Slice aims to investigate on small and high-performance detectors realization feasibility, mainly based on SiPM, but also on other detectors such as CzTe solid-state detectors, using programmable, sophisticated mixed electronics (analog/digital) with high integration density (90-40 nm), large consumption and low-cost SoC (System on a Chip). These systems can be used as an alternative to the realization of ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) which have their limitation in the very high development and construction costs, in the foundry dependence and the rapid obsolescence as well as often, in the missing of DAQ and transmission devices.
Specifically, the idea is to investigate on the possible use of the latest generation SoC microcontrollers, with bluetooth and wifi connections on-chip, low power long-range communication systems such as LoRa, TDC based on the TOF of the range finders or Lidars (Light Detection and Ranging) with a precision of about ten picoseconds, time tag systems based on GPS chip or on Chip Scale Atomic Clock in the absence of the GPS signal. Analog signals conditioning and power supply circuits will be obtained using high densities discrete components such as opamps, discriminators and dc-dc converters.