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This software is designed to provide a framework for sending test data patterns through a DART data acquisition system with analysis of those patterns for detection of errors. TS13 software is limited to operating within a single stream of data acquisition hardware- that is, one cable that contains some number of data sources and destinations. In order to provide analysis of the data received, and to be able to initialize all the devices on a stream, the software must be given physical architecture information.
The architecture of the stream is defined by a configuration file which contains a series of records. Each record defines a single device on the DART cable. Devices may be of the following types:
In the TS13 model of the data acquisition system, all Data Sources read a Memory which is pre-loaded with a test data pattern. For use at experimental sites, the Memory may be replaced by a front-end module at the cost of non-determinate data. In the normal mode of operation, the Memory associated with each Data Source is loaded with a data pattern controlled by the data in the configuration file. When all initialization is complete, the Trigger System causes data to flow, which is analyzed by the program as it is received. Since the data to be read out by each Data Source is known in advance, the software can check both data and readout controller header words. In addition, the foreknowledge of what is supposed to be there allows checking of the total event superheader written by the DC2 itself.
Every Data Source is uniquely identified by an ID number which is also an indication of the physical position on the cable. By convention, ID #1 is the Data Source farthest Upstream (farthest away from the DDDs). This allows the software to analyze the effects of Repeaters by giving them an ID in the same sequence. Data Destinations also have unique IDs but the ID for a Destination does not imply cable location.
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