DP4 User Manual D4.

doc, 4/30/09

DP4 User Manual and Operating Instructions

Amptek, Inc.
14 De Angelo Dr.
Bedford, MA 01730
PH: +1 781-275-2242 FAX: +1 781-275-3470
sales@amptek.com www.amptek.com

Other DP4 documents: DP4 Quick Start Guide and DP4 Programmer’s Guide

1 DP4 Design and Operation ..................................................................................................................2

1.1 Major Function Blocks...................................................................................................................2
1.2 DP4 Input ......................................................................................................................................3
1.3 Pulse Shaping and Selection ........................................................................................................4
1.3.1 Pulse Shaping........................................................................................................................4
1.3.2 Baseline Restoration (BLR) ...................................................................................................6
1.3.2.1 Auto-Baseline ...................................................................................................................6
1.3.2.2 BLR...................................................................................................................................6
1.3.3 Pulse Selection ......................................................................................................................7
1.3.3.1 Pile-Up Rejection ..............................................................................................................7
1.3.3.2 Risetime Discrimination ....................................................................................................7
1.3.3.3 Thresholds ........................................................................................................................8
1.3.3.4 Gate ..................................................................................................................................8
1.3.4 Multichannel Analyzer............................................................................................................8
1.3.5 Single Channel Analyzer .......................................................................................................8
1.4 DP4 Interface ................................................................................................................................9
2 DP4 Specifications .............................................................................................................................10
2.1 Dimensions .................................................................................................................................10
2.2 Connections ................................................................................................................................10
2.2.1 JP7 – Analog input...............................................................................................................11
2.2.2 JP6 – Power and Interface ..................................................................................................12
2.2.3 J2 – Analog output...............................................................................................................12
2.2.4 JP9 External Logic I/O .........................................................................................................13
2.2.5 J15 I2C Bus .........................................................................................................................13
2.2.6 Diagnostic Testpoint .5 ........................................................................................................13
2.2.7 JP10 Extra signals for OEM use..........................................................................................14
2.3 Controls and Adjustments...........................................................................................................14
2.3.1 Analog Prefilter ....................................................................................................................14
2.3.2 Pulse Shaping......................................................................................................................15
2.3.3 Pulse Selection ....................................................................................................................15
2.3.4 MCA Control ........................................................................................................................16
2.3.5 SCA Controls .......................................................................................................................16
3 Quick Start Instructions ......................................................................................................................17
3.1 Set-Up Instructions .....................................................................................................................18
3.1.1 USB Driver and ADMCA software installation .....................................................................18
3.1.2 VB Test Application installation and RS232 serial port connection.....................................18
3.1.3 Hardware connections .........................................................................................................18
3.1.4 Hardware adjustments.........................................................................................................18
4 VB APP Control and Display Demonstration Software ......................................................................19
5 Use of the DP4 with Amptek’s XR100 Detectors ...............................................................................21
5.1 Users with an XR100 ..................................................................................................................21
5.2 Users with a DP4, PC4-3, and PA-210 Preamplifier...................................................................22

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5.3 Use of the DP4 with Tail Pulse Preamps....................................................................................23
5.4 Analog Prefilter Circuit Description .............................................................................................24
5.4.1 Differential amplifier .............................................................................................................24
5.4.2 High Pass Filter ...................................................................................................................24
5.4.3 First Gain Stage...................................................................................................................24
5.4.4 Final Gain Stage ..................................................................................................................24
5.5 Procedures for Common Changes .............................................................................................27
5.5.1 Preamplifier Tail Cancellation ..............................................................................................27
5.5.2 Inversion ..............................................................................................................................28
5.5.3 Input Range Adjustment ......................................................................................................28
5.5.4 Single Ended Operation.......................................................................................................28
5.5.5 DP4 with Onboard Charge Amplifier Configuration.............................................................29
6 Dead Time in the Amptek DP4...........................................................................................................31
6.1 Fast Channel...............................................................................................................................31
6.2 Slow Channel ..............................................................................................................................32
6.3 Acquisition Time..........................................................................................................................33
6.4 Timing Summary .........................................................................................................................34
7 Trouble-Shooting Guide .....................................................................................................................34
8 Index...................................................................................................................................................34

1 DP4 DESIGN AND OPERATION

1.1 MAJOR FUNCTION BLOCKS
The DP4 is a component in the complete signal processing chain of a nuclear instrumentation system,
as shown in Figure 1. The input to the DP4 is the preamplifier output. The DP4 digitizes the preamplifier
output, applies real-time digital processing to the signal, detects the peak amplitude (digitally), and bins this
value in its histogramming memory, generating an energy spectrum. The spectrum is then transmitted over
the DP4’s serial interface to the user’s computer.
The Amptek DP4 has 6 main function blocks to implement these functions: (1) an analog prefilter, (2) an
ADC, (3) a digital pulse shaper, (4) pulse selection logic, (5) histogram logic, and (6) interfacing hardware
(which includes a microcontroller) and software. These six functions will be discussed below. Clearly, the
DP4 must be used with other components, including (at a minimum) a detector and preamplifier, a computer
with a serial interface and software to communicate, and a power supply.
DP4

Detector and Analog Microcontroller

ADC Digital Pulse Histogram
Preamplifier Prefilter & Computer
Shaper Logic
Interface

Pulse
Selection
Logic Power Supply

Figure 1. Block diagram of the DP4 in a complete system.

It is important to recognize that the DP4 is designed for OEM use as part of a complete instrument. It
can also be tailored for laboratory use, but it is not intended as a stand-alone module for general purpose
use. Amptek’s PX4 is a general purpose laboratory module which includes the functionality of the DP4 and
much more, such as power supplies. Amptek strongly recommends the PX4 for non-OEM users.
The DP4 interface and control hardware are designed with considerable flexibility so the OEM user can
tailor it to a specific application. Amptek supplies software with the DP4 that includes two fully functional
demonstration programs. One program runs on the embedded microcontroller and interfaces between the

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pulse shaping/histogram functions and a PC. The other program runs on a PC and interfaces between the
DP4 and the user. Both of these are intended as demonstration programs, which the user will tailor. The
DP4 also includes an FPGA. The FPGA logic, the “FPGA Configuration Bitstream”, is copyrighted by
Amptek, Inc. and may not be copied, modified, or used without the express, written approval of Amptek, Inc.
Analog Prefilter: The input to the DP4 is the output of a charge sensitive preamplifier. The analog prefilter
circuit prepares this signal for accurate digitization. The main functions of this circuit are (1) applying
appropriate gain, offset, and inversion (if necessary) to utilize the dynamic range of the ADC, and (2) carrying
out some filtering and pulse shaping functions to optimize the digitization.
ADC: The ADC digitizes the output of the analog prefilter at a 20 MHz rate. This stream of digitized values
is sent, in real time, into the digital pulse shaper.
Digital Pulse Shaper: The ADC output is processed continuously using a pipeline architecture to generate
a real time shaped pulse. This carries out pulse shaping as in any other shaping amplifier. The shaped
pulse is a purely digital entity. Its output can be routed to a DAC, for diagnostic purposes, but this is not
necessary. The peak value of the digital shaped pulse is determined by a peak detect circuit in the pulse
shaper. The peak value for each pulse, a single digital quantity, is the primary output of the pulse shaper.
Pulse Selection Logic: The pulse selection logic rejects pulses for which an accurate measurement cannot
be made. It includes pile-up rejection and risetime discrimination. These are discussed in more detail below.
Histogram Memory: The histogram memory operates as in a traditional MCA. When a pulse occurs with a
particular peak value, a counter in a corresponding memory location is incremented. The result is a
histogram, an array containing, in each cell, the number of events with the corresponding peak value. This is
the energy spectrum and is the primary output of the DP4. The DP4 uses 3 bytes per channel, which allows
up to 16.7M counts per channel.
Interface: The DP4 includes hardware and software to interface between these various functions and the
user’s computer. A primary function of the interface is to transmit the spectrum to the user. The interface
also controls data acquisition, by starting and stopping the processing and by clearing the histogram
memory. It also controls certain aspects of the analog and digital shaping, for example setting the analog
gain or the pulse peaking time.
The interface includes a microcontroller and serial interface hardware. Both RS232 and USB interfaces are
currently implemented and described in this manual. The interface also contains an I2C interface and several
unallocated microcontroller pins that are available to the user. The interface includes two distinct software
packages, embedded software which runs on the microcontroller on the DP4 and acquisition and control
software that runs on the attached personal computer. The DP4 is shipped with a demonstration version of
the acquisition and control software package ( Visual Basic 5 source code is provided.) Source code for the
embedded software (8051 assembly language) is also available – contact Amptek for more information.
1.2 DP4 INPUT
The DP4 was designed to process signals coming directly from a charge sensitive preamplifier used
with a solid-state radiation detector. These signals typically have (1) a small amplitude, in the range of a few
mV, (2) a fast rise (tens of nsec to μsec), and (3) following the signal, either a slow decay (of order msec) or
no decay. A charge sensitive preamplifier integrates the current into its input, so over time the output drifts
towards the rail. One of two methods is usually used to restore the output.
Some preamplifiers use a pulsed reset to periodically restore the input charge. In such preamps, there
is no tail after the signal. A radiation interaction generates a voltage step, then the output is constant until
the next step, as illustrated in Figure 2(a). Eventually, the output will drift near the supply rail and is then
reset to its initial value, leading to a very large and fast reset signal. The DP4 is configured from the factory
for use with such reset-type preamplifiers. The reset results in a large, negative going pulse into the ADC,
which disrupts the signal processing. The preamplifier output can take a significant time to fully recover from
a reset. Pulses received during reset recovery will have a distorted amplitude and degrade the spectrum.
Therefore the DP4 includes hardware to lock out data acquisition during reset.

