vme reliability monitor board vme reliability monitor ... · both hardware and software status...

K.Furukawa, Oct.2005.

VME Reliability Monitor Board

VME Reliability Monitor Board withEmbedded EPICS

K. Furukawa, M. Satoh, KEK Field computers are most important components in the control systems. It is fatal if oneof them fails. At the KEKB injector linac we continuously inject beams in to four rings, andthe failure in the control system may affect all the physics experiments that are carried inthose downstream rings. Thus, we have carefully maintained the reliability of the system bythe routine inspection of the components and through online monitors with reliability monitorboards. Those VME boards are called RAS boards (reliability, availability and serviceability)and provide information on healthiness of the VME systems. However, their dedicatedwiring became an issue. The serial communication lines to CPU boards and networkdevices needed separate installations. In order to solve above situation we developed a network connected reliability (RAS)board. It monitors the temperature, power voltages and the fan status of the VME chassis,and provides access to the VME reset, eight TTL input/output signals and four RS232Cserial lines as well. That information is exchanged over Ethernet and TCP/IP. Since it isdriven by a real-time OS or Linux on board, embedded EPICS IOC is being developed. Theboard is expected to improve further the robustness of the control system.



Controls at KEK 8GeV Electron Linac4 Downstream

Storage Rings areoperating as FactoryMachines (B Factoryand Photon Factories)

Because of the Natureof the FactoryMachines, ContinuousOperation withoutIntervention is MostRequired



Reliability Maintenance of ControlsRedundant Configuration of Components

One of them Switches over Automatically in Case of Troubles Dual Network Switches Dual File Servers Dual Application Servers RAID Dual Power Supplies Extraneous Beam Monitors etc.

Automatic Switch-over Ensures the Continuous Operation More than 7000 hours of Operation duriang a Year

The Trouble can be Hidden and Localized The Replacement can be Carried without the Intervention

Certain Components Cannot be Duplicated However, not All Components can be Redundant



Reliability Maintenance of ControlsSurveillance of VME SystemVME Field Computer is One of the Components which is

difficult to DuplicateInspection of Healthiness is Required

Both Hardware and Software Status Environment such as Temperature, which often becomes a precursor of

Trouble Fluctuation of Power Supply Voltages, which is one of the Components of

Shorter Life

Accessing Local Components is Also Needed VME Reset Line Serial Console Lines for CPU and Network Devices

Reliability, Accessibility, Serviceability (RAS) Board Hasbeen Utilized



Old RAS Monitoring(Reliability, Availability, Serviceability)

Each VME Subrack is Equipped with a RAS Board ~30 VME Subracks in KEK Electron Injector Linac Especially the VME Reset Line was Useful during Development and Commissioning Phases Also at Locations where VME’s are Suffered from Large Electronic Noise of High

Power Pulse Modulators in the Linac

However, Initial Wiring was an Issue

CPU

RAS

VMESerial LineServer

NetworkSwitch Another

ControlRoom

x ~30



Design of the New RAS BoardConnectivity

Single Ethernet Connection for All Functionalities 100Base-Tx which transfers Alarms and Information for Following Items

More Monitoring 5 x Voltage Points in 10-bit Resolution, for VME Power Supply Temperature for Anomaly Detection Air Fan Operation TTL (Photo-coupler) Inputs (General Purpose) Watchdog Timer for CPU through VMEbus 4 x Serial Lines for CPU, Network Devices, etc.

Controls and Alarms VME Reset (SYSRESET) TTL (Photo-coupler) Outputs LED Indicators Realtime Calendar Clock

Local Intelligence RISC CPU and Local Operating System

SH-4 CPU 240MHz and iTRON or Linux Operating Systems



Block Diagram

VMEbus

Watchdog

Temperature

5 VoltagePoints

Fan StatusLEDs

Status I/O

4 SerialLines

Ethernet

VME Reset

SurveillanceMonitor



Hardware and Software FeaturesVME Module

VME 1 Slot, 6U VME Bus Connections All Power Lines, SYSRESET, Minimal Bus Lines for Watch Dog

Monitor SH4 (SH7750R) CPU 240MHz

32MB RAM, Flash, CompactFlash SMSC 91C111 LAN chip for 100Base-Tx ALTELA CPLD Logic

I2C bus of Philips for Internal Connections Separation between Digital and Analog 10bit ADC’s for Voltage Monitor

Several Operating System Possibilities Realtime iTRON, Linux 2.4, MontaVista Realtime Linux



First Version of the RAS FirmwareSimple Communication Protocol

A Host Computer Queries Information on the RAS Board andControls It, through the Protocol on TCP/IP

It was Implemented on iTRON Operating SystemBasic Functionalities were Confirmed It Can Replace Complicated Wirings of Old RAS SystemFor Serial Lines, Telnet Protocol Runs on the Same EthernetHowever, Socket API on iTRON is Limited

VMERAS

Host ComputerCommand

ReplyOver Ethernet



Second Version of the RAS FirmwareEmbedded EPICS on RAS BoardLinac Control System Utilizes more and more EPICS

Resources, It is Natural to Have EPICS on RASEPICS 3.14 is Being Evaluated on the CPU with Linux,

(because of the Restriction of the basic iTRON)Device Support Interfaces to RAS Functionalities are

Being Implemented on EPICS 3.14Autonomous Operation Will be Performed

VMERASWith

EmbeddedEPICS

RAS Monitor(EPICS Client)

Channel Access



ConclusionReliability of the Field Computers is Important

New Reliability Monitor Board (RAS Board) wasDeveloped for VME Systems at KEK Linac

It is Greatly Simplified the Wiring Between VMEsand the Monitoring System

Embedded EPICS is being Evaluated for theBoard, which will Enable more Autonomous RASOperations

vme reliability monitor board vme reliability monitor ... · both hardware and software status...

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