Alternatively, for more general
purpose applications when the trigger requirements are not as stringent, one of the two on-board discriminators can be
used. A leading edge and zero slope discriminator — which respectively generate trigger signals based on a threshold
and pulse peak — are available to the user. Several adjustments are included for optimizing preamp gain, discriminator
gain, and discriminator energy thresholds. The full functionality and operation of the SIB164B 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 SIB164B 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 Hamamatsu 64 channel multianode PMTs
Compatible with Hamamatsu H7546B & H12428 devices
Provides 64 channel interface to data acquisition systems
Separate high voltage input for PMT cathode bias
High speed preamplifier for last dynode output
Leading edge and zero slope discriminators
Adjustable discriminator gain and energy threshold
100% compatible with Vertilon’s PhotoniQ multichannel DAQs
No external power supply required

Simplified control through PhotoniQ graphical user interface

SIB164B PMT Sensor Interface Board for Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Figure 1: Functional Block Diagram
VERTILON SIB164B
H7546B / H12428 MULTIANODE PMT
SENSOR INTERFACE BOARD
AMP1
Rp
GAIN
Cin
INV
AMP2
INV
AMP3
THRESHOLD
COMP
PREAMP
OUT
dv
dt
INV
AMP4
TRIG
HAMAMATSU
H7546B / H12428
8 X 8 MULTIANODE
PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBE
P1
P2
P3
P31
P35
P63
P64
P34
P33
P32
P1
P2
P3
P31
P32
J1
SIB CONNECTOR
P35
P63
P64
P34
P33
ANODES
VB
DY12
DY11
DY10
DY9
DY8
DY7
DY6
DY5
DY4
DY3
DY2
DY1
J2
SIB CONNECTOR
K
HIGH VOLTAGE NETWORK
-HV
-HV
INPUT
HIGH
VOLTAGE
INTERFACE
J6
J5
J3
Rin
R
R
GAIN
HVMON
PULSE
WIDTH
GAIN
MUX
DISCRIMINATOR
SELECT

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Specifications
(Vsupply = +5.0V, TA= +25C, unless otherwise noted)
Description Sym Min Typ Max Units Notes
HIGH VOLTAGE
High Voltage Input Load Resistance 50 MMeasured at high voltage input connector, J3.
HVMON to High Voltage Input Ratio 0.0015 ±5%
ANODE CIRCUITS
Quantity P1 - P64 64
Input Resistance R 2.2 M
Input Bias Voltage VB +0.250 V Detector bias voltage supplied from PhotoniQ data
acquisition system.
LAST DYNODE PREAMPLIFIER
Input Coupling Capacitance Cin 0.1 uF
Input Resistance Rin 50 
Input Parallel Resistance Rp500 
Amplifier #1 Gain A1 +3 +10 dB
Vin is a triangular pulse (18 nsec rise time, 30 nsec fall time)
applied to last dynode preamplifier input (DY12).
Amplifier #2 Inverting Gain A2 0 dB
Amplifier #2 Output Impedance 50 Measured at preamplifier output, J5
LEADING EDGE DISCRIMINATOR
Threshold to Output Delay (Vin=100mV) td1 10 nsec
Vin is a triangular pulse (18 nsec rise time, 30 nsec fall time)
applied to last dynode preamplifier input (DY12).
Jitter (Vin: 100mV) 500 psec
ZERO SLOPE DISCRIMINATOR
Amplifier #4 Inverting Gain A4 +20 dB
Threshold to Output Delay (Vin=100mV) td3 35 nsec
Vin is a triangular pulse (18 nsec rise time, 30 nsec fall time)
applied to last dynode preamplifier input (DY12). Gain set to
high, pulse width set to medium wide, threshold set to 10%.
Time Walk (Vin: 10mV to 80mV) -5 nsec
Jitter (Vin: 80mV) 1 nsec

SIB164B PMT Sensor Interface Board for Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series
- 10 -
Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Description Sym Min Typ Max Units Notes
TRIGGER OUTPUT
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)
POWER
Supply Voltage Vsupply +4.9 +5.0 +5.1 V
Supply Current Isupply 75 mA
DIMENSIONS
Width W 84 mm
Length L 102 mm (not including SMB connectors which extend past PCB edge)
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] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Typical Setup
A typical setup using a SIB164B with a Hamamatsu H12428 PMT is shown below although the example is equally
applicable to the H7546B. The device is mounted to the SIB164B and positioned to detect incoming light from a
scintillator crystal or optical assembly. Two SIB cables connect the 64 anode outputs from the SIB164B to a PhotoniQ
IQSP482 or IQSP582 64 channel PMT data acquisition system. Through a USB 2.0 connection the digitized output data
from the PhotoniQ is sent to a PC for display, logging, or real time processing. Additional connections between the
SIB164B and PhotoniQ include a high voltage cable that provides up to 1000 volts of negative bias to the H12428
cathode, and a trigger cable that supplies the trigger to the PhotoniQ from one of the SIB164B’s two discriminators. In an
alternative configuration when precision timing or coincidence detection is required, an external discriminator with
coincidence logic can be placed between the SIB164B preamplifier output and the PhotoniQ trigger input.
Figure 2: Typical Setup
High Voltage Interface
The SIB164B employs the interface circuit shown below between the high voltage input connector, J3, and the high
voltage input to the H7546B / H12428. The monitor output (HVMON) allows the high voltage cathode bias for the PMT to
be indirectly monitored at a reduced voltage level. Voltage readings at the monitor point should be scaled by a factor of
667. Calibration of the scale factor may be required.
Warning: The high voltage section of the SIB164B contains signals at voltage levels
that can exceed negative 1000 volts. Never touch a component or signal in this area.
Figure 3: PMT High Voltage Interface Circuit

