First Tests of a GTL-Prototype-Card using XDAQ

S. Kostner, J. Strauss and A. Taurok (Hephy, Vienna)with help from J. Gutleber (CERN)

Environment

● Linux PC running XDAQ● National VME Interface● VME Crate● GTL-Conversion-Card (6U)

Environment for test of GTL-Conversion Card

GT

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ard

VM

E-M

XI-

2

MXI Cable

VME Crate

Linux PC running XDAQequipped with PCI-MXI Card

VME-MXI-2 Crate Controller

VME-Bus

GTL-Conversion-Card (6U)

● VME Connector● ALTERA VME Chip● 5 XILINX Conversion Chips (which have to be

configured via VME)

VME Connector

to Backplane

Altera VME Chip

ProgrammableXilinxChips

Configuration Procedure

Only the ALTERA Chip understands VME.

XILINX Chips receive commands from, and are configured by the ALTERA Chip.

The configuration file has to be written bit by bit to a program register in the ALTERA Chip.

Other Components

VME crate is connected to a Linux PC via a crate controller and a PCI-MXI-2 Board (National Instruments).

A National Instruments - VXI/VISA driver is used to access the PCI-MXI Board.

VME Crate

VME-MXI-2CrateControler

GTL-ConversionCard

C++ Hardware Access Library (HAL)...is included in XDAQ package

● VMEDevice()● MXI2x86LinuxBusAdapter()● NIVXI driver● PCI MXI Card

(shown in Figure 1 of HAL Documentation)● Simple read and write commands are available

– Note: HAL can be used without XDAQ

HAL

Source: HAL Documentation

(Linux NIVXI driver)

(MXI2x86LinuxBusAdapter)

VMEDevice

(XDAQ plugin)

XDAQ Framework

● Process running on PC with hardware connection (described above)

● The XDAQ application is realized as plugin which is loaded into XDAQ at runtime (only the plugin has to be compiled).

● XDAQ and its plugin is controlled by the tool XDAQWIN which sends messages to XDAQ via http.

● The configuration of XDAQWIN is specified by the user which has to provide a XML file.

XDAQ Framework

XdaqWin

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Con

trol

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VME Crate

VME

HTTP

VXIXDAQ

executive

XDAQ with running user-plugin

XML

Time flow of a xdaqWin command

XDAQWin XDAQ executive

configureuser plugin

configure(){

... //configure HW}

click "configure"

ready

2

5

3

1

4

next command

Conclusions

● A simple configuration example was realized using XDAQ and HAL.

● Code will be made available (by J.Gutleber);

it is a realistic example for a first contact with XDAQ.