Compact Frontend-Electronics and Bidirectional 3.3 Gbps Optical Datalink for Fast Proportional Chamber Readout

TL;DR

This paper presents a compact, bidirectional optical data link system operating at 3.3 Gbps designed for fast, space-constrained readout of multi-wire proportional chambers in high-energy physics experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, compact optical datalink module capable of high-speed bidirectional communication with minimal power and space requirements.

Findings

Successfully read out 9600 channels within 96 ns

Achieved 4 x 832 Mbps data transfer rate per module

Enabled analog pulse monitoring and synchronization

Abstract

The 9600 channels of the multi-wire proportional chamber of the H1 experiment at HERA have to be read out within 96 ns and made available to the trigger system. The tight spatial conditions at the rear end flange require a compact bidirectional readout electronics with minimal power consumption and dead material. A solution using 40 identical optical link modules, each transferring the trigger information with a physical rate of 4 x 832 Mbps via optical fibers, has been developed and commisioned. The analog pulses from the chamber can be monitored and the synchronization to the global HERA clock signal is ensured.