Basic Identifications in Electronic Measurement Systems

Basic Identifications in Electronic
Measurement Systems
Name : M. N. S. Fernando
Index number : S12527
Date : 18th of August, 2017
Purpose
The main purpose of this practical was to be familiar with the basic instruments (such as
signal generators, counters etc.) and techniques used nuclear science experiments.
1
Introduction and Theory
During the practical, the following instruments were used.
1. Pulsar
2. Oscilloscope
3. Pre-amplifier
4. Amplifier
5. Threshold Discriminator
6. Single Channel Analyser (SCA)
7. Nuclear Instrumentation Module (NIM)
A pulsar is a device that is used to generating a signal. This signal is identical to the output
signal of a nuclear radiation detector. Its main use is as a standard signal generator in testing
tasks such as calibration, timing alignment etc. Shown in Figure 1 is a pulsar.
Figure 1
An oscilloscope is an analogue instrument that can analyse a signal and generate its waveform
on the CRT display which has a grid of horizontal and vertical lines forming squares. Each
square is split into 5 units along both the axes. It has to be calibrated before using. Calibration
could be done using the built-in signal generator that generates a signal of a specific peak to
peak voltage and a frequency (which are most of the times 2V pp and 1kHz respectively). Using
horizontal and vertical calibration knobs, the wavelength and the pulse height of the known
signal displaying on the CRT display can be fine-tuned. Horizontal and vertical scales can be
changed to match the signal that is being analysed. With the help of the grid of squares, it is
possible to determine the peak to peak voltage and the wavelength of an unknown signal.
Shown in Figure 2 is an oscilloscope.
2
Figure 2
A preamplifier is a device to which the output of the detector is directly fed. The task of the
preamplifier is to convert the weak input signal to a signal which is both noise tolerant as well
as good enough for further processing, usually done by the amplifier. Without the preamplifier,
the final output signal will have too much noise. Shown in Figure 3 is a preamplifier.
Figure 3
An amplifier is a device that amplifies the input signal so that the output signal will have a
much greater amplitude than the input signal. Thus it will be easier to analyse since the minor
variations in the signal too could be seen. Shown in Figure 4 is an amplifier and what it does
to the input signal.
Figure 4
A threshold discriminator is a device that can output a pulse when an input signal greater than
a pre-set threshold level is received. The important thing about the threshold discriminator is
that the amplitude of the output pulse is not proportional to the amplitude of the input pulse.
That is the output pulse will have the same amplitude for all the amplitudes of the input signal
that are greater than the threshold level.
3
A Single Channel Analyser (SCA) is a differential discriminator. It has two threshold levels;
the lower threshold and the upper threshold. A pulse if generated only if the input signal is
between these two levels. A pulse is generated neither when the input is below the lower level
nor above the upper level. While this allows to focus on one energy and it also helps to filter
noise portions of the original input signal. Like in the threshold discriminator, in the SCA too,
the amplitude of the output signal does not vary with the amplitude of the input. It only outputs
a pulse if the amplitude of the input signal is between the two thresholds. This is achieved using
a Schmidt Trigger. A Schmidt trigger is an active comparator circuit in which the active
component is the op amp. Shown in Figure 5 below is a schematic diagram of it.
Figure 5
By feeding a portion of the output to the input (i.e. by applying positive feedback) the
differential discriminator can be achieved. Normally it will create a band centred about zero,
but it can be shifted by applying a bias voltage. And with the choice of resistors, the bandwidth
too could be changed as per the requirement.
A Nuclear Instrumentation Module (NIM) is a chassis to which several instruments (referred
into as cards) such as discriminators, counters etc. could be fitted. The NIM does provide
power through the backplane, but none of the devices are interconnected. Such connections
have to be made externally. The NIM presents with great advantages such as flexibility, ease
of updating and interchanging instruments as well as it greatly reduces the design effort since
everything can be customised according to each requirement.
4
Methodology
Experiment 1 Observing the direct and attenuated outputs of the

