Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
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A second-year Master's student from the Department of Physics and Engineering Computer Science developed software for the synchronization system and detector of the experimental station at the synchrotron radiation source.Faculty of Physics of Novosibirsk State University Maria Yartseva. These devices will be installed at one of the stations of the Siberian Ring Photon Source (SKIF). She conducted her work as part of a research team at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS laboratory, which specializes in developing detectors for experiments using synchrotron radiation. The scientific supervision was provided by Lev Shekhtman, Chief Researcher at the INP SB RAS and Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, and Vasily Kudryavtsev, Researcher at the INP SB RAS. This work was carried out as part of the strategic technology project "Center for the Integration of Personalized Biomedicine, Pharmacy, and Synchrotron and Binary Technologies." Priority 2030 program.
"My task was to create specialized software for the direct photon counting detector, which would allow for control of the device—taking data, configuring and calibrating it—as well as for the synchronization unit—to generate control signals depending on events occurring during the experiment at the station," said Maria Yartseva.
User programs were developed in C using the Qt framework in the Qt Creator development environment, and the FPGA code was developed using SystemVerilog in the Quartus Prime environment. The ModelSim simulation environment was used to debug the developed modules. All programs were developed under the Linux operating system.
The SciCODE single-axis semiconductor direct photon counting detector has no Russian equivalent. It was developed to replace the OD-3M gas detector, developed at the INP SB RAS in the late 1990s. The new device features faster response times and high spatial resolution and is designed for research using diffraction methods. Similar detectors are available from Switzerland, but the SciCODE direct photon counting detector differs from them in its ability to more accurately measure photon energy.
In addition to this detector, a whole line of detectors is currently being developed at the INP SB RAS, which will also be used at one of the SKIF stations. Individual parts and modules of the code have already been written or borrowed from existing detector software previously developed by INP SB RAS researchers.
"The SciCODE single-coordinate direct photon counting detector is a highly versatile development. It can be used to study physical processes and chemical reactions using diffraction methods, for example, in pharmaceutical development experiments or in studying the behavior of complex molecules. The detector consists of a semiconductor sensor based on silicon or gallium arsenide. It is mounted on a recording board, which was also developed at the INP SB RAS. Data obtained during experiments is recorded by specialized chips. These chips are controlled by a programmable logic integrated circuit (FPGA) installed on the control board, and data is exchanged with a computer via an Ethernet interface," explained Maria Yartseva.
The software prototype for this detector is currently undergoing refinement of certain functionality and is undergoing laboratory testing.
The synchronization unit will be installed at the same SKIF station as the detectors. It will coordinate the operation of SKIF, the station, and the recording devices. Its manufacture and installation are complete. The device has been tested under experimental conditions at the experimental station at the Siberian Synchrotron and Terahertz Radiation Center of the INP SB RAS.
"The main work is complete; further development of this project involves creating a unified system that would control both the synchronization unit and the detector system during experiments. The synchronization unit also includes a board with an FPGA, and interaction with the software is provided in the same way as with the detectors. This device can be installed at any research station where synchronization of multiple devices is required," said Maria Yartseva.
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