The Project
The DASSIE project is a collaboration between STFC Technology Department and iThemba LABS, that aims to develop a scalable, low-power, low-cost and lightweight, streaming digitiser.
The project is made possible by an Official Development Assistance (ODA) grant from the UK government, reinforcing the joint commitment signed by the UK and South Africa governments in 2021.
Our aim is to deploy this digitiser in a wide range of applications in fields such as medical, environmental monitoring and security, and will offer an affordable alternative to existing commercial solutions.
This digitiser will interface with detectors, digitise the input and perform pulse shape analysis locally, before streaming the data for real-time monitoring and processing.
Our Expertise
Our collaboration has a long-established track record in the development and implementation of radiation detection equipment. This project brings together the expertise of the STFC Nuclear Physics group in designing advanced digitisers and the NRF-iThemba LABS team's experience in creating compact radiation detectors for field applications.
Fast digitiser, STFC Daresbury Laboratory
Electronics and software engineers from STFC Daresbury Laboratory are developing a fast, low-power digitiser, designed to maximize the performance of this advanced γ-ray detection system.
Portable African Neutron-Gamma Laboratory for Innovative Nuclear Science, iThemba LABS
The Portable African Neutron-Gamma Laboratory for Innovative Nuclear Science (PANGoLINS) project aims to investigate measurements of both γ rays and neutrons, both on site or in transit, and to detect both fissile material for use in decarbonised energy sources or their disposal. A core component of the project is to miniaturise the weight of the
γ ray detection device and associated infrastructure so that it can be loaded on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to enable radiation monitoring measurements at remote sites leading to autonomous operations.
Research and Development has been based on the
mobile radiation detection unit, developed as a measurement platform at iThemba LABS. Calibration, characterisation and deployment has been performed at both environmental and industrial sites in southern Africa, including in Botswana.
South African and
Botswanan researchers and engineers measuring at Serule, Botswana
The DASSIE collaboration
