Development of an FPGA-Based Pulse-Height Analyzer for Scintillation Detectors in Gamma Energy Spectroscopy

Abstract

This study presents the development of a Pulse Height Analyzer (PHA) using an FPGA-based hardware platform, specifically the National Instruments MyRIO embedded device, for radiation detectors. Electronic pulses generated by the detector when exposed to radiation are triggered, digitized, and transferred to a data buffer. A pulse height analysis tool categorizes these pulses and stores pulse-height information in registers or channels, enabling the construction of a pulse-height distribution. The data of pulse-height distribution is then recorded on a computer via a user-friendly interface. The Pulse Height Analyzer was implemented using a 3-inch by 3-inch NaI(Tl) scintillation detector for gamma energy measurements, employing standard radioisotopes Na-22 and Co-60. Gamma energy spectra were acquired and analyzed. Our results demonstrate that the achieved energy resolution is comparable to that of the commercial Pulse Height Analyzers, such as EASY-MCA 2K, a product of AMETEK Inc. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.