Commodity readout electronics for an underwater neutrino telescope

Typically the front end electronics required for a neutrino telescope, incorporates electronics to perform waveform capture of photomultiplier tube signals, possibly applying a local triggering algorithm and transmission of the data to the shore. We show how a commodity based system which employs Component Off The Shelf (COTS) devices, with Flash Analog to Digital Converters (FADCs) and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), can be used for synchronous signal digitization of multiple photomultiplier tubes. The transmission link to the shore has been realized using the standard communication protocol of Gbit Ethernet through fiber. We describe the readout system and our designs to interface with existing electronics for control and operation of a neutrino telescope.