A detector-emulation method for realistic readout-electronics tests. A case study of VMM3a ASIC for sTGC detector

TL;DR

This paper introduces a detector-emulation method that enables realistic testing of readout electronics like the VMM3a ASIC with controlled, detector-like signals, reducing reliance on costly experiments and improving detector design.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel detector-emulation technique that accurately reproduces detector signals for electronics testing, demonstrated with the VMM3a ASIC and sTGC detector signals.

Findings

Successfully emulated charge spectra and muon detection efficiency.

Studied the impact of attenuation circuits on signal response.

Reproduced detector signals under gamma background conditions.

Abstract

A detector emulator method has been developed. It allows for testing any readout electronics with realistic detector-like signals under controlled conditions, beyond the limits of any experiment based on radiation sources. It can substitute for expensive test-beam campaigns, or predict their results. The detector emulator is a powerful tool for the engineering of detector concepts, with its capability to reproduce any detector signal feature to test the electronics response. Here, the method is applied to the case of the VMM3a ASIC tested with sTGC detector emulated signals. Measurements of charge spectra and muon detection efficiency under intense gamma background are reproduced. The effect of different attenuation circuits is studied.