It is developed by `M-Labs <https://m-labs.hk>`_ for and in partnership with the `Ion Storage Group at NIST <https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/ion-storage>`_ as free software.
The system features a high-level programming language that helps describing complex experiments, which is compiled and executed on dedicated hardware with nanosecond timing resolution and sub-microsecond latency. It includes graphical user interfaces to parametrize and schedule experiments and to visualize and explore the results.
ARTIQ uses FPGA hardware to perform its time-critical tasks.
It is designed to be portable to hardware platforms from different vendors and FPGA manufacturers.
Currently, one configuration of a `low-cost open hardware FPGA board <http://pipistrello.saanlima.com/>`_ and several different configurations of a `high-end FPGA evaluation kit <http://www.xilinx.com/products/boards-and-kits/ek-k7-kc705-g.html>`_ are used and supported.
Any of these FPGA platforms can be combined with any number of additional peripherals, either already accessible from ARTIQ or made accessible with little effort.
Custom hardware components with widely extended capabilities and advanced support for scalable and fully distributed real-time control of experiments `are being designed <https://github.com/m-labs/sinara>`_.
