Controls Meeting 21-Mar-2013
From GlueXWiki
Agenda
- Announcements
- Minutes from previous meeting 7-Mar-2013
- Requirements for BCAL/FCAL LED pulser calibration system - Elton
- Update on FCAL dark room - Dan, John, Manuel
- Update on PLC test stand - Dave
- Counting House status - Hovanes, Elliott
- furniture, computers, networks, etc.
- EPICS update - Hovanes
- Solenoid update - Mark, Scot, Elliott
- Progress on other controls applications - Dave
- storing/retrieving PLC parameters
- What is the role of the JInventory system - All
- relation to DAQ, HV/LV control, cabling?
- need to finalize conventions and get all equipment entered
- need to purchase/print and install barcode labels
- some software improvements and bug fixes remain
- other halls interested, may provide programming manpower
- Mantis task tracker
- start using this again?
- Midas elog
- Experiment Control Supervisor - Elliott
Time/Location
9:30AM Thurs 21-Mar-2013 CC A110
Announcements
Next Meeting
9:30am Thurs 4-Apr-2013
Minutes
Present: Elliott W, Elton S, Dan B, Fernando B, John L, Yi Q, Scot S, Mark S, Dave B, Tara B, Alex S, Hovanes E.
BCAL/FCAL Pulser
Elton gave a thorough overview of the LED pulser calibration system:
- System needs to send trigger to TS and TTL pulses to LED flashers.
- External power includes 5V and bias to set LED intensity, will use SiPM power supplies.
- LED flashed via capacitor discharge.
- Will have LED boards, distribution boards and external TTL pulsing system.
- LED boards done, distribution boards and pulsing system to be designed.
- For trigger timing all cables will be equal length, will get ~5ns jitter.
- Need 50' LEMO cables from VME crates to distribution cards.
- Cables from distribution boards about 12'.
- 4 lines go to each LED board.
- Will use three CAEN V1495 modules to generate TTL pulses, about $5k each incl. mezzanine boards.
- Max 16 TTL channels per V1495.
- Will likely use two VME crates, one for BCAL with two V1495's, one for FCAL with one V1495.
- Not clear if crates need to be purchased, hope to find free slots in other crates.
- Hope to not have to put V1495's in DAQ crates (discriminator crates are ok).
- V1495 has many LVDS outputs suitable for input to TS.
- FCAL has 10 LED boards per quadrant, 4 LED's per board, three colors.
- FCAL does not use distribution board, TTL signals go directly to LED boards.
- Ben will program V1495, 2 man-weeks allocated.
- Need to program pulse width, trig-to-pulse delay, start, stop, #pulses, etc.
- Once written and tested the FPGA code is not expected to need to change.
- V1495 has programmable switches that could be used to implement local operational modes.
- Will use EPICS to control V1495 operation.
- EPICS driver needs to be written (Nerses or Hovanes).
- Considering running pulsers all the time at low rate during data taking.
- Max conceivable pulse rate 1 MHz, less ok.
FCAL Controls
John and Dan reported:
- Dark room parts list to be sent out, want feedback from JLab techs on choices.
- If no comments received will choose parts themselves.
- Dark room might be done in 2-3 months.
- One working power supply here, remainder in production or repair.
- Will soon have enough equipment to test FCAL in manual mode.
Counting House
- Rack room is ready and working, some computer and network equipment will be ordered in May.
- Furniture ordered, should arrive in a few weeks.
- Some conference equipment not ordered yet.
- Chairs finally ordered.
PLC Test Stand
- Parts coming.
- Need to test EPICS connection to CompactLogix processor (SNS swears it works).
- Dave will create tags, Hovanes will try to access them via EPICS IOC.
EPICS
- Beni and Hovanes working on auto-configuring power supply drivers.
- Nerses may finally be coming in May!
Solenoid