VIPER Hardware Connections

flowchart TB
    PC[Computer browser] ---|Ethernet| LAN[Network switch]
    LAN ---|Ethernet| PI[Raspberry Pi]
    DISPLAY[Pi touchscreen] --- PI
    PI ---|USB| AARDVARK[Aardvark]
    PI ---|USB| BEAGLE[Beagle]
    PI ---|USB| SCOPE[PicoScope]
    AARDVARK <-->|I2C commands and responses| BUS[I2C bus]
    BUS -.->|Passive capture| BEAGLE
    BUS --- BACKPLANE[VIPER backplane and power modules]
    BACKPLANE ---|Signal probes| SCOPE
    INPUT[Rated input source] --> BACKPLANE
    PIPOWER[Pi power supply] --> PI
    SCOPEPOWER[Scope DC adapter] --> SCOPE

Connections

Connection	Purpose
Computer and Pi to Ethernet switch	Browser access to VIPER.
Pi to Aardvark	Power-supply control and telemetry.
Pi to Beagle	Passive I2C traffic capture.
Pi to PicoScope	Waveform capture from connected probes.
Input source to VIPER	Input power for the installed modules.

Power the Pi and scope with their adapters. Power the installed modules through the rated input connection.

Backplane

The interface unit has two power-module slots, a payload slot, and a rear transition module slot. The payload and rear transition slots serve the application card and its I/O.

Address switches select each power supply’s I2C address from 0x20 through 0x27. An I2C address does not uniquely describe a physical slot position. Do not connect another active I2C controller during a test without confirming the bus configuration.

See Hardware setup for installation steps. Use the signal lookup table to identify connectors and test points.