The digital read-out for the CSC system of the TOTEM experiment at LHC

At LHC at CERN, the TOTEM detector that will measure the inelastic rate in the pseudo-rapidity region 3.1 <= vertical bar eta vertical bar <= 4.7, named T1, is made of Cathode Strip Chambers. Signals from about 11 000 anodes and 16 000 cathodes must be processed and optically transmitted to the counting room. The complete electronic readout chain of the Cathode Strip Chambers is presented here. The electronics system has been developed keeping into account the hostile environment from the point of views of both radiation and magnetic field. Dedicated VLSI circuits have been extensively used in order to optimize space and power consumption. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.