FADC-based DAQ for HiRes Flyʹs Eye

This paper describes a data acquisition system for optical telescopes studying extensive air showers for the High Resolution Flyʹs Eye Project at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. The measurements are based entirely on flash-analog-to-digital conversion of phototube signals, digitized continuously at 10 MHz, and stored in a deep (820 μs) pipeline, for deadtimeless readout following a parallel pipeline trigger. The massive parallel processing by digital signal processors and programmable logic devices is distributed site-wide, with 42 telescopes and a central facility linked by optical fiber. The system was designed and built at Columbia University, Nevis Laboratories.