A multichannel readout electronics for nuclear application (RENA) chip developed for position sensitive solid state detectors

A multichannel mixed signal application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip for front end readout electronics of position sensitive solid state detectors has been developed. It is called readout electronics for nuclear applications (RENA). This chip can be used for large number of channels and high-energy resolution astrophysics and nuclear physics detectors. It can also be applied for medical and industrial imaging of X-rays and gamma rays. The RENA chip is a monolithic integrated circuit and has 32 channels with low-noise high input impedance charge sensitive amplifiers. It works in pulse counting mode with good energy resolution. It also has a self-triggering output which is essential for nuclear applications when the incident radiation arrives at random. Different, externally selectable, operational modes that includes a sparse readout mode is available to increase data throughput. It also has externally selectable shaping (peaking) times. A full-scale prototype RENA chip version III is being manufactured. The results of tests done on the third prototype chip connected to a CdZnTe pad detector array will be presented. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.