ELETTRA, Basovizza, Italy
Several diagnostics instruments for the FERMI@Elettra FEL require accurate readout, processing, and control electronics; together with a complete integration within the TANGO control system. A custom developed back-end system, compliant to the PICMG MicroTCA standard, provides a robust platform for accommodating such electronics; including reliable slow control and monitoring infrastructural features. Two types of digitizer AMCs have been developed, manufactured, tested and successfully commissioned in the FERMI facility. The first being a fast (160Msps) and high-resolution (16 bits) Analog to Digital and Digital to Analog (A|D|A) Convert Board, hosting 2 A-D and 2 D-A converters controlled by a large FPGA (Xilinx Virtex-5 SX50T) responsible also for the fast communication interface handling. The latter being an Analog to Digital Only (A|D|O), derived from A|D|A, with an analog front-side stage made of 4 A-D converters. A simple MicroTCA Timing Central Hub (MiTiCH) completes the set of modules necessary for operating the system. Several TANGO servers and panels have been developed and put in operation with the support of the controls group. The overall system's architectures, with different practical application examples, together with the specific AMCs' functionalities, are presented. Impressions on our experience on the field using the novel MicroTCA standard are also discussed.
