Online track processor for the CDF upgrade

A trigger track processor, called the eXtremely Fast Tracker (XFT), has been designed for the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) upgrade. This processor identifies high-transverse-momentum (> 1.5 GeV/c) charged particles in the new central outer tracking chamber for CDF II. The XFT design is highly parallel to handle the input rate of 183 Gb/s and the output rate of 44 Gb/s. The processor is pipelined and reports the result for a new event every 132 ns. The processor uses three stages: hit classification, segment finding, and segment linking. The pattern recognition algorithms for the three stages are implemented in programmable logic devices (PLDs) which allow in situ modification of the algorithm at any time. The PLDs reside on three different types of modules. The complete system has been installed and commissioned at CDF II. An overview of the track processor and performance in CDF Run II are presented.