A unified real-time control and data acquisition hardware platform

This paper describes the implementation aspects of a real-time control and data acquisition hardware platform. The goal is to provide real-time signal processing at the signal acquisition level as well as low-latency interconnection between modules and units. In addition it will simultaneously perform the synchronism of all digitizer and generator endpoints. An analysis of the currently available low-latency data links and hardware processors is presented as well as an overview of the available tools for programming the platform.A prototype of this platform is expected for the first quarter of 2006 and is targeted to be used on neutron and gamma diagnostics. The platform will initially include the following modules: interconnect switch module, three types of transient recorders sampling at a rate of up to 400 MSPS@12-bit, 200 MSPS@14-bit and 2 GSPS@8-bit; one signal generator sourcing at a rate of up to 1 GSPS@12-bit, and a 400 ps time digitizer with six channels having a resolution of 400 ps and a throughput of 20 Mevents/s.