VME Crates

VME crate on Gammasphere and a closeup of what the front of a crate can look like.

VME (Versa Module Extension) crates house the digitizers, triggers, and IOC modules for Gammasphere's DAQ system. The crate has specific connectors that plug into a standard backplane for power and communication. VME backplanes are mounted into mechanical assemblies referred to as “crates” or “subracks” that in turn mechanically mount into larger mechanical objects called “racks” or “relay racks”.