Subrack

From MCEWiki

Two types of MCE subracks are in production:

  • a large (72-HP) subrack containing 5 MDM connectors and four read-out cards.
  • a small (48-HP) subrack containing 3 MDM connectors and two read-out cards.

Work in Progress: DoubleMCE is a custom two-MCE72-in-one crate being developed to satisfy the space constraints for the upcoming BICEP array.

An intermediate sized 60-HP subrack was also prototyped but not produced in large numbers. Functionally it is equivalent to the modern 48-HP subrack.


(what is HP?)

Components

A fully-kitted subrack contains:

It also contains the following which are generally not "user-replaceable":

Notes
  • before the development of fast bias cards, in each subrack, one bias card was often replaced with a biasing address card (BAC), to allow for fast SQ2 switching. Modern bias cards can now perform fast switching and the BAC option is now obsolete.
  • the 72-HP subrack also has space for a power supply (PSA) or a Linear Feed Card which are both obsolete and no longer installed. The Linear Feed Card would simply bring the power lines off the back plane out to front panel connectors. See MCE Power Requirements for current subrack power options.

Dimensions and Weight

  • A fully populated 3-MDM (5-MDM) MCE weighs approximately 9.5 kg (13 kg). This does not include the weight of the power supply and power cable.
  • Dimensions for a 48-HP MCE: ~ 40cm x 31cm x 34cm (depth x width x height)
  • Dimensions for a 72-HP MCE: ~ 40cm x 43cm x 34cm (depth x width x height)

(what is HP?)

Other information