A Distributed GUI-based Computer Control System for Atomic Physics Experiments
Abstract
Atomic physics experiments often require a complex sequence of precisely timed computer controlled events. A distributed GUI-based control system designed with such experiments in mind, The Cicero Word Generator, is described. The system makes use of a client-server separation between a user interface for sequence design and a set of output hardware servers. Output hardware servers are designed to use standard National Instruments output cards, but the client-server nature allows this to be extended to other output hardware. Output sequences running on multiple servers and output cards can be synchronized using a shared clock. By using an FPGA-generated variable frequency clock, redundant buffers can be dramatically shortened, and a time resolution of 100ns achieved over effectively arbitrary sequence lengths.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1208.2607,
title = {A Distributed GUI-based Computer Control System for Atomic Physics Experiments},
author = {Aviv Keshet and Wolfgang Ketterle},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1208.2607},
year = {2015}
}