Event-driven timing system based on MRF cPCI hardware for HLS-II

Abstract

Hefei Light Source(HLS)-II is a vacuum ultraviole(VUV) synchrotron light source. A major upgrade of the light source was finished at the end of 2014. The timing system was rebuilt using compact peripheral component interconnect(cPCI) event-driven hardware to meet synchronization requirements of the machine. In the new system, the c PCI event-driven products manufactured by the micro-research finland(MRF) Oy are employed to achieve about 100 output signals with different interfaces. Device supports and drivers developed for common Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System(EPICS) records are used to access the registers on the timing modules. Five c PCI-bus input/output controllers(IOCs) distributed in different areas of the light source host timing modules for various subsystems. The delay resolution of this system is 9.8 ns for most channels and 9 ps for the channels used for triggering the electron gun and the injection kickers. The measured rms jitter of the output signal is less than 27 ps. Using the bucket chooser, this system enables the HLS-II to fill the storage ring with any designated bunch pattern. Benefitting from this upgrade, brightness and performance of the light source are significantly improved.