Releases and Snapshots of the Timing System

Release

A Timing Firmware Release packs together new features and requirements defined in our Development Road Map,
as well as bug-fixes from previous releases. Since a Timing Firmware Release should've been tested and integrated with the rest of the Control System:

• Bug-fixes are going to be added to the Release Candidate during the integration and testing phase.
• Release Support in Production. Problems in Production should be reproducible in our test system and be fixed.
  These bug-fixes will be presented in the next Snapshot or Release.

Release Cycle

Our release cycle is synchronized with the CSCO Development Road Map and follows the next steps:

1. Development Version (Alpha) tested continuously in the Timing Test Facility
2. Release Candidate tested in the Timing Test Facility
3. Deployment of Release in Production

Naming

The Releases have a name where the first letter indicates the version order according to the alphabet:

Asterisk, Balloon, Cherry, Doomsday, Enigma , Fallout

Snapshot

A Timing Firmware Snapshot packs together the features needed for a particular user-case or particular system (e.g. CRYRING) and it doesn't go through a
completely firmware release cycle. You can see a firmware Snapshot as a Beta Version which is going to be tested in "production system" while
the development goes on, it means:

• Best effort support. We can't guarantee that we will be able to reproduce reported bugs.
• Bug-fixes are NOT going to be added to the Snapshot and rolled out. These bug-fixes will be included in the next Snapshot or Release.

Snapshot Cycle

The Snapshots complete a short development cycle:

1. Snapshot Candidate tested in the Timing Test Facility
2. Deployment in Production

Naming

The snapshots don't receive a name and are just completed with the month and year of their creation.

Releases and Snapshots

This includes hardware, gateware, firmware and software.

Timing Receivers including SCU

• Release Fallout (R16/R17) (09/2020)
• Release Enigma (R14/R15) (08/2019)
• Release Doomsday (R12.0) (04/2018)
• Release Cherry (R10.0) (08/2017)
• Snapshot April 2017 (04/2017) (never applied, broken)
• Release Ballon (R8.0) (09/2016)
• Snapshot January 2016 (R6.1) (01/2016)
• Release Asterisk V1.. (R4-R6) (12/2015) deprecated
• Release Asterisk V0 (R3) (7/2014) outdated
• Release R1 (07/2013) outdated
• GSI Timing Starter Kit (9/2012) outdated

Data Master

• Snapshot January 2016 (R6.1)
• Asterisk (R5, R6)

Hardware and Release Compatibility Matrix

Form Factor	Release 0	Asterisk	18 Jan 2016	Balloon	Cherry	Doomsday	Enigma	Fallout
EXPLODER2C
EXPLODER5A
PEXARIA5A
SCU2
SCU3
SCU4
VETAR2
VETAR2A
tr-amc
tr-pmc
PEXP

-- DietrichBeck - 16 September 2020