Two CMOS gate arrays for the EPACT experiment

Two semicustom CMOS signal gate arrays are described which have been developed for the Energetic Particles: Acceleration, Composition, and Transport (EPACT) experiment. The first device, the event counters: 16*24-b (EC1624), implements sixteen 24-b ripple counters and has flexible counting and readout options. The second device, the serial transmitter/receiver (SXR), is a multi-personality 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 verifying distributed control signals. Both gate arrays are radiation hardened and qualified for space flight use. The architecture of each chip is presented, and the benefits to the experiment are summarized.<
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