Real-time data display and storage device for pulsed neutron scattering experiment

To, Kentaro  ; Nakamura, Tatsuya  ; Sakasai, Kaoru  ; Yamagishi, Hideshi*

A real-time data display and storage device was developed for pulsed neutron scattering experiments using the time-of-flight method. The device contains two sets of field programmable gate arrays and on-board microcomputers for data display and storage. The developed device can determine the time-of-flight and time-resolved neutron position data with a time range from 0 to 40 ms using a beam of pulsed neutrons at 25 Hz from an experimental facility. Operation tests were performed using test signals that simulate the neutron detector output signals. It was found that the device could separate double pulses with a time interval of 1 s; furthermore, it could measure the continuous pulses with a frequency of 1 MHz. Consequently, it was confirmed that the developed device demonstrated a counting rate capability of beyond 1 Mcps.