QIE: Performance studies of the next generation charge integrator

The Phase 1 upgrade of the Hadron Calorimeter (HCAL) in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will include two new generations (named QIE10 and QIE11) of the radiation-tolerant flash ADC chip known as the Charge Integrator and Encoder or QIE. The QIE integrates charge from a photo sensor over a 25 ns time period and encodes the result in a non-linear digital output while having a good sensitivity in both the higher and the lower energy values. The charge integrator has the advantage of analyzing fast signals coming from the calorimeters as long as the timing and pulse information is available. The calorimeters send fast, negative polarity signals, which the QIE integrates in its non-inverting input amplifier. The input analog signal enters the QIE chip through two points: signal and reference. The chip integrates the difference between these two values. This helps in getting rid of the incoming noise, which is effectively cancelled out in the difference. Over a period of about six months between September, 2013 and April, 2014 about 320 QIE10 and about 20 QIE11 chips were tested in Fermilab using a single-chip test stand where every individual chip was tested for its characteristic features using a clam-shell. The results of those tests performed on the QIE10 and QIE11 are summarized in this document.