A Trigger and Readout Scheme for future Cherenkov Telescope Arrays

TL;DR

This paper proposes a flexible, cost-effective trigger and readout system for future Cherenkov Telescope Arrays, utilizing standard Ethernet components and FPGA technology to handle large-scale, distributed telescope data.

Contribution

It introduces a novel asynchronous inter-telescope trigger scheme and a high-bandwidth data transfer system based on standard Ethernet technology, addressing technological challenges in large gamma-ray observatories.

Findings

Design of a flexible trigger scheme for widely spaced telescopes

Development of a cost-effective, high-bandwidth Ethernet-based data transfer system

Potential for scalable implementation in large Cherenkov Telescope Arrays

Abstract

The next generation of ground-based gamma-ray observatories, such as e.g. CTA, will consist of about 50-100 telescopes, and cameras with in total ~100000 to ~200000 channels. The telescopes of the core array will cover and effective area of ~ 1 km2 and will be possibly accompanied by a large halo of smaller telescopes spread over about 10 km2 . In order to make maximum use of the stereoscopic approach, a very flexible inter-telescope trigger scheme is needed which allows to couple telescopes that located up to ~1 km apart. The development of a cost effective readout scheme for the camera signals exhibits a major technological challenge. Here we present ideas on a new asynchronous inter-telescope trigger scheme, and a very cost-effective, high-bandwidth frontend to backend data transfer system, both based on standard Ethernet components and an Ethernet front-end interface based on mass production standard FPGAs.