HILTOP – Datasheet

“A comprehensive test system under your control – tired of closed vendor tools?
Embrace the future in automation“

The HILTOP, developed by Devtank, is a modular open-source platform providing users with a robust base to build their test and measurement solutions. Use ProdTOP or LabTOP open-source software to quickly create your production test or laboratory applications. We supply a range of hardware options and base software libraries to get you started. The HILTOP is built on a stable Linux software platform and comprehensive design expertise.

All hardware designs, schematics, Gerber data, enclosure information and base software are available to
you as a customer.

Typical Applications #

Automated Test and Measurement (ATE)
Remote monitoring
Hardware in the loop testing
Measurement automation
Production process monitoring
Production functional testing
Industrial control

Feature Summary #

CPU-1.5GHz Broadcom Quad Core ARM Cortex (Raspberry Pi CM4)
FPGA- Expansion slot on Backplane
Integrated SATA support and 1TB hard-drive
Gigabit Ethernet port
Integrated programmable 30V/2A Power supply
7″ high contrast colour touchscreen
3 x USB2.0 ports and 1 x USB 3.0 Port
GPIO Expansion slots for additional hardware
USB Barcode scanner and camera support
High-Speed Open VTI Backplane standard
Standard Eurocard-ready 6HP expansion ports
Isolated RS 485/422/232 interfaces
Isolated CAN FD interfaces
4k HDMI Port
Ports – 1x PC Fan / 1x mPCIe / 1x One-Wire
CSI (MIPI Serial Camera) / 1x DSI (MIPI Serial Display)
Onboard Hardware – Temperature Sensor, RTC, and EEPROM
Auto Script generation from DOORS® or Spreadsheet test specifications
Dual control software platform accessed either from the shop floor or remote web interface
Data Logging Capability with SQL database integration
Hardware Watchdog enable

Specification #

Integral motherboard/controller adopting a flexible split architecture with 64bit ARM processor and parallel FPGA hardware acceleration. Powerful 1.5GHz quad-core ARM Cortex CPU (Raspberry Pi compute 4) fitted as standard.

Both ARM CPU and FPGA core use a modular system-on-module form factor which are fully upgradeable in service.

Fully integrated backplane with interconnection to motherboard and FPGA using the Open VTI bus standard*

- Industrial grade 3U (63HP or 84HP wide) Instrumentation Case
- Raspberry Pi CM4 Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz (all variants)
- 4mm Rear Panel power socket outputs for programmable DC power supply
- 1GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM with ECC, Real-Time-Clock and Onboard Temperature Monitoring
- Lattice ICE40HX8K FPGA SO-DIMM
- On-board EEPROM Memory for Constants and Calibration Data
- 3 (or 6) off 3U Eurocard slots for custom plug-ins with connection to the backplane via DIN41612 connectors
- GPIO Expansion Header Ports (direct exposure to CPU and FPGA I/O)
- Galvanically isolated 10Mbit RS485/422 channels
- Galvanically isolated 8Mbit CAN FD channels
- Isolated RS232 Full Duplex
- 4 x On-board ADC’s
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- 2 x I2C, 2 x SPI, UART
- Replaceable SD Card (Hosts OS Image)
- SATA up to 5Gbps (via USB3.0) and 1TB 2.5″ hard drive installed (standard build)
- HDMI 4K Port
- Integrated software programmable DC Power supply (30V/2A) with voltage and current monitoring (4mm front panel sockets and backplane exposure)
- 4 x USB ports (1 front, 2 rear, 1 USB 3.0)
- 7in Front panel capacitive touchscreen (800 x 480px)
- Customisable front and rear panels to suit customer application or connector interface
- Operating temperature range : 0°C to 50°C
- PSU Input voltage 250W 110-240V AC 50-60Hz (standard build) OR 80W 12V DC supply option for portable operation.

Open-VTI Backplane #

Developer friendly open backplane standard, supporting power, data and cooling for DIN41612 Eurocard instrumentation modules. Designed for both basic and advanced applications with a lower barrier to entry than PCI/PXI bus

- - Star Trigger – Matched length master trigger line for accurate syncronisation of cards. Can be driven from master CPU or FPGA.
  - Master Clock – Matched length LVDS signal driven from master FPGA. Cards can use this as a reference clock to synchronise their internal clocks using Phase lock loop.
  - USB Bus to each card from the motherboard CPU (via HUB chip). Max data rate of 480Mbps (USB2.0)
  - LVDS Bus from master FPGA to each card. (Max data rate TBC – est. 100Mbps)
  - Local Bus – each card has uncommitted IO for communication with its neighbour. (Allows multi-card solutions to be realised)
  - Common Bus – each card is connected to a mixture of common CPU and FPGA IO Signals. This includes a mixture of digital TTL GPIO and comms buses including SPI, I2C and PWM.
  - Power – Each card has support from multiple power rails protected by resettable fuses and provided by the motherboard/chassis combination. +12V, +/-5V, +3.3V & Adjustable DC (3-30V) supplies available.

Standard Connectivity #

The HILTOP offers a comprehensive range of built in I/O hardware functions to enable a range of test and measurement solutions straight out of the box.

Software #

The HILTOP software is a scalable modular platform with structured back-end libraries specifically
targeted at Test, Measurement and Automation applications. Python is typically used for
implementing customer focused automated test scripts but C/C++ can be used for test programs too.
Script generators can be created to generate Python test scripts from test specification documents or
DOORS requirements modules enabling systems engineers to create tests with potential for significant
cost savings and reduced time to test.

All test results are stored in an SQL Database and can be stored locally or output over LAN to your
network. Results are logged by serial number so products can be tracked through manufacture and
through life.

HILTOP test solutions provide remote access and control features so it doesn’t matter if your
manufacturing facility is in Asia and your product development is in the UK. Dual control software
accessed from either the touchscreen or remote web interface.

Key Features #

Open Source #

We are an open book. Customer have no less access than ourselves. We welcome involvement and collaboration.
All software is licensed under LGPL unless prior agreement is made with the customer.

Standard Languages #

C, C++ and Python.

Abstracted Hardware Testing Framework #

The testing framework is abstracted from physical hardware so only the hardware interface needs to be defined for
new hardware testing.

Database Backed & Data Driven #

Test results can be stored in central database over LAN as well as locally on the device. Results can be
retrospectively processed to fine tune production or add full traceability to a product’s test history. Tests updated
centrally without need to touch individual test stations. Data analysis and product yield information at your
disposal.

Touch Screen and Barcode Driven GUI #

Controlled with a combination of a touch screen and a barcode scanner, the GUI is designed to be used by non-
technical operators of production test stations.

Remote Access #

Test stations can be observed and controlled remotely via the web interface.

ProdTOP #

The software behind our HILTOP is an automated production test system. Barcode driven, enabling users to test their products and control test hardware using python test scripts.