pulsar
1. First the oscilloscope was calibrated and the output of the pulsar was connected to
channel 1 of the oscilloscope.
2. Then the pulse height was set to 1000 and the graph observed with the positive polarity
output was drawn (ex1gr1).
3. After that the pulse height value was changed from 1000 to 800, 600, 500, 400, 300 and
200 and the voltage measured using the oscilloscope for each of those values was
recorded.
4. Thereafter the pulse height value was set to 1000 again and the attenuated output was
connected to the oscilloscope.
5. Finally, the voltage observed on the oscilloscope was recorded for different attenuation
values.
Experiment 2 Using the pulsar as the linear input to a typical

counting system
1. First the pulsar output was connected to the test point of the pre amplifier and the output
of the pre amplifier to the oscilloscope.
2. The observed graph was drawn (ex2gr1).
3. Then the output of the pre amplifier was connected to the amplifier and the graph
corresponding to the unipolar output was drawn (ex2gr2).
4. Finally, the graph corresponding to the bipolar output was drawn (ex2gr3).
Experiment 3 Using a Single Channel Analyser (SCA)

1. First the pulsar output was connected to the pre amplifier and the pre amplifier output to
the amplifier.
2. After that the unipolar output of the amplifier was connected to the single channel
analyser and its output to the counter.
3. The initial pulse height was set to 1000 and time to 1000s.
4. Once counting has started, the lower level of the SCA was increased until counting
stopped and the lower level value was recorded.
5. The process was repeated for pulse height values 800, 600, 500, 400, 300 and 200 and the
lower level values corresponding to each of them was recorded.
6. Finally, the graph of lower level versus pulse height was plotted.
5
Results and Calculations
Experiment 1
Table 1 - Different V values obtained for different pulse heights
Pulse Height Observed Voltage ( 0.1V)

1000 4.6
800 3.6
600 2.8
500 2.4
400 1.9
300 1.4
200 1.0
Table 2 - Different V values obtained for different attenuation values
Attenuation Value Observed Voltage ( 0.1V)

X2 4.2
X5 4.2
X10 4.2
X20 4.2
X50 4.2
X100 4.0
X200 4.0
X500 4.0
X1000 4.0
Experiment 2
All the graphs have been attached to the end of the report.
Experiment 3
Table 3 - Pulse heights and corresponding stopping lower levels
Pulse Height Lower Level

1000 28
800 18
600 50
500 58
400 86
300 90
200 122
The graph has been attached to the end of the report.
6
Discussion
In the first experiment, for the positive polarity output, it can be seen that a pulse has been
obtained in the oscilloscope (ex1gr1). From data in Table 1, it can be seen that the amplitude
of the output signal has got reduced with the decrease in the pulse height. Thus it can be
concluded that the output is directly proportional to the input. When performing steps 4) and
5) of the first experiment, it was difficult to observe a significant change in the amplitude of
the output with the increase of the attenuation value. However, when the attenuation value was
vastly increased, a decrease could be observed in the amplitude of the output signal (Table 2).
Thus it can be concluded that the attenuation value is inversely proportional to the amplitude
of the output signal.
In the second experiment, when the pre amplifier was directly connected to the oscilloscope, a
graph quite similar to what was obtained in the first experiment was obtained (ex2gr1). When
the unipolar output of the amplifier was connected to the oscilloscope, the signal started from
infinity and converged to a negative value after having given a negative peak. For the bipolar
output, an output with a positive peak and a negative peak was obtained.
From the graph of lower level versus pulse height plotted with results of the third experiment,
it can be seen that the lower level corresponding to pulse heights decrease with the increase of
the pulse height.
7
References
Basic Identifications in Electronic Measurement Systems Lab Sheet Department of

Nuclear Science, University of Colombo
www.howtomechatronics.com (22nd of August, 2017)
8
Appendix
1. Code for plotting the Graph of Lower Level versus Pulse Height in Experiment 3.

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Basic Identifications in Electronic

During the practical, the following instruments were used.

Experiment 1 Observing the direct and attenuated outputs of the

Experiment 2 Using the pulsar as the linear input to a typical

Experiment 3 Using a Single Channel Analyser (SCA)

Pulse Height Observed Voltage ( 0.1V)

Table 2 - Different V values obtained for different attenuation values

Attenuation Value Observed Voltage ( 0.1V)

Pulse Height Lower Level

The graph has been attached to the end of the report.

Basic Identifications in Electronic Measurement Systems Lab Sheet Department of

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