Kasli-SoC Master- Kasli Satellite connection

tjaunet

Hello,

I am a beginner in Artiq and the related field.

I tried to set up an Artiq system composed of a Sinara 1125 Kasli-SOC board as Master (variant:IMSMASTER) with an 1124 Kasli(2.0) as Satellite (variant:IMSSATELLITE)

I successfully communicated with all the modules on the MASTER (composed of a BNC TTL card x2, DDS urukul configured as SUServo with a Sampler card, a Grabber card, and DSP Stabilizer card x2). The Master is linked by ethernet cable with my computer. Moreover, I can ping the Master with the IP address 192.168.1.75

However, when I want to communicate with a module on my Satellite, I do not succeed to communicating with the module installed (DAC Zotino card, BNC-IDC adapter card, DDS urukul card, and BNC TTL card x2)

It looks like the Satellite is not recognized and/or badly set up.
When I run an artiq_sinara_tester, the test crashes when it probes the TTL port located on the Satellite (all of them located in the Master passed the test) and I got this error message

I got this screen with the artiq_coremgmt log command line (I supposed it is a log from the Master).

I don't know how to do for the log from the Satellite.

We purchased our equipment as a pres-assembled system from M-Labs in March/April 2023, so if I understand well, I didn't need to flash the gateware and firmware by myself, is that right?

I connected the Master with the Satellite with optical fiber cable on both SFP0 ports, where is installed the optical fiber port (SFP-10G-BX), but no light (yellow I guess) blinked.

In addition, I used the pre-installed NUC mini computer which works on the NixOS Linux system (artiq version: ARTIQ v7.8173.ff97675) and also an Artiq conda environment on Microsoft windows 10 labtop (artiq_version : ARTIQ v7.8176.6fbfa12). In both cases, the artiq_sinara_tester failed at the same step (TTL port on the Satellite)

I am a little bit confused about how to set up the connection.
Does someone have an idea of the probably basic steps that I might have missed during the setup of the Master-Satellite connection?

Thank you

steine01

I am not sure if this is your problem, but my satellite connection is from SFP 1 on the master to SFP 0 on the satellite. I think SFP 0 on the satellite is mandatory and the port on the satellite depends on your routing table: https://m-labs.hk/artiq/manual/drtio.html#the-routing-table. I use the default routing table and for me the configuration described above is working.

Also on your serial monitor you can see that the master has not found the satellite and your routing table requires SFP 1 to be the outgoing connection (if I interpret it correctly).

tjaunet

Thanks @steine01 for your reply.

I see what you talking about. I changed my SFP Master connection to the port 1 and let the satellite SFP connection to the port 0. Unfortunately, that doesn't fix my problem. The artiq_sinara_tester failed at the same step than previously and give me the same message.
The Master log looks similar than previously, except than a ERROR line appear and it is looks there is a ping steps is failed.

Do you know if there is a command similar to artiq_coremgmt log to question the satelite ?

Thanks

steine01

Ok great that means the master tries to connect to the satellite, but cannot establish a connection for some reason.

Do you know if there is a command similar to artiq_coremgmt log to question the satelite ?

I don't know, if there is an artiq_coremgmt equivalent, but you can connect to your satellite via an USB cable and read out the serial monitor output on startup of the satellite. Then it should print errors, that occur on the satellite.

tjaunet

Thanks @steine01 for your reply.

Concerning "readout the serial monitor on startup of the satellite", which program or command do you use to get the output ? (if you used one, if not how do you get it?). There is something link with Misoc or Santman or not?

If yes, do you know how to use it to get the ouput ?

Thanks

steine01

I had a discussion with another user in parallel about the serial connection here https://forum.m-labs.hk/d/718-how-to-identify-the-artiq-ip-address

Maybe check that and see if the connection works for you. I am not too knowledgeable on the serial connection to ARTIQ under Unix systems, so take my suggestion of hterm with a grain of salt, since that seems to have not worked properly in that case.

tjaunet

Thanks @steine01 for your reply (and sorry for my late one)

I will follow the other discussion and see if I can fix my problem.

Usually, you control your Artiq with windows or Linux system ? In my case I do with both systems
Thanks

steine01

I have everything set up with Windows, since our institute is not too fond of other options. But as far as I know, M-Labs recommends Linux systems for ARTIQ.

sb10q

steine01 our institute is not too fond of other options

How does your institute do things like "update OS on all machines", "install XYZ software on all machines", "update Excel on all machines", "change IPv6 settings on all machines", etc.?

tjaunet

Thank @steine01 ,

I have the same issues than the discussion with hterm in my windows, I don't succes to get message from my satellite when connected by USB to my computer. I have also 4 ports who appears with my windows but none of them succeed to give me a log.

