FY99Q1
Oct-Dec 1998

Significant areas of progress during the quarter included:

• the completion of two full-length carbon fiber support cylinders suitable for use in the fiber tracker
• the resumption of production in Russia of forward muon system tracking detectors (MDTs)
• the start of module production for the Forward Preshower Detector

Areas of concern continue to center on:

• vendor production rate and delivery of good silicon detectors.
• vendor production and delivery of flexible circuits for both the silicon and fiber trackers.

Vendor problems are discussed in more detail in the individual sub-project reports. Discussions with current vendors continue. Several steps have been taken in an attempt to speed up silicon detector production, testing, and delivery, possible alternate vendors are being sought for flex circuits, and the potential schedule impact is being studied.

Preparations have been made to rework the power lead splice joint in the lower portion of the chimney that connects the magnet to the control dewar since this lead was found to be slightly resistive during the September '98 magnet tests. Conductor samples (Al-clad superconducting cable) have been weld-spliced and the conductor in the chimney has been prepared for the repair that is to be made during the last ten days of January.

1. sending probing and testing equipment to the factory
2. sending DØ personnel to the factory to test production detectors
3. frequent visits to the company and reviews of production status
4. developing an alternate vendor for the F-disk detectors by placing an order for prototypes with another company

Good quality 9-chip flex circuits from Dyconex have been received and assembled, allowing the start of 9-chip ladder production. Six mechanical grade ladders with nonfunctional flex circuits were produced to allow the development of bonding, fixturing, and assembly techniques. The final shipments of 3-chip flex circuits were also received from Litchfield Precision. These were tested, laminated, and sent out for assembly.

All beryllium parts have been ordered and most fixtures are either complete or in fabrication. Study of optical and touch-probe techniques for in-situ measurements of ladders on bulkheads have shown that either can be made to work. Coordinate measuring machine systems are in place for all of detector production work. A prototype carbon fiber detector support cylinder has been fabricated and deflections measured.

A readout system with the "final" sequencer/1553/VRB/VBD system is operating in Lab B, and development of the associated software is continuing. Studies of electronics performance and error rates are underway. Prototypes have been ordered for all of the final cabling. Flex cables have been ordered from two vendors, and the cables will be included in the "10% test". Five prototype Stand-Alone Sequencers (SAS) have been produced and tested and they are now the basis for the test readout systems at the silicon detector facility. Six fully-equipped SAS stands for production testing are being installed.

Two full-length carbon fiber support cylinders (both for barrel 3) have been fabricated. They both met the specification for roundness and are usable in the final detector. Full-length connectorized ribbons also were made and looked good. Although the final fixturing for the connectors was not ready for these tests, the ribbon registration within the connector still appeared acceptable. Curved ribbon connectors fabricated out of Torlon have been delivered and meet all specifications. The order for the connectors for barrel 3 (both ribbon and waveguide halves) has been placed and delivery is expected by the end of January 1999. A backup solution using aluminum connectors has been investigated and prototype aluminum connectors have been delivered that also meet specifications. Lastly, VLPC testing at Boeing continued with roughly 60,000 channels passing tests and quality control.

Module production began on 6-Nov-98, satisfying a Director's milestone. Four completed production modules were brought to the water-jet cutter shop on 8-Dec-98, where the final details of the cutting program and procedure were developed. Module production continued, with eleven modules in various stages of prepping and assembly at the end of this quarter. Two full layers of the support structure for the FPS-North detector were precisely assembled and surveyed into place on the construction dome. Machining of the support structures for the remainder of the FPS detectors (six more active layers, plus two support layers for the lead absorber) has begun. The mold for the spherically-shaped lead absorber was ordered, and delivery of the first lead pieces is expected at the end of January, 1999. Final production of the 1,000+ detector-end connectors (WLS and clear fiber ends) was completed in December, 1998. The first completed module, placed into position in the final support structure, was used to determine the final wavelength-shifting fiber lengths. Fiber connector assembly, consisting of potting, cutting, and polishing the module end-connectors and embedding the calibration cylinders, will begin in mid-January, 1999. Also, a method of painting the sides of the modules with white reflective paint (to prevent cross-talk) was devised.

The first ten VME Readout Buffer (VRB) boards were built by the manufacturer and are now being tested by the groups that will use them. The VME Transition Board (VTM) production prototypes have not yet been delivered but they are expected soon. The SVX sequencer board production contract was placed, parts were ordered, and the first production prototypes are expected during the next quarter. The VRB controller prototype was finished, and parts and printed circuit boards were ordered for five modules. These will be built at Fermilab and used in various DØ test stations. Only fifteen boards are needed for the detector. These will be ordered when the testing of the first five is complete. In order to speed up the testing of the DØ silicon detector, a stand-alone SVX controller board was designed, prototyped, and sent out for production. This board combines the function of the SVX sequencer, VTM, and VRB boards into one VME board. Five boards were built and tested at Fermilab. Twenty-five more boards will be built by an outside contractor. The next major tracking electronics effort is to get the "10% test" running at the Silicon Detector Facility. Several VRBs, a prototype controller, and several sequencer boards should be running by the end of the next quarter.

