Overview and status of the cherenkov telescope array

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) have opened a new astronomical window for gamma ray energies exceeding tens of GeV during the last decades. A world-wide community is behind the design and construction of the next generation Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), consisting of two arrays of IACTs at the northern and southern hemispheres. CTA will feature IACTs of three different sizes optimized to cover different energy ranges. The design incorporates a significant number of innovations in all mirror, photo detection, readout, trigger or data processing technologies. This presentation will cover the status of the project and design characteristics of the instrument, paying special attention to aspects related to photodetection and signal processing.