I have seen in the other discussions, you send a picture after used Misoc. I do not succeed to call it properly on my windows. Do you remember how do you install it? and how you use it to obtain your log on windows (which commands you tape on the terminal)?

Another question, when your master is connected by optical fiber to your satellite, have you some light on the led to indicate which SFP port is active ? In my case I observed no light where my master is connected to my satellite by optical fiber.

Thanks

steine01

I have the same issues than the discussion with hterm in my windows, I don't succes to get message from my satellite when connected by USB to my computer. I have also 4 ports who appears with my windows but none of them succeed to give me a log.

But you did restart the Kasli (i. e. disconnect the power adapter and reconnect it) when monitoring each port, correct? Under normal operation, no messages are necessarily printed, so there is no output visible.

I have seen in the other discussions, you send a picture after used Misoc. I do not succeed to call it properly on my windows. Do you remember how do you install it? and how you use it to obtain your log on windows (which commands you tape on the terminal)?

The picture I posted there is a screen capture of the serial output in hTerm when I power cycle the master. For the satellite you should get a similiar result, if the serial communication works correctly. It is not an ARTIQ-specific program. You can also use any other serial monitor program. Especially on Linux, there might be already other options installed like Minicom or something barebones like screen. I haven't tried to use hterm on a Linux machine, so maybe it does not work properly there.

Another question, when your master is connected by optical fiber to your satellite, have you some light on the led to indicate which SFP port is active ? In my case I observed no light where my master is connected to my satellite by optical fiber.

I think there should be a green LED shining on the port that is connected, but I can check this later.

tjaunet

Thanks @steine01 for your reply.

Sorry about my question about misoc, I misunderstand what is it , and I just learn that is automatic message from board when you connect a USB cable to the JTAG port (I am very beginner in this field)

So I finally success to get the log file from Master and satellite with hterm on my windows computer.

On the Master log, the process finish by a ping failed

and in the sattelite log there is very few information and nothing about communication with master.

Can you send an example of your satelitte log picture when the connection is etablished with the master ? I wonder which process and line miss on my satellite log.

Thank you a lot for your valued help

steine01

Sorry about my question about misoc, I misunderstand what is it , and I just learn that is automatic message from board when you connect a USB cable to the JTAG port (I am very beginner in this field)

No problem, great that you managed to get the serial connection running!

Can you send an example of your satelitte log picture when the connection is etablished with the master ? I wonder which process and line miss on my satellite log.

I do not seem to have a picture of the satellite serial connection on hand, but it is very similiar to the master message, if I recall correctly.

I think there should be a green LED shining on the port that is connected, but I can check this later.

I just checked and yes there should be a green LED shining on the SFP port of the master and satellite if an ethernet connection can be established. My guess is that either the SFP modules have a problem/are not sufficient for the satellite connection or that the fiber cable is broken. When I had such an issue it was because I did not use 10 GBit SFP adapters, but if the system is preassembled by m-labs the adapters should be ok.

tjaunet

Thanks @steine01

I do not seem to have a picture of the satellite serial connection on hand, but it is very similiar to the master message, if I recall correctly.

Ok thank you for this information.

I just checked and yes there should be a green LED shining on the SFP port of the master and satellite if an ethernet connection can be established

Do you connect yourmaster with satellite by ethernet cable? Have you already try with optical fiber ?

My guess is that either the SFP modules have a problem/are not sufficient for the satellite connection or that the fiber cable is broken. When I had such an issue it was because I did not use 10 GBit SFP adapters, but if the system is preassembled by m-labs the adapters should be ok.

I have tested my fiber with laser and I was able to ensure that the fiber is not broken. Both SFP port normally is for 10 GBit (SFP-10G-BX).

I will try to investigate more forum discussions to find a lead at my problem

Thanks again for your help

steine01

The satellite and master are connected with an optical fiber for both of our systems.

tjaunet

Update : I have test the optical fiber when its connected to the Master and there is some lights which is emitted. Same results when I tested my satellite. So this confirm that my optical fiber and SFP port looks to works well

So I tried to build the firmware and gateware with the python -m artiq.gateware.targets.kasli command (from the manual) and I got this error :

I have seen this error is related to this topic an its suggested to use the python -m artiq.gateware.targets.kasli_generic command with a json file. I create a json file by myself for my satellite and an error appears during the process:

However an artiq_kasli/<variant> was created with a software repertory inside. After that I tried to flash the binaries with the artiq_flash --srcbuild -d artiq_kasli/<variant> command but one more time I got an error :

Its looks tat normally a gateware repertory on the artiq_kasli/<variant> path should be created during the building step, and which contained a top.bit file

@steine01 have you already got this issue with windows ?
I tried another json file from https://git.m-labs.hk/M-Labs/sinara-systems-legacy/src/branch/master/archive
but I have got the same error message during the firmware/gateware building process.