Efficient data transmission from silicon wafer strip detectors

An architecture for on-wafer processing is proposed for central silicon-strip tracker systems as they are currently designed for high energy physics experiments at the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC), and for heavy ion experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The authors discuss a concrete example which is based on the preliminary design for a central silicon tracker. The complete digital information generated on a silicon wafer for use in the silicon tracker system can be compressed by as much as a factor of 40. A set of data which completely describes the state of the wafer for low occupancy events and which contains important statistical information for more complex events can be transmitted immediately. This information could be used in early trigger decisions. Additional data packages which complete the description of the state of the wafer vary in size and are sent through a second channel