Fermilab Switchyard Resonant Beam Position Monitor Electronics Upgrade Results

TL;DR

This paper reports on the successful upgrade of Fermilab Switchyard's beam position monitor electronics, enhancing beam monitoring and auto-tuning capabilities through improved low noise amplification and digitization.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new electronics upgrade with low noise amplifiers and variable gain digitizers for resonant beam position monitors at Fermilab.

Findings

Enhanced beam position monitoring accuracy

Improved dynamic range handling during spills

Facilitated auto-tuning of the beamline

Abstract

The readout electronics for the resonant beam position monitors (BPMs) in the Fermilab Switchyard (SY) have been upgraded, utilizing a low noise amplifier transition board and Fermilab designed digitizer boards. The stripline BPMs are estimated to have an average signal output of between -110 dBm and -80 dBm, with an estimated peak output of -70 dBm. The external resonant circuit is tuned to the SY machine frequency of 53.10348 MHz. Both the digitizer and transition boards have variable gain in order to accommodate the large dynamic range and irregularity of the resonant extraction spill. These BPMs will aid in auto-tuning of the SY beamline as well as enabling operators to monitor beam position through the spill.