Abstract:
High-precision readout electronics based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) linear discharge technology were developed at the China Institute of Atomic Energy for the ALICE FoCal upgrade, which requires high-precision charge readout and high-speed data transmission. A test platform with plastic scintillators coupled to Silicon photomultiplier tubes (SiPMs) was established, and a prototype readout electronics system was developed. The system used amplifier chips and surface-mount components for the analog front-end and FPGA-based linear discharge technology for charge digitization. Additionally, the system incorporated multi-board synchronization, data acquisition, and compression functions, thus meeting the demands for dense SiPM signal reading, high-speed data transmission, and processing. Experimental results demonstrate the system's capability to achieve a dynamic range of 1100 pC and a charge resolution of 0.25 pC, effectively addressing the challenges posed by FoCal.