We study the relative performance of various methods for aligning noisy one-dimensional signals. No knowledge of the shape of the misaligned signals is assumed. We simulate signals corrupted by both additive noise and timing jitter noise which are similar in complexity to nose-to-nose oscilloscope calibration signals collected at NIST. In one method, we estimate the relative shift of two signals as the difference of their estimated centroids, We present a new adaptive algorithm for centroid estimation. We also estimate relative shifts from three different implementations of cross-correlation analysis. In a complete implementation, for N signals, relative shifts are estimated from all N(N-1)/2 distinct pairs of signals. In a naive implementation, relative shifts are estimated from just (N-1) pairs of signals. In an iterative adaptive implementation, we estimate the relative shift of each signal with respect to a template signal which, at each iteration, is equated to the signal average of the aligned signals. In simulation experiments, 100 misaligned signals are generated. For all noise levels, the complete cross-correlation method yields the most accurate estimates of the relative shifts. The relative performance of the other methods depends on the noise levels.

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Alignment of noisy signals

A flash analog to digital converter (FADC) board of low cost and power saving has been developed based on Compact Peripheral Component Interface (CompactPCI) for Drift Chamber Beta-ray Analyzer (DCBA), which is an experiment to study double-beta decay. This board has been designed and constructed with 8 channels, each of which has an 8-bit 100 MHz FADC chip and a double-buffered memory. The design philosophy using recent semiconductor technology is described together with the performance of the FADC board.

A 100 MHz FADC system based on CompactPCI for DCBA

A verification process comprises a verification environment having a hardware development language interface. The verification process also comprises a device under test having a hardware development language interface operable to communicate with the verification environment hardware development language interface, and also having an Infiniband interface. The verification process additionally comprises a remote Infiniband link having an Infiniband interface operable to communicate with the device under test Infiniband interface and also having a socket protocol interface operable to communicate with a further verification process.

Distributed infiniband verification protocol

Three types of drift chambers are being constructed for the Fermilab Do experiment. The construction and readout of these chambers stress good spatial resolution, good two hit separation, and d E /d x measurement. A 106 MHz FADC system with hardware zero suppression is being constructed to read out this system.

The central tracking detectors for D

Measurements of more than 1000 new magnets are needed for the main injector project at Fermilab. In order to achieve efficiency and accuracy in measurements, a database-driven design was chosen for control of the measurement system. A relational database will be used to describe the measurement subjects and equipment. A logbook system defined in the database will provide for prescription of measurements to be carried out, and a comment database for less-structured information. The operator interface will be built on X-windows. >

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Software design for a database driven system for accelerator magnet measurements

A semi-automatic measurement system has been constructed and operated for measurement of more than 400 magnets for the Fermilab Anti-Proton Source Project. A single VAX 11/730 computer with a serial CAMAC highway driver supports multiple measurement stations. Independence of the measurement stations is provided at the system level. Modern software design structures are implemented using standard modules whenever possible including (especially) commercial packages. Measurement results are obtained for evaluation at the time of the measurement. Convenience and accuracy of measurer interaction is provided using a forms entry system. For convenience of data analysis, a query-based data management tool accesses data bases which describe both equipment and results. Results are shared over a DECnet network. The design is well suited for quality control, for laboratory equipment testing/repair and for experimental R & D in a shared-resource, shared-data environment.

Data Acquisition System Design for Production Measurements of Magnets for the Fermilab Anti-Proton Source

A data acquisition system for the tracking detectors of the D0 Colliding Detector has been built and is operational, taking cosmic ray data. It is composed of 8200 channels of 1-6-MHz 8-b flash analog to digital converters (FADCs). These are configured as sixteen channels per FADC module, up to sixteen FADC modules per crate, and a total of thirty-six 9U VME crates. A crate controller module, the control system interface, and a high-speed data buffer/driver complete the FADC crate. Design and operations details are described. >

/pdf/a-working-vme-based-106-mhz-fadc-data-acquisition-system-for-2z9dhbo8mj.pdf

A working, VME-based, 106 MHz FADC data acquisition system for the tracking detectors at D0

The DO central tracking system produces a wide range of waveforms that must be digitized at a rate greater than 80 MHz. The 8,224 channels in this system create over two megabytes of data for every p?p crossing. Such a data rate can be tolerated if the null data is removed before it reaches the first data bus. We describe the tracking systems's 8 bit, 100 megasample per second digitizer and a channel-level, data reduction device implemented in a semi-custom integrated circuit.

100 MBS, 8 Bit Data Acquisition and Zero Suppression System for the DO Detector

This paper gives an overview of the present state of the experimental area controls system at Fermilab. Both hardware and software systems are covered.

Overview of a Multi-User High Energy Physics Control and Data Acquisition System

The authors describe the use of IBM-compatible personal computers in a hardware test system that can run on any size system from an engineer's test bench to the entire subsystem in the D Zero detector. The test system uses a PC-to-VME bus interface for the local testing and the Token Ring network for more global testing. This system has been implemented for several different hardware systems in D Zero. >

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M. E. Johnson

Papers

Data Acquisition System Design for Production Measurements of Magnets for the Fermilab Anti-Proton Source

A working, VME-based, 106 MHz FADC data acquisition system for the tracking detectors at D0

100 MBS, 8 Bit Data Acquisition and Zero Suppression System for the DO Detector

Overview of a Multi-User High Energy Physics Control and Data Acquisition System

The design of a hardware testing system for the D Zero detector