Generating Pseudo-Signals of Scintillator Modules to Verify Designs of Digital Multi-Channel Analyzers in Radiation Detectors

Out-of-control radiation sources pose a significant threat to human health and the environment; leading to the need for prevention techniques. Thus, radiation measurement has become a crucial research field. This area, however, is difficult to reach due to the restriction of real testing environments. Besides, less-exposure methods for testing detectors have emerged because of safety issues. In recent years, digital multi-channel analyzer (DMCA) has been a trend in developing new radiation detectors. Here, high-speed processing platforms are utilized to handle narrow and highly random electrical pulses. The conventional verification process, however, faces notable challenges because of requires real radiation isotopes. In this paper, the authors introduce a model for generating pseudo-signals of scintillator modules, the units that directly sense the radiation photons and convert them to electrical signals. The model enables adjusting parameters that affect the output signals of scintillator modules, mimicking the behavior of a real one. The paper also demonstrates an example when the pseudo-data helps verify a design of DMCA implemented on an FPGA platform. Results show a high similarity between the reference energy spectrum and the graph plotted by the analyzer. This model contributes a helpful tool for verification and testing new designs of radiation detectors.