The ESO Infrared Detector High Speed Array Control and Processing Electronics, IRACE, is designed as a modular system which supports readout and data processing of state-of-the-art IR detector arrays and array mosaics.
The number of processed array output channels can be extended from one to far beyond hundred like for the VISTA project, where a set-up for sixteen 2Kx2K Virgo detectors requires 256 channels. In addition one system can handle several separate arrays as in the case of ISAAC, where a long and a short wavelength IR array is run by one system. For special requirements like tip-tilt correction or adaptive optics applications, windows within an array or complete frames can be routed to dedicated computers in parallel to normal data taking.
The standard processor system(s) for on-line data handling are based on Sun workstations, but other computers like Linux-based PC or Power PC can also be used. Detector front-end(s) is galvanically isolated from data processing and system administration by fiberoptic links. The whole system is build up by the IRACE team at ESO.
