A USB-based data acquisition system for neutron TOF measurements

A universal serial bus (USB)-based data acquisition system for neutron time-of-flight (TOF) spectrum measurements is designed and tested at the Cairo Fourier diffractometer facility (CFDF). The system acquires the time of arrival of each digital pulse from the four-detector system together with the relevant detector identification number. The real time of the pick-up signal events is also acquired. This real-time stamp could be used for performing the cross-correlation functions separately with the neutron intensity signal coming out from each detector element. The board communicates with the computer through the USB at a data transfer rate of 1 MB s(-1). The initial tests show that the new design can replace the current reverse time-of-flight analyser used for the CFDF and it can also be used for checking on the efficiency of each of the elements of the detector system and their associated electronics.