FEDkit: a Design Reference for CMS Data Acquisition Inputs

CMS has adopted S-LINK64 [1] as the standard interface between the detector front end readout and the central Data Acquisition (DAQ) system. The S-LINK64 is a specification of a FIFO-like interface. This includes mechanical descriptions of connector and daughter board format and electrical signal definition. The hardware/software package described in this paper (FEDkit) emulates the central DAQ side of this interface at the data rate required by the final DAQ system. The performance, integration with the CMS DAQ software framework, and plans for future developments for the DAQ input interface are also presented.