ELI: Electronic
Timing System
(ETS) at Facility
Level
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ELI Facility Timing System
ELI Beamlines Facility Structure
Physical structure of ELI Facility:
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4 lasers
5 experiments
Server room
Main control room
Technology Subsystems of ELI Facility:
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High power lasers and diagnostic lasers
Beam distribution
Beam alignment
Beam diagnostics
Experiments
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ELI Facility Timing System
Main Roles and Tasks of Electronic Timing System (ETS)
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The facility level timing system is part of facility level control system
All lasers are complex subsystems from the point of view of facility level control and timing
systems
The facility level timing system must provide required functionality to all facility subsystems:
1. Synchronization of all subsystems during operation
2. Trigger signals for all devices during operation
Tasks provided by facility level depends on:
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Facility structure (beam distribution)
Functionality provided by each subsystem
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ELI Facility Timing System
Main Roles and Tasks of Electronic Timing System (ETS)
Laser subsystem
Each laser is driven by its local timing system. Local timing systems are not based on the same
technology:
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L1 in house developed (MRF based ETS)
L2 will be delivered later (Unknown)
L3 contracted to LLNL (Greenfield based ETS)
L4 will be delivered later (Unknown)
Therefore each laser subsystem must provide basic interfaces for proper operation in complex
technology:
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Access for laser subsystem settings and driving
Input for central clock signal for synchronization
Input for laser triggering
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ELI Facility Timing System
Main Roles and Tasks of Electronic Timing System (ETS)
Alignment, Diagnostics and Experiment subsystems
Requirements depends on type of devices which would be triggered
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High speed devices (Streak cameras, Alignment lasers, high speed digitizers and other high speed
detectors)
Low speed devices (CCD/CMOS cameras, lower speed ADC and other detectors)
Therefore two types of delay generators are required:
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High precision delay generators
Low precision delay generators
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ELI Facility Timing System
Timing System Levels
There are three different levels when looking at the expected timing accuracy:
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Femtosecond level that is required whenever two or more femtosecond beams are overlapping at
the focal spot. Typical requirement would be a timing overlap better than half the pulse duration
(ie. ~10fs range).
Picosecond level that is commonly accessible with electronic devices. Most sophisticated timing
triggering can reach ~10ps jitter. This is the best available accuracy for typical laser experiments
when driving streak cameras (best resolution is ~20ps).
Low level that is not requiring any precise timing when pulse duration and pulse rise time are
greater than 100ps (typically CCD cameras, Osciloscopes etc.).
Levels 2 and 3 are to be discussed, these levels may be realized using Electronic Timing System (ETS)
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ELI Facility Timing System
ELI Beamlines – Beam Distribution
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ELI Facility Timing System
Facility level timing system architecture
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ELI Facility Timing System
Integration to Facility Level Control System
Facility level control system is based on these technologies
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Optical network
Linux OS
TANGO control system (provides support for Matlab/Simulink, Labview, Python etc.)
Facility level Control computer and DAQ system
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High level control and DAQ systems are based on rack mounted servers with PCIe
interface
Local machines may be based on other bus technologies (cPCI(e), PXI(e) or others), these
may be used in experimental rooms
Synchronization of real time values of control computers and DAQ system
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NTP/PTP support
Support for “White rabbit” open timing system
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ELI Facility Timing System
Integration to Facility Level Control System
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ELI Facility Timing System
Functional Requirements
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Signal of timing system must be able to be distributed up to 500m
The master must be able to drive up to 200 delay generators.
Expandable up to 2000 adjustable and independent trigger channels
The timing system must provide sequences: single shot, repetitive shots, single burst,
repetitive bursts etc.
Output adjustable with repetitive frequencies for users: 1Hz, 10Hz, 100Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz,
100kHz
The communication channel must provide users messages
The information in the users messages must be able to identify all triggers at the facility
level
The user must be able to read and write user messages
The timing system must provide PCI express based card which provides read/write access
to users messages
The timing system must be able to provide delay generator cards based on PCIe, cPCI,
cPCIe, PXI and PXIe (future) buses for future users requests
Delay generator cards must be able to read/write user data for local time stamping
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Institute of Physics ASCR, v. v. i.
Na Slovance 2
182 21 Prague 8
Czech Republic
eli-cz@fzu.cz
www.eli-beams.eu
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