Two main protocol stacks for gigabit ethernet are currently widely adopted in the data acquisition system for high energy physics experiments. The first method is based on User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which transfer packets before an agreement is provided by the receiving party. However, the second method, called Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), establishes a connection through a process of the three-way handshake. We designed two FPGA projects, based on UDP and TCP respectively, on such a real application as ethernet communication module for ALICE calorimeters. The test of both projects is carried out on the same Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA board, and data is captured through a professional network protocol analyzer. We analyzed the implementation methods and complexity, the variation patterns of data throughput, and the resource utilization of the two designs. The findings obtained under the same application scenario and test platform not only reveals the variation rule of actual data throughput, but also proved that the TCP would require twice as much FPGA resource for implementation as the UDP.

A high resolution TPC is the main option for a central tracking detector at the future International Linear Collider (ILC). It is planned that the MPGD (Micro Pattern Gas Detector) technology will be used for the readout. A Large Prototype TPC at DESY has been used to test the performance of MPGDs in an electron beam of energies up to 6 GeV. The first step in the technology development was to demonstrate that the MPGDs are able to achieve the necessary performance set by the goals of ILC. For this 'proof of principle' phase, the ALTRO front-end electronics from the ALICE TPC was used, modified to adapt to MPGD readout. The proof of principle has been verified and at present further improvement of the MPGD technology is going on, using the same readout electronics. The next step is the 'feasibility phase', which aims at producing front-end electronics comparable in size (few mm 2 ) to the readout pads of the TPC. This development work is based on the succeeding SALTRO16 chip, which combines the analogue and digital signal processing in the same chip. This paper summarizes the status of this work and discusses how the experiences made so far can be exploited to improve the final readout electronics.

The performance of the electromagnetic calorimeter of the ALICE experiment during operation in 2010–2018 at the Large Hadron Collider is presented. After a short introduction into the design, readout, and trigger capabilities of the detector, the procedures for data taking, reconstruction, and validation are explained. The methods used for the calibration and various derived corrections are presented in detail. Subsequently, the capabilities of the calorimeter to reconstruct and measure photons, light mesons, electrons and jets are discussed. The performance of the calorimeter is illustrated mainly with data obtained with test beams at the Proton Synchrotron and Super Proton Synchrotron or in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV, and compared to simulations.

The ALICE/PHOS detector is carrying out a major upgrade of its readout electronics for the RUN 2 of LHC (2015)(2016)(2017). A new architecture based on the point to point link is developed. The event readout rate can achieve 30 kHz by replacing the old parallel GTL bus with DTC links. The communication stability of the interface between front-end electronic boards and readout concentrators is significantly improved. A new FPGA firmware is designed to be compatible with the upgraded ALICE trigger system and DATE software.