The results of a development of a scintillator counter with wavelength shifting (WLS) fibre and a multi-pixel Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode readout are presented. The photodiode has a metal-resistor-semiconductor layered structure and operates in
the limited Geiger mode. The scintillator counter has been developed for the EMMA underground cosmic ray experiment.
In this short note we present results of background measurements carried out with a polystyrene based cast plastic 12.0x12.0x3.0 cm^3 size scintillator counter with a wavelength shifting fibre and a multi-pixel Geiger mode avalanche photodiode readou
t in the Baksan underground laboratory at a depth of 200 meters of water equivalent. The total counting rate of the scintillator counter measured at this depth and at a threshold corresponding to ~0.37 of a minimum ionizing particle is approximately 1.3 Hz.
The new EAS Cherenkov array TUNKA-133, with about 1 km**2 sensitive area, is being installed in the Tunka Valley. The investigated energy range is 10**15-10**18 eV. It will consist of 133 optical detectors based on EMI9350 PMTs. Optical detectors are
grouped into 19 clusters with 7 detectors each. The detectors are connected to the cluster box with RG-58 cables. Every PMT signal is digitized in the cluster box with 200 MHz FADC. The cluster boxes are connected to the data acquisition center with a 1 Gb/s optical link. A detailed description of the data acquisition system (DAQ) is presented.
