Evoluation of the Malta2 readout firmware to ultrascale and evaluation for itk replacement in atlas

Abstract

This thesis presents the evolution of the MALTA2 monolithic active pixel sensor readout firmware to a Kintex UltraScale architecture using the ALINX AXKU040 development board. The work was motivated by the need for a sustainable long-term readout platform for MALTA2 laboratory measurements, beam-test applications, and ATLAS ITk-based high-rate studies, while preserving compatibility with the established DAQ software inter face. Rather than being a direct board migration, the firmware was revised to improve the external readout chain. The main developments include an optimized asynchronous over sampling data path for nanosecond-scale sensor outputs, updated delay and deserialization resources, an Ethernet interface adapted to the target board, a simplified slow-control path, and a hardware-assisted injection pulse-generation scheme. FPGA implementation results and comparative measurements with the previous KC705-based system confirm that the upgraded firmware preserves the required readout behavior while improving samplingsta bility, full-matrix response uniformity, and scan execution time. In representative analog scan measurements,theupgradedreadoutreducesreadout-relatedspatial non-uniformities across the full pixel matrix, increasing the fraction of pixels measured within 5% of the ex pected response from about 77% to nearly 100%. The improved injection-control scheme reduces scan execution times by up to approximately a factor of two, which is especially important for extended threshold-scan measurements. An additional ATLAS ITk-based high-rate simulation study relates the MALTA2 response to realistic occupancy bench mark conditions. Overall, the upgraded UltraScale readout establishes a more reliable, faster, and maintainable framework for continued MALTA2 operation and future MALTA readout developments.firmware preserves the required readout behavior while improving samplingsta bility, full-matrix response uniformity, and scan execution time. In representative analog scan measurements,theupgradedreadoutreducesreadout-relatedspatial non-uniformities across the full pixel matrix, increasing the fraction of pixels measured within 5% of the ex pected response from about 77% to nearly 100%. The improved injection-control scheme reduces scan execution times by up to approximately a factor of two, which is especially important for extended threshold-scan measurements. An additional ATLAS ITk-based high-rate simulation study relates the MALTA2 response to realistic occupancy bench mark conditions. Overall, the upgraded UltraScale readout establishes a more reliable, faster, and maintainable framework for continued MALTA2 operation and future MALTA readout developments.