Integrating lpGBT links into the Common Readout Units (CRU) of the ALICE Experiment

Abstract

In the ALICE read-out and trigger system, the present GBT and CRU based solution will also serve for Run4 without major modifications. By now, the GBT protocol has been superseded by lpGBT. Extensions of the ALICE system (e.g. the planned FoCal and ITS3 detector) will therefore require to use lpGBT while keeping the compatibility with the existing system. In this paper we show the implementation and testing of a possible integration of the lpGBT-FPGA IP into the CRU firmware, allowing the extension of the present system, keeping it more versatile and future-proof.