A versatile trigger and synchronization module with IEEE1588 capabilities and Epics support

Event timing and synchronization are two key aspects to improve the implementation of distributed data acquisition (dDAQ) systems such as the ones used in fusion experiments. It is very important to integrate dDAQ in control and measurement networks. This poster analyzes the applicability of the IEEE 1588 and EPICS standards to solve these problems, and presents a hardware module implementation based in both of them that allow adding these functionalities to any DAQ. The IEEE1588 standard facilitates the integration of event timing and synchronization mechanisms in distributed data acquisition systems based on IEEE 803.3 (Ethernet). An optimal implementation of such system requires the use of network interface devices which include specific hardware resources devoted to the IEE1588 functionalities. Unfortunately, this is not the approach followed in most of the large number of applications available nowadays. Therefore, most solutions are based in software and use standard hardware network interfaces. This paper presents the development of a hardware module (GI2E) with IEEE 1588 capabilities which includes USB, RS232, RS485 and CAN interfaces. This permits the integration of any DAQ element that uses these interfaces in dDAQ systems in an efficient and simple way. The module has been developed with Motorola's Coldfire MCF5234 processor and National Semiconductors's PHY DP83640T, providing it with the possibility to implement the PTP protocol of IEEE 1588 by hardware, and therefore increasing its performance over other implementations based in software. To facilitate the integration of the dDAQ system in control and measurement networks the module includes a basic IOC (Input Output Controller) functionality of the EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) architecture. This document is a poster. (authors)