1. Construct development FEE and DAQ system - Modular - test different ASICs - test different ADCs (sampling, etc.) - zero suppression, timestamping (triggerless DAQ ?) - possibility of online track reconstruction within FPGA - P. Coleman-Smith, V. Pucknell and S. Letts (Daresbury) Plan for ASIC/FEE/DAQ testing Construct prototype GEM detector - design finished - being constructed in Liverpool workshop - C.E. Demonchy and D. Seddon (Liverpool) - additional test detectors from York and Daresbury (see last slide) Aim to couple development electronics to prototype detector(s) by end of 2005 - tests of electronics with real signals

3. Virtex-4 FX12 Mini-Module Complete System-on-a-module - Based on Virtex-4 FX12 FPGA - PowerPC Processor - 10/100/1000 Ethernet Port - DDR and Flash Memory - 76 User I/O Forms basis of development system ~ 15k€ Control and readout based on SOAP (Simple Object Access protocol, based on XML) - Will use a SOAP server in the Virtex-4 chip - Develop SOAP client within MIDAS - Soap client can access hardware through the SOAP server

4. ASICs on Market IDEAS – used in Bordeaux TPC (B. Blank - Bordeaux) MATE – used in MUST2 (E. Pollacco – Saclay) MANAS – evolution of Gassiplex (J.C. Santiard – CERN) SASY/LEGS - used in SASY TPC (G. De Geronimo – Brookhaven) None of these sample (I.e. digitize) the signal. Searching for more …

5. SASY/LEGS ASIC Developed for GEM-based TPC ( ~ 8000 pads) G. De Geronimo et al., IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 51 (2004) 1312.

6. Related Activities Collaboration with University of York (+TRIUMF, etc.) on TACTIC - First meeting on 16 th June at Daresbury. Bid with CCLRC Instrumentation Group to develop infrastructure for design and testing of micro-pattern gas detectors

7. TACTIC - for use at TRIUMF for nuclear astrophysics experiments - cylindrical geometry - curved GEM foils - preliminary design TRIUMF; detailed design at Daresbury - to be constructed at York University