  MIDAS (MIcrostrip Detector Array System) is a compact silicon tracking
telescope for charged particles emitted at small angles in intermediate energy
photonuclear reactions. It was realized to increase the angular acceptance of
the DAPHNE detector and used in an experimental program to check the
Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule at the Mainz electron microtron, MAMI. MIDAS
provides a trigger for charged hadrons, p/pi identification and particle
tracking in the region 7 deg < theta < 16 deg. In this paper we present the
main characteristics of MIDAS and its measured performances.
