60-channel high-resolution counter array for high-speed continuous long-term data acquisition

We present a fast and highly compact data acquisition system suitable for interfacing with photon-counter SPADA (single-photon avalanche diode array) sensors, which are used in state-of-art astronomical applications. The acquisition system features a 60-channel counter array, which is able to capture events with a rate of up to 20 MHz, and allows a continuous long-term data acquisition, lasting up to several hours, with a time resolution downto few tenths of microseconds at the same time. The system is based on a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) single board, allocating an FPGA and a DSP, connected by means of an IEEE 1394 high-speed serial link to a Linux box, which implements a TCP/IP server. Therefore, the acquisition parameters, as well as the collected data, can remotely be accessed through a LabView interface running on a different PC. A proof-of-concept demonstration has been realized and the experimental results are presented.