Validation of the Production-Phase Level-1 Data Driver Cards for the Readout and Trigger System of the ATLAS New Small Wheel Detector

In order to benefit from the expected increase in luminosity of the upgraded LHC accelerator, the innermost station in the forward region of the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer will be replaced by the New Small Wheel, (NSW) currently under construction. NSW features two new detector technologies (resistive Micromegas detectors, (MM) and small strip Thin Gap Chambers, (sTGC)) comprising ~ 2.4 × 10
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readout channels. The large number of readout channels, the high data rates and the harsh conditions, under which the NSW will operate, pose significant challenges to its trigger and data acquisition system. The Level-1 Data Driver Card (L1DDC) boards are part of the on NSW detector electronics and mainly consist of high radiation and magnetic field tolerant custom made ASICs. Three different types of L1DDC boards have been developed; two for the readout chain of the MMs and sTGCs and one for the trigger electronics chain of the sTGCs. Over 97% of the 1184 L1DDC boards (572 for the MM and 612 for the sTGC detector technologies) that have been tested at four testing sites are found to operate according to their specifications.