SIB164B PMT Sensor Interface Board for Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Photomultiplier Tube Anode Circuits
The 64 anode signals (P1 – P64) from the PMT are routed directly on the SIB164B to two specialized connectors referred
to as sensor interface board (SIB) connectors. Anodes P1 to P32 route to SIB connector J1 and anodes P33 to P64 route
to SIB connector J2. Each SIB connector mates to a proprietary low-noise, high density SIB cable assembly that carries
the 32 anode signals on coaxial connections to a Vertilon PhotoniQ 64 channel PMT data acquisition system. Depending
on the required speed and dynamic range, either a PhotoniQ IQSP482 high dynamic range system or an IQSP582 high
speed system can be used as the main data acquisition unit. To minimize the possibility of damage due to ESD, the
PMT’s anodes each have a 2.2 Mohm shunt resistor to a common low impedance point. This point is biased at a voltage
equal to the bias voltage (VB) of the charge integrating transimpedance amplifiers on the PhotoniQ so that the PMT
anodes can be DC coupled to them. Figure 4 below illustrates the equivalent circuit as seen by each PMT anode.
Figure 4: Anode Circuit
Last Dynode Preamplifier
This last dynode preamplifier is an inverting, AC-coupled, two-stage configuration whose input is designed for small
positive voltage pulses from the last dynode (DY12) of the H7546B / H12428. The gain of the preamplifier is set by the
user through the PhotoniQ GUI dialog box shown on the next page. For specialized applications requiring external
discrimination or coincidence logic of the last dynode signal, the preamplifier output is available on SMB connector, J6.
Alternatively, the preamplifier output can be further processed by one of the two different discriminators on the SIB164B
to generate trigger signals in sync with the pulse on the last dynode.

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Figure 5: SIB164B Dialog Box

SIB164B PMT Sensor Interface Board for Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series
- 14 -
Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Leading Edge Discriminator
The leading edge discriminator is a simple timing circuit that generates a trigger signal when a charge pulse on the last
dynode output from the H7546B / H12428 PMT exceeds a user-defined threshold. It is implemented using a high speed
comparator connected to the output of the last dynode preamplifier. Referring to Figure 6, negative going pulses from the
preamplifier are compared to the discriminator threshold that is set through the SIB164B dialog box in the PhotoniQ GUI.
A logic high (for positive polarity control) is generated on the trigger output (SMB connector J5) after a small delay (td1)
from when the pulse first crosses the threshold, Vth. The trigger LED flashes indicating that a current pulse crossed the
threshold. The discriminator switches back to a logic low when the pulse crosses the threshold from the opposite direction
as it returns back to the baseline level. Because the trigger point is sensitive to the pulse height, this discriminator is
typically used in applications that do not require precision timing.
Figure 6: Leading Edge Discriminator Timing
PREAMP
OUTPUT
Vth
td1
TRIGGER
POINT
THRESHOLD
POINT
TRIG OUT
LAST
DYNODE

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Zero Slope Discriminator
The zero slope discriminator works by generating a trigger signal at the inflection point of the input pulse. It is this
point where the pulse is at its peak and its slope transitions from positive to negative. Since AMP4 effectively
operates on the derivative of the input pulse, its output crosses zero where the slope of the pulse is zero. This occurs
at the pulse peak as shown in Figure 7. The threshold comparator compares AMP4 to the user-adjustable threshold
(Vth) to arm the discriminator after which the trigger output fires when the AMP4 signal again crosses the baseline.
Figure 7: Zero Slope Discriminator Timing
PREAMP
OUTPUT
Vth
td3
TRIGGER
POINT
THRESHOLD
POINT
TRIG OUT
LAST
DYNODE
AMP4
BASELINE
LEVEL

SIB164B PMT Sensor Interface Board for Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Top and Bottom Views
Figure 8: Top and Bottom Views
1. High Voltage Input (J3) 6. Trigger Output (J5)
2. Preamp Output (J6) 7. External Input (J7)
3. Sensor Interface Board Connector (J1) 8. High Voltage Section
4. Sensor Interface Board Connector (J2) 9. H7546B / H12428 Socket Connector
5. Trigger Indicator LED 10. H7546B / H12428 High Voltage Input
4
7
8
3
5 6
9 10
1
2

