NAMC-psTimer

NAMC-psTimer Fast and High Precision Timing System with pico seconds resolution

The NAMC-psTimer is designed timing systems for large installations such as the European XFEL (X-Ray Free Electron Laser) in Hamburg, Germany, but it can be used in a single stand-alone setup as well. Clocks and triggers are programmable and generated by a master module and distributed in a multi-star topology. All triggers within the entire timing system are synchronized with a jitter of approximately 10ps. The main purpose is to output triggers and clock signals which may be based on local Stand-Alone configuration or information provided by a global timing system installation.

In addition to the distribution of triggers and clocks the system is able to distribute data words and tables through its fibre distribution network. A precision 1.3GHz clock with modulated data is used on the fibre links. Receivers can recover both clock and data. Synchronized dividers are used to generate local clocks at the receivers. The receiver has 23 programmable outputs:

Trigger with delay,
Immediate or delayed trigger events,
Gates between trigger events,
Slow clocks,
Two different slow data protocols,
Fast data protocol.