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(a) (b)
Figure 2. Oscilloscope traces showing typical preamplifier outputs, for reset (a) and continuous (b)
preamplifiers. The DP4 is shipped from the factory configured for the reset inputs, such as those on the left.
Some preamplifiers use a continuous feedback, the simplest of which is a resistor in parallel with the
feedback capacitor. After the voltage step due to each signal interaction, the output slowly drifts back to its
quiescent value, with the time constant of the feedback, as illustrated in Figure 2(b). This time constant is
long, 500 μsec in this case, so that the charge in the signal can be accurately integrated. The DP4 hardware
may be configured for use with most continuous feedback preamplifiers. This is discussed in Section 0
1.3 PULSE SHAPING AND SELECTION
1.3.1 Pulse Shaping
The DP4 implements trapezoidal pulse shaping, with a typical output pulse shape shown in Figure 3.
This shape was chosen because it provides a near optimum signal to noise ratio for many detectors,
including Amptek’s XR100 detectors under normal operating conditions. The user can adjust the rise/fall
time (the rise and fall must be equal) and the duration of the flat top. These values can be set to a large
number of discrete values, shown in Table 1.
A semi-gaussian amplifier with shaping time τ has a peaking time of 2.2τ and is comparable in
performance with the trapezoidal shape of the same peaking time. So, if the DP4’s digital shaper were to be
set to the equivalent of an analog amplifier with a 12 μs shaping time constant it would be set to roughly
2.2*12 = 26.4 μs peaking time.
The electronic noise of a detector will generally have a minimum at some peaking time, the “noise
corner.” At peaking times shorter or longer than this, there is more noise and hence degraded resolution. If
this peaking time is long relative to the rate of incoming counts, then pulse pile-up will occur. In general, a
detector should be operated at a peaking time at the noise corner, or below the noise corner as necessary to
accommodate higher count rates.
If the risetime from the preamp is long compared with this peaking time, then the output pulses will be
distorted by ballistic deficit. In this case, the trapezoidal flat top can be extended to improve the spectrum.
The specific optimum timing characteristics will vary from one type of detector to the next and on the details
of a particular application, e.g. the incoming count rate. The user is encouraged to test the variation of
performance on these characteristics.

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Figure 3. Pulse shape produced by the DP4.

Peaking Flat Top 'Rise' Flat Top Decimation
Decimation
Time (uS) (uS) register register register
0.8 0.2...3.2 1 1 0…15 0
1.6 0.2...3.2 1 2 0…15 0
2.4 0.2...3.2 1 3 0…15 0
3.2 0.2...3.2 1 4 0…15 0
4.0 0.2...3.2 1 5 0…15 0
4.8 0.2...3.2 1 6 0…15 0
5.6 0.2...3.2 1 7 0…15 0
6.4 0.2...3.2 1 8 0…15 0
8.0 0.4...6.4 2 5 0…15 1
9.6 0.4...6.4 2 6 0…15 1
11.2 0.4...6.4 2 7 0…15 1
12.8 0.4...6.4 2 8 0…15 1
16.0 0.8...12.8 4 5 0…15 2
19.2 0.8...12.8 4 6 0…15 2
22.4 0.8...12.8 4 7 0…15 2
25.6 0.8...12.8 4 8 0…15 2
32.0 1.6...25.6 8 5 0…15 3
38.4 1.6...25.6 8 6 0…15 3
44.8 1.6...25.6 8 7 0…15 3
51.2 1.6...25.6 8 8 0…15 3
64.0 3.2...51.2 16 5 0…15 4
76.8 3.2...51.2 16 6 0…15 4
89.6 3.2...51.2 16 7 0…15 4
102.4 3.2...51.2 16 8 0…15 4

Table 1. Table of allowed rise/fall times (peaking times) and flat top times.
The pulse shaping of the DP4 is illustrated in Figure 4. The top trace shows the input to the DP4, which
is the output from a reset-type charge sensitive preamplifier. This is processed by the analog prefilter (see
Figure 1), producing the prefilter output shown at the bottom. This is digitized and then processed digitally,
producing the DP4’s shaped output, also shown at the bottom.

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1) DP4 Input (Preamp Output)

5 mV/div 20 μsec/div

2) Prefilter Output 3) DP4 Shaped

(ADC Input) Output

Both traces: 200 mV/div 20 μsec/div

Figure 4. Oscilloscope trace illustrating the normal operation of a DP4.

1.3.2 Baseline Restoration (BLR)
The “baseline” of a digital processor has some significant differences from traditional analog shaping
amplifiers. Traditional amplifiers generally include some form of baseline restoration, DC feedback, to
prevent drift at high count rates. Because the DP4’s transfer function has a finite impulse response, after a
pulse has passed through the processing pipeline it has no impact on the output. This is fundamentally
different from an analog differentiator and results in vastly enhanced baseline stability at high count rates.
However, unlike analog shapers the DP4 has to establish a DC baseline, at all count rates. There are two
options available in the DP4 to establish the DC baseline: “auto-baseline”, which involves measuring the
input offset, and baseline restoration, which uses closed loop, quasi-DC feedback.
1.3.2.1 Auto-Baseline
The ‘Auto-Baseline’ function does not correct baseline variations resulting from count-rate changes or
other detector effects; rather, it corrects for drift in the DP4’s analog section, due mostly to temperature
changes. It is intended to be used with reset-style preamps that do not otherwise require BLR (i.e. the
Amptek XR100CR). When the DP4 detects that reset has occurred, it temporarily disconnects the detector
from the DP4 front-end electronics and averages the voltage offset produced by the front end. The detector
is reconnected and the measured offset is used to correct the digital baseline. This doesn’t affect throughput
since the processing is suspended anyway during reset to allow the preamp signal to settle.
Auto-Baseline should not longer be used. It has been replaced by the BLR (see next section).
Always set Auto-Baseline to OFF in any software.
1.3.2.2 BLR
The DP4 has an asymmetric baseline restorer, which can be used when baseline shifts due to count-
rate changes, power supply drift, or if other detector effects need to be nulled. It works as follows:
a. All digital samples below the existing baseline are integrated. When the sum reaches a preset
value (the “BLR Correction Threshold”), an upward correction (the “Baseline Up Correction”) is
added to the baseline.

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b. Countering this occasional upward correction is a periodic downward correction (the “Baseline
Down Correction.)
As the magnitude of these corrections is typically much less than one channel, the periodic downward
correction and occasional upward correction should not adversely affect resolution. Each of the corrections
has four settings (very slow, slow, medium and fast) and the correction threshold also has four settings (very
fast, fast, normal and slow.) It should be noted that the relative size of these corrections is dependent on
peaking time; thus a setting that works well at a particular peaking time may not necessarily be ideal for a
different peaking time.
BLR and Auto-Baseline should not be used at the same time. Always make sure that Auto-Baseline if OFF.
1.3.3 Pulse Selection
1.3.3.1 Pile-Up Rejection
The goal of the pile-up reject (PUR) logic is to determine if two interactions occurred so close together in
time that they appear as a single output pulse with a distorted amplitude. The DP4 PUR uses a “fast-slow”
system, in which the pulses are processed by a fast shaping channel in parallel with the slower main channel
(both channels are purely digital). Though similar in principle to the techniques of an analog shaper, the pile-
up reject circuitry and the dead time of the DP4 differ in significant ways, resulting in much better
performance at high count rates. First, the symmetry of the shaped pulse permits the dead time and pile-up
interval to be much shorter. Second, there is no dead time associated with peak acquisition and digitization,
only that due to the pulse shaping. [Setting 0 = off].
Figure 5 illustrates the operation of the DP4 for pulses that occur close in time. Figure 5 (a) shows two
events that are separated by less than the rise time of the shaped signal, while Figure 5 (b) shows two
pulses that are separated by slightly longer than the rise time. In (a), the output is the sum of the two signals
(note that the signal amplitude is larger than the individual events in (b)) and the events are said to be piled
up. However, note that the analog prefilter outputs in (a) are separate. For a nearly triangular shape, pile-up
only occurs if the two events are separated by less than the peaking time, in which case a single peak is
observed for the two events. The interval used by the DP4 for both dead time and pile-up rejection is the
sum of risetime, plus about 20% of the risetime to account for jitter, and the flat-top duration. If two events
occur within this interval and pile-up rejection is disabled, then only the single, piled-up value is in the
spectrum. If pile-up rejection is enabled and two events are separated by more than the fast channel pulse
pair resolution (600 nsec) and less than this interval, both are rejected. Events that exceed a threshold in the
fast channel trigger the pile-up reject logic.

