Glossary

An .ini file that specifies the type and number of Block instances to build together into an FPGA image (an .ipk package — or, pre-5.0, a legacy Zpkg — loadable on a PandABlocks device).

A property of a Block. Attributes are divided into four categories:

• Parameter Attribute

• Input Attribute

• Output Attribute

• Readback Attribute

A logical grouping of related Attribute instances within a Block, presented as a collapsible section in the Block Information Panel.

A piece of FPGA logic (or a software equivalent) that has a number of Field instances and performs specified calculations on each FPGA clock tick. In the web control UI a Block is the graphical manifestation of a component within a Design, encapsulating its attributes, methods and connectivity to other blocks.

Blocks may represent:

• Input and output controllers (interfaces to the FPGA)

• Configurable clocks

• Logic lookup tables and logic gates

• Soft blocks such as a SEQ, or hardware-connected blocks such as TTLIN

Panel in the web control UI showing the Attribute and Method details of the currently selected Block.

A Block that appears within the Layout of a Parent Block.

The complete technical description of a system: the Block instances it contains, their Attribute values, and the Link connections between them. A Design is represented graphically as a Layout in the web interface.

Any Block, Attribute or Link currently in focus within the Layout view.

An input, output or parameter of a Block.

Synonym for Layout — the graphical representation of a Design showing all Design Element connections.

FPGA Mezzanine Card — a standard expansion connector for FPGA carrier boards. Several PandABlocks FPGA bitstreams target specific FMC cards.

An attribute that identifies the value (or stream of values) received into a Block via a Sink Port. There is a 1:1 mapping between an Input Attribute and a Sink Port.

Synonym for Sink Port.

The graphical representation of a Design in the web control, showing Block instances and the Link connections between them.

A connection that transfers data from a Source Port on one Block to a Sink Port on another. Links can only be made between ports of the same logical type (e.g. bit→bit, position→position).

An action that can be performed by a Block, such as ARM or DISARM.

A directory in PandABlocks-FPGA containing Block definitions, logic, simulations and timing files. A module typically contains a single soft Block definition or a set of hardware Blocks for a particular Target Platform, SFP or FMC card.

An attribute that identifies the value (or stream of values) transmitted via a Source Port out of a Block. There is a 1:1 mapping between an Output Attribute and a Source Port.

Synonym for Source Port.

A Zynq 7030 (or compatible) based device loaded with the PandABlocks firmware, running the PandABlocks server framework.

A PandABlocks Device manufactured jointly by Diamond Light Source and SOLEIL. Schematics are on Open Hardware.

An attribute whose value can be set by a user to influence the behaviour of a Block.

A Block that aggregates one or more Child Block instances each performing an activity in support of the parent’s functionality.

An attribute whose value is set automatically by the execution environment. Readback attributes cannot be set manually via the UI.

The outermost entity displayed in the web control UI. Selecting the top-level Design block shows the whole system; navigating into a child presents that child as the root.

Small Form-factor Pluggable transceiver — a standard optical/electrical interface used on some PandABlocks hardware.

A port on a Block that accepts incoming data. Every Sink Port has a pre-defined type declared in the Block specification.

A port on a Block that transmits data generated within that Block. Every Source Port has a pre-defined type declared in the Block specification.

The physical Zynq-based hardware loaded with PandABlocks firmware, such as a PandABox or a Picozed Carrier.

A specially formatted tar file of built files that can be deployed to a PandABlocks device (legacy pre-5.0 format; replaced by opkg .ipk packages from release 5.0 onwards).