ASTROPHYSICS
Seven Solutions collaborates on multiple Astrophysics facilities providing customized and high performance DAQ, TDC, synchronization and high bandwidth data network devices.
Our experience on the field allows to our team to participate on these facilities from early stages, offering solutions and consultancy services for the overall design of the network architecture, RF frequency dissemination over fiber, low latency distribution of trigger signal or high speed pattern detection mechanisms.
We currently participate on experiments as KM3Net, SKA or CTA. See next sections cases as successful examples of collaboration.
KM3NET
KM3Net is a cubic-kilometer scale neutrino telescope at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. KM3net is a highly complex network composed by underwater sensors hosted at Digital Optical Modules (DOMs), the on-shore station and the optical connections between/inside them.
Seven Solutions has actively collaborated in the design and customization of the timing system developed for KM3Net. We have contributed to the design of the network topology as well as the customization of White-Rabbit technology according to KM3Net specific requirements.
In this project, Seven Solutions has provided a deep customization of WR switch to move from a point-to-point synchronization technology which uses bidirectional links between end-to-end devices to an asymmetric and unidirectional links topology. This customization allows sharing the unidirectional downlink between 360 DOMs, highly optimizing the communication resources needed for KM3NET and minimizing the number of fibers required to deploy underwater.
More about our work in KM3NET.
CTA
In the CherenKov Telescope Array, we have provide our expertise on White-Rabbit and data network to provide a high performance solution.
First, we have designed a board capable to perform timestamps on events with a resolution of 125 picoseconds as well as to send ultra-low latency commands through the network that can be used to detect pattern at high rates and triggering critical control actions.
Second, we also have developed a board capable of traffic aggregation from 1G interfaces to a 10G interface with a second redundant 10G interface. This board works as a very powerful and flexible frame grabber that provides outstanding features to the CTA network.
SKA
Seven Solutions has provided a flexible and powerful embedded device (WR-ZEN TP-FL) capable of distributing a precise Pulse Per Second (PPS) signal for the SKA telescope timing system. This work has been accomplished in close collaboration with the Signal and Data Transport consortium (SaDT) and particularly, with University of Granada and Jive researchers. It is a very challenging project that takes place on a dessert environment, distributed over an area with distances longer than 100Km using aerial optical fibers exposed to extreme day/night temperature variations.
We have collaborated on the support of the White Rabbit technology towards achieving a reliable platform specially designed for the distribution of time over long distance links. Furthermore, we have developed new features to provide a better temperature compensation model as the previously described target environment requires to operate soundly. The final solution includes additional capabilities that ease upgrading the system remotely together with enhanced management and monitoring features that improve the usability, availability and accessibility of the White Rabbit PPS distribution system.
The figure below provides a network topology example for the SKA PPS signal distribution system based on WR switches and the forementioned node developed. This figure illustrates the propagation of the PPS signal using WR devices from the Central Signal Processor (CSP) to the distributed dishes arranged in multiple spiral arm configurations, thus providing with an ultra-accurate PPS signal reference to the entire grid.