H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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SSD software and hardware maintainability

Howard Matis

H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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Boundary conditions of this talk

• Very casual observer– Not that familiar with current situation– (was on review committee that approved SSD)

• Can get good physics from it now• SSD is essential to the operation of HFT• Record low noise 2006 – 3 ADC counts

– Detector works• SSD non delenda est

H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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Situation this run• System hung after taking a minute or so of triggers• Traced to Level 2 aborts• Taken out of run until end

– experts fixed the problem• L2 problem significantly improved but still high aborts

– mostly pp problem• Smoke problems at end of run - not sure if SSD related

– No in situ diagnosis– Decisions from remote

• Data taken and being analyzed

H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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Lessons learned

• Detector must be tested with full system before each run

• Experts must be available to assist ASAP– Come to BNL if necessary

• Testing slots are limited– Schedule access is not fixed– “Scheduled” accesses should stick to the schedule

• SSD must have a “mother” at BNL making sure detector is in the run

H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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Runtime hardware support• Requires less effort than the TPC or EMC• Needs person at BNL watching SSD

– Advocating and assuring for its inclusion in the run– Basic knowledge of system– Answer simple questions from shift crews

• At least two people who can provide– Backup– Advise– Help in access (need fixed access times from RHIC)

• Real expert who can consult• FPGA Programming support

– Should only need this help during shutdowns

H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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Shutdown hardware support

• Fix known problems• Tend to routine maintenance• Assist if changes needed to SVT cone area• Routine work on infrastructure• People

– Team of physicists to work on the detector– Electrical and hardware techs to do infrastructure

maintenance

H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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Maintenance needed now†

• Solve the problem with one of our LV power supply boards (ladder 5)

• Check all cooling pipes• If the readout box of the SVT are removed, we need to find

something to fix the SSD RDO• Understand why during the few days we did take data, some

ladders had HV trips (cooling problem?)• One ladder side (7P) is silent

– Fix ADC Board– Might need to replace it

• Check optical fibers– Need specialized equipment. At BNL?

† Jerome Baudot

H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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Software support

• One person doing daily calibration and checks of the performance

• Software detector leader who responsible for making sure SSD is ready when production starts

• People who need SSD for their physics analysis

H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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Need a team to succeed • Subsystem leader (1/4 time)• Software coordinator (1/2 time)• Calibration and detector expert (1/2 time and @ BNL)• Subsystem Expert (need at least 2 @ 1/4 time)• Slow controls (1/8 time)• People who want to use it for physics• French Support (need shops and some travel to BNL)• Mechanical and electrical tech support (several weeks

during shutdowns)• Electrical Engineer (when problems occur)

H. Matis STAR Inner Silicon Tracking Detector Review – July 8, 2006

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Summary

• SSD provides valuable tracking for current detector and the HFT

• “Low” maintenance calibration• Should be supported by STAR• STAR must provide sufficient manpower

for it to succeed