PXI-Standard Automatic Setup and Control of a 20-GHz-Bandwidth, Transient Digitizer for Accelerator Beam Diagnostics

72474S03-I Measuring and characterizing the time evolution of very fast electronic waveforms requires a transient digitizer (digitizing oscilloscope) with a large input bandwidth and a high sampling rate. For example, the control of accelerators requires measuring the beam bunch profile; controlling laser fusion experiments requires measuring pulse profiles from multiple lasers. This project will conduct a two-pronged approach to produce the world¿s highest-bandwidth digital oscilloscope: (1) a compact rack of PXI-standard electronics, with an interface to automatically set up and optimize digitizer performance, will be developed; and (2) the bandwidth and sampling rates will be doubled to 20 GHz and 80 GigaSamples/second, respectively. Phase I will design, implement, and evaluate the efficacy of the more compact controller. Also, a simplified digitizer chip, to be operated by the controller, will be designed and tested. The design exercise will include a transition to the full higher-bandwidth design, which will contain digital error correction for high performance, to be developed in Phase II. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee: The transient digitizer should be used for measuring the bunch profile of accelerator beams such as at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), and would be useful for both laser and target diagnostic work at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Also, the multi-billion-dollar communications industry requires the capability of digitizing very high-speed signals to extend the reach of fiber communications systems.