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System-on-Chip Solutions for Particle Physics Detection Instrumentation: From Wideband Analog Input to High Speed Digital Serial Output in One Chip


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Date:  Wed, September 26, 2018
Time:  6:30pm-8:00pm
Location:  i-Lab (Building #37)
Speaker:  Isar Mostafanezhad, Founder & CEO of Nalu Scientific

Sponsored by University of Hawai'i IEEE Student Branch and IEEE Hawai'i EDS/SSCS Joint Chapter


Abstract:

In this presentation, we discuss recent progress in Nalu Scientific's portfolio of full waveform sampling and digitizing Application Specific Integrated Circuits. With recent developments in particle physics detector performance and channel density, there is a need for readout electronics that match such capabilities. The new high-density light detectors such as the latest MPC-PMTs or SiPM arrays can produce tens to hundreds of analog cabling to bring those signals out to the readout electronics which introduce issues including noise, power, cost and space. As a solution, we propose full waveform sampling combined with region of interest readout electronics and bring them as close to the detector as possible. Such SoCs will be flexible enough to combine most readout functionality into one chip and eliminate the costly FPGAs. There will be less complexity in operating and planning the system, while power consumption is reduced due to removal of analog amplifiers and reduced digital serial lines. Nalu Scientific team is currently working on a portfolio of SoCs at various CMOS technology nodes covering a variety of timing resolutions and channel density. We will present the latest developments, discuss performance and the upcoming release dates of such products. Additionally, we will present various aspects and issues related to starting a technology company in Hawaii from funding to logistics.


Bio:

Isar Mostafanezhad received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 2010. As a post-doctoral fellow at the department of Physics of the University of Hawaii, he worked on developing the state of the art particle physics instruments. Most notably he has been the technical lead for developing and deploying the 20k+ channel electronics for scintillator readout of the KLM sub-detector of the Belle II experiment upgrade. Isar started Nalu Scientific to commercialize and bring to market technologies related to particle physics applications. In 2015-17 he was serving as the associate Editor for the IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters (MWCL). He has also served on the technical program review committee of IMS 2017 and IMS2018.


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