ATTPC DAQ hardware and first setup

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The hardware of the ATTPC DAQ consist of one workstation (two network cards at least, one could be SFP+ network card), one $$\mu$$TCA crate. Inside the $$\mu$$TCA crate, a MTH module (must have a fiber port and an ethernet port), a power module and a series of Cobo boards are installed.

The topological map is attached. The workstation is indirectly connected to Cobo through MCH, by connecting one ethernet card of the workstation to the ethernet port of MCH and also the SFP+ network card to the MCH SFP+ port.

Fig 1. A schematic from the GET electronic official website

 

However, for better expansion in the future, we implement the structure with an additional fast switch (10Gbit/s)

Fig 2. Current schematic implemented in NSL.

 

The switch is transparent, so user should should really think in Fig. 1.

The current Linux Workstation is installed with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. Only LTS version should be considered, as the GET data acquisition software may not work with any other version.

  1. Two network cards are needed in the workstation
  2. one should be setup manually as 192.168.40.*, the other should be 192.168.50.*
  3. The crate needs MCH, Cobo, and power module
  4. connect the network card with 192.168.40.* to the MCH GibE port (either one of the two), one of the SFP port needs to connect to the other network card  through fiber connection
  5. install DHCPD server and start the service (assign ip addresses for two cobo hardware: control and data)sudo apt-get install isc-dhcp-server; sudo service isc-dhcp-server start;if the device can not get ip address, you need to click the net card in the network tap and restart dhcp service: somehow this is required for the linux systemin the /etc/defaults/isc-dhcp-server, add “e*” to the interfaces=”” for the two ethernet cards. For my case, it was interfaces=”eno1 enp2s0″the /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf needs to be configured as attached. Remember to change the mac address according to the description on the cobo module.
  6.  The uart port of the cobo can be connected using a regular microusb port to the workstation, a special driver is needed. (the driver is ready for Ubuntu 16.04 Lts, so no need for this)
    http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/pages/usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers.aspx
    a    fter the installation, connect uart port to the workstation and type minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 (notice the “ttyUSB0” may be different depending on the specific setting of user’s PC), minicom setting is in link below
    https://dsm-trac.cea.fr/get/wiki/HowToSetupCoBo
  1. We also need to set up the nfs sharing service. In Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, nfs-server can be installed by typing sudo apt-get install nfs-server; then use the replace the existing /etc/exports (pls remove the .txt extension after downloading) with file below and create a folder  /mnt/local/export/filesystem. Put getHwServer.out and startup.vxsh in this folder.

 

  1. Before the MCH can redirect signals to the cobo control and data ports. Settings below are required. https://wikihost.nscl.msu.edu/attpc/doku.php?id=microtca_development in the link a total 9 steps are shown, but only the first 7 are required, and it does not hurt to do step 9 (step 8 are not available for current get firmware).also these 7/8 steps can be performed either using ssh with the ethernet 192.168.40.* cable connected to the MCH ethernet port, or you have a serial port to “GbE0/1” ethernet port and you connect the PC serial port to the “SER” ethernet port on the MCH.For the first scenario,  you do 
    ssh root@192.168.40.250

    after login you type in the MCH terminal

    vt set rs232sel=0
    export TERM=vt100; stty rows 1024 cols 80
    minicom -w -o ttyS2

    press enter you will see

    10GbE_Mgmt login:

    edit /etc/rc.d/rc.local

    vi /etc/rc.d/rc.loca

    append the following

    axel_1g_port 15 # (AMC 01)
    axel_1g_port 7 # (AMC 02)
    axel_1g_port 0 # (AMC 03)
    axel_1g_port 8 # (AMC 04)
    axel_1g_port 16 # (AMC 05)
    axel_1g_port 13 # (AMC 06)
    axel_1g_port 19 # (AMC 07)
    axel_1g_port 11 # (AMC 08)
    axel_1g_port 3 # (AMC 09)
    axel_1g_port 4 # (AMC 10)
    axel_1g_port 12 # (AMC 11)
    axel_1g_port 17 # (AMC 12)

    save and restart

    you can also choose to physically isolate the 10GbE and the 1GbE switches. Disconnect the 1GbE switch from the 10GbE by typing:

    A- login to 10GbE switch using ssh or rs232 (as indicated above)
    B- when you see the prompt type cli
    C- in CLI type set-port-state 16 disable
    D- then type save-config

 

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