Speakers
Description
The Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) technology has become widely embedded within the photo-detection chain of detectors for high energy physics (HEP) experiments. Measuring the radiation hardness of commercial SiPMs involves careful characterisation before and after exposure to neutron or proton beams. Usually, laser beams are used in the measurements to extract the key parameters of SiPMs. Current study reports a novel circuitry for driving a LED with short pulses for emitting a low number of photons. The system is embedding a microcontroller for controlling two delay lines connected to a combinational logic circuit, with discrete-component logic, needed to generate a time variable trigger signal applied to a driver integrated circuit, further switching a gallium nitride transistor with the LED in high side configuration. The LTSpice simulations were found to be in agreement with experimental measurements, and a LED driving signal with a pulse width of 4 ns was obtained. This low cost implementation is suitable for SiPMs aging tests as well as for photodetection efficiency measurements at different wavelengths.