Ultra high-frequency data acquisition AMC module for high performance applications

Abstract

This paper describes the design and implementation of an ultra high-frequency data acquisition advanced mezzanine card (AMC) module, suitable for use in micro advanced telecommunications computing architecture (μATCA) and ATCA systems. This module is designed to meet the processing needs of high-performance applications required by the fast plant system controllers. It is also designed for high-availability (HA) and is envisaged to be used by the next generation of nuclear fusion diagnostics (e.g. as microwave reflectometry, plasma position reflectometry and Thomson scattering), foreseen for future fusion devices like the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) tokamak or the Wendelstein 7-X (W7X) stellarator.The developed module is a full size AMC designed to cope with the PICMG® AMC.0 R2.0 specifications. All the architecture is based on the ultra high-speed ADC that allows dual-channel sampling rate up to 1.0/1.6GSPS at 10/12-bit or a single-channel up to 2.0/3.2GSPS at 10/12-bit. The AMC module features a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Virtex™-6 from Xilinx that is able to manage high-speed data paths and implement high data rate processing algorithms. This FPGA supports multiple switch fabric protocols (PCIe, SRIO, and GigE). The module features also up to 2GB of double data rate (DDR3) memory for data storage and 128MB DDR3 memory for general purpose application, like, for instance, a soft processor core or digital filters. Also, a module management controller (MMC), required by the AMC standard, is implemented on-board to monitor the available and required hardware system management parameters.