A two-Transputer VME module for data acquisition and on-line event selection in ZEUS

For the ZEUS experiment at the HERA e-p collider in Hamburg a versatile and fast VME-based processor module has been developed at NIKHEF-H. The single-slot wide VME module contains two INMOS T800 Transputers, each with private memory, and a triple-port memory (TPM), accessible to both Transputers. Both Transputers have access to the VME bus, while an external master can also access the TPM directly. The VME accesses proceed typically with 10 Mbyte/s. Three application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) handle the internal and external Transputer interfacing. The module combines the VME environment with the parallel processing and link-oriented environment of the Transputer. Over 200 modules are used in the data acquisition and event selection systems of ZEUS.