Abstract:
MCP-based detectors are widely used in the ultraviolet (UV) region due to their low noise levels, high sensitivity
and good spatial and temporal resolution. We have developed a compact near-UV (NUV) detector for highaltitude balloon and space flights, using off-the-shelf MCP, CMOS sensor, and optics. The detector is designed
to be capable of working in the direct frame transfer mode as well in the photon-counting mode for single photon
event detection. The identification and centroiding of each photon event are done using an FPGA-based data
acquisition and real-time processing system. In this paper, we discuss various algorithms and methods used in
both operating modes, as well as their implementation on the hardware.
