VRS: A Common Modular ATCA Platform for Signal Processing

The Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) has been widely adopted in readout and trigger systems for nuclear and particle physics experiments. A scalable, modular ATCA platform has been developed to support high-performance signal processing for the Electron-Ion Collider in China (EicC) and a fixed-target scattering experiment at the SHINE facility. The system integrates a versatile ATCA carrier board paired with a rear transition module (RTM). It supports up to four mezzanine cards, enabling flexible configurations tailored to diverse processing tasks, including readout, data acquisition (DAQ), and real-time trigger logic implementation. The carrier board is equipped with a high-performance XCKU15P field-programmable gate array (FPGA), while the RTM incorporates an XCZU9EG system-on-chip (Soc) FPGA, primarily using its integrated processing system (PS) for auxiliary functions. In addition, the mezzanine cards can be fit with FPGAs, significantly enhancing the processing capabilities and expanding interface options. High-speed interconnections between the carrier board, RTM, and mezzanine cards ensure efficient, high-throughput data transfer. For trigger applications, the system supports approximately 100 optical input fiber links, leveraging multiple FPGAs to execute complex online algorithms. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the system design and performance evaluation. The hardware validation results confirm that the system serves as a robust platform for high-speed data transmission and digital signal processing (DSP).