July 28, 2017 - The recent installation of a Camera Data Acquisition (DAQ) System at NCSA is a major milestone for early integration of Data Management (DM) software with LSST Camera hardware. This single board system, constructed by the camera team at SLAC and intended to read out the camera, was installed in a rack at NCSA last week, connected through a NCSA-provided DAQ Client and Management (Linux) host. The integrated system is currently emulating a camera, acquiring images which can be read out using custom API software. Jim Parsons, NCSA Level 1 System Lead for LSST, worked with SLAC DAQ physicist Gregg Thayer to ensure the DAQ is fully accessible and the software reliable. The complete system will require 14 such boards to read out the full 3.2 Gpix LSST camera. The remaining boards will be constructed and delivered to DM in February of 2018. Mike Huffer, Subsystem Manager for Data Acquisition at SLAC, was proud of the team and pleased with the preparations and results of this milestone event. The full system will be delivered next year; meanwhile this hardware prototype from SLAC will remain at NCSA for further testing.
Concurrent with the DAQ installation event, a small workshop on data acquisition and system integration was held at NCSA and attended by Data Management, Telescope and Site, and additional Camera staff.
Image: SLAC physicist Gregg Thayer stands by the first DAQ to be installed at NCSA.