Hardware Platforms

Introduction

In contrast to the standard EPICS installations, cross compiler and several other things are needed first.
Generic steps:
• Prerequisites
  • Installation of cross compiler (could be included already in the normal gnu compiler suite)
  • Installation of software development kit (if available)
• then
  • ... either (recommended) using the cross compiler for EPICS build
    • create/modify EPICS target and host specific CONFIG/CONFIG_SITE files
    • built target specific executables, libraries and applications
  • ... or compile on target system specific OS
    • Download of all sources (LINUX kernel and driver)
    • Compilation of the kernel plus tools (busybox for example)
    • transfer to the target hardware
    • Compilation of EPICS inside the development package
• Finally
  • (Transfer to the target hardware)
  • Test the IOC on the target machine.

How-to's by EPICS wiki

Have a look at the How-Tos at the epics wiki, especially at:
• How To Port EPICS to a new OS/Architecture
• How to make your EPICS driver operating system independent
-- PeterZumbruch - 10 Nov 2011

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Architecture: ETRAX's CRIS by AXIS

• EPICS on ETRAX cris architecture
• DIM for Axis' ETRAX
  • Cross compiling and installation
  • Running
The ETRAX 100LX MCM from AXIS (Wikipedia: en/de) is the core of several boards (e.g. HADControl (HadCon), TRB) developed at our department.
To implement EPICS for this architecture two options are offered:
• Cross compiling EPICS for the ETRAX CRIS architecture
  • using the build system of EPICS
    • contained in the in EPICS base since release 3.14.10
• DIM as intermediate protocol with DIM API compiled for ETRAX CRIS
  • using the EPICS-DIM Interface


... more see Cris Architecture Page
Status: completed (host:x86); documentation:50% :
-- PeterZumbruch - 2009-11-10
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Plugcomputer: DreamPlug / GuruPlug / SheevaPlug

The so-called plug computer family of GLOBALSCALE technologies is an interesting platform based on ARM5 Marvell core to have a quite powerful front-end PC available. Ways to run EPICS on it are documented.

... more see PlugComputer
Status: starting documentation:1% :
-- PeterZumbruch - 2014-06-11
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HadCon / HadShoPoMo / HadControl - Multipurpose Control Board

• Introduction
• Documentation
• Firmware
  • Microcontroller
  • CPLD
edit
HadCon is a general purpose IO module for detector and experiment control as well as for small data acquisition systems.



(HADControl general purpose board) Since its first application has been a power monitor for the Hades Shower Detector it has been formerly introduced and well known as HadShoPoMo (Hades Shower Power Monitor (HADControl/HadShoPoMo general purpose board).

HadCon has an SoC on-board, ETRAX 100LX MCM 4+16 from AXIS (Wikipedia: en/de) - which will be discontinued, see the new HadCon2.
Running a standard Linux the Etrax provides "Connectivity to the world" via TCP/IP.
On the other side it connects via its internal serial interface to an ATMEL AT90CAN128 microcontroller and optionally to an Xilinx CPLD.
Via this junction the ATMEL provides a multitude of possible connections to field buses and general I/O ports.
EPICS base and its applications, modules, and extensions can be cross-compiled to run on Etrax Axis' CRIS architecture (see section Architecture: ETRAX's CRIS by AXIS
• Summarizing:
  • CPU: AXIS ETRAX 100LX MCM 4+16
  • Microcontroller: ATMEL AT90CAN128
    • I²C (internal)
      • 2 × 4-channel 8-Bit DAC - Digital-to-Analog Converter
    • CANbus
      • galvanically isolated CAN - High-speed CAN Transceiver
        • optional external power supply
    • SPI
    • ADCs
    • RS232
    • 32 digital I/Os
  • CPLD: Xilinx XCR3064XL-6CS48C
  • 2 × Rotary Code Switches, hexadecimal coding
  • Ericsson PME 5218TS switching regulator for up to 6A 3.3V power usable for other boards
  • full EPICS support


... more see HadCon
Status:Just a hardware documentation:100% :
-- PeterZumbruch - 2018-03-15
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HadCon 2 - Multipurpose Control Board

• Introduction
• Documentation
• Firmware
  • Microcontroller Code
    • HadCon2 Multipurpose Control Api
  • FPGA Code
    • HadCon2 FPGA Projects
• Cables
  • HadCon2 Cables
• Bookkeeping / Organization
  • available HadCon2 Modules
HadCon2 is a credit-card sized general purpose I/O module for detector and experiment controls as well as for small data acquisition systems.

