High-Density Digital Links: Optimization of Signal Integrity and Noise Performance of the High-Density Digital Links of the ATLAS-TRT Readout System

The Transition Radiation Tracker (TRT) is a sub detector of the particle detector ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS). About 420,000 detecting elements are distributed over 22 m3. They produce each second approximately 20 Tbit of data which has to be transferred from the front-end electronics inside the detector to the back-end electronics outside the detector for further processing. The task of this thesis is to guarantee the integrity of the signals and the electromagnetic compatibility inside the TRT as well as to the aggressive surroundings. The electromagnetic environment of particle detectors in high-energy physics adds special constraints to the high data rates and the high complexity: high sensibility of the detecting elements and their pre amplifiers, confined space, limited material budget, a radioactive environment, and high static magnetic fields. Thus many industrial standard measures have to be abandoned. Special design is essential to compensate this disadvantage.