A successful test of a full 12-channel readout chain was conducted. The chain included a completely new calibration pulser, switching preamp power supplies, preamps, motherboards, shapers, and shaper motherboards. Minor design changes are being implemented as a result of this test. A pre-production run of 5,000 preamp hybrids is underway, and new shaper boards are being prototyped. An analysis of the original switched capacitor arrays (SCAs) was completed and 100 wafers were probed to characterize the offset problem discovered in many of the packaged devices that were in hand from the 4-inch production line. As a result of these tests, about a dozen "poor" wafers were returned to the vendor (Orbit Semiconductor) for potential financial credit, and 25 "good" wafers were packaged to verify that the low yields are not due to the packaging process. These packaged devices are in hand and still must be tested. The low yields of the original SCAs resulted in the placement of an order for additional ones from the new Orbit 6-inch production line, which required the production of new masks. Given the need for new masks, minor problems in the design also were corrected. Twenty-four wafers from this new 6-inch line have been received and probe-tested, and analysis of these tests is underway. Also, the construction of three large-scale SCA burn-in boards for long-term burn-in and lifetime tests is nearly complete.

Following completion of yield tests, the scintillator for the supertiles was ordered. Arrangements were made for Fermilab to cut the fiber and isolation grooves in the supertiles. Further prototype fiber cables were tested and efforts are being made to minimize the loss of light in the cables between the supertiles and the phototubes. The first iron block for shielding the phototubes from residual magnetic field was installed on the detector for solenoid field tests, and a fiber backplane and electronics crate assembly were installed as part of the same assembly. All of the wavelength-shifting fibers for insertion into the supertiles were cut, polished, and mirrored at Fermilab. They are now at the University of Texas-Arlington awaiting final mirrored-end gluing and installation. A fiber "pigtail" template was also produced at Fermilab. A prototype motherboard was made for the electronics drawer prototype, and a complete drawer assembly with motherboard, preamps, and interconnects was brought to University of Texas-Arlington for testing with the initial LED system in the fiber backplane. Work also was done on the manufacturing technique for the drawers. Further studies were carried out on the LED calibration system and an initial version was delivered to Fermilab for the solenoid field tests. The muon scintillator LED calibration system also has been studied for possible use with the ICD system.

Production of the pixel counters continued at the Institute for High Energy Physics (IHEP) in Russia where approximately 25% of the counters have been assembled and tested. Counters for two octants are at Fermilab and have undergone thorough testing. Drawings for the final layer (B) of counters were sent to IHEP. A prototype octant frame was built and met specifications, and nine additional frames of this design were ordered. Pixel mounting brackets for one octant were machined by IHEP and delivered to Fermilab. These will be used to completely assemble the first pixel octant in January, 1999. Solutions to various space conflicts for the A-layer pixel counters are being developed.

Long-standing technical problems appear to have been solved so approval was given for the re-start of minidrift tube detector (MDT) production at Dubna. All parts needed for production are available there, and testing procedures at Dubna and Fermilab are in place. Prototyping of the MDT octant frames continued with two competing designs; one built from aluminum bars and the other from honeycomb panels. A final design should emerge in January 1999. A prototype MDT octant underwent electrical tests during this quarter. These included noise tests using production versions of the amplifier-discriminator boards, low-voltage power supply tests, high-voltage distribution concepts, and detector-to-front-end electronics cabling tests.

PDT electronics work included the layout of 24-channel front-end printed circuit boards and the initial testing of pre-production control boards. MDT front-end electronics work centered on production of the first lot of final-design amplifier-discriminator boards that were tested at Fermilab with a prototype MDT octant. MDT readout electronics work focused on testing of the first prototype digitizing and controller boards. This work was ~80% complete when PNPI engineers returned to Russia in December. Scintillator readout electronics work included the testing of the first prototype front-end board, completion of the readout controller design and the start of its layout. Work on the readout electronics that is common to all the muon front-ends included debugging and testing of the final prototype readout cards and the first prototype fanout cards.

The Run II Trigger Framework hardware is essentially complete and will be delivered to Fermilab during the second quarter of FY99. The delivered framework will consist of three racks of electronics. The first contains various scalers as well as components of the Level 2 framework, the second contains most of the Framework's Level 1 trigger decision-making components including associated scalers, and the third contains a crate for the Framework's readout to Level 3 and another crate associated with the Serial Command Link (SCL). The SCL serves as the communications path between the trigger framework and the 128 geographic sectors of the DØ trigger-data acquisition system. All racks also contain air blowers and power supplies. Development of the Trigger Control Computer software for operating the Trigger Framework continued, with the focus on programs for testing and exercising the Framework.

The Run 1 Time-to-Analog converter electronics was modified to operate as a Time-to-Charge converter so that it can be used with the CDF CAFE charge integration assemblies, and tests of the Time-to-Charge converter showed excellent linearity. Work also continued on the design of the digitizer/readout boards. Discussions with the Forward Proton Detector group took place to understand how the Luminosity Monitor electronics could be used for that detector's timing scintillators. Use of the muon system's crate and controller designs for the Luminosity Monitor was investigated. A sample of the high-quality cable that will bring the Luminosity Monitor phototube signals to the Movable Counting House (MCH) was tested and found to maintain the fast rise time of the signals.

