Characterization of the eLine ASICs in prototype detector systems for LCLS

"eLine", a class of multichannel time-variant integrating front-end Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), has been completed at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for applications at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). The class, designed for pixelated sensors with column-parallel readout, is composed of two front-end ASICs: one designed for high-dynamic range applications (eLine10k) and one designed for ultra-low noise applications (eLine100). The first allows large input full-scale signals, on the order of 10⁴ 8keV photons, with a resolution of half a photon FWHM; while the second provides low noise charge integration, up to a full-scale signal of 100 8keV photons, with an equivalent noise charge (ENC) of 55e- r.m.s. Three different prototype systems utilizing the ASICs are described. The first is a 32k-pixel X-ray Active Matrix Pixel Sensor (XAMPS) detector developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) for the X-ray Pump Probe instrument (XPP) at LCLS. The XAMPS are monolithic detectors with fast-frame readout and large full-scale signal. In particular, they provide a full well capacity on the order of 10⁴ 8keV photons per pixel and a resolution of half a photon FWHM. The second prototype, developed around eLine10k, is a beam finder with high dynamic range. The third prototype is developed around eLine100 to be used as detector in a spectrometer. Applications, test results and performance are discussed.