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Component Locations and Functions
Figure 9: Component Locations and Functions
LD1
DL1DL2DL3
P35
P34
P33
P32
P31
P30
P29
P28
P27
P26
P25
P24
P23
P22
P21
P20
P19
P18
P17
P16
P15 P14
P13
P12
P11
P10 P9
P8
P7
P6
P5
P4
P3
P2
P1
SW1
1
ON
2 3 4
J4
J5J6 J7
J3
39
40
1
2
J2
39
40
1
2
J1

SIB164B PMT Sensor Interface Board for Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series
- 18 -
Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Name Function Description
J1 CHANNELS 1 - 32 Sensor interface board connector to SIB cable for channels 1 -32
J2 CHANNELS 33 - 64 Sensor interface board connector to SIB cable for channels 33 - 64
J3 -HV Negative high voltage bias input for PMT
J4 JTAG JTAG interface
J5 TRIG Trigger output
J6 PREAMP Last dynode preamplifier output
J7 EXT IN External Input (reserved for future use)
Table 2: Connectors
Name Function Description
LD1 TRIG OUT LED indicator for trigger output
SW1: 1-2 DEV ADDR 1:0 Sets the device address for control by the PhotoniQ. Set both switches to “ON”.
SW1: 3-4 DEV TYPE 1:0 Sets the device type for control by the PhotoniQ. Set both switches to “ON”.
Table 3: Switches and LEDs
Name Ref # Description
+5V P35 Main +5V power to the SIB164B supplied by the PhotoniQ through SIB connectors J1 and J2.
-HV P1 PMT cathode bias. Warning: This is a high voltage point that can exceed negative 1400 volts.
HVMON P33 Attenuated version of –HV used for indirectly monitoring PMT cathode bias.
VB P32 Anode bias and reference voltage to the SIB164B supplied by the PhotoniQ through SIB connectors J1 and J2.
+MID P29 Baseline voltage for last dynode signal processing chain. Nominally +2.0V.
VTH1 P30 Baseline level voltage (trimmed).
VTH2 P31 Discriminator threshold voltage.
AMP1 P2 Output of amplifier #1 in last dynode signal processing chain.
AMP2 P24 Output of amplifier #2 in last dynode signal processing chain.
AMP3 P25 Reserved
AMP4 P15 Output of amplifier #4 in zero slope discriminator.
DELAY P26 Reserved
COMP P22 Discriminator comparator output.
Table 4: Test Points

User Guide
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Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
SIB Connector Pinout
The SIB164B connectors and cables are fully compatible with all Vertilon PhotoniQ systems. For applications utilizing
data acquisition systems other than Vertilon’s PhotoniQ series, the pinout for connectors J1 and J2 is provided in Table 5
as a reference.
J1 J2
Signal
Name
Pin
#
Signal
Name
Pin
#
Signal
Name
Pin
#
Signal
Name
Pin
#
VB 1 HVMON 2 VB 1 HVMON 2
SIB_DIN0 3 SIB_CLK0 4 SIB_DIN1 3 SIB_CLK1 4
P16 5 P32 6 P48 5 P64 6
P15 7 P31 8 P47 7 P63 8
P14 9 P30 10 P46 9 P62 10
P13 11 P29 12 P45 11 P61 12
P12 13 P28 14 P44 13 P60 14
P11 15 P27 16 P43 15 P59 16
P10 17 P26 18 P42 17 P58 18
P9 19 P25 20 P41 19 P57 20
P8 21 P24 22 P40 21 P56 22
P7 23 P23 24 P39 23 P55 24
P6 25 P22 26 P38 25 P54 26
P5 27 P21 28 P37 27 P53 28
P4 29 P20 30 P36 29 P52 30
P3 31 P19 32 P35 31 P51 32
P2 33 P18 34 P34 33 P50 34
P1 35 P17 36 P33 35 P49 36
SIB_DOUT0 37 SIB_NCS0 38 SIB_DOUT1 37 SIB_NCS1 38
SIBDAC 39 +5V 40 SIBDAC 39 +5V 40
Table 5: Sensor Interface Board (SIB) Connectors
*Ground supplied through SIB cable shielding

SIB164B PMT Sensor Interface Board for Hamamatsu H7546B / H12428 Series
- 20 -
Vertilon Corporation, 66 Tadmuck Road, Westford, MA 01886 /Tel: [phone] /Fax: [phone] /www.vertilon.com
Mechanical Information
Figure 10: SIB164B Printed Circuit Board Dimensions
Mounting Hole
4.22 mm
4 pl.
ALL DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETER
1
ON
2 3 4
39
40
1
2
39
40
1
2
32.00
84.00
25.00
6.00
6.00
102.00
44.00
19.00
15.00