[en] High-performances 16-channel spectroscopy amplifier having high performances has been developed in a single width NIM unit. The pole zero cancellation, the coarse and fine grain, the shaping time, the output polarity and the output DC Offset can be adjusted through a serial interface. The selected values are stored in a non-volatile memory. Each channel has three analog outputs. The first has a nearly gaussian shape with gain from 0.5 to 256 (2,048 possible values), the second is a similar pulse with a gain 10 times the chosen value of the first output. The last is a fast signal table for timing purposes

[en] A data acquisition system based on VME standard modules has been designed for MULTICS, a multi-element detector array. The system is composed of a master crate housing CPUs, Memories, Interface and Pattern boards. Up to 15 VME slave crates can be connected using the VMV vertical bus for ADC and TDC boards. A Macintosh Quadra is used as a console to provide a user friendly environment to send commands to the CPUs. Tools in the system include collecting and storing data, displaying histograms, handling all hardware parameters (high and low thresholds, rise time protection etc.). Diagnostic functions and error messages are also available to detect hardware failures or incorrect settings for the modules

[en] We present an improved version of a linear low-noise optical coupler having differential input and capable of driving a twisted cable to long distances, avoiding ground loops and electromagnetic interference. Owing to device optimization, this circuit version is able to be fast. Its frequency bandwidth is about 900 kHz, more than ten times larger than our previous implementation. The optical coupler presented is therefore suitable to be used with most of the applications with cryogenic detectors

[en] A four channel spectroscopy amplifier is described where coarse and fine amplification gains can be remotely adjusted using high speed CAENET serial line controllers. (orig.)

[en] A 32 channel 12 bit Time to Digital Converter (TDC) has been designed to fit in a single unit VME 6U. 32 Time to Amplitude Converter (TAC) sections and a multiplexer circuit are followed by a fast 12 bit ADC. The total handling and conversion time for all the channels is less than 10 micros. The differential non linearity is kept below 2% of the average channel width. The Common Start/Stop mode, the Full Scale Range, the individual low and high threshold values and the self-test-mode are software selectable. The module has Zero Suppression and Chained Block Transfer protocol capabilities

[en] The characteristics of hybrid low-noise general-purpose preamplifiers are described. The basic performances are reported. They have been used in connection with ionization chambers, large-area Si detectors and photodiodes. (orig.)

[en] An automatic system that controls the vacuum, gas flow and pressure regulation operations has been constructed for two gas-filled detectors operating in series. To keep constant the amount of the gas in the detectors the pressure values are adjusted as a function of the temperature. The system is based on a CPU (Motorola 68000) in a VME bus. The performances of this system have been tested with satisfactory results

[en] An eight-channel time-to-digital converter in a one-slot VME module has been developed. It is based on eight TAC sections and a 1 μs conversion time ADC unit with 12 bit resolution. Start and Stop input signals can be either NIM or ECL pulses and the Common-Start mode is available. The full-scale time range can be on-board selected between four values from 100 to 800 ns. The integral nonlinearity is less than ±0.04% for all ranges. The Low and High thresholds of any channel and other functions can be remotely controlled. (orig.)

[en] An apparatus for cyclic charged particle activation was designed, built and connected to the 7 MV Van de Graaff CN accelerator of the Laboratori Nazionali dell'Istituto Naziolnale di Fisica Nuclear di Legnaro(Italy). It mainly consists of a two-sample transverse moving system controlled by a Cycle Control Module (CCM). This module is based on a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) for the definition of the requested flow-maps and functions. The CCM operates the cc motor for sample movements by means of a power width modulation technique. It also controls the beam switch and the setting mode of the acquisition system which is connected to two HPGe detectors. As a feasibility test, the best experimental conditions for aluminium determination in complex. Al-doped biological samples were found to be an irradiation time of 3.5 minutes and a measuring time of 6 minutes. The signal to background ratio is reported as a function of the number of cycles. (author)

[en] To investigate complex fragment emission in intermediate energy nucleus-nucleus collisions, an array of three-element telescopes has been constructed. The array is designed to measure energy, charge and emission angles of fragments with Z values from 2 up to the projectile atomic number when studying reactions in reverse kinematics. In this case it has a good efficiency even for events with complex fragment high multiplicity. Each telescope is made of an ionization chamber (filled with CF₄ at a pressure up to 300 mbar), a Si detector (500 μm thick, position sensitive in two dimensions) and a CsI(Tl) scintillator with photodiode readout. (orig.)