Integration and characterization of Readout Electronics System for dN/dx Measurement with Drift Chamber Prototype

Abstract: To explore the feasibility of high-precision particle identification using the cluster counting technique for the drift chamber, a dedicated readout electronics system with low noise, high bandwidth, and high sampling rate is required. This paper presents the design and performance evaluation of a scalable readout prototype developed for this application. The system architecture integrates a custom front-end with a $1.3\ \text{GSps}$ waveform sampling backend, implemented within a modular 120-channel framework. Laboratory characterization of the 40-channel prototype demonstrates a $-3$ dB analog bandwidth of $460\ \text{MHz}$ and an Equivalent Noise Input current of $0.81\ μ\text{A}_\text{rms}$. These specifications are essential for preserving the fast temporal features of ionization signals. Furthermore, the system achieves an intrinsic timing jitter of $0.87\ \text{ns}$, which satisfies the timing precision requirements for drift distance measurement. Joint experiments with a drift chamber prototype using cosmic rays verified the system's capability to resolve discrete ionization peaks within piled-up waveforms. These results confirm that the readout electronics provide the signal fidelity and temporal resolution necessary for future cluster counting algorithm development.