Monolithic Multi-channel GSa/s Transient Waveform Recorder for Measuring Radio Emissions from High Energy Particle Cascades

A number of particle astrophysics initiatives to exploit radio emission from high energy particle cascades require highfrequency sampling of antenna array signals. Nyquist-limited sampling of GHz frequency radio signals for an antenna array may be accomplished by commercially available test units. However, these technologies are incompatible with the size, power and cost constraints of long-duration balloon or satellite flight. Taking advantage of low trigger rates for such arrays, high resolution digitization may be performed a postori, at much slower speed and power, on waveforms stored in analog storage cells. This paper presents the design and performance simulation of a multichannel CMOS VLSI ASIC named STRAW (Self-Triggered Recorder for Analog Waveforms), optimized for low duty-cycle, high sampling frequency operation.