(a) (b)
Figure 5. Oscilloscope traces illustrating the dead time and pile-up reject performance of the DP4
1.3.3.2 Risetime Discrimination
In some types of detectors, pulses with a slow risetime have a charge amplitude deficit. For example, in
many diodes there is an undepleted region with a weak electric field. A radiation interaction in this region will
generate a signal current, but the charge motion is slow through the undepleted region. This leads to a slow
rising edge on the pulse and since charges are trapped, a small pulse. Interactions in this region can lead to

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various spectral distortions: background counts, shadow peaks, asymmetric peaks, etc. In risetime
discrimination, events with a slow rise do not contribute to the spectrum but are rejected.
The DP4 implements RTD by measuring the width of the fast channel response: a slower input rise time
leads to a broader fast channel output. Because a broader fast channel output also has a lower amplitude (to
maintain the same net area), the DP4 measures the Half-Width, Half-Max (HWHM) of the resulting response.
This measured width is compared to a preset width (the “RTD Time Threshold”) and the event is rejected if
the measured width is too wide. [Note that the event can only be rejected if the Fast Channel is over
threshold. See the next section for a discussion of thresholds.]
Because the fast channel is inherently much noisier than the slower shaped channel, an RTD threshold
is also implemented on the shaped channel. Events which fall below this threshold (the “RTD Slow
Threshold”) are not processed by the RTD and are thus accepted (unless otherwise rejected by Pileup
Rejection or some other criterion). Because RTD is most often needed on interactions deep in a detector,
arising from high-energy events, low-amplitude events are unlikely to benefit from RTD rejection. These fall
below the RTD Slow Threshold and are thus accepted.
To summarize the RTD rules:
a. Events whose shaped (slow) channel amplitude is below the RTD Slow Threshold are kept;
otherwise…
b. Events whose fast channel amplitude is below the fast threshold are rejected; otherwise…
c. Events whose measured HWHM is wider than the RTD Time Threshold are rejected.
1.3.3.3 Thresholds
Slow channel threshold: The DP4 uses the Slow Channel Threshold to distinguish between events that
should be added to the stored spectrum and those that shouldn’t. Events with an amplitude lower than the
Slow Channel Threshold are ignored – they do not contribute to the stored spectrum. The slow channel
threshold is the equivalent of a low-level discriminator (LLD).
Fast Channel Threshold: The Fast Channel Threshold is used for two functions: Rise Time
Discrimination (RTD), as described in section 1.3.3.2, and Pile-up Rejection (PUR). The DP4 can only reject
piled-up events if both events fired the fast channel; therefore, it is usually desirable to set the Fast Channel
Threshold as close to the noise as is practical. This is discussed in more detail in later sections. If RTD and
PUR are not used, then the fast channel threshold is not important.
1.3.3.4 Gate
The gate input is used with external circuitry to determine if events should be included or excluded from
the spectrum. The gate can be active high or active low (or disabled). If disabled, then this input is ignored
and all events (which meet the criteria above) are counted. If active high (low), then if the gate input is high
(low), the event is counted in the spectrum. When counts are gated off, the clock is also gated off so that an
accurate count rate can be determined.
The timing of this gate input is important. If the gate input is active while the fast channel threshold is
triggered, then the event is counted as a fast count. If the gate input is active when the peak detect is
triggered, then the event is counted as a slow count and shows up in the spectrum. Note that the fast and
slow channels are triggered at different times, since they have different shaping times. We recommend that
the gate input duration be equal to or greater than the sum of the peaking and flat top durations.
1.3.4 Multichannel Analyzer
The MCA portion of the DP4 supports 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096 or 8192 channels. (8192 channels is
only available via the USB interface – it is not supported via RS232.) The DP4 uses 3 bytes per channel,
which allows up to 16.7M counts per channel. The MCA has two spectral buffers available, A and B, which
can be selected either via software, or by a hardware signal.
1.3.5 Single Channel Analyzer
The DP4 contains eight single channel analyzers (SCAs). Each SCA has an upper and a lower
threshold. If an event occurs with a shaped output within the range defined by these thresholds, then a logic

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pulse is generated and is output to the JP9 connector on the DP4, where it can be connected to external
hardware. The upper and lower limits of the 8 SCAs can be set independently in the software. SCA8 serves
a dual purpose – not only does it operate like the other SCAs, but it is also used to set the Region-of-Interest
(ROI) for the Preset Count mode of MCA operation. That is, when a Preset Count is selected, the MCA will
stop after the programmed number of counts occurs in the SCA8 ROI.
1.4 DP4 INTERFACE
There are two distinct components to the DP4 software. The microcontroller on the DP4 contains
embedded software that controls data acquisition and the interface. The computer to which the DP4
interfaces must contain software to communicate via the serial port (USB or RS-232). The current revision of
the DP4 is designed primarily for use in OEM applications, embedded in an end-user’s product. As such, the
user may access the embedded software to tune the instrument for his/her application. Further, the personal
computer software that is supplied is essentially a demonstration program. It permits the user to fully access
the DP4 functionality and can be used as is, but more importantly it shows how to carry out the various
functions. We presume that the user will tailor this software to meet the specific requirements of his/her
application.
The DP4 has both a USB interface and a standard RS232 interface. Specifically, it has a full-speed
(12Mbps) USB 1.1 interface (which is also compatible with newer USB 2.0 ports.) Amptek has licensed a
USB device driver for use with Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP,
which makes it easy to write Windows software to communicate with the DP4.

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Note on the USB device driver
The USB device driver is licensed from Andrew Pargeter & Associates (www.devicedriver.com) for the
Amptek DP4. The license agreement allows Amptek to provide the driver to the OEM, and the OEM to
provide the driver to the end user provided that the embedded code doesn’t change. In practice, an OEM
who wishes to write his own embedded code will either need to relicense the USB driver or find another
driver solution. If the OEM wishes only minor changes to the existing embedded code, he should contact
Amptek to see if the changes could be made to the standard code, and thus would be covered by the license
agreement.
The USB Vendor ID (VID) and Product ID (PID) are provided to Amptek from Andrew Pargeter &
Associates (“APA”) as part of the license agreement. The VID (0x0BD7) is owned by APA, and the PID
(0xA021) is licensed for use only with the Amptek DP4. OEMs may not use this VID/PID combination, except
with the standard Amptek DP4 embedded code. Contact Amptek for more information. For more information
on VIDs & PIDs, refer to the USB Implementer’s Forum (www.usb.org).

2 DP4 SPECIFICATIONS
2.1 DIMENSIONS

2.2 CONNECTIONS
There are two primary connectors, which are necessary for the DP4’s operation, along with some
auxiliary connectors. JP7 is the analog input, which connects to a preamplifier output. JP6 contains the
power supply connections and the serial interface. These are the primary connectors and are required for
operation. Their use is shown graphically in Figure 6.

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SCA1-8 GATE BUFFER_SEL GND

DP4 JP9 1-8 9 10 11,12

JP7
AMP3 J2
IN+
1
Digital 1 OUT
IN- FILTER ADC DAC
2 Processor
2 GND
3 GND

MCA
μprocessor
Memory

+3.3V +5V -5V GND

JP6 1 2 3 4,5 6,7 8,13 9-12 14 15,16
I2C GND RS232 /RST USB

or

+3.3V +5V -5V GND

POWER

Figure 6. Block diagram illustrating the primary connections.

The auxiliary connectors include (1) an analog output, the output of a DAC, J2; (2) a proprietary test
connector, JP5; (3) an external I/O connector with SCAs, GATE and BUFFER_SEL, JP9; and (4) a user
connector, JP10, which is tied to four microcontroller pins.
2.2.1 JP7 – Analog input
This is the input to the DP4 from a preamplifier. +IN and –IN form a differential input to the DP4, which
is an inverting amplifier.
• Pin 1: +IN: Non-inverting input. For negative pulses, connect signal to +IN and return to –IN.
• Pin 2: -IN: Inverting input. For positive-going pulses, connect signal to –IN and return to +IN.
• Pin 3: AGND: Analog ground.
Connector:
• The JP7 connector on the DP4 is a Molex P/N 22-05-3031. Mating connector is: Molex P/N 22-01-3037
(Digi-Key P/N WM2001-ND) with Molex crimp terminals P/N 08-50-0114 (Digi-Key P/N WM1114-ND).
Requirements:
• Polarity: The DP4 is an inverting amplifier. Measured at Pin 1 referenced to Pin 2, the input pulse
should be negative. The connector should be wired to achieve this as discussed above.
• Magnitude: The inputs to the first amplifier stage have a common mode range of +7.6V, with a
differential mode range of +3.8V. By default, a 25% attenuator is installed (R291=R296=330 ohms) to
increase the common mode range to +9.5V and the differential mode range to +4.75V. If this increased
range isn’t needed, the attenuator can be removed (R291=R296=0 ohms). See section 2.3.1.

