Metrics and methods for TTC-PON system characterization

A new generation FPGA-based Timing, Trigger and Control (TTC) system based on emerging Passive Optical Network (PON) technology is being investigated to potentially replace the existing off-detector TTC system used by the LHC experiments. The new system must deliver trigger and data with low and deterministic latency as well as a recovered bunch clock with picosecond-level jitter. This new topology offers major improvements over its predecessor: bi-directionality as well as higher capacity. This paper focuses on the figures of merit used to characterize the TTC-PON system both downstream and upstream, on the techniques used to extract them and on the impact of these first results in optimizing the architecture.