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Chip technologies play an important role in particle physics: they process experimental data, for example from collision experiments, telescope recordings or dark matter detection instruments (Photo: matejmo/iStock)

Chip technologies play an important role in particle physics: they process experimental data, for example from collision experiments, telescope recordings or dark matter detection instruments (Photo: matejmo/iStock)

MPI for Physics launches international initiative for chip technology

First meeting of the FPGA Developers’ Forum from 11-13 June, 2024

Whether telescopes, collision experiments or detectors for the detection of dark matter, in experimental particle physics, nothing works without FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). Thanks to their reprogrammable capacity and their great processing power, FPGAs are widely used for processing and reading out data from the experiments. The Max Planck Institute for Physics (MPP) has now launched the FPGA Developers’ Forum, a platform where developers can exchange ideas and share their experiences. The first event will take place from 11-13 June at CERN.

FPGA devices are increasingly gaining in popularity nowadays, being implemented for frontier applications in medicine, telecommunication, Artificial Intelligence and space. In contrast to traditional hardware with predefined features, FPGAs can be programmed for specific tasks and are therefore extremely versatile.

As a result, they have become a cornerstone of modern electronics, enabling rapid prototyping and innovation in various industries - as well as in particle physics. FPGAs are indispensable for the real-time processing of the immense data volumes generated in experiments like those at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

This image features a state-of-the-art prototype of a FPGA-based processor, engineered for the real-time processing of particle trajectories within the ATLAS experiment at CERN (Photo: MPP)
This image features a state-of-the-art prototype of a FPGA-based processor, engineered for the real-time processing of particle trajectories within the ATLAS experiment at CERN (Photo: MPP)

The first meeting of the FPGA Developers’ Forum (FDF) is currently taking place at CERN with more than 200 participants. "This platform allows experts from different industries to network and share their experiences and ideas," says Davide Cieri, a scientist at MPP who is chairing the event. "It's also about tips and tricks on how to overcome challenges related to design tools and specific FPGA technologies." The focus is on methods that can be used to implement digital designs – the scientific goals are secondary.

The conference will also focus on the role of FPGAs in the field of machine learning. Renowned experts will discuss how this chip class can be used to make artificial intelligence applications more efficient and responsive. "To solve complex problems of all kinds, we need flexible and adaptive technologies," says Davide Cieri. "The developers’ conference will show what contribution the versatile chips can make to this."

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