GBTX emulator for development and special versions of GBT-based readout chains

TL;DR

This paper presents an FPGA-based GBTX emulator that facilitates development of GBT-based readout systems in regions with export restrictions, maintaining compatibility with standard systems and aiding less demanding experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel FPGA-based GBTX emulator (GBTxEMU) that overcomes export restrictions and supports development of GBT-based readout chains.

Findings

The emulator maintains basic compatibility with standard GBT systems.

It enables development in regions with export restrictions.

It is suitable for less demanding experimental setups.

Abstract

The GBTX ASIC is a standard solution for providing fast control and data readout for radiation detectors used in HEP experiments. However, it is subject to export control restrictions due to the usage of radiation-hard technology. An FPGA-based GBTX emulator (GBTxEMU) has been developed to enable the development of GBT-based readout chains in countries where the original GBTX cannot be imported. Thanks to utilizing a slightly modified GBT-FGPA core, it maintains basic compatibility with standard GBT-based systems. The GBTxEMU also may be an interesting solution for developing GBT-based readout chains for less demanding experiments.