Two CMOS gate arrays for the EPACT experiment

Two semicustom CMOS digital gate arrays are described which have been developed for the Energetic Particles: Acceleration, Composition, and Transport (EPACT) experiment. The first device, the event counter is 16*24-bit (EC1624), implements sixteen 24-bit ripple counters, and has flexible counting and readout options. The second device, the serial transmitter/receiver (SXR), is a multipersonality chip that can be used at either end of a serial, synchronous communications data link. It can be configured as a master in a central control unit, or as one of many slaves within remote assemblies. Together, a network of SXRs allows for commanding and verification of distributed control signals. Both gate arrays were radiation hardened and qualified for space flight use. The architecture of each chip is presented, and the benefits to the experiment summarized.<
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