We present a custom integrated circuit, named SYNC, which is a fundamental building block in the front-end architecture of the LHCb Muon detector. SYNC is realized in IBM 0.25 μm technology, using radiation hardening layout techniques. Each SYNC integrates the complete front-end LO stage, consisting of a buffer and a derandomizer and an interface to the LI stage. It also integrates custom TDCs, one per each input channel, having a time resolution of 1.5 ns. Many monitoring and diagnostic facilities are also integrated on the chip. We describe the circuit architecture, its internal blocks and its main modes of operation.
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