ESE Home | Metrics | Useful Links | Vendors List The Physics Research Equipment Pool (PREP) provides and supports electronic instrumentation for high energy physics research experiments according to agreements (MOU's -- memoranda of understandings) between approved experiment collaborations and the Fermilab Computing Division. Equipment can be borrowed for onsite use or offsite loans and collaborative agreements (ELS). PREP will need to know who you are and your affiliation, the experiment or project that the equipment will support and where the equipment will be located.

Users with requests, questions, complaints and compliments are encouraged to send email to prep@fnal.gov.
This is THE FASTEST way to get a response to a general request because multiple people receive this email. Equipment loans, espically new requests, should be requested through an online form. This form collects all the needed information and sends a email to the PREP list. The counter phone number is x3447 but they can only help with loans in progress or module swaps. Hours are below.

Users with specific module problems or operational questions should email prep@fnal.gov and a PREP manager will respond. The PREP email is monitored frequently and running experiments who are down should send email 24-7. There is a wide range of help available from the managers including operational experience with many of the modules, documentation and diagnostic information, referals to previous users and, of course, replacement modules or suggestions of suitable replacements. If necessary, we can visit your on-site experiment to assist with diagnostics.

Note that if PREP loans you a module, the managers try to keep tested spares on the shelf in support of running equipment. If your module fails, report it to prep@fnal.gov and bring it to the counter. We will replace it or tell you how long we think it will be to get a replacement ready.
If you have an emergency or a module failure and it's after normal business hours - modules are available through the after hours procedure.
 

Practical

The normal and recommended procedure for borrowing modules from PREP is detailed in Requesting Equipment from PREP. Arriving at the counter unannounced is discouraged and has proven not to expedite the process of approving, locating, documenting and issuing appropriate modules.

• PREP Location: Feynman Computing Center, 1st Floor, East-side entrance and go thru the second double doors.
• Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 9:30 am - 3:00 pm (closed 11:30 am - 12:30 pm)
• Electronic Equipment Information Module types and Manufacturer Catalog pages.  All items in this catalog are, or at one time were, in the equipment pool, but may not be available for issue at this time. 
  The fact that an item is listed does not imply a vendor or product endorsement. 
• Electronic Equipment Database queries EquipDB, allows experienced users to check module availability. Available for use on site only.
• Requesting Equipment from PREP
• Unsupported or obsolete modules and those headed that way

PREP Additional Technical Services

• SMT Rework
• Wire Bonding
• BGA Rework
• X-Ray Inspection
• Oscilloscope and DMM calibration verification
• Optical Inspection
• Device (EPROM, EEPROM, FPGA,PLD, etc.) Programming

Associated Departments & Groups

• Online and Analysis Applications (OAA)
• Equipment Logistics Services (ELS)
• Electronic Systems Engineering (ESE) - Performs repair services for PREP

Other Userful URLs

• Computing Div. Sensitive Item Transfer Requests
• MISCOMP Database Homepage
• How to Excess Equipment Through PREP
• Property Pass Procedure
• CERN Equipment Pool
• AFREP

For assistance, contact the Service Desk servicedesk@fnal.gov 

Information compiled and maintained by Bob Forster or Vince Pavlicek; last modified July 19, 2012.

(Address comments about page to prep@fnal.gov)