A Low Noise Pwc Cathode Readout System

A system has been developed, primarily to detect the induced charge deposited on PWC cathodes, which is versatile, fast and has a good signal to noise ratio for signals of ≥ 10-14 Coulomb input. The amplifier system, which is completely separated from the detector by 95Ω coaxial cables, is followed by a new charge integrating, version of the SHAM/BADC system developed at SLAC. This SHAM IV system is CAMAC based, allowing for computer calibration of the entire system from amplifier through ADC.