Whiterabbit Pc 2025

Overview

The white rabbit PC hosts the PEXARRIA timing reciever board (PCIexpress). It is part of the hades vlan.

Main usage: Timing receiver

• Fetch accelerator "spill for hades start" event
• Output to lemos IO1, IO2, IO3 for different purpos
  • IO1 for HADES CTS
  • IO2 for trigger logic purpose
  • IO3 for optional POLAND beam monitor readout trigger

Additional function: Beam abort control

• offers control interface via /dev/ttyUSB0 to the HADES beam abort logic box.
• provided scripts at /home/hadaq/bin
  • disable_beam_abort.sh
  • enable_beam_abort.sh
  • readreg.sh
  • reset_beamabort_error.sh
  • toggle_beam_abort.sh

Existing hardware

hadespexp01

Currently in the cave. todo: specs here

Will be replaced before end of 2026

hadespexp02

The spare system; usually waiting in HADES lower counting house

Currently upgrading in Joerns office

This PC appears as DEPC418 in the GSI network.

status before 2025

• OS: Linux depc418 5.16.2-1-default #1 SMP PREEMPT Mon Jan 24 18:27:48 UTC 2022 (0d710a8) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
• gcc version 11.2.1 20220103 [revision d4a1d3c4b377f1d4acb34fe1b55b5088a3f293f6] (SUSE Linux)
• openSUSE Tumbleweed, Release: 20220128
• pexaria firmware:

hadaq@depc418:~> eb-info dev/wbm0
Project     : pci_control
Platform    : pexaria5 +db[12] +wrex1
FPGA model  : Arria V (5agxma3d4f27i3)
Source info : enigma-2416
Build type  : Enigma-v5.0.0-Alpha
Build date  : Tue Jul 02 02:27:26 CEST 2019
Prepared by : Timing Group Jenkins <csco-tg@gsi.de>
Prepared on : tsl021.acc.gsi.de
OS version  : CentOS Linux release 7.6.1810 (Core) , kernel 3.10.0-957.12.1.el7.x86_64
Quartus     : Version 18.1.0 Build 625 09/12/2018 SJ Standard Edition

  9f5c79b vetar2a-ee-butis: changed seed
  ede9661 pmc: changed seed
  33fe79e exploder5: changed seed
  f0a85b5 pexarria5: changed seed
  fcf4ed8 gsi_microtca: changed seed

• startup of saftd (and definition of eca conditions, preparation of dev usb)
  • previously by /etc/init.d/after.local
  • WAS NOT STARTED ANYMORE - get syslog warnings: SysV service '/etc/init.d/after.local' lacks a native systemd unit file. Automatically generating a unit file for compatibility. Please update package to include a native systemd unit file, in order to make it more safe and robust.
  • does run when invoked manually

NOTE: on hadeswrp01 this is different:

• /etc/systemd/system/saftd.service
  • invokes /usr/local/sbin/run_saftd.sh
  • this one starts saft demon
• /etc/systemd/system/hadaquser.service
  • invokes /usr/local/sbin/bootup_script.sh
  • defines startbeam conditions and provides /dev/ttyUSB0 (do not start saftd here)

TODO: adjust startup environment

After upgrade 10-12-2025:

• used "zypper dup"
• Linux depc418 6.18.0-1-default #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Tue Dec 2 08:54:32 UTC 2025 (6ce3f15) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
• gcc version 15.2.1 20251006 (SUSE Linux)
• kernel modules pcie_wb.ko, wishbone.ko need to be rebuild
• recompile from bel_projects required! /home/hadaq/git/bel_projects is at branch fallout-v6.2.0

Installation of bel drivers and software

• use fresh clone of https://github.com/GSI-CS-CO/bel_projects.git (branch fallout) at /home/hadaq/git/bel_projects_fallout_2025
• make; make driver; make etherbone; make tools; make saftlib; (as user haday)
• make driver install (as root) -> kernel modules are in /lib/modules/6.18.0-1-default/updates
• make etherbone-install; make tools-install -> binaries into /usr/local/bin
• make saftlib-install -> rebuild and install
• Test if it is working:
  • modprobe pcie_wb (OK, module loaded, /dev/wbm0 is there)
  • as hadaq: eb-info dev/wbm0 .. OK, output same as above with old software.
  • as root: /usr/local/sbin/saftd baseboard:dev/wbm0 (OK, saftdemon is up)
  • as hadaq: saft-io-ctl baseboard -i -> Error: "cannot read client idSuccess" (also for saft-ctl and also as root)

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-- JoernAdamczewski - 2025-12-09

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