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• The default configuration is for reset preamps. For continuous feedback preamplifiers, the hardware will
require reconfiguration, as discussed in Section 0.
• Risetime >100 nsec
2.2.2 JP6 – Power and Interface
JP6 is a 16-pin 1mm flex connector.
Pin # Name Pin # Name
1 +3.3V 9 RS232-RX
2 +5V 10 RS232-TX
3 -5V 11 RS232-CTS
4 GND 12 RS232-RTS
5 GND 13 GND
6 I2C SDA 14 /RESET
2
7 I C SCL 15 USB-
8 GND 16 USB+

Table 2. Pinout for JP6, the primary power and serial interface connector
• +3.3V: This supply powers the majority of the DP4. Average operating current is 100-200mA,
depending on configuration. Peak current is 500 mA at startup.
• +5V, -5V: These supplies power the analog front end. Average operating current is 10 mA for each.
These should be well filtered, since ripple is likely to degrade performance. There is no overcurrent or
reverse voltage protection implemented on the DP4.
• SDA, SCL: These are the I2C bus signals. The DP4 microcontroller is the bus master, so any
peripherals connected to the I2C bus must be slaves. The only I2C devices on the DP4 (other than the
μC) are the 24AA64 boot prom and a temperature sensor.
• RS232-RX, RS232-TX, RS232-CTS, RS232-RTS: These are RS232 signals for interfacing the DP4 to
a host system. The signal names are relative to the DP4, i.e. the DP4 receives on the RX pin and
transmits on the TX pin. The handshaking signals CTS and RTS are not used but are available for
custom applications.
• /RESET: Pulling this signal low will hold the entire DP4 in reset. Floating it or pulling it high allows
normal operation.
• USB+, USB-: This is the USB (Universal Serial Bus) communication bus. The DP4 microcontroller
contains a USB communication core.
Connector:
• Connector: 16 position right angle, Hirose Electronic Co. Ltd: FH21-16S-1DS, Digi-Key: HFG16T-ND
• Mating cable: 1mm Flat Flex Cable 4", Parlex: 100-16-102B, Digi-Key: HF16U-04-ND (other lengths are
available)
2.2.3 J2 – Analog output
This is the shaped output from the DAC. The decimated input and other diagnostic signals can also be
output from the DAC.
• Pin 1: +OUT: This is the output of the DAC. Output range is 0-1V.

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 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09
• Pin 2: AGND: Analog ground. Care should be taken in connecting this ground externally, as ground
currents can disturb the analog front end.
Connector:
• The J2 connector on the DP4 is a Molex P/N 22-05-3021. Mating connector is: Molex P/N 22-01-3027.
(Digi-Key P/N WM2000-ND) with Molex crimp terminals P/N 08-50-0114 (Digi-Key P/N WM1114-ND)
2.2.4 JP9 External Logic I/O
JP9 is an 8x2 2mm header, which offers functionality which is required by some but not all users. Pins
1 through 8 are the outputs of the single channel analyzer outputs, discussed in section 1.3.5. Pins 9 and 10
are the gate input (section 1.3.3.4) and buffer select input (section 2.3.4), respectively. Pins 11 and 12 are
ground.

Pin Function Pin Function Pin Function

1 SCA1 5 SCA3 9 GATE IN
2 SCA8 6 SCA6 10 BUFFER SEL
3 SCA2 7 SCA4 11 GND
4 SCA7 8 SCA5 12 GND

GATE and BUFFER_SEL inputs:

VIL (logic low): -0.5 to + 0.7V VIH (logic high): +2.4 to +5.5V
Inputs: SN74LVC2G14, Vcc=3.3V, 100 kΩ pull-downs
SCA Outputs:
VOL (logic low): 0.1V @ 100uA VOH (logic high): +3.1V @ 100uA
Outputs: SN74LVC245A, Vcc=3.3V, 49.9 Ω series termination
Pulse width: 50nS
2.2.5 J15 I2C Bus
J15 includes the I2C bus signals (SCL & SDA), and a global active low reset input (/RESET). This
header can be used for in-circuit programming of the microcontroller EEPROM, or it can be used by custom
applications to communicate with other I2C devices.
2.2.6 Diagnostic Testpoint .5
The DP4 has a diagnostic testpoint, labeled ‘.5’, which is located near the FPGA (see picture below).
This testpoint can be configured via the application software to output a number of useful signals, as listed
below:

Signal Name Function

ICR Input Count Rate, i.e. Fast Channel fired
PILEUP Piled-up event detected
HOLD (Internal diagnostic)
ONESHOT Period during which a 2nd event would be considered piled-up
DET_RES_ Active-Low Detector Reset Lockout Period
MCA_EN High=MCA Enabled, Low=MCA Disabled
TRIGGER Peak Detect Fired
SCA8 Single Channel Analyzer output #8 (Also available on JP9)

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2.2.7 JP10 Extra signals for OEM use

JP10 contains signals from four unused pins on the microcontroller. These pins are configured as
outputs, and can be controlled via USB commands (See section Error! Reference source not found.). The
outputs go between 0 V (0.4 V @ -1.6 mA) and +3.3 V (+2.4 V @ 1.6mA).
Pin # Function
1 Output #1
2 Output #2
3 Output #3
4 Output #4
5 GND
2.3 CONTROLS AND ADJUSTMENTS
2.3.1 Analog Prefilter
• Inversion: On JP7, pins +IN and –IN form a differential input. The DP4 requires a negative pulse on
+IN relative to –IN.
• Input Attenuation: If the signal exceeds the nominal range of +/- 3.8V, R291 & R296 can be used to
attenuate the input signal. R291=R296=330 ohms yields 25% attenuation (the default configuration);
1Kohm yields 50% attenuation.
• Coarse Gain: Four coarse gain settings are available, by command from the microcontroller. The gain
settings are x10.8, x20.7, x55.4, and x106.2.
• Fine Gain: Fine gain is adjusted digitally, via software, over a range of +/- 25%.
• Offset: The pot R287 sets the DC offset into the ADC. The ADC input should never drop below zero, or
significant distortions in the pulse shape will occur.
• Input Pole: The pot R297 is used to set an input pole, part of the prefilter function.

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2.3.2 Pulse Shaping
• Rise and Fall Time: The rise time of the shaped pulse, which must equal the fall time, can be set to any
one of several values, listed in Table 1. This is adjusted digitally: the microcontroller writes the desired
value to a register in the pulse shaping hardware. The demonstration software provides a simple
control for this. Setting this value by the demonstration software is described in sections Error!
Reference source not found. and 4.
• Flat Top Duration: The duration of the trapezoidal flat top can also be set to one of several values, by a
digital command.
• Decimation: For long rise times, the input ADC values are decimated, as is common with digital
processing. The decimation setting is related to the rise/fall time and the flat top duration. This is also
set by digital command.
• DAC Controls: The DAC has several controls, described more fully in section Error! Reference source
not found.. The DAC provides an analog display of the digital processing that is occurring. The analog
display is not needed but is convenient for setup and debugging. First, the DAC can be enabled or
disabled. Second, several different waveforms may be sent to the DAC. This includes the fast channel
output, the decimated input, the shaped output, and the BLR correction. Third, a DC offset can be sent
to the DAC. The DAC responds to underflows (outputs below 0V) by wrapping over, so it is
recommended practice to set a DC offset that avoids this.
• Preamp Reset Controls: These are utilized with reset type preamps and their operation is described in
section 1.3.2.1. The user may enable or disable Autobaseline. The user may also set a reset period,
which is the length of time following a reset signal during which data processing is shut down, to permit
the electronics to fully recover. The user may also elect to disable reset detection. These controls are
sent by software to the pulse processing FPGA.
• Baseline Restoration Controls: The operation of the baseline restorer is described in section 1.3.2.2.
The user may enable or disable BLR. If enabled, then the user may choose to set three parameters:
up, down, and threshold, each set to one of four values. “Up” (“Down”) determines the size of the
upward (downward) step to the baseline. “Threshold” determines when an upward correction is
required. These controls are sent by software to the pulse processing FPGA. Autobaseline should be
disabled if BLR is enabled or if a non-reset style preamp is used.
2.3.3 Pulse Selection
• Fast Threshold: A low level threshold for the fast channel can be set by a digital command. The logic
output is used in subsequent pulse processing.
• Pile-Up Rejection: The pile-up rejection (PUR) has one direct control, the on/off control. Indirectly, the
operation of the PUR is greatly affected by the setting of the Fast Channel Threshold. Only signals with
a fast channel response exceeding this threshold are evaluated for possible pile-up. If this threshold is
set too low, then electronic noise triggers the PUR detect circuits. Pulses are rejected if they occur
close in time with noise, and therefore there is very low data throughput. If this threshold is set too high,
then real events are missed and therefore pile-up will be present in the spectrum. Common practice is
to set the fast threshold to generate 5-10 cps, in the absence of any signal, which puts this level as
close to the noise as possible without degrading throughput.
• Pile-up period: the pile-up period (the minimum interval between two successive peaks which are not
considered piled up) is programmable. The optimal setting is:
(RisetimeRegister * 19 + (FlatTopRegister + 1) * 4) / 2.
• Risetime Discrimination: Risetime discrimination is described in section 1.3.3.2. There are three
controls, each sent via software to the FPGA. First, RTD may be enabled or disabled. Second, if
enabled, then the user may set the threshold. This threshold applies to the slow channel. Only events
exceeding this threshold will be analyzed by the RTD circuit; all events below this threshold are
accepted. Third, the user may set the HWHM for the fast channel. Only events with a HWHM below
this value will be accepted.

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2.3.4 MCA Control
• Number of channels: The MCA can be set to have 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, or 8192 channels.
• Slow Channel Threshold (LLD): As with most MCAs, there is a low level discriminator on the slow
channel. Only pulses exceeding this threshold will be recorded in the MCA spectrum. The register
setting of 0-255 corresponds to about 0-25% of the full-scale output.
• Gate: In software, the user may set the gate “off”, in which case the gate input is ignored. The user
may also set it to active high or active low.
• Buffer: There are two memory buffers in the hardware, designated A and B. The user may choose to
use either. In addition, the user may choose to enable “Hardware Select”. If this is enabled, then an
external logic input controls whether the data go into buffer A or B.
• Preset Time: The accumulation time may be preset, from 100ms to 19.4 days, with 100ms precision.
This is set in software. After this time has elapsed, acquisition will stop. This will be the accumulation
time, the duration of data acquisition, not live time and not elapsed clock time. See section 6.3 for
details on accumulation time.
• Preset Counts: The DP4 can be programmed to acquire a preset number of counts in a region of
interest. Acquisition will stop when this number of counts is reached. SCA8 must be configured with the
region of interest.
2.3.5 SCA Controls
There are 8 SCA channels, each of which has the following three controls.
• Enable: If this is selected, then that channel outputs counts.
• Lower and Upper Thresholds: These define the range of the SCA. These are in MCA channels: if the
MCA is is 1024 channel mode, and SCA 1 has a range of 712 to 800 for example, then any time a count
is binned in this range of MCA channels, there will be a logic pulse on the SCA output.