A new block diagram design was developed that is simpler than the initial one. This uses a common data path to feed both the Level 2 system and to readout to Level 3. The schedule information for this project has been updated to reflect this new design.

Testing of the final prototype for the muon trigger test card and the first prototype muon trigger card began. Two flavors of the muon flavor boards and a new design of the serial link daughter boards (with a new amplifier) were sent out for fabrication. The final prototype of the muon trigger crate manager was sent for layout, and design of the muon trigger splitter cards was started. Testing of the muon centroid finder card continued, and layout of the muon centroid crate manager was nearly finished. Conversion of the muon trigger simulator from Fortran to C++ also began

Progress was made on several sections of the technical design report for Level 2 systems. The Level 2 Calorimeter chapter was reviewed, and preliminary drafts of sections related to the Fiber Input Converter (FIC), the Magic Bus Transceiver (MBT), and the Fiber Tracker were submitted for comment. Development of prototypes for several cards is also under way. A prototype Alpha card was received this quarter, and prototype MBT, FIC, and SLIC (Second Level Input Computer) prototype cards should appear next quarter. Workshops defined the main parameters of the Level 2 serial link protocol. Inexpensive Gigabit Ethernet cable and connectors were selected as the serial link medium and tests on actual cable and connectors achieved good bit error rates, overcoming problems in the receiver circuitry. Work on the Level 2 trigger simulation started, the trigger scripting language definition was refined, and work on a parser began. VTM cards have been chosen to receive input signals for Level 2 preprocessors not only in the tracking system but also in the Level 2 calorimeter preprocessor. A lower-cost alternative for VME controller interface was identified and is being prototyped. The fraction of spares was chosen, and a plan involving maintenance at Fermilab was agreed to. This will enable ordering of crates and power supplies early next quarter.

This quarter saw the transition from the Run 1 data acquisition system to the structure planned for Run 2. With the departure of the original Run 1 framework, the VMS-based online control programs were finally retired and with them the Run 1 data acquisition system and its associated processor farm. In November and December, working data paths from the VME digitizing crates to the new Level 3 system were re-established by installing prototypes of the new readout elements, and data acquisition at DØ is available again for the calorimeter and muon groups. Good progress was made confronting basic software design issues that involve components of the system code in the separate systems and the coordination between them. Other areas of activity included support of the separate Level 3/DAQ system for the silicon test, discussions of Level 3/DAQ issues at CERN, creation of NT-build and other utilities, and completing the design considerations for the final Level 3 upgrade.

A second UNIX host node arrived and was installed, control room PCs were installed, and network components were ordered. An Online System Manager position has been approved and interviews are in progress. Continued support of control path data acquisition was provided for test stands, leading to the production of a general framework within which such efforts can be continued by detector group personnel. An application was created for control path manipulation of SVX system readout components. Controls applications now exist for the operation of low-voltage power supplies and for the generic rack monitor interface. Design work continued and the initial development of applications in the event data path progressed. The addition of a Computing Division Associate Scientist to the monitoring effort has greatly accelerated progress.

The following table lists DoE (M1) and Director's (M2) milestones whose baseline dates fall before the end of the first quarter of FY99. (Milestones reached prior to the first quarter have been deleted from the list.). Two Director's milestones were met during the quarter and three were not met.

This section presents a table summarizing the reported and scheduled (based on Jan 98 baseline) Fermilab technical effort during the quarter for each WBS Level 2 Subsystem. This includes reported effort from various engineering and technical teams and technical centers at Fermilab, but does not include physicist or project management effort. Units are in FTEs per quarter. Numbers under the "S" column headings denote Scheduled effort; numbers under the "R" headings denote Reported effort. CP - Computing Professional, DES - Designer/Drafter, EE - Electrical Engineer, ET - Electrical Tech, ME - Mechanical Engineer, MT - Mechanical TechFermilab Technical Effort
Oct-Dec 1998

The first quarter of fiscal year 1999 closed with obligations for the DØ Upgrade Project totaling $1,322K on equipment M&S funds and $170K on Solenoid AIP Plant funds. As of the end of the first quarter, FY99 budget allowances had not been distributed to the DØ Project, so a comparison between actual and planned spending is not presented in this report.

During the first quarter, cost-estimate change requests continued to be submitted by sub-project managers. Analysis of proposed changes continued, with approval of an updated cost estimate anticipated by the end of the second quarter of FY99. Currently, the best Estimate-to-Complete (ETC) the Upgrade is about $15,000K. Based on the fraction of each Sub-Project that has been completed, DØ has spent only 25% of the contingency estimated for those items already purchased. The second quarter's report will more precisely define the Project's position as final changes to the cost estimate are made and approved.

The Project currently has commitments with universities and other institutions in the DØ Collaboration, via active Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), that total $6,301K. These funds constitute an obligation on the part of the DØ Upgrade Project and are regularly costed each month through invoices that are received as work is completed.