High-speed multi-input VME bus data acquisition system

A data acquisition module, developed under a modular organizational architecture with links to an object-oriented design approach, is described. The module comprises four independent 250 MHz eight-bit data acquisition channels and a DSP, each channel controlling a large memory pool for converted data and supporting several trigger and operating mechanisms. The hardware, although complex, is completely controlled through a set of hierarchically organized classes, making use of the object-oriented programming paradigm to keep complexity (from the user's and programmer's points of view) to a minimum. The integration of the module in the data acquisition system of the reflectometry diagnostic in tokamak ASDEX-Upgrade is described, showing the hardware in regular use and the validity of the object-oriented interface developed for programming.