Framework for Testing and Operation of the ATLAS Level-1 MUCTPI and CTP

The ATLAS Level-1 Muon-to-Central-Trigger-Processor Interface (MUCTPI) receives information on muon candidates from the muon trigger sectors and sends multiplicity values to the Central Trigger Processor (CTP). The CTP receives the multiplicity values from the MUCTPI and combines them with information from the calorimeter trigger and other triggers of the experiment and makes the final Level-1 decision. The MUCTPI and CTP are housed in two 9U VME64x crates and are made of nine different types of custom designed modules. This paper will present the framework which is used for debugging, commissioning and operation of all modules of the MUCTPI and CTP. Testing of the modules has been considered right from design. Most types of modules contain diagnostic memories at the input of the module which can be used to capture incoming data or to inject data into the module. Testing of the modules can be achieved by capturing data at input of a down-stream module, by reading out data from a monitoring buffer, or by reading out monitoring counters. A layered software framework using C++ has been developed for configuring and controlling all modules and for testing them independently or grouped into complete subsystems. The lowest level uses the ATLAS VME library and driver. At the next higher level, a compiler translates a description of the VME registers from XML to C++ code. This code together with existing code for some components, e.g. HPTDC, DELAY25, and JTAG, is combined to the lowlevel library of the module. A menu program provides access to all methods of the module low-level library. Generators create data for the test memories. Simulators calculate expected results. Generators, simulators and the low-level library are combined to a suite of test programs which cover the full functionality of the MUCTPI and CTP. The low-level library is also used by the control and monitoring programs which integrate the sub-systems into the ATLAS experiment control and monitoring framework.