Specifications

MDR User Guide 1
1 Introduction
The MDR (MIDAS Data Recorder) is a family of ready-to-run VMEbus-based
subsystems that offer up to Terabytes of real-time permanent recording or playback of
high-speed digital data. Continuous recording at rates up to 90 MB/s can be performed
for minutes or even hours, limited only by the capacity of the disk storage system. The
MDR is typically used to record raw sensor data directly from the data path between
A/D converters and DSP processors in systems such as radars, sonars etc. Versions of
the product are also capable of doing fixed-rate playback of recorded or preloaded data
at speeds up to 72 MB/s, to feed data into a sensor data path for sensor emulation,
system testing or verification purposes.
The MDR system hardware consists of four primary components:
1) Pre-programmed, self-contained VMEbus module
o MDR-220 with two PMC sites
o MDR-250 with five PMC sites
2) PMC modules installed into sites onto the MDR boards
o DPIO-xI - data input interface to convert 32-bit parallel FPDP to PCI
o DPIO-xO - data output interface to convert PCI to 32-bit parallel FPDP
o VMFC-2100 - PMC Fiber Channel Adapter
o Ethernet host interface supporting TCP/IP over 10/100 Mbits/s
3) Mass storage system based on 3rd-party Fibre Channel disk arrays.
o RAID - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks
o JBOD - Just a Bunch of Disks
4) PCI Module plugged directly into Host Computer
o VMFC-2100P - (or VMFC-2200P) Fiber Channel Disk Interface Adapter
All main components of an MDR system are based on industry standards (VME,
PMC/PCI, Fibre Channel) and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) modules, such as the
VMETRO MIDAS board and selected PMC modules. The MDR board is intended to be
integrated into a customer’s VME chassis, typically together with 3
rd
-party ADC and
DSP boards. DPIO boards are based on industry-standard FPDP parallel port for
compatibility with 3
rd
-party A/D converters (ADCs) and DSPs, or variants of this
interface using Differential TTL (RS422), PECL or LVDS signaling.
The MDR system software consists of a variety of components provided either as an
SDK (Software Distribution Kit) CD-ROM for user installation onto a Host workstation
or firmware preloaded into FLASH on the MDR board.
The SDK is to be installed onto a host computer and provides the following components.
• MDR Shell (MDR Client) Host-based module
• MDR API (C/C++)
• Device Drivers (i.e., fibre channel PMC, etc.)
The firmware applications preloaded in the MDR FLASH provide all functionality
necessary to run the MDR system. This package includes firmware applications and
necessary configuration files. The MDR resident applications are:
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com