Speaker
Description
Summary
The high data rate and the presence of radiation at the upgraded LHC experiments call for high-speed optical links based on radiation tolerant front-end interfaces. In addition, merging the detector data readout with the timing and control distribution on the same optical link requires bi-directional functionality. The Versatile Transceiver (VTRx) developed in the framework of the Versatile Link project addresses these needs. Single-mode and multi-mode transceiver variants are available for readout systems using different fibre plants. For detector systems where the number of readout channels exceeds that of control channels, the Versatile Twin Transmitter (VTTx) can be deployed to increase the readout density. The VTRx and VTTx operate at 5 Gb/s data rate and use radiation hard ASICs sourced from the GigaBit Transceiver (GBT) project. The paper will summarize these variants, their main characteristics, and indicate the production quantities to be used by early adopters.
Following the feasibility study and an extensive prototyping phase, the Versatile Link project moved into a pre-production readiness phase at the end of 2011. Final versions of packaged VTRx and VTTx modules are being produced in small series to verify manufacturability and to provide samples to early adopters. The final prototypes supporting either single-mode or multi-mode operation are built using the GBT chipset ASICs and commercial off-the-shelf components that were previously qualified for use in radiation environments. During the procurement phase, transceiver components will be purchased from different vendors and transceiver modules will be produced in larger quantities. The paper will describe an easy-to-execute test protocol and a dedicated VTRx/VTTx test system which will be used to evaluate the components and to screen problems during manufacturing, and to verify the module compliance with the Versatile Link specifications.
We have implemented a Versatile Link demonstrator using the Gigabit Link Interface Board (GLIB) which allows the user to get started using the VTRx and to evaluate the performance of the Versatile Link. The paper will show the architecture of the demonstrator and the results of the measurements carried out using it.
Finally, the paper will introduce a new flavour of the transceiver which is proposed for the Phase II upgrade of the CMS Tracker system. The Small Footprint VTRx (SF-VTRx) will allow a more compact placement on the detector module by reducing the real-estate used for electrical and optical connections. We will show the design of the SF-VTRx and the test results measured using the first prototype.
