A new PCI card for readout in high energy physics experiments

Recently, some high energy physics experiments have started to adopt readout systems based on the PCI architecture. In this context, a new PCI card that can be adapted to several readout schemes has been designed. It contains a 64-MiB local buffer, programmable FPGA logic, a hardware PCI bridge, and can be connected to mezzanine cards. The card is presently used in the NA60 experiment at the CERN SPS for the readout of several detectors. The interfacing to the different front-ends is provided by the mezzanine cards while the readout protocols are implemented in the FPGA. Moreover, it is used as a test readout system for the ALICE experiment muon chambers. This paper describes the card, with particular emphasis on its flexibility and relatively simple development, related to the use of an external PCI bridge.