Development of high speed multichannel scalar using line memories

A high speed multichannel scaling mode time analyzer (MCS) for time of flight (TOF) experiments was developed by using high speed serial access memories and a personal computer. The MCS was composed of two memory banks, run alternately for each trigger. The channel width of the MCS was selected from 50 ns to 200 ns (4 stage). The count per channel per trigger signal was one, but the dead time for channel advancing may approach zero. The MCS was tested with linear accelerator (linac)-TOF experiments. The results agreed satisfactorily with the design goal. It was confirmed that the high speed MCS runs normally. A small discrepancy at high energy channels between the time spectrum of the MCS and that of the time-to-pulse-height converter (TPHC)-multichannel pulse height analyzer (PHA) time analyzer was observed. One of the reasons for the discrepancy was the uncertainty of the MCS start time after the trigger signal by linac because of asynchronous crystal oscillations with the linac trigger signal.