A novel 4 x 4 SiPM array and integrated preamplification stage optimized for the PWO detectors of the EIC EEEMCAL

We are presenting a new readout circuit developed for the PbWO4 scintillation detectors for the Electron Ion Collider (EIC) EEEMCAL. The design is centered around a 4 x 4 matrix of fast silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) sensors which are directly coupled to a preamplification stage, and which cover an area of 20 mm x 20 mm. The architecture allows for a small footprint where the signal extraction, summation and amplification are performed in addition to the SiPM bias supply and a gain and offset adjustment circuit with settings saved in local memory. The SiPM overvoltage is temperature compensated to provide additional gain stability to the unit. Adjustments to gain and offset are done remotely through a communication port. The design was optimized for spectral resolution, fast response and large dynamic range with a small footprint and low energy consumption/heat dissipation that does not require active cooling for stable operation. These features are very important for future implementation at EIC where thousands of modules will be assembled in a compact manner for the Electron Endcap Electromagnetic Calorimeter. In addition, this readout development presents many features and performance capabilities that make it an excellent choice for scintillation detectors in other research and industrial applications. The signal output can be adjusted for negative amplitude with 0V baseline like that of a PMT to mate to existing pulse acquisition infrastructure. A detector prototype was constructed with a 3x3 array of 20 mm x 20 mm x 200 mm PbWO4 crystals coupled to individual sensor arrays and readouts. The detector was tested at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility with 5GeV positrons. We will present the results of these detector characterization measurements.