Status of the PCI Test Stand

• Hardware status:• Three known working PTS’s: 2 at FNAL, 1 at UIUC.• Korean group working on one,• LBL has one running yet?

• Adapter Board: Printed circuit version is designed, back from company.

• Board has a built-in DAC for VCAL gain scan• 10 boards total. 1 for souvenir for designer, one for Korean group, 8 for PTS’s.• First board fully assembled and tested. Success! Korean group requested it. Others soon.• For the future: Omnetics adapter? Probably needed. Simple Samtec/Omnetics cable possible?

Firmware Status• No real change in production PMC firmware since April, although upgrades have been attempted.

• PTA firmware from Lorenzo Uplegger can be upgraded from version B3.4 to B3.6 without consequence. Unflushed FIFO still a problem -- we have a software workaround (read several times).• PMC firmware -- untested version including external triggers in the works (not needed for testing hybrids or staves).

• Some variability seen in behavior of different PTA/PMC cards in different computers. All have been convinced to work.

• Interface is flexible. No need to change firmware when changing the control pattern or initialization string.

Firmware Features• 16 Kword RAM pattern memory

• Selectable clock frequency

• Hybrid/chip direct control, interface to MPC/JPC via electrically inactive adapter boards. Knows about the two PRIOUT signals on the JPC selectable which one to read.

• Data are synchronized with OBDV -- arbitrary cable lengths OK without timing tuning.

• Can put sequences in RAM or can control output lines directly with the contents of a register.

Software Status

• Two paths pursued:

• Custom chip/hybrid/half-stave/stave testing suite by Catalin• Port HTWISH

• HTWISH status: Ported! Tests run on Illinois PTS and FNAL PTS (Biscayne). Two hybrids already tested (and failed).

• Pedestals, noise make sense• Known problems (dead channels, no VCAL response) make hybrids fail tests in easy-to-understand ways.• To do: upgrade to new version of SVX4 init string

• verify that the gain scan works.• current measurement from power supply? (extra hw)

Risetime test -- not too powerful -- we only have 20 ns resolution.

Documentation and Distribution

• Very rough draft of a manual available at

http://www.hep.uiuc.edu/home/trj/pts/index.html

Contains hardware and firmware description. Softwaredocumentation to come.

• Firmware for PTA and PMC is available (same web site)

• Software -- Catalin’s program (older version, but functional) and the port of HTWISH are available on the same web site.

• Adapter Board specs available linked on that web site too.