pyBAR - Bonn ATLAS Readout in Python

PyBAR is a versatile readout and test system for the ATLAS FEI4(A/B) pixel readout chip. It uses the basil framework to access the readout hardware. PyBAR's FPGA firmware and host software includes support for different hardware platforms.

PyBAR is not only targeting experienced users and developers. The easy-to-use scripts allow a quick setup and start. PyBAR is a very flexible readout and test system and provides the capability to conduct tests and characterization measurements of individual chips, and tests of large-scale detectors with multiple multi-chip modules and multiple readout boards.

The features of the FPGA firmware in a nutshell:

• supported readout boards: any hardware that is supported by basil (e.g., MIO2, MIO3, and MMC3)
• supported adapter cards: Single Chip Adapter Card, Burn-in Card (Quad Module Adapter Card) and the General Purpose Analog Card (GPAC)
• readout of multiple readout boards
• readout of multiple multi-chip modules (e.g., single, dual, quad module, and any combination of those)
• simultaneous readout (e.g., data taking with external trigger, individual tuning of chips)
• continuous data taking
• individual and automatic data to clock phase alignment on each channel
• full support of EUDAQ TLU and availability of EUDAQ Producer

The features of the host software in Python:

• no GUI
• support for Windows, Linux and macOS
• scan/tuning/calibration algorithms are implemented in stand-alone scripts
• scripts are implemented for operating single chips but are working with multi-chip configurations as well
• fast development and implementation of new scan/tuning/calibration algorithms
• configuration files are human readable (compatible to RCE/HSIO)
• full control over FEI4 command generation, sending any arbitrary bit stream and configuration sequence to the FEI4
• recording of the full input data stream with timestamps and storage of the compressed data to HDF5 files
• ultra fast raw data analysis, event and cluster building, and raw data validity checks
• real-time online monitor with GUI

The pyBAR readout system was extensively used for various high-energy particle physics experiments as well as detector R&D.

• Stave 0 demonstrator for the ATLAS High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) upgrade at CERN (28 FEI4 chips): documentation in preparation
• SHiP experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) facility (24 FEI4 chips): documentation in preparation
• BEAST/FANGS experiment at the SuperKEKB facility (15 FEI4 chips): DOI:10.1016/j.nima.2018.05.071
• BEAST/TPC experiment at the SuperKEKB facility (8 FEI4 chips): documentation in preparation
• Detector tests for the ATLAS Diamond Beam Monitor (DBM): DOI:10.1088/1748-0221/12/03/C03072
• Various other detector tests at CERN SPS (Geneva, Switzerland), DESY II (Hamburg, Germany), and ELSA (Bonn, Germany)

The following packages are required for pyBAR's core functionality:

basil_daq bitarray contextlib2 cython matplotlib numba numpy pixel_clusterizer progressbar-latest pytables pyyaml scipy

For full functionality, the following additional packages are required:

ipython mock nose pyqtgraph pyserial pyvisa pyvisa-py pyzmq vitables

Run the following commands to install the packages:

conda install python=2.7 bitarray contextlib2 cython ipython matplotlib mock nose numba numpy pyqt pyserial pytables pyyaml pyzmq qtpy scipy

pip install progressbar-latest pyvisa pyvisa-py git+https://github.com/pyqtgraph/pyqtgraph.git@pyqtgraph-0.10.0

Basil (>=2.4.12,<3.0.0) is required:

pip install "basil_daq>=2.4.12,<3.0.0"

pyBAR FEI4 Interpreter (>=1.3.0) is required:

pip install git+https://github.com/SiLab-Bonn/pyBAR_fei4_interpreter@development

Pixel Clusterizer (>=3.1,<3.2) is required:

pip install "pixel_clusterizer>=3.1,<3.2"

To enable support for USB devices (MIO2), the following additional packages are required:

• PyUSB (>=1.0.0rc1):

  pip install pyusb
  

• pySiLibUSB (>=2.0.0):

  pip install pySiLibUSB
  

The installation procedure depends on the operating system and software environment. Please read our Step-by-step Installation Guide carefully.

After the obove steps are completed, clone the pyBAR git repository and then run the following commands from the within project folder:

1. Install with:

   python setup.py develop
   

2. Testing (from within the pybar/testing folder):

   nosetests test_analysis.py
   

Please note the Wiki and the User Guide.

To subscribe to the pyBAR mailing list, click here. Please ask questions on the pyBAR mailing list pybar-devel@cern.ch (subscription required) or file a new bug report / feature request here.