Hardware and software design of TOF DAQ has been implemented to exploit at maximum extent the different channels of communication with the TOF Front End Electronics. TOF has two optical links (one for ALICE DAQ, one for Slow Control purposes) which allow full programming and readout of FEE.

Both ALICEDAQ and TOFDAQ are based on DATE Software. This allows to share a large part of needed code.

ALICEDAQ is the standard ALICE DAQ of the whole experiment. TOF is part of the ALICE DAQ. The VME master in each crate (DRM, Data Readout Module) is equipped with a DDL-SIU piggy-back card, which send the data to the central DAQ.

When ALICEDAQ is operated through the ECS (Experiment Control System), the DATE DAQ software is running in LDCs located in CR1, under responsibility of DAQ group. When ALICEDAQ is operated TOF can be controlled or not by the ECS. If it is controlled by the ECS, it can then be part of the physics or calibration run. When ALICEDAQ is operated, arming of the TOF Front End Electronics is done through the DCS. At the lowest level this is done through VME servers (vmesrv) running in slow control PCs in CR3.

When TOFDAQ is operated, TOF is not connected to the ECS. The DATE DAQ software in this case is running in slow control PCs in CR3, under responsibility of TOF group. The Front End Electronics arming is done through the readout program.

It is important to understand that the actual arming routines used by vmesrv and readout programs are the same and they share the same FEE Database. The FEE Database is based on MySQL and it is hosted by the main TOF node in CR3, alitofsrv.

-- Main.antoniol - 31 Aug 2007