Networking and interconnection of radiation detectors frequent poses problems for system integrators. Amptek’s TB-5 digital tube base makes it easy to interface with custom scintillators and also makes it easy to connect large and complicated systems, spread over a large geographic area and involving many different types of radiation detectors.
The TB-5 can easily interface with many scintillators: conventional gamma-ray spectrometers such as NaI(Tl), CsI(Na), BGO, lanthanum halides, and others are straightforward to use. A user can obtain the scintillator and PMT in whatever geometry is best for the specific application. With the TB-5, a single interface to the computer (USB or Ethernet) provides control, data acquisition,and all power supplies. But the TB-5 can be used with other materials. Thermal neutron and fast neutron detectors utilizing scintillators or phosphors and PMTs can be connected to the TB-5. Although these are counting systems and do not necessarily need the high performance signal processing electronics required for spectroscopy, the standard power supplies, communications interfaces, and application software of the TB-5 make operation straightforward. Most systems requiring a 14 pin PMT base can use the TB-5.
The TB-5 uses the same communications protocols and interface software as Amptek’s other digital pulse processors. This includes the PX5-HPGe (for use with high purity germanium detectors in high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy), the GammaRad-5 (for ruggedized scintillation applications), the PX5 (a general purpose processor which can be used with CdTe or coplanar grid semiconductors), and the DP5 (a board designed for embedded applications). A single computer can easily interface to a network of dissimilar radiation detectors. The drawing below illustrates just a few concepts for interconnecting radiation detectors using Amptek’s digital processing technology.
TB-5 Distributed System Using Ethernet
Using Ethernet, a very large area detector network can easily be established. A single computer can interface to dozens of radiation detectors, spread throughout a building, over many buildings, or across the globe. In a large facility, one can network gamma-ray spectrometers, neutron counters, and even high purity germanium detectors to a central location. Using PoE, a single connection is needed, allowing fast and easy reconfiguration of detector networks. One can locate monitors in many different cities even and, using the globally available Internet, read them from one office.
The USB interface is ideal for smaller networks, with the 3 meter (max) cable. This works very well in research or operational laboratories. A single laptop can interface with multiple radiation detectors, for example high purity germanium detectors in a counting lab combined with gamma-ray and neutron scintillators used for radiation safety. The auxiliary connectors on all of the processors permit easy integration with external electronics, e.g. using gate signals to do coincidence measurements, to do beam—on versus beam-off measurements, and so on.
TB-5 Laboratory System
The RS232 interface is well suited to embedded systems, avoiding the overhead of USB and Ethernet. In a handheld radioisotope identifier, the RS232 interface to the TB-5 is straightforward to implement. One can even use multiple sensors, e.g. combining a DP5 processor to read out a semiconductor detector with the TB-5 mated to a scintillator. In addition, one can use commercially available RS232 adapter modules for other communication protocols: RS232 to Bluetooth, RS232 to WiFi, and others are available.
TB-5 Embedded System
In short, the TB-5 is a powerful tool, providing a standard and flexible tool for connecting scintillation based radiation detector systems.