ESS-Bilbao, Zamudio, Spain
University of the Basque Country, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bilbao, Spain
ESS Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain
This work presents a fast acquisition multipurpose controller, focussing on its EPICS integration and on its XML based configuration. This controller is based on a Lyrtech VHS-ADC board which encloses an FPGA, connected to a Host PC. This Host acts as local controller and implements an IOC integrating the device in an EPICS network. These tasks have been performed using Java as the main tool to program the PC to make the device fit the desired application. All the process includes the use of different technologies: JNA to handle C functions i.e. FPGA API, JavaIOC to integrate EPICS and XML w3c DOM classes to easily configure the particular application. In order to manage the functions, Java specific tools have been developed: Methods to manage the FPGA (read/write registers, acquire data,…), methods to create and use the EPICS server (put, get, monitor,…), mathematical methods to process the data (numeric format conversions,…) and methods to create/initialize the application structure by means of an XML file (parse elements, build the DOM and the specific application structure). This XML file has some common nodes and tags for all the applications: FPGA registers specifications definition and EPICS variables. This means that the user only has to include a node for the specific application and use the mentioned tools. It is the developed main class which is in charge of managing the FPGA and EPICS server according to this XML file. This multipurpose controller has been successfully used to implement a BPM and an LLRF application for the ESS-Bilbao facility.
