Multiboard trigger link synchronization and diagnostics

Soft X-ray (SXR) plasma measurements are important type of diagnostics especially in tokamak facilities. Main output products are energy and topology spectra distributed in time. In case of Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors, used as radiation sensors, large number of analog readout channels must be provided. For this purpose Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are used. Data quality monitoring (DQM) is important topic in case of asynchronous events registered by the measurement unit. Due to numerous FPGAs used it is necessary to provide advanced trigger synchronization between them. In the paper is proposed an algorithmic approach for the trigger link training and diagnostics. It is a key component in order to provide consistent measurement data for DQM analysis. The contents of the article covers the plasma experiments and related DQM topics. In following chapters explanation of the synchronization problem is described. The proposed algorithm will be used for trigger link synchronization and diagnostics aspects. The simulations are also discussed. Currently, the proposed ideas are at the stage of implementation and tests on real hardware. Simulation were successfully performed. Summary of the work carried out is presented at the end of the paper.