2015 FNAL-UC Abstract: Pulsar II and VIPRAM Chip Technology

L. Craig- student(Fenwick High School) 

N. Tran-teacher(Fermilab) 

T. Liu- mentor(Fermilab)  

Pulsar II and VIPRAM Chips together can form a general purpose high speed pattern recognition system. As LHC upgrades to the HL-LHC, a silicon based tracking trigger will be needed to interpret data from particle collisions in real time with unprecedented performance. Pulsar II and VIPRAM are being developed to address HL-LHC needs (We still need to demonstrate that Pulsar and VIPRAM Chips can do the job). VIPRAM (Vertically Integrated Pattern Recognition Associative Memory) is composed of layers of CAM Cells and contains preloaded patterns. VIPRAM will compare incoming data from LHC. The purpose of my project was to test VIPRAM Chips to see how well they perform under different levels of stress. These tests showed how successfully incoming data was compared to the preloaded patterns in VIPRAM. These tests have been performed extensively for months by scientists at Fermilab to ensure quality and outstanding results. I was able to observe and reproduce similar results to previous testing.  These stress tests consisted of NStress and frequency changes. I tested well beyond the frequency and NStress needs of the HL-LHC. I tested NStress levels 10-100 (increments of 10) and frequencies 10, 25, 33, 50, 66, 71, 76, 83, 90, 100, 111, 125. HL-LHC will operate well below NStress Level 10. The chips performed as expected which demonstrated that I was able to reproduce results from previous tests done at Fermilab. During my internship, I was able to take what I learned in the first few weeks and apply it to hands on research of VIPRAM Chip testing. Also, I was given hands on experience to advanced technology that I would not have access to at home or school.