The current machines for the study of nuclear fusion does not produce energy, and their output is substantially a large amount of data.
The accuracy of the data collected, and their density within narrow temporal samples, can determine the effectiveness of the real time control systems to install in future reactors.
We set ourselves the objective to design and test a high-speed and high-density data acquisition system based on the latest generation FPGA technologies.
in the thesis is used the latest products released by Xilinx to design a acquire stream system of signals from generic probes (specifically magnetic probes).
The Zynq 7000 family is nowadays state of the art of sistemy SoC that integrating a powerful and extensive FPGA section with an ARM mullticore.
Of fundamental importance will be the drastic reduction of signal cables between the sensory apparatus and acquisition systems with the dual objective of eliminating the noise induced and drastically lower installation costs.
Magnetic field configuration in RFX is characterised by fast variations of all the three field components during the pulse, with relevant non axis-symmetry in toroidal direction. Typical spectra exhibit modes up to n=15 in toroidal direction and mainly m=0 and m=1 in poloidal direction.
As a consequence, probe signals have a large dynamic (more than 60 dB), and extended frequency spectrum (several tens of kHz).
Therefore, a large number of probes are required to correctly identify the complex spatial structure of the plasma column.
To reduce shielding effects, probes must be installed inside the stabilising shell.
The three components of field outside the vacuum vessel can be very different in amplitude.
At the same time, one can reach 0.8 T and another can be typically lower than some mT. Furthermore, they vary very quickly.
The probes to be installed have to guarantee an uncertainty less than 1 mT to correctly reconstruct the plasma behaviour.
These two specifications are particularly stringent and require an accurate calibration and a careful probe alignment to minimise the spurious effect of unwanted components.
A further design specification for the sensors is due to the maximum operation temperature of the vacuum vessel (200 °C).
The analogic acquires systems must exhibit high isolation, high speed and resolution, but above all a low noise level.
The noise must be below minimum margins throughout the frequency spectrum contained in the signals provided by magnetic probes.
The main topic of the thesis is to verify the suitability of the ATCA MIMO ISOL modules in the upper and lower part of the signal spectrum of bi-axis magnetic probes in order to be able to be integrated into the new FPGA acquisition and realtime control in RFX systems
