Damien Prêle, Manuel Gonzalez, L. Horacio Arnaldi, Si Chen, Bernard Courty, Eugenio Dambrauskas, Alain Givaudan, Maël Le Cam, Jean Lesrel, Michael Punch
KEYWORDS: Cryogenics, Time division multiplexing, Interference (communication), Frequency response, Analog electronics, Signal to noise ratio, Performance modeling, Feedback signals
The ATHENA space mission will be the next generation X-ray observatory. The X-ray integral field unit (X-IFU) is ATHENA’s cryogenic spectro-imager, observing the sky with thousands of superconducting microcalorimeters. The detectors are based on transition edge sensors (TES) in time-division multiplexing (TDM). A warm front-end electronics (WFEE) demonstrator model (DM) has been developed for the low noise biasing and readout of X-IFU’s cryogenic detection chain. After extensive testing, it has been delivered to the French space agency (CNES) for integration in the full detection chain DM. The WFEE DM is capable of reading out and biasing 8 TDM channels. Different configurations were chosen for some of the channels in order to find the best performance after testing of the whole demonstrator readout chain. Design and measured noise performances are discussed.
The AstroParticle and Cosmology Laboratory is in charge of the coded mask subsystem of the ECLAIRs instrument, which is integrated into the SVOM mission. The ECLAIRs instrument is dedicated to the detection and location of gamma rays and X-rays in the energy band from 4 to 150 keV, and is being managed by the CNES. The mask pattern is determined by scientific criteria (location accuracy and sensitivity) and mechanical criteria (rigidity, mechanical strength, etc.). The low threshold of 4 keV means that the mask is self-supporting (the first time it has been done for a mask of this size). The mask has been developed and the flight model has been delivered and integrated into the ECLAIRs instrument, which is due to be launched on June 24th 2024. The aim of this document is to present the geometry of the mask, the design choices, the manufacturing processes and the feedback from this assembly.
The x-ray integral field unit (X-IFU) is one of the two instruments of ESA’s ATHENA space mission. It is a cryogenic x-ray spectro-imager with an unprecedented 2.5 eV resolution up to 7 keV. We present the development of the demonstrator model (DM) of X-IFU’s warm front-end electronics (WFEE). X-IFU will have around 2400 cryogenic micro-calorimeters divided into 72 time-division multiplexed (TDM) channels. The main functions of the WFEE are providing the biasing currents for the detectors and two SQUID stages and to amplify the SQUIDs output signals. Each channel requires 5 current sources (quasi-DC DACs) and a fully differential low-noise voltage amplifier (LNA). The DACs can be written and read via an I2C bus. The active component of the WFEE is the AwaXe ASIC, which was specifically designed for this project and integrates current DACs and LNAs for two TDM channels. The WFEE has also to provide housekeeping signals for power supply voltage, and on-chip ASIC temperature. Both, the final expected performances of the instrument and the general specifications of a space mission, impose strong requirements on the WFEE in terms of thermal stability, mechanical design, radiation hardness, raw performance and reliability. To validate some of these requirements, a demonstrator model of the WFEE is currently being developed to be integrated in a full readout chain for lab testing. In this paper we will discuss the PCB and mechanical assembly designs of the WFEE demonstrator model in preparation of the ATHENA space mission.
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