Lab-Test: Comparison of Time Digitizers

  MCS8AMCS6MCS4P7882ID800AcquirisOrtecSENSL
ManufactorerFAST ComTecFAST ComTecFAST ComTecFAST ComTecID QuantiqueACQUIRISORTECSENSL
ModelMCS8AMCS6A / MPA4TMCS4P7882ID 800TC8909353HRMTime
Resolution 80ps 100ps 30ns 100(200)ns 81ps 50ps 100ps 432ps (27ps opt.)
# of inputs 8 5(6) 2 2 8 6 1 1..4
input sensitivity 10mV 10mV -300mV (+1.3V) 50mV LVTTL 100mV 50mV TTL
input pulse width 80ps 100ps 1250ps 2000ps 4000ps 350ps 500ps 1500ps
edge slope pos, neg, both pos, neg, both neg, (TTL: pos) pos, neg pos pos, neg pos, neg pos
Dead time - - - - 5.5ns 15ns 1ns 190ns
Correction unneeded unneeded unneeded unneeded   yes yes no
selfcal. needed no no no no   yes    
time span (max.) 8 days 20 days 32 days 296 days   10.48ms 6.7ms 143µs
burst rate 6 GHz 5 GHz 400 MHz 400 MHz 10 MHz 66 MHz 1 GHz 180 MHz
sustained rate 60 MHz 17 MHz 400 MHz 400 MHz 2.5 MHz total 25 MHz 10 MHz 4.5 MHz
pulse pair resol. 160ps 200ps 2.5ns 50ns 5.5ns 15ns 1ns 190ns
pulse width mode yes yes no no no no no no
multiple start yes yes no no   no no no
TAG bits 16 16 - - - - 2 16
TAG resolution 5.12ns 6.4ns n/a n/a n/a n/a 60ns 190ns
Interface USB 3.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0 PCI USB 2.0 PCI PCI USB 2.0
data word length 32/64bit 16-64bit 64bit 32bit   32bit 32bit  
Ext. Clock input yes yes no yes   yes no yes
Sync output yes yes yes yes   no no TTL
power 16W 36W 12W - - 25W - -