CDC preamp LV checkup
Following a tip-off from Lubomir that the LV reaching the preamp card might not be correct, I checked it at the board and found it to be 2.6V rather than 3V. This is due partly to voltage drop along the cable and partly to the preamp taking more current than the supply can put out. The original LV supply unit was a HPsomething. I switched it first for a Lambda LH121FM which could put out enough current (0.5A) at 3V but found this to have a wavering pedestal - +/-30 adc bins over the course of 24h, and then for a Global Specialties 1305 which is looking good after 3d. Both have more pedestal noise (pedestal s.d. ~15 bins) than the HP (~10 bins).
Things to check:
1. pedestal height - this was previously set to ch 100 - adjust offsets to bring this back to 100
2. pedestal noise and stability (did this before setting height)
Pedestal std dev has increased from ~11 to ~16 bins 4sigma for new setup is 64 ~ 6sigma old setup 3. tails from large pulses 4. gain (pedestal height was a little low, 35-50 instead of usual 100)
Gain has increased also, Landau fit MPV from 260 to 400. This is a little scary.
5. resolution at 2100V (pedestal height was a little low, 35-50 instead of usual 100)
6. Try a lower HV and look at efficiency also. Something unfortunate happened at 1.30am - LV dropped due to bad contact with -ve cable.
Another try
Max amplitude of 2000V and 2100V runs
Resolution at 2050V
New LV supply
--- CO2 ran out, replaced tank, found corrosion inside one LV cable connector, cleaned out & resoldered... ---
- efficiency