Architecture of the LHCb muon Frontend control system upgrade

TL;DR

This paper describes the design of an upgraded control system for the LHCb muon detector, leveraging new CERN communication protocols and more powerful computers to improve control and monitoring capabilities.

Contribution

It introduces a novel architecture that moves control units from the detector to control room computers, enhancing communication speed and system modularity for the LHCb muon detector upgrade.

Findings

Enhanced communication speed with CERN GBT protocol

Increased system modularity and control flexibility

Improved monitoring and control capabilities

Abstract

The LHCb experiment(Fig. 1), that is presently taking data at CERN (European Center for Nuclear Research) Large Hadron Collider (LHC), aims at the study of CP violation in the B meson sector. Its key elements is the Muon detector [1], which allows triggering, and muon identification from inclusive b decays. The electronic system (Fig. 2) of the whole detector is very complex and its Muon detector Experiment Control System (ECS) allows monitoring and control of a number of Front-End boards in excess of 7000. The present system in charge of controlling Muon detector Front-End (FE) Electronics consists of 10 Crates of equipment; each crate contains two kinds of modules: a Pulse Distribution Module (PDM) and up to 20 Service Boards (SB) connected via a custom Backplane for a total amount of about 800 microcontrollers[2]. LHCb upgrade is planned for 2018/19, which will allow the detector to exploit higher luminosity running. This upgrade will allow the experiment to accumulate more luminosity to allow measurements that are more precise. The main idea of the new architecture take advantage of the new CERN fast communication protocol GBT[3] developed for radiation environment leaving unchanged the huge connectivity to the detector and the modularity of the system. The new chipset GBTx and GBT-SCA[4] developed at CERN and the availability of more powerful computers allow designing a new system with fast link to the detector. In the new system, the control unit are moved from the apparatus to the computers in control room instead of the actual system where the low speed bus send high level commands to intelligent unit in the detector.