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M2i.60xx / M2i.60xx-exp Manual
Overview
Option System Star-Hub
Option System Star-Hub
Overview
For the synchronization of several systems which each other, special system Star-Hubs are available. Besides their capability to synchronize
systems which each other, they can also work as complete standard Star-Hubs as explained above.
Two different versions are
available: a master system
Star-Hub and a slave system-
Star-Hub. When using the sys-
tem synchronization feature
the slave systems simply act
as slaves only receiving clock
and trigger information. The
master system must generate
these clock and trigger infor-
mation and routes them to all
slave systems. All cables are
made of equal length mini-
mizing any phase delay be-
tween the different channels.
An installed master system can be extended by further systems at any time until the maximum number of systems is reached. Each of the slave
systems as well as the master system can be extended by further cards until the maximum number of cards per system is reached.
Cabling the system components
Setting up the master system
A master system Star-Hub setup consists of at
least one M2i card equipped with a Star-Hub
piggy-back module for connecting all the cards
within same master PC system (including the
carrier card itself).
The master system piggy-back module is
equipped with four MMCX connectors to input
and output clock and trigger information.
Additionally a clock and trigger distribution
card (either PCI or PCI Express) must be in-
stalled, that takes the clock and trigger infor-
mation from the Star-Hub piggy-back module
and creates seventeen copies of both clock
and trigger. All copies are available on its PCI
bracket through MMCX miniature coaxial con-
nectors.
The SMB inputs of the distribution card are on
its backside and must be connected to the
proper connectors on the Star-Hubbb piggy-
back module, as shown on the drawing on the
right. For these two connections, two 50 cm
long cables with MMCX 90° right-angle con-
nectors on one side and SMB connectors on
the other side are provided.
For feeding in the returned clock and trigger
signals from the distribution card an additional
PCI bracket that holds two SMB connectors
must be installed. The drawing illustrates a M2i
PCI card connected to a PCI system distribution
card, but either card can of course be PCI or
PCI Express.
Any additional cards within the master system are then connected internally to the Star-Hub by using the provided flat-ribbon cables. This
connection does not differ from setting up a Star-Hub system, without the system synchronization feature.
