Characterisation studies of two front-end electronics chips for SiPM-based detectors

A new front-end ASIC named "PIST" (pico-second timing) has been successfully developed using 55 nm CMOS technology for silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) readout with a major aim at fast timing. Extensive tests have been performed to evaluate the timing performance using a dedicated test stand equipped with a PIST chip. The results demonstrate that the system timing resolution can be below 10 ps for large SiPM signals, while the intrinsic timing resolution of the PIST is better than 7 ps. The dynamic range of the PIST has been further extended using the time-over-threshold (ToT) technique. Meanwhile, a new commercial SiPM-readout 32-channel ASIC was characterised for future high-granularity crystal calorimetry developments, including the single-photon calibration and the dynamic range with different gain modes. Comprehensive measurements were made with charge injections and high-energy particles along with scintillating crystals and SiPMs. Preliminary results show that this chip has a promising signal-to-noise ratio and a large dynamic range. This contribution will introduce the two ASICs and present highlighted testing results, including the timing resolution, the single-photon calibration, and the dynamic range.