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3 QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS
The purpose of this section is to provide enough information to set up the DP4 hardware, install the
ADMCA software, and start taking data. More detailed information on installing the ADMCA software and the
USB driver is in the DP4 Quick Start Guide. The most important connectors and controls are shown below.

JP7 Analog Input JP9 SCA outputs, Gate

Connector & Buffer_Sel inputs

AMP3
Test Point

J2 Analog Output R287 Offset JP6 Power &

Connector Adjust Interface Connector

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3.1 SET-UP INSTRUCTIONS
Note for users of the original DP4: The original DP4 only supported up to 4096 channel spectra, and therefore the USB
driver was configured to not allow transfers larger than that. The DP4 Rev. C and higher now supports 8192 channel
spectra, which may not work properly with the previous driver configuration if the DP4 is configured for 8192 channels.
There are 2 solutions: 1) Uninstall the USB driver, and reinstall as described above. 2) Edit the registry entry which limits
the transfer size to 4096 channels. Please contact Amptek for guidance if this issue affects you.
3.1.1 USB Driver and ADMCA software installation
Please see the “DP4 Quick Start Guide” for instructions on installing the USB driver and the ADMCA
display and acquisition software. The ADMCA software only supports USB for the DP4. If RS232 is needed,
install the VB App as described below.
3.1.2 VB Test Application installation and RS232 serial port connection
1) On the CD, locate the “Additional DPP Software\VB App” directory and run the setup.exe program. The
Visual Basic source code of this program is in the “VB App\Source” directory.
2) Connect the RS232 interface to the serial port of a personal computer. The RS232 handshaking lines
RTS & CTS don’t need to be connected unless custom software is used. Amptek offers several different
DP4 power supply solutions (PC4 interface boards) which include RS232 connectors.
3.1.3 Hardware connections
1) Connect the power supply and the RS232 or USB interface, per section 2.2.2 on page 12. The +3.3V,
+/-5V, GND, and RS232 or USB lines must be connected. We recommend verifying the voltages and
current limits of the power supply before connecting to the DP4. The RS232 lines should connect to the
serial port of a personal computer; the USB lines can connect to the USB port of a PC or to a USB hub.
The RS232 handshaking lines RTS & CTS don’t need to be connected unless custom software is used.
2) Connect the preamplifier output to the DP4 input JP7, per section 2.2.1 on page 11.
3) Connect the DP4 analog output J2, per section 2.2.3 on page 12, to an oscilloscope. Although this
output from the DAC is not required for operation, it is recommended during initial set up.
4) Power On
1) Turn on the detector and preamplifier and place an appropriate radioactive source in front of the
detector. It may be useful to verify, using an oscilloscope, that the preamplifier is producing signals of
the correct size and polarity.
2) Turn on power to the DP4. The +3.3V line should draw 100 to 180 mA, while the +/-5 V lines should
draw <10 mA. No output should be visible on the screen or on the oscilloscope until the unit has been
configured.
3) Click connect in the ADMCA software.
4) You can confirm that the DP4 & PC are communicating by ensuring that the USB symbol in the bottom
right of the screen of the ADMCA software is green, and that the serial number of the unit is displayed in
the upper part of the right hand information panel. If using the VB App, the firmware should return a valid
number at thebottom of the display window.
3.1.4 Hardware adjustments
1) Connect an oscilloscope probe to the test point labeled AMP3. The signal should look like the traces
shown previously, as the “analog prefilter output” in Figure 4.
2) The pulses of interest should have a magnitude of approximately 1V, with an offset of 100 to 200 mV.
The offset must be large enough that the signal normally does not drop below ground – it can go below
ground during detector reset.
If the polarity is incorrect, refer to section 2.3.1. The coarse gain is adjusted via software, as discussed
below. If the signal amplitude is too large, with the coarse gain at its minimum, set the input attenuator
as described in section 2.3.1. If the offset is incorrect, adjust R287.

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4 VB APP CONTROL AND DISPLAY DEMONSTRATION SOFTWARE

A demonstration user interface program is supplied with the DP4. This software is fully functional,
permitting the user to access all of the parameters and features of the DP4. It is intended to demonstrate
how to interface with and use the DP4. There are some new controls available for the DP4 Rev. C: The fine
gain (set to 1.0000 here), the SCA config button, and an 8k channel selection for the MCA.

• Time to Peak: Sets the peaking time for the shaped pulse.
• Top Width: Sets the width of the trapezoidal flat top for the shaped pulse.
• Threshold: Sets the lower threshold for spectrum accumulation. Works like an LLD on an MCA.
• Fast Threshold: Sets the threshold for the fast channel pile-up reject logic. If this threshold is too low,
then valid counts are rejected by noise, leading to a very low throughput.
• Output Offset: The offset voltage of the DAC. Should be high enough to prevent underflow.
• Configure: Sends the configuration parameters from the PC to the DP4. If this is yellow, then
configuration parameters have been changed in the PC and not yet sent to the DP4.
• Exit: Exits the program.
• PUR: Enables or disables pile-up reject.
• Reset: Sets the duration of the lockout interval following a reset pulse from the preamplifier.

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• DAC: Selects which signal is sent to the DAC. If the DAC is off, power consumption is reduced.
• MCA: Selects the number of MCA channels to be used.
• Buffer Select: May use memory buffer A or B, or enable hardware selection of the buffers.
• SCA Config: Clicking on this button will bring up another window, with the SCA controls. In this
window, each of the eight SCAs has an enable check box, a lower level, and an upper level. The ‘Preset
Counts’ setting is also found here (it uses the ROI for SCA8.)
• Port: Selects PC serial port COM1-COM8 (for an RS232 interface), or USB Port (for the USB Interface).
• AutoBaseline: Enables AutoBaseline.
• Risetime Discrimination: Turns RTD on, and sets the amplitude and timing thresholds.
• Analog Coarse Gain: Selects one of 4 gain settings. A setting of 100 (10 keV) implies that the full-scale
energy will be approximately 10 keV, using an Amptek XR100.
• Digital Fine Gain: Sets the gain to a range of 0.75 to 1.25 in steps of ?? 0.001.
• Gate Input: Enables Gate and selects active High or Low.
• Save/Recall Configuration: Saves or recalls the configuration parameters set in this software. The
configuration file is named ‘DP4.CFG’ and is stored in the current folder.
• Fast Count: Displays the number of counts that have accumulated in the fast channel in the present
data acquisition interval.
• Slow Count: Displays the number of counts that have accumulated in the slow channel in the present
data acquisition interval.
• Accumulation Time: Displays the duration (real time) of the present data acquisition interval.
• Auto/Manual Update: In Auto update mode, the PC periodically queries the DP4 and downloads the
spectrum. In Manual Update mode, the data are only transmitted from the DP4 when the user selects
the manual update button. In auto update with the RS232 interface, the update rate is a function of
MCA channels: 4 sec for 4096 channels, 2 sec for 2048 channels, 1 sec for 1024 channels, 500 msec
for 512 channels, and 250 msec for 256 channels. (8192 channel mode is not supported via the RS232
interface.)
• Count Mode: In Delta mode, the spectrum only displays counts received in the most recent data update
interval (i.e., 1 second). The histogram memory is cleared after each update. In Total mode, counts are
integrated. Integration begins at the end of the update when Total was pressed and continuous until the
update after Delta was pressed. Selecting Delta mode is used to clear the spectrum. (Note: the
integration takes place in the DP4, not the host PC.)
• Peak: Indicates the MCA channel with the maximum number of counts, and the number of counts in
that channel.
• Cursor: Indicates the MCA channel selected by the cursor and the number of counts in that channel
(Left-click with the mouse to set the cursor. The right & left arrow keys move the cursor when the graph
is selected.)
• Zoom: Permits the user to zoom in on a subset of the MCA channels. For the RS232 interface, only the
selected channels are sent from the DP4 to the host PC, which allows a faster refresh rate. For the USB
interface, the DP4 always sends the entire spectrum.
• Save Spectrum: Saves the spectrum to a file. The user will be prompted for a file name. The file is
written in the standard format of Amptek’s PMCA software. This is an ASCII format, with several lines of
header information, followed by the spectrum, with one line per channel. It can be read using Amptek’s
PMCA software or by any software which reads ASCII, e.g. Excel or WordPad. When saved as a PMCA
file the data can be processed by the XRF-FP Quantitative analysis software.

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• Scale: Sets the vertical scale for spectrum display. By default, the software uses autoscaling based on
the maximum counts. The user may also manually scale. Scaling can be either linear or logarithmic.
• 55Fe Auto Cal: Provides a convenient automatic calibration, assuming an 55Fe source is used. Selects
appropriate peaks for the 5.9 and 6.4 keV lines and performs a simple, two-point calibration. (For this to
function correctly, the 55Fe peaks must be the highest peaks in the spectrum.)
• Add Cal Point: Permits the user to add additional calibration points for a linear regression.
• Pause MCA: Manually starts and stops data acquisition. Only functional with USB.

