Institute of Cancer Research Repository - Design and performance of a data acquisition system for VUB-PET.
Design and performance of a data acquisition system for VUB-PET.
Design and performance of a data acquisition system for VUB-PET. A flexible and high-speed VME-based data acquisition system (DAQ) has been designed to process data from the University of Brussels (VUB) small-animal positron emission tomography (PET) system. The core tasks of the system are performed by two custom VME modules: a trigger module and a Fast Readout module (FRO), Following the detection of a valid coincidence event by the trigger unit, the raw data from all analog-to-digital converter channels involved are read out simultaneously via a FRO. An onboard digital signal processor (DSP) processor checks and calibrates these data. To increase the transfer throughput of the list mode data to a SUN Ultra Spare 1 workstation, the DSP processor compresses the data format to a 6-byte data packet per event. The maximum average sustained acquisition rate of the system is 200 000 counts per second (cps), while peak rates up to 2 Mcps can be handled. The DAQ also provides online measurement of the random event rate, the single event rate and event losses due to electronic dead time.
Bruyndonckx, P., Wang, Y. G., Tavernier, S., Carnochan, P.