With GBit Ethernet you get close to 100 MB/sec, which is the maximal line speed. The protocol to be implemented will achieve that rate. What one usually does is to send events in large blocks upon request from the PC. The trick is to do the request in a clever way, like using a high water mark on the receiving event buffer. So as long as the PC can digest the data quickly enough, the board just keeps sending, which means no overhead.

Hello again. I have not got evaluation board yet, but already faced some difficulties:) I'm trying to compile drs_exam.cpp on Windows 7 using dev-c++ with imagelib-2 and WxWindows 2.4.2 DevPaks installed, but nothing works. Compile log is attached. Honestly, I'm not very familiar with c++, so any suggestions will be helpful. Thank you.

I have no experience with dev-c++, so I cannot be of help here. The supported systems are Linux and Windows with MS Visual C++. But it looks like the problems are related to compiling wxWidgets, which actually you do NOT need for drs_exam.cpp. The wxWidgets library is only needed for the DRSOsc application. If you want to compile it anyhow, first learn how to compile standard WxWidgets applications from

http://www.wxwidgets.org/docs/tutorials/devcpp.htm

Best regards,

Stefan 

Ok, this was my bad, I added some unnecessary files to project. Drs_exam compiles well with ms vc++. Thanks!

 Hi,

we are planning to use the DRS4 in our board for 1 GHz sampling and digitization.

I have seen in the data sheet that "For the PLL to work, an external loop filter is required. This filter ensures quick locking and stable operation at the desired sampling frequency".

What formula do you use to calculate the values of R, C1 and C2?

Can we use the same given value for different frequencies?

Thanks,

Mayak

I never worked out an exact formula for the parameters. It also depends if you want a fast locking time, or a low phase jitter of the PLL. A good starting point are the values from the evaluation board:

R = 130 Ohm

C1 = 4.7 nF

C2 = 1 uF

They should work from 800 MHz to 5 GHz.

- Stefan 

Hi,

I found an old thread regarding a fix for DOScreen.cpp for DRS-3.1.0, that fixes an "ambiguous overload problem." Currently when I attempt to build the drs-4.0.0, I get this similar error:

src/DOScreen.cpp:332:39: error: call of overloaded ‘Append(int)’ is ambiguous
 

This section of code is different than what the previous thread was correcting, and though I attempted to apply the logic of the old thread, I haven't fixed this yet.

The following is the code for that section:

-----

329  for (int i=0 ; i<5 ; i++)
330       if (tc & (1<<(i+8))) {
331            if (i < 4)
332              wxst1.Append(wxT('1'+i));
333            else
334              wxst1.Append(wxT('E'));
335           wxst1.Append(wxT('&'));
336        }
337      if (wxst1.Length() > 0)
338         wxst1 = wxst1.Left(wxst1.Length()-1);
339      wxst1.Append(wxT(')'));

------

I've attempted a few fixes, but unfortunately, my understanding of the code is not great, and I haven't managed to fix this yet. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Zach Miller

Just put (char) in front of wxT(...), like

   if (tc > 0) {

      wxString wxst1, wxst2;

      wxst1.Append((char)wxT('('));

      for (int i=0 ; i<5 ; i++)

         if (tc & (1<<i)) {

            if (i < 4)

               wxst1.Append((char) (wxT('1'+i)));

            else

               wxst1.Append((char) wxT('E'));

            wxst1.Append((char) wxT('|'));

         }

      for (int i=0 ; i<5 ; i++)

         if (tc & (1<<(i+8))) {

            if (i < 4)

               wxst1.Append((char) (wxT('1'+i)));

            else

               wxst1.Append((char) wxT('E'));

            wxst1.Append((char) wxT('&'));

         }

      if (wxst1.Length() > 0)

         wxst1 = wxst1.Left(wxst1.Length()-1);

      wxst1.Append((char) wxT(')')); 

 Hi Stefan,

Thanks for the response. I have tried that and it fixes all the lines except the ones that have:

wxst1.Append((char) (wxT('1'+i)));

Those lines still don't compile for me. I've also tried: wxst1.Append((char) (wxT('1'+(char)i))); and wxst1.Append((char) (wxT((char)'1'+i))); as well as a few other combinations of (char) and Append.

I get the same error of: "Call of overloaded "Append(int)" is ambiguous."

Any other help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

-Zach

wxst1.Append((char) (wxT((char)('1'+i))));     maybe ??? 

 Aha!

wxst1.Append((char) (wxT('1'+i)));

That one actually works as you initially thought, but you my editor was being picky of (char)wxt... instead of (char) (wxt....). For some reason, it has to have the extra set of parentheses around wxt(). Thank You!

Hi,

Our group had previously heard that a "DRS-5.0" might be on the horizon and that it may have ethernet capabilities as well as 16-input channels (we heard this when ordering the DRS-4). Is this still in the works and accurate information? If so, is there a rough estimate to the "release date?"

Thanks for your time,

Zach Miller

You mix up two things: The DRS5 chip is a new device with improved samling speed (10 GSPS) and lower dead time. This chip might come in 2-3 years. The 16-input board you mentioned is a DAQ board based on the DRS4 chip. This board well be operational beginning of 2013 as a prototype. It is not clear however at this point in which way this board will be made available for public. Maybe we will license this to industry. The design is however pretty much defined: 16 channels with gain 0.1-100, 1 GHz Bandwidth, Gigabit Ethernet output, and multi-board capabilities. Trigger on each channel with logical combinations. 80 MSPS continuous sampling (in addition to the DRS4 sampling). Each channel can be biased 0-210 V for SiPMT or APD power. A 19" 3 HE crate will host 16 boards with 256 channels.

/Stefan

 Thanks, Stefan. That was the information we were looking for.

Cheers.

-Zach

Hello,

what is the abbreviation of DRS?

Thanks and kind Regards,

Moritz

Domino Ring Sampler. 

 I have some question according to GetWave function. In drs_exam.cpp simple GetWave(0,0,wave_array[]) etc...is used. Is there primary (cell) calibration, secondary calibration (Readout) and remove Spikes used, as in DRS Oscilloscope application?

Hi,

    We are using drs4 board, but oscilloscope app will somehow stop to work if we config trigger into "or and", When I look into the drs4 firmware file drs4_eval3_app.vhd, I couldn't find the trigger_config value assignment which is mentioned at(#7 offset 0x1E from 31 downto 16) in manual_version 4.

could you help me find this trigger_config access point? Or is there any drs4_eval4_app.vhd missing in the source files?

thanks

Hongwei

The "and" in the trigger section means now "coincidence". So the V4 board can trigger on a coincidence between two or more channels. If there is no pulse at the same time on the coincidence channels, the board will of course not trigger. The according firmware was introduced in V4, so please look at drs4_eval4_app.vhd (not eval3).

I just realized that the V4 firmware might be missing in the distribution, so I have attached it here. Look for drs_ctl_trigger_config.

Best regards,

Stefan

 Ah, great, that helps, Thank you!

Hongwei