5 USE OF THE DP4 WITH AMPTEK’S XR100 DETECTORS

Amptek’s DP4 Digital Pulse Processor is easily configured for use with Amptek’s family of XR-100
detectors and preamplifiers. The DP4 generally comes configured for use with reset type preamplifiers,
which are used in the XR-100CR for Si-PIN. This section is intended to guide a user through the set-up of
the DP4 for use with these detectors. Configuration of the DP4 for other preamplifiers is described in later
sections.
Section 6.1 describes setup of the DP4 with the PC4-3 power board and the PA-210 peamplifier.
5.1 USERS WITH AN XR100
XR-100CR POWER
AXRCR
LEMO 9 PIN D
AD590 2 CONN. CONN.
TEMPERATURE
SENSOR 4 1 4 TEMP
THERMAL SW.
THERMO- 3 6 3 COOLER+
ELECTRIC
COOLER 1 5 7 COOLER-

12 FILTER 2 5 BIAS
X-RAYS DETECTOR
4 1 +9 VDC
8 FEEDBACK
Be
3 2 -9 VDC
9
6,8,9 GND GND

FET 7 PREAMP 3.3V +5V -5V

CASE 11
OUT
10
Cf = 40 f F GND RS232 /RST USB
I2C
5 TEST
JP1 1 2 3 4,5 6,7 8,13 9-12 14 15,16
Ctest = 40 f F 50 ohm &
3.3V +5V -5V GND
JP6

MCA
μprocessor
JP7 Memory
AMP3 J2
IN+
1
Digital 1 OUT
IN- FILTER ADC DAC
2 Processor
2 GND
3 GND

DP4

Figure 7. Block diagram of an XR100, DP4, and power supply.

A suitable power supplies must be used. The hardware should be connected as shown in Figure 7.
The power supply requirements for the DP4 are given in section 2.2.2. See the XR100 Manual for
specifications on the XR100 power requirements and appropriate setup.
1) Make all the connections above and connect the preamplifier output to an oscilloscope. Apply power to
the preamp and detector (+/-8V, bias, cooler). Monitor the temperature to verify that the detector is
cooing (See XR100CR manual for details).

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5.2 USERS WITH A DP4, PC4-3, AND PA-210 PREAMPLIFIER
Many OEMs use the DP4 together with the PC4-3 power supply board and the PA-210 preamplifier.
This total OEM solution is configured as shown below.

PC4-3 Power & DP4

Signal & Power Supply USB/RS-232 Digital Processor
Amptek Amptek Power J1 JP6
flex cable
AXR PA-210 J1 flex cable
J4A
+5VDC
Detector Preamplifier OUT J3
RS232 INPUT
JP7
J5 USB

Signal to pin 1
Shield to pin 2
coax cable
Signal

The picture to the right is a close up of the J4A connector, which connects
between the PC4-3 and the PA-210, and the OUT connection, which connects
with a coax cable to the DP4 input (J7: signal pin 1, shield pin 2).

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5.3 USE OF THE DP4 WITH TAIL PULSE PREAMPS

The DP4 is configured at the factory for particular preamplifier properties, specifically for reset type
feedback, for negative input signals of tens of mV, etc. It can readily be used with other preamplifiers, but
this requires hardware reconfiguration. This section will guide the user in making these changes.
As shown in Figure 1, the DP4 contains an analog prefilter circuit. The output of this analog prefilter,
which is the input to the ADC and can be measured a test point marked AMP3 on the DP4 board, is shown in
Figure 8 as the Prefilter Output. The key to adapting the DP4 for various preamps is modifying the prefilter
to generate the Prefilter Output pulse shape shown in Figure 8. If the signal measured at AMP3 has the
proper characteristics, the DP4 will operate properly. This section provides suggestions regarding how the
analog prefilter should be adapted for a few common situations, but it cannot cover all possibilities. In any
and all cases, measuring the signal at AMP3 will allow the user to determine if the hardware has been
properly configured.

Prefilter Output
DP4 Output
(ADC Input)

DP4 Input
(Preamp Output)

Figure 8. Oscilloscope trace showing the proper signal at AMP3.

The important characteristics of the signal at AMP3 , the output of the analog prefilter, are:
• Rise time should be >100 nsec but much faster than the peaking time to be set in the DP4 software
• The decay time must be 3.2 μsec and must be a simple, single pole decay
• The DC offset should be sufficient to keep the ADC input positive. Typically, 200 mV is good. The
ADC has a range of 0 to 2V, so if AMP3 drops below 0 V, signal processing anomalies will occur. The
DC offset may be increased if necessary. [AMP3 should only drop below 0V during detector reset.]
• The amplitude of the pulse must be about 1V, positive going. The ADC has a range of 0 to 2V, so if
AMP3 exceeds 2V, signal processing anomalies will occur.

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5.4 ANALOG PREFILTER CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION
The analog prefilter circuit is shown in Figure 9. The main elements are (1) a differential amplifier (U83),
(2) a high pass filter with a 3.2 μsec time constant, (3) a gain stage (U86), and (4) an amplifier (U82B)
providing gain, polarity reversal, and DC offset adjustment. We will now discuss these in more detail.
5.4.1 Differential amplifier
This is a (nominally) unity gain differential amplifier, used to reduce common mode ripple. This circuit
also permits the user to invert the signal: the output of the differential amplifier should be a negative going
pulse, so the preamp signal can be connected to either the inverting or noninverting node of the differential
amplifier. This circuit can also provide some gain or attenuation, using the input resistors.
Note that this signal return is connected to the differential amplifier input and not to DP4 ground.
The signal reference does not provide a ground connection. The preamplifier ground must be
connected directly to the DP4 ground. Pin 3 of JP7 may be used or some other ground point.
Failure to ground the preamp, connecting the preamp ground only to the differential amplifier input,
has caused many users significant grounding problems!
5.4.2 High Pass Filter
(R4 + R300) together with C133 form a high pass filter, which provides the 3.2 μsec decay seen in the
Prefilter Output in Figure 8. Pot R297 is used to fine-tune the time constant. If this pole is set correctly, then
the shaped trapezoidal output from the DP4 DAC will have a flat top and a clean tail (no undershoot or
overshoot). Setting this pole is very important to the proper operation of the digital pulse processor.
If a preamplifier with a tail is used, i.e. one using resistive feedback, then there will be an undershoot at
the output of this filter. This can be seen at AMP2, AMP3, and at the DAC’s shaped output. A pole zero
resistor must be installed in R292 to cancel the preamp tail. The procedure for doing this is contained in
section 5.5.1.
The switch U84 was used in the early development of the DP4 for the Autobaseline function.
Autobaseline has been replaced by the Base-Line Restorer (BLR) function. Autobaseline should not be
used, and should always be set to OFF in software.
5.4.3 First Gain Stage
The first gain stage, based on U86, can provide a gain of either 5 or 10. The gain is changed by switch
U85A, under command from the microprocessor. Note that any DC output from the high pass filter is
amplified by this gain.
5.4.4 Final Gain Stage
The final gain stage, U82B, implements several important functions:
1) It provides additional coarse gain, of approximately 2 or 10, by switch U85B.
2) It inverts the signal. The pulse measured at AMP3 must be positive going.
3) It provides a DC offset, by pot R287. The offset input to this amplifier stage ranges from -100 to +100
mV. The pulse measured at AMP3 must have a DC offset sufficient to ensure that the ADC input does
not go negative.

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 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09

R292
NOT INSTALLED
Zero
V+ R43 V+
R291 R293 NOT INSTALLED V+

3
0 1.0K AMP1 AMP2
2 1 U84

1
U83 ADG619 U86

7
AD8011 R44 AD8011
JP7 3 0 6 Vdd 8 3
+ + AMP2
6 1 6
1 R294 2 3 G 2 2
2 - -

2
1.0K C133 Vss R4
3 6.8NF 100

4
R46 R297
475 NI 3 R285 R7
4.3K 4.3K
V- V- V-

1
R296 R298 R299 R300 U85
0 1.0K 1.0K 330 ADG636(A)

4
6 Vdd 8
Gain1
1
Input Differential Amplifier 3 G 2
Vss

7
R288 R284
High Pass Filter 470 1K

First Gain Stage

Final Gain and Offset Adjust

R283 R279 R301

130 360 1.0K
AMP2

V-
AMP3
Gain2
4

U82B
4

8 Vdd 6 AD8032 R277

1 6 - 10
2 G 3 7
ADC
Vss 5 +

C
U85 C125
7

ADG636(B) D1 NI
8

V+ +2.5V
1

R51
OFFSET
49.9k R287
3 10K
1
Amptek, Inc.
C132
100NF
2

-2.5V
Title
DP4 Analog Pref ilter

Size Document Number Rev

DPP301B1.DSN B0

Date: Wednesday , April 15, 2009 Sheet 1 of 1

Amptek Inc. DP4 Digital Pulse Processor Page 25 of 34

 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09
Figure 9. Schematic of the analog prefilter and gain in the DP4.

