Setup for Cosmic Ray Test of VPA panel, using MiniDAQ D. Levin, Feb 8, 2012 VPA: 600 Torr Ar CO2 (1%), filled on Jan 17, 2012 1” DESY mini-scintillator hodoscope placed under panel at intersection of HV and readout lines. 24 RO lines, 14, HV lines. Hodoscope HV = 850 V., trigger rate = 3.6 muons/min, located 2.5 inches under panel, and offset Run: run72406 VPA HV = 830 V. After 5 hr, 15 min, 1019 triggers, only 7 have coincident TDC hits. This is very low rate- less than 1%. However, the hodoscope is offset from the panel, and removed too far away. At 5 hr, 38 minutes into run, I bring it closer and directly under active region. Place Ru-106 source in holder, about 2.0 inches over active region on top of panel. Trigger rate is now 153/4 ~ 38 CPM. But panel coincidence rate is still low- don’t see any additional hits beyond the 7 obtained with cosmics.

PDP pick-off card: Configuration: x200 attenuation. 50 ohms termination HV 200 pixel 49 Signal out to 50 ohm ribbon coax to Hedgehog Card 1 70 Heavy, 1” Ground braid

Scintillator Hodoscope Panel hookup to Minidaq CSM Mezzanine hedgehog 50 X attenuation Row 24 Row 1 Pickoff card 200x attenuation PDP VPA 600 Torr Ar CO2 (1%) HV Col 1 Col 100-114 Scintillator Hodoscope To trigger logic and TTCvi

Setup for Cosmic Ray Test of VPA panel, using MiniDAQ D. Levin, Feb 8, 2012 18:15 Make the following changes: Place source directly on the panel- so tha tit radiates lines 4-7, and also the hodoscope. Increase HV to 840 Lower minidaq threshold from 200 to 50 mV Take data run72410 After 2hr, 26 minutes, trigger rate = 4.5 Hz Events from Ru-106 – Triggered by hodoscope Hit distribution- corresponds to source location: Made with ADC > 50 counts (see next page) Time of hit relative to trigger.

These are the ADC distributions for the first 8 channels These are the ADC distributions for the first 8 channels. The good hits appear to have levels over 50. The cuts on the previous page are ADC> 50 ADC Counts

Setup for Cosmic Ray Test of VPA panel, using MiniDAQ D. Levin, Feb 8, 2012 18:47 Make the following changes: Remove source 2) Leave HV =840, threshold =-50 3) Take cosmic ray run: data run72411 …check back tomorrow

D. Levin, Feb 9-13 2012 The work for the past few days is summarized here: Most of the effort has been focused on getting the MiniDAQ to work – without cross talk, and to record accurately the source on the panel in the location where the source is actually positioned. This has proved to be very difficult. The problems: The PPS radiates and produces hits on Mezz card even when the mezz is not hooked up. Remedies: ground everything, shield the mezz card, and especially ground the Pikov card. Tried shielding the panel by placing foli on all surfaces. This resulted in HV discharges thru the glass to the foil. Made foil covered box and placed over whole apparatus. No effect. In the end found that the Pikov was not properly grounded. Attach ground strap. b. Use new Pikov card with proper impedance termination. The ribbon coax that convey the PPS signals for external trigger formation were universally bad. In every cable bundle there was at least one cable with a poor ground. Remedy: found other higher quality 8 conductor ribbon cables- with lemo connectors. Needed to properly attenuate at the pikov card and on the Hedeghog. For Ar CO2 signals (600 Torr), use 200X Pikov and 50X HH card. The panel has wildly varying discharge voltages depending on the row and colum location. The HV is at column 100-114. For rows from 1-24 the HV needs to be varied by 10-20 V to achiev3 the same response. At other HV locations the panel easily enters constant discharge mode. Tried using 200 Meg resistors- but the HV card I used seemed to radiate high noise levels. So still using 66 MegOhm. Spontaneous hit rate on panel VPA has become very high on some channels.- hundred or so Hz at 820 V. It is very hard to extract reliable results. Enormous variation in rates across pixels. Cannot find an operating voltage that allows all channels to operate with even remotely the same efficiency. This panel has become very difficult to use. I will re-evacuate, bake and refill with the same gas Re-pumping and baking panel, Will refill this panel tomorrow Feb 14, 29

Proper configuration for minidaq and reaodut: 200 X pikov card 50 x attenuation on HH Set external discriminators to 200 mV. Form OR of 24 channels Send output to TTCvi trigger input With long blue ribbon cables (about 20 m) – set Bunch Counter offset to 4000 Search window 75 Threshold -150 to -250 Match window 50

Monda afternoon, 16:00 Feb 13: Re-install Panel VP-C with the 600 torr CF4 Instrument with new Pikov4 card and Hv on channels 110-124 Ramp up HV until ~ 1700 where I hear crackling, frying sounds from panel. This continues then stops. Increase voltage. Sounds return, then stop. A few pulses observed- but mostly just hear this crackling sound. Abandon further testing.