1. SIDECAR ASIC characterization
Background
The SIDECAR ASIC was developed by Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC in an effort to streamline the normally bulky and power-hungry focal plane-electronics which are used to control imaging sensors.
The SIDECAR can generate the necessary clock signals and bias voltages needed to operate the detector while simultaneously digitizing detector outputs.
Reducing the size and mass of the detector control electronics is important in space missions which have mass limits. This device will be used on the Hubble Space Telescope to replace the now broken electronics. The SIDECAR will be used on the James Webb Telescope as well.
To achieve optimal performance with any given imaging sensor, the SIDECAR must be configured to specific sensor requirements. This demands a high understanding of the SIDECAR and how to program it.
Testing
The Sidecar ASIC’s baseline performance must be measured and tested with respect to its various modes of operation, firmware settings and experimental setups.
The Sidecar’s firmware must also be pared down to a simple linear readout format, minimizing the amount of noise from signal conditioning and processing.
Once a baseline operational mode is achieved, the Sidecar is subjected to a battery of standard tests for digitization hardware and analog electronics.
These tests will be important in determining the optimal configuration for the SIDECAR for any given application. Thus allowing us to better control imaging sensors and optimizing their performance.
ABOVE: Sidecar ASIC. All signal conditioning, clock/bias generation and digitization hardware is self-contained in this small chip.
ABOVE: Detector control electronics built by Astronomical Research Cameras, Inc. The SIDECAR has the same capability as this set of electronics.
ABOVE: SIDECAR read noise results from two distinct setups in an experiment to remove a noise pattern. In this experiment, one input channel on the SIDECAR was fed a 1V DC signal from a power supply. In SETUP A the ASIC was powered by an AC/DC converter via the USB cable. In SETUP B the SIDECAR is powered by the laptop battery via the USB cable. The noise difference in the two setups can be attributed to the power source for the ASIC. This is an example of the tests needed to be preformed to determine the optimal operation of the SIDECAR.
The SIDECAR ASIC: focal plane electronics on a single chip
Markus Loose et al.,     Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng. 5904, 59040V (2005) (10 pages)
ABOVE: Sidecar ASIC performance specification table