Amptek Inc. DP4 Digital Pulse Processor Page 26 of 34

 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09
5.5 PROCEDURES FOR COMMON CHANGES
The following sections recommend ways in which the DP4 can be modified to match the output
requirements of given preamplifiers.
5.5.1 Preamplifier Tail Cancellation
The most common change required is to add a pole zero resistor to cancel the tail of a preamplifier with
continuous feedback. The following procedure is suggested:
1) Estimate the value of R292. Let τ be the preamplifier time constant, the time in which the preamp tail
decays to 1/e of its peak value after a step. Then R292 = τ/6.8 nF. For τ=1 msec, R292=147kΩ.
2) Install R292. It is usually best to first install a pot to accommodate tolerances in the various
components. With the pot installed and set to the approximate value, turn on the system and measure
at AMP3 with an oscilloscope, with signals coming through. Look for a long undershoot or overshoot,
comparable to the preamp tail. Typical waveforms are shown in Figure 10. If there is an overshoot,
decrease R292. If there is an undershoot, increase R292. Once the precise value is found, a fixed
resistor may be installed.

R292 too low

R292 correct

R292 too high

Figure 10. Oscilloscope traces showing AMP3 under several conditions. (a) R292 properly adjusted. (b)
R292 too large. (c) R292 too small. When R292 is correct, there is neither undershoot nor overshoot on the
tail.
3) The presence of R292 will change the time constant of the high pass filter, leading to a slope on the
trapezoidal top and to an undershoot or overshoot of short time constant. Typical waveforms are shown
in Figure 11. Using the DP4 DAC output, set the peaking time to a short value and the flat top duration
as long as permitted. Remove R4 and install a 200 Ohm potentiometer into R297. Adjust R297 until
the top is flat and no undershoot or overshoot is visible.

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 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Figure 11. Oscilloscope traces showing the DAC shaped output under several conditions. (a) R297 properly
adjusted. (b) R297 improperly adjusted. When R297 is incorrect, the top of the trapezoid is sloped and
there is an undershoot or overshoot at the end.
4) The presence of R292 also leads to a DC offset into the circuitry. A preamp generally has some DC
offset at its output, and R292 combines with (R297+R300) to form a DC divider, coupling a fraction of
this offset into the amplifiers, which is then amplified. The DC offset should be measured, first at AMP2
and then at AMP3. If the offset is small enough, then the offset adjust pot R287 can accommodate it. If
the offset is a bit larger, then R51 and/or R303 can be decreased to provide more range.
5) The diode D1 is only needed to clamp the ADC input in the presence of large, negative reset pulses.
We recommend removing it for non-reset preamplifiers.
This procedure will only work if the tail from the preamplifier is a simple exponential (a single pole) and
is constant. If there are multiple poles in the preamplifier response, then the dominant pole may be
cancelled. The remaining pole(s) may or may not affect proper operation. If the time constant varies, i.e.
with temperature or count rate, then the pole will not be cancelled under all conditions.
5.5.2 Inversion
JP7 is the input connector. For positive (negative) going preamp outputs, connect the signal to pin 2
(1). The signal reference from the preamp should be connected to pin 2 (1), respectively.
5.5.3 Input Range Adjustment
U83 has a signal range of +4V. Many preamps have a larger dynamic range, i.e. their output may swing
from +/- 12V. In such cases the input resistors may be used to attenuate the preamplifier signal. Change
R291 and R296 (which must be equal) to provide the necessary attenuation. This will cause a slight loss of
resolution so should only be used if it is really needed. Alternately, if the preamplifier signal is limited to a
smaller range, then this circuit can be configured to provide a small amount of gain, using resistors R293 and
R298.
5.5.4 Single Ended Operation
The DP4 is configured at the factory with a differential input, but may be reconfigured for single ended
operation. Using differential input has several advantages: it reduces common mode interference (with
proper grounding) and it uses a buffer which separates the output impedance of the preamplifier from the

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 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09
DP4’s high pass filter. However, some users prefer single ended operation. If not using an Amptek detector,
the high pass filter may need to be adjusted as explained above.
To achieve single-ended operation:
1. Remove resistors R291, R296, and R44.
2. Install a zero ohm resistor in R43.
Pin 1 of JP7 is the input and will now go directly to the high pass filter. Pin 2 is not used, while Pin 3 is
the ground node.
5.5.5 DP4 with Onboard Charge Amplifier Configuration
The standard DP4 configuration is for use with an external charge sensitive preamplifier. The preamp’s
output is connected to the DP4’s analog input, and the analog prefilter processes this signal before
digitization. In this case, the input to the DP4 is a voltage pulse with a fast rise, usually millivolts in
amplitude, and a long tail, usually hundreds of microseconds.
High Voltage Gain
Buffer AMP3
Pass

G ADC
Input
Voltage
Pulse
G = 5, 10, 20, or 100
From
Preamp

Amptek can reconfigure the DP4 analog prefilter at the factory to include a charge sensitive preamplifier
which is suitable for use with PMTs and other high gain detectors. A simplified schematic is sketched below.
The buffer amplifier and its feedback components are changed so that it is a charge amplifier with
appropriate high pass filtering, and the gain stages are changed to be commensurate with most
scintillator/PMT uses. With this reconfiguration, the input to the DP4 is the detector output, the current pulse
from the PMT. The charge amplifier integrates this to create a voltage pulse which is amplified and digitized.
Charge Amplifier Voltage Gain
AMP3

G ADC
Input
Current CF
Pulse
G = 10 or 50
RF
From
PMT
Vout = Qin/CF
CF = 6.8 nF (std)
0.15 mV/pC

NOTE THAT THE PMT OUTPUT MUST NOT BE AT HIGH VOLTAGE. In most cases, the anode is
capacitively coupled to the input of the DP4.
The usual connection is for a negative polarity current pulse from the PMT. There is an amplifier which
can be reconfigured to invert for positive polarity pulses. Please contact Amptek if this is needed.
The charge amplifier on the DP4 is adequate for signals coming from high gain devices, such as PMTs.
It is not designed for use with low noise detectors, such as semiconductor diodes. If the DP4 is to be used
with low noise detectors, then a better preamp is required, such as Amptek’s A250CF.
DP4 Conversion Gain

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 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09
The charge amplifier uses a 6.8 nF feedback capacitor, which gives the charge amp a conversion gain
of 0.15 mV per pC. This is followed by a gain stage which can be switched between 10 or 50, for a signal
into the ADC of 1.5 or 7.5 mV per picoCoulomb. The ADC has a maximum input of 1V, so the full-scale
inputs are 13 and 66 pC for the two gain settings.
PMT Settings
Users commonly want to know how to set the PMT gain. The answer is “It depends on the scintillator,
PMT, and radiation source”. Consider the following typical example:
1. A gamma-ray interacts in the scintillator, depositing some energy Eγ, for example 662 keV.
2. The scintillator will have a light yield of λ. For NaI(Tl), this is 3.8x104 photons/MeV.
3. The photons are emitted in all directions. The scintillator is usually surrounded by a diffuse reflector
so that some fraction εC reach the photocathode. A typical detector might have εC=80%.
4. The photocathode has a quantum efficiency εQE, which is typically of order 25%.
5. The number of photoelectrons emitted from the photocathode is Eγ λ εC εQE. For our example, we
have (0.662 MeV)( 3.8x104 photons/MeV)(0.8)(0.25)= 5x103 photoelectrons, or 0.8 femtoCoulomb.
6. A “typical” 12 stage PMT might have a gain of 6x104 at 600 volts. The output current pulse is
(0.8x10-15 coul) (6x104) = 5x10-11 coul = 50 pC. This is the input to the DP4.
7. The DP4 charge amp has a gain of 0.15 mV/pC, so 7.5 mV for this example.
8. With the voltage gain set to 50, this gives an input to the ADC of 375 mV, or somewhat under full
scale.
The ideal settings for a particular application will depend on the gamma-ray energy, light yield, PMT
gain, and so on. The usual procedure is to adjust the HV to get the PMT gain close to the correct range, and
then use the DP4’s digital fine gain to put the peak precisely where it is needed.
If the gain of the charge amp is not appropriate, then the feedback capacitor can be increased or
decreased. Please contact Amptek because other components must be changed commensurately.
Procedure
1. We recommend that the user connect the PMT to the DP4 with the high voltage off, and observe the
AMP3 test point on an oscilloscope. Set the DP4 coarse gain to 50.
2. Turn on the HV, with a very low bias voltage. Slowly bring up the bias. Under most circumstances,
pulses will become visible at a few hundred volts.
3. Continue to raise the bias voltage until the pulses seen at AMP3 have peak amplitudes of just under
a volt. Verify that the DC offset is positive, typically by 100 mV. Pulses should be visible on the
MCA display in software. Using the scope, verify that the pulse waveforms at AMP3 look like the
“correct” trace in Fig 15.

