The integrated graphical user interface of the trigger and data acquisition system of the ATLAS experiment at the LHC

Abstract

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN relies on a complex and highly distributed Trigger and Data Acquisition system to gather and select particle collision data at unprecedented energy and rates. The main interaction point between the operator in charge of the data taking and the Trigger and Data Acquisition (TDAQ) system is the Integrated Graphical User Interface (IGUI). The tasks of the IGUI can be coarsely grouped into three categories: system status monitoring, control and configuration. Status monitoring implies the presentation of the global status of the TDAQ system and of the ATLAS run, as well as the visualization of errors and other messages generated by the system; Control includes the functionality to interact with the TDAQ Run Control and Expert System; Configuration implies the possibility to give the current status and modify some parameters of the TDAQ system configuration. This paper describes the IGUI design and implementation. Particular emphasis will be given to the design choices taken to address the main performance and functionality requirements.