1.3 Signal Integrity

CERN -> ATLAS -> TU Vienna
	High-Density Digital Links

1.3 Signal Integrity

Signal integrity is a new name for a quite old technique - the art of guiding a signal through a system without distortion. However, the requirements have grown with the increasing speed of electronics and signal integrity became the way how to control the energy and the shape of a signal.

To ensure the integrity of the data signal of the TRT, the path of the signal has to be followed. When a particle hits a straw at the far end, it generates a signal which travels along the straw like in a coax cable - a transmission line. Coming across discontinuities it is partly reflected. Thus, the connections have to be matched to the wave impedance of the straw and to be properly terminated.

Following the consecutive path, the signal has to pass from the ASDBLR to the DTMROC and over 100 m to the ROD - see Figure 1.7. Between the front-end electronics and the back-end electronics it has to go through several intermediate patch panels. At the end, the data has to be uncorrupted in a readable format.

February 9, 2000 - Martin Mandl