OPTIMA, a board dedicated to Optimized Precision Timing for Multichannel Acquisition

TL;DR

The paper introduces OPTIMA, a multichannel board designed for testing fast-timing sensors in high-energy physics experiments, enabling rapid readout and integration in test setups to advance detector development.

Contribution

It presents the design and implementation of the OPTIMA board, a novel tool for testing small sensor prototypes with fast readout capabilities in test beam environments.

Findings

Successful integration in test beams demonstrated functionality.

First experimental results show promising performance.

Enables testing of sensors before ASIC bonding.

Abstract

In the new era of HL-LHC experiments, fast-timing detectors are emerging as critical tools for background rejection. Typical requirements include a temporal hit resolution of about 50 ps, a spatial resolution of around 12 $\mu$m, and radiation hardness up to $10^{17}$n$_\text{eq}$/cm$^2$. To address these challenges, the development of non-standard sensor designs and advanced fast readout electronics is required. The OPTIMA multichannel board addresses the need for testing small sensor demonstrators when they cannot yet be bonded to dedicated readout ASICs. It provides fast readout of up to 16 channels and can be integrated into various test setups, including test beam environments. This contribution presents the design of the OPTIMA board, its integration in test beams, and the first experimental results.