GadgetSci MCA is a compact, high-resolution multichannel signal analyzer designed for real spectroscopy applications. It pairs with a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) detector to deliver laboratory-grade performance in a desktop setup.

Small enough to fit in your pocket, GadgetSci MCA offers 4096 channels, and runs for days on an external battery. It includes a built-in bias supply for SiPMs, delivering all of this with competitive accuracy and at an attainable price.

Detect and Record

You no longer need to wire up a complex setup of spectrometers and related equipment to start taking measurements. Once connected to a detector, GadgetSci MCA starts recording data across its 4096 channels immediately, no computer required.

But, it gets extremely flexible when used in conjunction with a PC. The included GUI provides real time spectrum visualization, parameter configuration, and data export in ASCII format. Pair it with an external battery and it powers your SiPM detector directly through its built-in bias supply, turning any detector into a fully self-contained portable instrument. Through its UART and USB interfaces, it integrates easily into custom systems, automated pipelines, or even home monitoring setups like Home Assistant.

In the lab, GadgetSci MCA lets you set up and verify your HPGe detector array while the main acquisition system is busy on another beamline. When you are ready, just switch over and start your run. In the field, wire it up, get to your point of interest, and come back to offload your data. Or connect it to a small rover and follow the measurement in real time—the UART interface makes integration straightforward. GadgetSci’s light weight means you could put it on a drone or easily attach it to a vehicle’s exterior for a variety of detection scenarios.

Features & Specifications

Processing

• i.MX RT1010 NXP MCU for real-time pulse analysis
• Software controllable bias voltage output: 25-30 V for ONSEMI SiPMs

Input

• 1 x SMA input connector, selectable positive and negative pulse polarity
• Input signal level: max 1.5 V / 50 ohms

Performance

• Count rate: min 10,000 counts/s
• Energy resolution: preserves the full energy resolution of LaBr3(Ce) scintillators.

Communication

• UART (3.3 V) and USB Type-C interface, communicates with a PC via USB 2.0
• Compatible with Pomelo products

Power

• Power supply: USB port
• Supports external battery via secondary USB-C connector

Physical

• User button and LED
• Dimensions: 72 x 87 x 18 mm / 2.8 x 3.4 x 0.7 in (W x D x H)
• Weight: 100 g / 3.5 oz

Open Source

All elements of GadgetSci will be open source. We’ll release the hardware under the CERN OHL Permissive license, as well as the PC software and firmware under the MIT License. Contributors are welcome to improve any element of the project, whether hardware design, PC software, or firmware. People will be able to access the files before products are shipped to Crowd Supply for fulfillment.

Note: The hardware may be shipped with some optimized signal processing routines not included in the open source release.

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