An integrated data acquisition system for J-PARC hadron experiments

The hadron experimental facility of J-PARC has now been completed and it is starting operation. We plan to use several types of the readout systems CAMAC/FERA, VME bus, TKO and KEK-VME/COPPER at the early stage of J-PARC hadron experiments. Therefore, we need to integrate many different data acquisition readouts. On the other hand, the network becomes the most popular as the inter-subsystem communication method. Almost readout systems have network interfaces or have a controller which has network interfaces and talk with the TCP/IP protocol. Under this situation, we have developed a network based DAQ software and a trigger/tag distribution system for J-PARC hadron experiments. The DAQ software works with a number of simple function processes and they communicate each other using two pathways that we call DATA PATH and MESSAGE PATH. The detector data path through DATA PATH, and controllable processes are controlled by the messages via MESSAGE PATH. The Trigger/tag Distribution System works with three types of modules, Master Trigger Module, Repeater Module and Receiver Module. TDS distributes the timing signals such as the trigger and the event tag using a pair of category six standard network cables. The system works well without any critical issues in bench test. We will apply the system to the J-PARC hadron experiments E05, E13, etc.