To: file	palfa_to_linux.wpd

From: Jon Hagen

Date: Aug 9, 2004

Subject: Palfa to Linux computer interface

Conversation this morning with Bill Sisk: Spectrometer will use Xilynx chip on PMC board, which is a board meant to plug into a companion PCI 'bridge board' (a board that provides the PMC board with access to the pci bus). The bridge board comes with a Linux driver, which may or may not be fast enough for the DMA transfers we'll need. Jeff has looked at this driver and may be able to improve it, or write his own driver.

But, Bill could also use the PMC board without using its companion board. He would install the PMC board in its own chassis and connect that chassis by cable to an EDT board in the Linux computer. The EDT board is another 'bridge board' to the pci bus