The DGF Pixie-4 spectrometer – compact digital readout electronics for HPGe clover detectors

Large volume HPGe detectors are commonly used in applications that require good energy resolution and high detection efficiency, but are expensive and difficult to grow. Clover detectors consisting of four smaller crystals in a common cryostat are a possible alternative, but traditionally require complex readout electronics. In contrast, the DGF Pixie-4 is a compact, digital spectrometer providing on a single 3U CompactPCI/PXI card all the electronics required for clover detectors, including computation of addback spectra. This paper describes the DGF Pixie-4 system architecture, characterizes its energy resolution and throughput, and presents results of test measurements with a clover detector.