SEQUENT LOGIC LLC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: C55-11c

Description

C55-11c-270712Detector integrated circuits in modern neutron imaging systems output copious amounts data at high throughput – data are output too fast to efficiently store or interpret using standard processing and data acquisition systems. As larger detector arrays are fabricated, corresponding data throughput and required storage depths become untenable. To address this issue, a real-time acquisition and digital signal processing solution based on field programmable gate array and system-on-chip technologies will be developed to read real-time event data from an array of detector readout ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) and infer unique neutron events (position, intensity, arrival time) from corresponding clusters of hundreds of raw detector hits. Data reduction on the order of 100X or more will be accomplished via the proposed solution, dramatically reducing required downstream data throughput and storage, in turn enabling real-time acquisition and imaging with large detector arrays. Modern technologies, hardware, interfaces, and programming paradigms will be employed to rapidly arrive at a solution meeting or exceeding project objectives while optimizing system longevity, flexibility, extensibility, upgradability, and cost. In the Phase-I effort, detailed project requirements will be refined and beamline / ASIC access will be established for the Phase-II effort. Neutron event algorithms will be studied, devised, iterated upon, and implemented in FPGA and/or SoC logic. Real-time neutron event inference DSP will be demonstrated in hardware representative of the Phase-II architecture. Finally, the Phase-II prototype system architecture will be defined. Neutron imaging is non-invasive and non-destructive. It offers an analysis modality distinct from and complementary to X-ray and gamma particle imaging. The proposed solution benefits researchers by enhancing real-time capability of neutron imaging equipment research and commercial neutron imaging facilities, potentially enabling rapid neutron tomography and imaging of moving parts.