The high granularity and large solid angle detection array EXPADES

•We realized a detection array for Exotic Radioactive Ion Beams.•High granularity (32×32 pixels 2×2mm wide for 8 telescopes).•High solid angle (8 telescopes 64×64mm wide in a cylindrical configuration covering up to 2.6sr).•We tested each component of the array by both alpha particles and in-beam environment.•We measured the angular distribution for 17O elastic scattering on a 58Ni target. The EXPADES (EXotic PArticle DEtection System) detector array consists of 16 Double Side Silicon Strip Detectors (DSSSD) with active areas of 64×64mm2, arranged in 8 ΔE (40/50μm)–E (300μm) telescopes. All detector faces are segmented into 32×2-mm wide strips, ensuring a 2×2mm2 pixel configuration. Eight ionization chambers can be alternatively used as ΔE stages or, if needed, as an additional third layer for more complex triple telescopes. The signals from silicon ΔE layers and from ionization chambers are read by standard electronics, while innovative 32-channel ASIC chips are employed for the readout of the E stages. The results of off-line tests with alpha sources and from the first in-beam experiment with a 17O beam are presented.