Monday 03 March 2025
The Apollo ATCA platform is a cutting-edge technology designed for high-performance applications in particle physics experiments, specifically for the upcoming High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) project at CERN. The platform consists of two main components: the Service Module (SM) and the Command Module (CM). The SM is responsible for managing ATCA communications, power distribution, and clocking, while the CM is equipped with FPGAs and numerous optical links for high-speed data transfer.
The Apollo platform is being developed to meet the demands of the HL-LHC project, which aims to increase the luminosity of collisions at the LHC by a factor of five. This will allow physicists to study rare processes and interactions that were previously inaccessible. The platform’s high-speed data transfer capabilities will enable real-time processing of large amounts of data, allowing researchers to make new discoveries.
The SM is a standard-sized ATCA blade that supports the CM within a 7U × 180 mm cutout. It includes an Enclustra Zynq Ultrascale+ System-on-Module (SoM) with an embedded Linux operating system for control and monitoring, as well as an Intelligent Platform Management Controller (IPMC) and a Wisconsin Ethernet Switch Module.
The CM is designed around two Xilinx Ultrascale+ FPGAs and high-density, high-bandwidth optical transceivers capable of 25 Gb/s. The platform has undergone extensive testing at Boston University, Cornell University, and CERN, with the Rev2 design demonstrating excellent link integrity, thermal performance, and adaptability to various requirements.
The Apollo platform is being used in several CMS subsystems, including the Level-1 Track Finder (TF), the Inner Tracker Data Trigger and Control system (IT-DTC), the Precision Proton Spectrometer (PPS), and the high-precision luminosity monitoring system (BRIL). The TF reconstructs tracks from the Outer Tracker and calculates track parameters for the Level-1 trigger system, while the IT-DTC reads hits from the front-end pixel ASIC chips and converts the data into a compact format.
The Rev3 design is currently undergoing testing at Boston University, with production quantities expected to begin in 2025. The platform’s software framework, EMP (Experiment Management Platform), is also maturing, with testing being conducted for IT-DTC, TF, and BRIL. Initial testing of the IT-DTC DAQ chain is scheduled at CERN later this year.
Cite this article: “Apollo ATCA Platform: Enabling High-Speed Data Transfer in Particle Physics Experiments”, The Science Archive, 2025.
Atca, Particle Physics, Hl-Lhc, Cern, Fpga, Optical Links, High-Speed Data Transfer, Linux Operating System, Xilinx Ultrascale+, Embedded Systems
