Upgrade of the Trigger and Data Acquisition System for Continuous Imaging and Multi-Camera Operation in CYGNO

TL;DR

This paper details an upgraded data acquisition system for the CYGNO experiment, enabling continuous, synchronized multi-camera imaging in a gaseous TPC to improve particle interaction detection.

Contribution

The paper introduces a continuous imaging mode and multi-camera synchronization for the CYGNO T-DAQ system, enhancing data collection efficiency and scalability.

Findings

Reduced camera dead time with continuous acquisition mode.

Reliable multi-camera synchronization demonstrated.

Validated performance on the MANGO prototype.

Abstract

The CYGNO experiment employs an optical readout to image particle interactions in a gaseous Time Projection Chamber (TPC), combining cameras and photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) to achieve high spatial resolution and timing information. This approach enables detailed track reconstruction but poses significant challenges for data acquisition, particularly in view of the next experimental phase, CYGNO-04, which will operate multiple cameras simultaneously. In this paper, we present an upgrade of the CYGNO Trigger and Data Acquisition (T-DAQ) system, developed starting from the LIME configuration and validated on the MANGO prototype. The upgrade introduces a continuous imaging acquisition mode, substantially reducing the camera dead time, together with an extended trigger time-tagging scheme that provides a robust global time reference for PMT signals. A synchronous multi-camera DAQ architecture is also implemented and tested, enabling coordinated operation of multiple optical sensors without a master camera. The performance of the upgraded system is validated through dedicated tests, demonstrating stable continuous acquisition, reliable time-tagging, and consistent synchronization across multiple cameras. These results establish a solid and scalable foundation for the CYGNO-04 DAQ and represent a key step toward efficient data acquisition in future large-scale optical TPC detectors.