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 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09
Charge Amp Schematic
5.0V
5.0V
AMP1 AMP2 AMP3

1
U83 U86

7
AD8031 AD8011 R283 R279 R301

7
R44 R3 3 130 360 1.0K
+
JP7 R296 R298 3 0 910 6
IN+
+
0 100 6 2
1 -
2 C128
2 -
15PF

5
3 R2

5
CON3 A R8 R294 0
100K 10 5.0V
1 -5.0V
-5.0V NI
D4 A U85B

4
A A 1N4148 -5.0V 5.0V R7 R285 Vdd R277
GAIN2
R5 U85A 4.3K 4.3K 6 - 10 ADC
453 NI G 7

4
Vss 5 +
R1 GAIN1 6 Vdd 8 A U82B
0 1 AD8032

8
3 G 2

C
Vss -5.0V
C133 A 2.5V OFFSET 5.0V C125

7
6.8NF R284 R288
NI NI NI D1

1
-5.0V 10MQ040N

A
R51
R287 49.9K A A
Charge Amplifier A
10K 2

R303 C132

1
Fixed Gain 1K 1UF
-2.5V
A A

Switched Gain and Offset Adjust

6 DEAD TIME IN THE AMPTEK DP4

Many users have asked “what is the dead time in the DP4”? Often, they are used to working with MCAs
which have a “live time clock” which is turned off during “conversion”, the time the peak height is sampled
and digitized. But the DP4 has no dead time associated with digitizing the peak amplitude. The incoming
pulse stream is digitized at a high rate (20 MHz, every 50 nsec) and then filtered. The peak digital value is
determined with no conversion delay (one of the advantages of digital processing). Another advantage of
the digital processing arises from the triangular pulse shapes, which are symmetric and return to a true
baseline after twice the peaking time. This makes the timing intervals for pile-up and pulse losses very
predictable.
In most cases, the reason a user asks for the dead time is to accurately determine the true incoming
count rate (ICR). Even though there is no conversion dead time in the DP4, there are counting losses in
both the fast and slow channels. This section will explain these losses and how to determine the ICR from
the measured rates. This ection also explains how to compute the pulse counting losses one can expect. 1
6.1 FAST CHANNEL
The DP4 fast channel signal has a 400 nsec peaking time, and it is this peaking time which is the dead
period of the fast channel. It is the rising portion, not the full width. If a second event occurs within 400 nsec
of the first, then the second is not counted and a single fast count is recorded. This dead period occurs for
400 nsec after every event, whether recorded or not, so the fast channel counts are described by a
paralyzable model. If the true input count rate is RIn, the fast channel dead time is τFAST=400 nsec. and the
output count rate from the fast channel (RFAST) is given by

R FAST = R In e b
− RInτ FAST g [1]

The PX4 does not stop its clock during these dead periods. To estimate the incoming count rate, this
equation cannot be used. There is no closed form solution for the true rate, given the fast rate. One can
approximate this as a non-paralyzable system and obtain
RFAST
RIn ≅ Rapprox = [2]
1 − RFAST τ FAST

1
This discussion and the equations are based on the discussion by G.F. Knoll, General properties of
radiation detectors, Chap 4 in Radiation Detection and Measurement, John Wiley & Sons, New
York (1989), pp 120-122

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 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09
Figure 12 shows RFAST versus RIn (dark line) and also the throughput, the fraction of counts which are
measured by the fast channel (line with filled circles). The accuracy of the approximation in equation [2] is
shown by the line with open circles. At 1x105 sec-1, the fast channel records 96.1% of the incoming counts.
Rapprox, the approximate correction, has an error of <0.08% at this rate. For most purposes, the fast channel
count rate measurement is the best way to estimate the true incoming count rate.

1.0E+06 100%
Rapprox/RIn
Fast Channel Measured Count Rate (sec )

RFast/RIn
-1

75%

RFast

Throughput
1.0E+05 50%

25%

1.0E+04 0%
1.0E+04 1.0E+05 1.0E+06
True Incoming Count Rate (sec-1)

Figure 12. Plot showing the throughput of the fast channel versus input count rate.
6.2 SLOW CHANNEL
The slow channel count rate varies depending on the pile-up rejection settings. Figure 13 shows two
cases. In the plot on the left, the two pulses are separated in time by more than the peaking time. They can
clearly be recognized as separate pulses and accurate peak heights can be measured. Both are valid
events and will be recorded in the spectrum and in the slow channel counts. Because of the symmetry of the
triangular shaping, if the pulses are separated by more than the peaking time, they are not piled up. This is
unlike an analog shaper, where the pulses are asymmetric.
In the plot on the right, the two pulses are separated by less than the peaking time. Only a single pulse
occurs at the shaped output, with amplitude near the sum of the two. If pile-up rejection is turned off, then
this is recorded as a single event with incorrect amplitude. If pile-up rejection is turned on, then both events
are rejected. Nothing appears in either the slow channel counts or in the spectrum.

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 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09
Figure 13. Oscilloscope traces showing (left) two pulses which are separately detected and accurate pulse
heights measured and (right) two pulses which overlap in time. These plots show the output of the analog
prefilter (the tail pulses) and the shaped output.
The window for pile-up rejection is (1 + 3/16) of the peaking time. If pile-up reject is on, this is the dead
period and the equation for OCR reflects the fact that two events are removed. If pile-up reject is off, the
dead period is closer to the peaking time (plus some small jitter) and only one event is removed. The
measured rates are

R PUR _ Off = RIn e

d− R Inτ peak i
R PUR _ On = RIn e
d −2 R b19 16gτ i
In peak
[3]

Figure 14 shows computed (lines) and measured (circles) output count rates versus input count rates, at
several peaking times. The computations use the formula in equation [3]. Excellent agreement is clearly
seen between measurement and calculations.

1.0E+06

Fast Counts

0.8 usec peak

1.6 usec peak

1.0E+05
OCR (sec-1)

12.8 usec peak

1.0E+04

19.2 usec peak

1.0E+03
1.0E+03 1.0E+04 1.0E+05 1.0E+06
ICR (sec-1)

Figure 14. Plot showing measured and computed input and output count rates, with pile-up rejection on, for
various peaking times.
6.3 ACQUISITION TIME
The DP4 provides the fast counts, the slow counts, and the “acquisition time”. It is important to define
this acquisition time. This is the real elapsed time during which data are being acquired. The real time clock
is turned off during certain events, including data transfers over the serial bus and also including reset
intervals. If a reset preamplifier is used, and the DP4 is configured for a certain reset time period, then
acquisition is shut down during the reset period and the acquisition clock is stopped. This acquisition time is
measured using a typical 20 ppm crystal oscillator so is quite accurate. The true count rate should be
computed using the actual acquisition time rather than the nominal data transfer time.
Data transfers occur based on an approximate real time clock. For example, one might configure the
DP4 to update every second. When the data transfer occurs, the acquisition time is shown and this will
probably differ from the nominal “1 second”, due to the approximate clock and also due to reset losses. A
typical value is 1.05 second. At high count rates, a reset preamp resets more often, and so there is less

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 DP4 User Manual D4.doc, 4/30/09
acquisition time per transfer. In this case, the acquisition time might become 0.85 seconds. On the screen,
this time is displayed along with the fast counts and the slow counts during the same interval. The actual
count rate is found by dividing the observed counts by the observed acquisition time, 0.85 seconds for this
example.
6.4 TIMING SUMMARY
In the following, the pulse separation time is denoted T.
1) T > (19/16)τpeak : Both are recorded in the spectrum with correct amplitude, and both are recorded in
both fast and slow counts. True for PUR on and off.
2) (19/16)τpeak > T > 400 nsec: With PUR on, neither is recorded in the spectrum or in slow counts but
both are recorded as fast counts.
3) τpeak > T > 400 nsec: With PUR off, a single event is recorded in the spectrum (with incorrect
amplitude), a single slow count is recorded, but both are recorded as fast counts.
4) 400 nsec > T: A single event is recorded in the spectrum (with incorrect amplitude), a single slow
count is recorded, and a single fast count is recorded. True for PUR on and off.
This presumes that both events are above both the fast and the slow thresholds. For signal amplitudes
near threshold, one or both might not be recorded. The fast and slow thresholds are different (the fast
threshold is usually higher than the slow) so an event may be recorded in one channel but not the other.
7 TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE
Configuration
• If the fast threshold is too low, then noise counts will trigger the pile-up reject circuit. This can veto most
or all of the actual events. This threshold can be raised or the PUR can be disabled.
• If the fast threshold is too high, then piled up events might not be rejected.
• Both pile-up rejection (PUR) and risetime discrimination (RTD) are used to select those pulses which
are recorded. If the settings are wrong, the incorrect pulses are recorded and in many cases, no pulses
are recorded. If no spectrum appears, the first diagnostic step should be to turn off PUR and RTD
Grounding
• Care must be taken in grounding the DP4. In particular, noise problems may occur if the signal ground
that connects the preamplifier to the DP4 input is a power return.
• Amptek has observed at least one Dell laptop that injects significant current via the RS232 ground into
the DP4, which seriously upsets performance. Our solution is to use a 3-prong to 2-prong AC adapter
on the laptop, which disconnects the laptop power supply from AC ground.
8 INDEX
analog prefilter ......................... 3, 6, 15, 42, 43, 44 reset preamplifier4, 6, 13, 16, 22, 25, 30, 31, 37,
42
auto baseline ............................... 7, 16, 22, 25, 31
risetime discrimination ................. 8, 17, 22, 25, 31
baseline restoration ..................................7, 16, 31
RS232 interface ............................................20, 25
gate .....................................................9, 17, 25, 32
serial interface.............................. 4, 10, 11, 13, 20
MCA ....................................................4, 17, 24, 25
threshold ............................ 7, 8, 17, 22, 24, 30, 51
pile up rejection............................ 7, 17, 22, 24, 31
USB interface................................................20, 25
preamplifier ........ 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 16, 21, 37, 42, 45
pulse shaping........................................3, 5, 16, 22

Current versions as of 4/30/2009: DP4 board D1, VB App 3.26, FP 4.02, FW 4.02

Amptek Inc. DP4 Digital Pulse Processor Page 34 of 34