Operational experience with a large detector system using silicon strip detectors with double sided readout

Abstract A large system of silicon strip detectors with double sided readout has been successfully commissioned over the course of the last year at the e + e − collider LEP. The readout of this 73 728 channel system is performed with custom designed VLSI charge sensitive amplifier chips (CAMEX64A). An overall point resolution of 12 μm on both sides has been acheived for the complete system. The most important difficulties during the run were beam losses into the detector, and a chemical agent deposited onto the electronics; however, the damage from these sources was understood and brought under control. This and other results of the 1991 data-taking run are described with special emphasis on the operational experience.