NSCL DAQ Overview

1
NSCL DAQ Overview

• A very brief overview

Contributors Ron Fox(NSCL) Kanayo
Orji(NSCL) Tim Hoagland (WPB) Eric
Kasten(NSCL) Dave Caussyn (FSU) Daniel
Bazin (NSCL) Jason Venema(NSCL) Kevin Carnes
(KSU) Dirk Weisshaar (NSCL)
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Features

• Flexible
• Open
• Small to medium sized experiments
• Low learning curve for experimenters
• Is or has been used in use at about 35-40
  institutions.
• 2xSourceforge.net projects code-base is out
  there.

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The Model
Events from hardware
spectrodaq
Adapter
Event Reader
Buffer Distribution
Event buffers
Native Client
Native Client
Native Client
Foreign clients
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The Model
Events from hardware
spectrodaq
Adapter
Event Reader
Buffer Distribution
Event buffers
Event Recording
Scaler Displays
Raw data Inspectors
Foreign clients
5
Coming soon
Partial events
Partial events
Event Reader
Event Reader

Adapter
Event Builder
Buffer Distribution
Assembled event buffers
Foreign clients
Native Client
Native Client
Native Client
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Adaptors
Adaptor
Buffer distribution
Via buffer Manager API.
stdout (pipe).
Guest application
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Other Features

• Relatively hardware neutral
• We talk to VME bus via SBS 618 PCI/VME bus
  adapter.
• There are systems out there using the Wiener
  PCIDA/VC32 module set
• There is a system out there (and another under
  construction) that use the Wiener VM-USB
  interface.
• Non VME systems as well
• Some small labs still use CAMAC!
• Wiener PCIDA/CC32, project next year for CC-USB
• Buffer Size neutral (we normally use fixed length
  8KB buffers but variable length arbitrary sizes
  can flow through the system just fine).

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Religious Convictions

• Theres probably enough flexibility in the buffer
  management scheme for it to work with a TPC
  system.
• Will most likely need a custom event source
  (Readout) program, may just talk to some very
  specialized hardware/software, mapping that into
  event fragments for event building (see below).
• Need to complete the event builder so the TPC can
  be combined with other NSCL based detector
  systems (and itself?)