It is the successor of the discontinued first version HadCon ( HADControl/HadShoPoMo general purpose board, HadCon @ Epics Wiki).
The module has an ATMEL AT90CAN128 microcontroller providing a multitude of connectivity:
I²C (8/4 fold (intern/extern) multiplexer), 6 channel 1-wire master, 8-channel 8bit DAC, galvanically isolated CAN - high-speed transceiver, 8-channel 10-bit SAR ADC, byte-oriented SPI, in total up-to 53 programmable I/O lines and optionally a Lattice MachX02 FPGA for fast data processing tasks.
While the discontinued precursor HadCon had an SoC on-board, its successor HadCon2 has broken up this concept in favour of a more open access:
It doesn't have any CPU on board, but a USB connector to directly allow communication with any type and size of computer (e.g. PC, raspberry PI, dreamplug, ...) having an USB port on one side and at the other end the microcontroller and the FGPA. This communication is based on an ASCII-based protocol in view of easy implementation in detector control systems like e.g. EPICS and LabVIEW.
• Summarizing:
  • Microcontroller: ATMEL AT90CAN128
    • I²C
    • CANbus
    • SPI
    • ADCs
    • ...
  • FPGA: Lattice MachX02-1200-HC
  • FTDI USB to serial UART interface
    • USB 2.0 connector
    • Power over USB
  • I²C devices
    • 6 × Single-Channel 1-Wire Master
    • 1 × 8-channel I²C-bus multiplexer with reset
    • 2 × 4-channel 8-Bit DAC - Digital-to-Analog Converter
  • galvanically isolated CAN - High-speed CAN Transceiver
    • optional external power supply
  • 2 × Rotary Code Switches, hexadecimal coding
  • Reset Button for ATMEL
  • 11 × LED's, free programmable


... more see HadCon2
Status:Just a hardware documentation:100% :
-- PeterZumbruch - 2020-07-31
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OWADC1 - 1-wire 8-channel ADC board

• Introduction
• Documentation
  • Layout
  • 1-wire ADC
    • RC time
  • known 1-wire IDs
  • Notes and Remarks
• Future/Extensions/Wish list
• Applications


OWADC1 is a small, compact board designed by M.Traxler and S.Voltz (GSI/EE) to provide an 8 channel, max. 16bit ADC to be accessed by 1-wire protocol


... more see OWADC1 - 1-wire 8-channel ADC board
Status:Just a hardware documentation:25% :
-- PeterZumbruch - 2020-07-27
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HADES I/O Box

Based upon the HadCon2 multi I/O board, the DreamPlug Plug Computer, and the 1-wire based ADC board OwAdc a small, slim, multi analog/digital I/O box is built.
Its first use case will be the replacement of old hardware in the HADES experiment at GSI. It provides:
• CPU/OS:
  • ARM based "standard" Linux
• Data access
  • internal USB interface
  • via ASCII-based protocol
  • EPICS compliant
• I/O
  • 16 (differential/single ended) ADC analog input channels 0-5/10 Volts
  • 16 I/O channels
  • 16 DAC channels
  • 6 "separate" 1-wire busses (common GND/Power)
  • CAN bus interface
• adaptable 1U 19" housing
  
... more see HADES I/O Box
Status:Kick off meeting :
-- PeterZumbruch - 2011-09-12
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Attic

Virtex4/5, Spartan

Discontinuation

• Meanwhile there seems to be no longer interest in this project from the side of CBM. Therefore this project is considered to be closed and discontinued.

• At ICALEPCS 2009, Miroslaw Dach, PSI, mailto:miroslaw.dach_at_psi.de, presented running solutions for EPICS application embedded into an Virtex 4 or even Virtex 5.
  During private coversation he stated, that it took him several years to have it running, but now he is confident to present solution for new application and Virtex based platforms within a day.

• Another Solution - Linux 2.6 available on Virtex4 FX 12. Have a look at my FREEDAC Ljubljana Notes on Victor Pucknell, Daresbury

-- PeterZumbruch - 10 Nov 2009

The future FAIR Experiment CBM intends to use Virtex4 based front-end electronics.
... more see Project page

Status: development discontinued

-- PeterZumbruch - 2009-11-10