LEIR Schottky renovationM.Andersen –BE-BI-SW 29/05/2013

Actual devices

Agilent N9020 A

1. Vertical 2. Horizontal

3.Longitudinal

Interface• Based on Windows XP

(upgrade is possible)

• Running 89600 VSA SW package

• When used away from LEIR control room, use Remote Desktop

SW screen

What are the issues?• Reliability: system freezes, sometimes hard reset

is the only solution.• Lacking responsiveness, latency and lagging,

freezing. • Incomplete results- requires extra steps to

compute Schottky end-results.• Inconvenient – one needs 3 simultaneous remote

desktops to 3 devices.• Non-compliant with CO infrastructure• Windows XP – IT no longer supports and allows it

on the tech-net.

Problem causes1. Remote Desktop strains resourcesa. 3-5 Mbps on averageb. 20 Mbps burstsc. Non-uniform network

load.

2. Windows XP

Renovation possibilities

Improve interface with

existent acquisition

HW

Replace acquisition

HW SW with new

one

Home build HW

• Can Tune measurement Electronics (BBQ) handle the job?

• analogue down mixing with an analogue mixer, followed with an analogue  low-pass filter

• “..Given the parameters of your signal (span of 300 kHz), there should not be any loss of information even if the signal is around 1 MHz, requiring sampling at 2 MHz…” Marek Gasior

Replace Acquisition HW

with a new system

Agilent PXI HW

• High cost modular PXI solutions from agilent based on M9202A digitizers.

• Data visualisation and analysis based on the same SW platform as current N9020A.

• Software interface libraries are for Windows/Labview only

• Costly (€ 50K) and does not solve our problem.

Replace Acquisition HW

with a new system

• Improve perfomance by reducing network traffic strain

• Make network traffic more homogenous • Only transmit the actual numeric data

withot graphics• ”Hide” 3 Agilent devices behind a FEC

running FESA.• Dedicated op. application would improve

user experinece

Improve current

interfaceImprove interface

with existent acquisition HW

Proposed scheme

Improve interface with existent

acquisition HW

Has been successfully implemented before Known to be working GPIB to LAN adapter does not require GPIB

interface card Open source libraries exist÷ GPIB is an old bus standard

GPIB SW interface

Ethernet - initial picture

• TCPIP-LAN through IVI Class Driver (direct interface to LabWindows/CVI or Microsoft COM)

• Lower level Agilient I/O Libraries suite provides drivers and libraries interface for C-C++,C#.NET, Labview, Matlab.

• Only Windows OS- is supportd

Ethernet on LINUX• Agilent support

message based SCPI (Standard Command for Programmable Instrument) standard which is verdor and interface independent

• SCPI commands are transparent over LAN, GPIB or USB.

• Linux sockets over port 5025 allows for SCPI link to the device.

Test program developed:• Initialises and

configrues frequency range over LAN

• 1000 float data points pr. sweep

• ~ 14 Hz rate (”arm-wait-read” i.e not free running)

• ~60 kByte/s per device (acquisition rate)

• Very uniform data rate

To be done:• Consolidate & formalize SCPI functions into a

proper SW API library.• Investigate operational use-cases: free-running

vs. MTG synchronous triggering• Specify and develop an initial FESA class

handling all three AN9020A devices.• Produce an application for the operation.• Evaluate upgrade (Windows 7 + new processor

and SSD, CHF 4150,- /device)

BCTs• In LEIR: TRIC based Fast

BCTs have been operating in parallel, ready to replace old system.

• In LN3: TRICs are also deployed but due to baseline slope distortions can’t replace the old yet; HW based solution is being tested

• Ring BCT system based on Linux and VD80 ADC modules runs in parallel.