QICK glossary

QICK jargon

These terms have specific meanings in QICK. We will try to be consistent about this usage.

(We should link to more in-depth documents as available.)

• dynamic: A generator/readout parameter that is set by the tProcessor, and therefore can be changed/swept inside a program. Contrast to "static." Sometimes "tProc-configured" or "tProc-controlled."
• static: A generator/readout parameter that is set directly by the CPU through the PYNQ interface, and therefore must keep a fixed value throughout execution of a program. Contrast to "dynamic." Sometimes "PYNQ-configured" or "PYNQ-controlled."
• generator, gen, generator channel: A QICK firmware block that is triggered by the tProc and sends a stream of digital samples to an DAC. Because generators are mapped one-to-one with DACs, the DAC is often lumped in as part of the generator channel.
• readout, RO: Often used to mean "readout channel," but has a more technical meaning. A QICK firmware block that takes a stream of digital samples from an ADC and applies downconversion+decimation.
• readout channel: A software construct consisting of an ADC, a readout, and a buffer. By configuring and triggering this, you capture windows of downconverted data from an ADC. If multiplexed readout is used, there may be multiple readout channels sharing a single ADC.
• buffer: A QICK firmware block that takes downconverted+decimated data from a readout, and a trigger from the tProc. When the buffer gets a trigger, it captures some number of samples, and either stores the samples directly ("decimated data") or sums them ("accumulated data").
• tProcessor, tProc:
• ADC, RF-ADC:
• DAC, RF-DAC:
• generator/readout LO:
• DAC mixer:
• block, firmware block: A building block of the QICK firmware. The technical term (in FPGA engineering etc.) is often IP or IP block.
• ASM, assembly:
• instruction:
• definition:
• firmware:
• software:
• pulse:
• waveform:
• envelope:
• tone:
• reference time:
• execution time:

Other important vocabulary

These are terms that don't have definitions specific to QICK, they are in common use, but they're used a lot in QICK and may be unfamiliar:

• decimation:
• downconversion, upconversion:
• interpolation:
• Nyquist zone: [mention "nqz" setting?]