Soft-Core Processor Based Data Acquisition Module for ICAL RPCs with Network Interface

The India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) collaboration is planning to set up a magnetised Iron-CALorimeter (ICAL) detector to study atmospheric neutrino oscillations. ICAL detector will deploy 28,800 single gap Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) of about \(2\,{\text {m}} \times 2\,{\text {m}}\) in area as its active detector elements. Particles produced in the neutrino interactions within the detector volume pass through alternating layers of iron plates and the RPCs, thus leaving tracks in the latter. Signals from each RPC are acquired using 128 pickup strips—64 each on X- and Y-orthogonal planes. These signals are amplified and converted to logic signals by the analog front-end modules, which are mounted on the RPC unit. Major functions of the digital front-end module, which is also mounted at one corner of the RPC unit are to collect and process the event data on trigger, package it and transmit it to the back-end via the built in TCP/IP based network interface.