Parallel distribution of asynchronous optical signals

An 11 channel digital asynchronous transceiver (DAT) employing parallel optical link technology has been developed for trigger signal distribution across the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS). Combinatorial logic functions are implemented in Xilinx Spartan 3 FPGAs, providing a versatile solution adaptable for use in future atmospheric Cherenkov detectors and other high-energy astroparticle experiments. The device is deadtime free and introduces a minimal skew of 1.6 ns between channels. The jitter on each DAT channel is less than 0.8 ns 95% of the time, allowing communication between telescopes and a central trigger system separated by hundreds of metres, without limiting array performance.